METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INTEGRATED INTERROGATION OF RFID SENSORS

• US 20120001730A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Tomlinson, Harold Woodruff Jr., Morris, William Guy
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves

Abstract

An integrated interrogator for a RFID sensor is provided. The integrated interrogator comprises a digital reader in communication with the RFID sensor, an impedance reader in communication with the RFID sensor, and one or more controllers that coordinate actions of the digital reader and the impedance reader.

Claims

1. An integrated interrogator for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensor, comprising:

a digital reader in communication with the RFID sensor;

an impedance reader in communication with the RFID sensor; and

one or more controllers that coordinate actions of the digital reader and the impedance reader.

2. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, wherein a range of scanning frequencies of the impedance reader is within a frequency band of the digital reader.

3. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, wherein a range of scanning frequencies of the impedance reader is higher or lower relative to a frequency band of the digital reader, and wherein the range of scanning frequencies is within 10 MHz of the frequency band of the digital reader.

4. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, wherein the impedance reader operates at two or more power levels.

5. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, wherein the digital reader comprises, a single-frequency, single-protocol reading device, or a multi-frequency, multi-protocol reading device.

6. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, further comprising a communication module that communicates with one or more devices external to the RFID sensor

7. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, further comprising a central computing center remotely located with respect to the integrated interrogator.

8. The integrated interrogator of claim 7, wherein the central computing center analyzes at least a portion of the impedance spectrum using multivariate analysis, steady state responses, or dynamic responses.

9. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, wherein the impedance reader is in communication with a sensor antenna.

10. The integrated interrogator of claim 1, wherein the RFID sensor comprises at least two analog sensing inputs.

11. An interrogation system for interrogation of one or more RFID sensors, comprising:

a sensor antenna that recieves and transmits a signal from the RFID sensors;

an integrated interrogator operatively coupled to one or more of the RFID sensors, comprising;

an impedance reader that measures an impedance spectrum of the RFID sensors;

a digital data reader that reads data from a memory chip of the RFID sensors; and

a controller that coordinates actions of the impedance reader and the digital reader.

12. The interrogation system of claim 11, wherein a scanning frequency range of the sensor response reader is about 3 to 25 MHz.

13. The interrogation system of claim 11, further comprising a communication module that communicates with one or both of the impedance reader and the digital data reader.

14. The interrogation system of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises an electronic switch that switches between analog and digital data acquisition from the impedance reader and the digital data reader, respectively.

15. The interrogation system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the RFID sensors comprises a sensing film that is responsive to a change in an environmental parameter.

16. The interrogation system of claim 11, further comprising a central computing center in communication with the integrated interrogator.

17. The interrogation system of claim 16, wherein the central computing center is remotely located with respect to the RFID sensors.

18. The interrogation system of claim 11, wherein two or more RFID sensors are operatively coupled to a common integrated interrogator.

19. A method for analog and digital data acquisition from one or more RFID sensors, disposed in an environment, comprising:

sensing at least two of a physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the environment at least in part by measuring an impedance spectrum of a resonant antenna structure; and

acquiring digital, or analog, or both digital and analog information relating to the RFID sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the steps of sensing the characteristics of the environment, and acquiring the digital information, are performed either simultaneously, periodically or sequentially.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising analyzing the impedance spectrum or sensor parameters at a remote location

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of sensing is performed at a frequency within a range of about 0 Hz to 10 MHz of the frequency used for acquiring digital information.

23. A method for acquiring sensor data from a RFID sensor which is receiving input from at least two analog sensors, disposed in an environment, to improve the RFID sensor'"'"'s accuracy, precision or a combination thereof, comprising:

monitoring a resistance of at least one of the analog sensors relative to least one of a physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the environment;

monitoring a capacitance of at least one of the analog sensors relative to least one of the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the environment; and

analyzing the resistance and capacitance.

24. The method of claim 23, where analyzing resistance and capacitance is performed substantially simultaneously to reduce or eliminate interference effects from the sensor data.

25. A method for acquiring sensor data from a RFID sensor which is receiving input from at least three analog sensors, disposed in an environment, to improve the RFID sensor'"'"'s accuracy, precision or a combination thereof, comprising:

monitoring a resistance of at least one of the analog sensor relative to least one of a physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the environment;

monitoring an inductance of at least one of the analog sensor relative to least one of a physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the environment;

monitoring a capacitance of at least one of the analog sensors relative to least one of the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the environment; and

analyzing the resistance, the inductance, and the capacitance.