RFID NETWORK CONTROL AND REDUNDANCY

• US 20120139709A1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Campero, Richard John, Raynesford, Steven James, Trivelpiece, Steve Edward, Trivelpiece, Craig Evan
• Granted Patent: US 8,736,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/10 characterised by the switching fabric construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, RFID network control devices (RNCDs) are provided wherein RFID traffic signals from any one of multiple RFID readers may be routed to any of the RFID antennas coupled to the RNCD. Each reader coupled directly or indirectly to the RNCD, either through its own action or the action of the external host controller managing the reader, may issue commands to the RNCD, over the same cable used to carry RFID traffic signals, and cause the RNCD to set its internal switch configuration such that a channel is established for RFID traffic signals between that reader and a particular RFID antenna coupled to the RNCD. This may include commands from the reader or external host controller which place other intervening RNCD units in a bypass state so as to establish the required communications channel with a minimum of signal strength loss.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device comprising:

a plurality of RFID antenna ports adapted to direct RFID traffic signals to and from one or more RFID antennas;

at least two control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of at least some of the RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information;

a switch network configurable to connect any one of said at least two control ports to any one of said plurality of RFID antenna ports of said RFID network control device; and

a control unit adapted to receive the RFID command signals and to configure and control any of the at least two control ports and the switch network based upon the RFID command information.

2. The RFID network control device of claim 1, further including an RFID reader coupled to one of the at least two control ports that is configured to generate at least some of the RFID command signals.

3. The RFID network control device of claim 2, the RFID reader configured to generate at least some of the RFID traffic signals.

4. The RFID network control device of claim 3, the RFID reader adapted to generate and decode the RFID command signals.

5. The RFID network control device of claim 4, the RFID reader disposed in a same enclosure as the plurality of RFID antenna ports, the at least two control ports, the switch network, and the control unit.

6. The RFID network control device of claim 2, the RFID reader to generate signals to instruct an external device associated with one of the RFID tags regarding identity information for the control port to which the external device is coupled, and to respond to particular RFID command signals received from the external device instructing the control unit to reconfigure the switch network, thereby reconfiguring the switch network based upon the particular RFID command signals.

7. The RFID network control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of the RFID network control devices as recited in claim 1; and

a wired connection between one of the at least two control ports for each of the plurality of the RFID network control devices and one of the at least two control ports of another one of the plurality of the RFID network control devices, to create an RFID network.

8. The RFID network control device of claim 7, each of said plurality of RFID network control devices connected to form one of a linear chain and a daisy chain.

9. The RFID network control device of claim 7, each of the plurality of RFID network control devices connected to form a branching structure in which two or more of said plurality of RFID network control devices form a linear chain, and a particular one of the plurality of RFID network control device on one end of the linear chain is coupled to two or more additional RFID network control devices.

10. The RFID network of claim 7, each of the plurality of RFID network control devices connected to form a loop structure.

11. A control arrangement for a radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device comprising:

at least two control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information;

12. The control arrangement of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of RFID antenna ports adapted to direct the RFID traffic signals to and from one or more RFID antennas.

13. The control arrangement of claim 12, further comprising a switch network configurable to connect any one of said at least two control ports to any one of said plurality of RFID antenna ports of said RFID network control device.

14. The control arrangement of claim 13, further comprising a control unit adapted to receive the RFID command signals and to configure and control any of the at least two control ports and the switch network based upon the RFID command information.

15. A radio frequency identification (RFID) control arrangement, comprising:

a plurality of RFID readers; and

an RFID network control device for coupling to RFID antennas and the plurality of RFID readers for allowing bidirectional communications between RFID tags disposed in a vicinity of the RFID antennas and the plurality of RFID readers, the network control device comprising;

a plurality of RFID antenna ports each adapted to direct RFID traffic signals to and from one or more of the RFID antennas, wherein the RFID traffic signals include a radio frequency carrier signal having RFID traffic information modulated thereon; and

at least two switchable, configurable and bidirectional control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of at least some of the RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information;

wherein first and second RFID readers of the plurality of RFID readers are coupled to the RFID network device via one of the at least two control ports, and

wherein the RFID network control device is configurable by the first and second RFID readers to allow the first and second RFID readers to generate and receive the RFID traffic signals and the RFID control signals.

16. The radio frequency identification (RFID) control arrangement of claim 15, the RFID network control device for tracking use of the plurality of RFID readers and for switching the plurality of RFID readers to spread a load evenly over the plurality of RFID readers.

17. The radio frequency identification (RFID) control arrangement of claim 16, at least one of the plurality of RFID readers being a smart reader configured to manage the RFID network control device.

18. The radio frequency identification (RFID) control arrangement of claim 17, the smart reader for configuring the RFID network control device to create a communication path between the smart reader and an antenna associated with the RFID network control device.

19. The radio frequency identification (RFID) control arrangement of claim 15, comprising a plurality of said RFID network control devices, each of said plurality of RFID network control devices connected to form one of a linear chain, a daisy chain and a loop structure.

20. The RFID network control device of claim 19, each of the plurality of RFID network control devices connected to form a branching structure in which two or more of said plurality of RFID network control devices form a linear chain, and a particular one of the plurality of RFID network control device on one end of the linear chain is coupled to two or more additional RFID network control devices.