Method and Apparatus for Discrimination of RFID Tags

• US 20120319821A1
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Karttaavi, Timo Petteri, Hakala, Ilkka Hermanni
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10019 resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers. collision between the communication channels used by wireless communication devices, where the solution is not particularly adapted for RFIDs or the like, H04W74/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10089 the interrogation device using at least one directional antenna or directional interrogation field to resolve the collision direction or location finding, such as triangulation techniques, G01S13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles

Abstract

In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided an apparatus that is configured to determine respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from multiple sources by a directional antenna. The apparatus is also configured to discriminate the radio frequency identification signalling from a particular source based on the particular signal strength of the radio frequency identification signalling received from that source.

Claims

1. An apparatus, the apparatus configured to:

determine respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from multiple sources by a directional antenna; and

discriminate the radio frequency identification signalling from a particular source based on the particular signal strength of the radio frequency identification signalling received from that high frequency radio frequency signalling source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to allow selection of a particular source by orientation of the directional antenna in the direction of that particular high frequency radio frequency signalling source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the directional antenna is configured to have a directional antenna mode and a monopulse antenna mode, the apparatus also being configured to determine respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from multiple sources by a directional antenna in the monopulse antenna mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to discriminate the radio frequency identification signalling from the particular source based on a comparison between the respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from the multiple sources.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive radio frequency signalling from radio frequency identification tags.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to allocate transmission times to each of the respective sources such that the respective signalling from the multiple sources received by the directional antenna do not overlap in time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to allocate transmission times in accordance with a time-division multiplexing protocol.

10. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 1, and one or more apparatus of claim 9.

6. (canceled)

9. An apparatus, the apparatus configured to provide radio frequency identification signalling at one or more predetermined intervals, the intervals having a degree of clock offset associated therewith.

11. A processor configured to:

determine respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from multiple sources by a directional antenna; and

discriminate the radio frequency identification signalling from a particular source based on the particular signal strength of the radio frequency identification signalling received from that high frequency radio frequency signalling source.

12. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from multiple sources by a directional antenna; and

means for discriminating the radio frequency identification signalling from a particular source based on the particular signal strength of the radio frequency identification signalling received from that high frequency radio frequency signalling source.

13. A method comprising:

determining respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from multiple sources by a directional antenna; and

discriminating the radio frequency identification signalling from a particular source based on the particular signal strength of the radio frequency identification signalling received from that high frequency radio frequency signalling source.

14. Computer program code stored on a computer tangible readable medium, wherein the code is configured to, upon being executed:

determine respective signal strengths of radio frequency identification signalling received from multiple sources by a directional antenna; and

discriminate the radio frequency identification signalling from a particular source based on the particular signal strength of the radio frequency identification signalling received from that high frequency radio frequency signalling source.