RFID TAG TRACKING SYSTEM AND RFID TAG TRACKING METHOD

• US 20120007716A1
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Getac Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Getac Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Jiunn-Jye, Li, Jui-Yu
• Application Number:
  US12/831,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20120007716A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag tracking system is provided for performing an RFID tag tracking method. The RFID tag tracking system includes an RFID tag, at least one RFID reader, and a backend-server. The RFID tag periodically emits tag signals having different original signal strengths, and the original signal strength of each tag signal determines a signal receiving boundary relative to the RFID tag. The RFID reader is used to receive the tag signals, and the tag signal that can be received by the RFID reader receives the tag signals, and determines one or more receivable signals which cab be received by the RFID reader among the tag signals. The backend-server determines a possible position area of the RFID tag relative to the RFID reader according to the signal receiving boundary of the receivable signal.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag tracking system, comprising:

an RFID tag, periodically emitting a plurality of tag signals having different original signal strengths, and the original signal strength of each tag signal determining a signal receiving boundary relative to the RFID tag;

at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, for receiving the tag signals emitted by the RFID tag, and determining the received tag signal as a receivable signal when the RFID reader is in each signal receiving boundary and a receiving strength corresponding to the received tag signal is greater than a threshold value; and

a backend-server, for determining a possible position area of the RFID tag relative to the RFID reader according to the signal receiving boundary corresponding to the receivable signal.

2. The RFID tag tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each tag signal carries a strength identification code, and the strength identification code contains the original signal strength of each tag signal when emitted by the RFID tag.

3. The RFID tag tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each tag signal carries a signal receiving boundary identification code, the signal receiving boundary identification codes are respectively corresponding to different signal receiving boundaries according to the tag signals having different original signal strengths, and each signal receiving boundary represents a position range of the tag signals having different original signal strengths which are determined as the receivable signals by the RFID reader after emitted by the RFID tag.

4. The RFID tag tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is an active-type RFID tag, which actively emits the tag signals by using a self-contained electrical power source.

5. The RFID tag tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is a passive-type RFID tag, and the RFID reader periodically emits a trigger signal to activate the RFID tag to emit the tag signals.

6. The RFID tag tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the tag signal is a receivable signal, the backend-server determines that the RFID reader is located within the signal receiving boundary corresponding to the receivable signal.

7. The RFID tag tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tracking system has a plurality of RFID readers, the RFID tag has a possible position area relative to each RFID reader respectively, and the backend-server determines an intersection region of the possible position areas as a speculated position of the RFID tag.

8. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag tracking method, for identifying an RFID tag and determining a position of the RFID reader, comprising the steps of:

periodically emitting a plurality of tag signals having different original signal strengths by the RFID tag, wherein the original signal strength of each tag signal determining a signal receiving boundary relative to the RFID tag;

receiving the tag signals by the RFID reader, wherein a receiving strength of a corresponding tag signal received by the RFID reader is greater than a threshold value when the RFID reader is in each signal receiving boundary;

determining the tag signals having a receiving strength greater than the threshold value as receivable signals by the RFID reader; and

determining a possible position area of the RFID tag according to the signal receiving boundaries corresponding to the receivable signals.

9. The RFID tag tracking method as claimed in claim 8, wherein each tag signal carries a strength identification code, and the strength identification code contains the original signal strength of each tag signal when emitted by the RFID tag.

10. The RFID tag tracking method as claimed in claim 8, wherein each tag signal carries a signal receiving boundary identification code, the signal receiving boundary identification codes are respectively corresponding to different signal receiving boundaries according to the tag signals having different original signal strengths, and each signal receiving boundary represents a position range of the tag signals having different original signal strengths which are determined as the receivable signals by the RFID reader after emitted by the RFID tag.

11. The RFID tag tracking method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the RFID tag is an active-type RFID tag, which actively emits the tag signals by using a self-contained electrical power source.

12. The RFID tag tracking method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the RFID tag is a passive-type RFID tag, and before the step of emitting the tag signals by the RFID tag, the method further comprises:

periodically emitting a trigger signal by the RFID reader to activate the RFID tag to emit the tag signals.

13. The RFID tag tracking method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising steps of:

obtaining another possible position area of the RFID tag by at least another RFID reader, and determining an intersection region of the possible position areas as a speculated position of the RFID tag.