SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RFID INTERROGATORS

• US 20130162399A1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: George H. Flammer III
• Inventors: FLAMMER, George H. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for efficiently interconnecting RFID interrogator elements. Each interrogator element is configured to function as both an RFID interrogator and an RFID tag. The RFID interrogator function enables one interrogator element to perform a read or write data operation to a second interrogator element functioning as an RFID tag. Two-way communications between interrogator elements is facilitated by read and write operations. A data backhaul network may be advantageously implemented as a wireless mesh network, comprising a plurality of interrogator elements, to transmit data from each interrogator element to a server for processing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transmitting and receiving data via a radio signal, the method comprising:

transmitting a first interrogation request to a first radio frequency identifier (RFID) device;

receiving a first interrogation reply from the first RFID device;

receiving a second interrogation request from a second RFID device; and

transmitting a second interrogation reply to the second RFID device in response to the second interrogation request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interrogation request comprises a read request for a first set of data residing within the first RFID device, and the first interrogation reply comprises a first message that includes the first set of data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interrogation request comprises a write request for a second set of data to be written to the first RFID device, and the first interrogation reply comprises a second message that confirms a successful write operation for the second set of data within the first RFID device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second interrogation request comprises a read request for a third set of data residing within the interrogator element, and the second interrogation reply comprises a third message that includes the third set of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second interrogation request comprises a write request for a fourth set of data to be written to the interrogator element, and the second interrogation reply comprises a fourth message that confirms a successful write operation for the fourth set of data within the interrogator element.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third interrogation request from a third RFID device;

transmitting a third interrogation reply to the third RFID device in response to the third interrogation request;

transmitting a fourth interrogation request to a fourth RFID device; and

receiving a fourth interrogation reply from the fourth RFID device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third interrogation request comprises a read or write request for data residing with the interrogator element, and the fourth interrogation request comprises a read or write request for data residing within the fourth RFID device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of data comprises metrology data measured by the first RFID device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the metrology data comprises accumulated power consumption data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RFID device and the second RFID device comprise interrogator elements.

11. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to transmit one or more data packets via a radio signal by performing the steps:

transmitting a first interrogation request to a first radio frequency identifier (RFID) device;

receiving a first interrogation reply from the first RFID device;

receiving a second interrogation request from a second RFID device; and

transmitting a second interrogation reply to the second RFID device in response to the second interrogation request.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first interrogation request comprises a read request for a first set of data residing within the first RFID device, and the first interrogation reply comprises a first message that includes the first set of data.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first interrogation request comprises a write request for a second set of data to be written to the first RFID device, and the first interrogation reply comprises a second message that confirms a successful write operation within the first RFID device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second interrogation request comprises a read request for a third set of data residing within the interrogator element, and the second interrogation reply comprises a third message that includes the third set of data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second interrogation request comprises a write request for a fourth set of data to be written to the interrogator element, and the second interrogation reply comprises a fourth message that confirms a successful write operation within the interrogator element.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a third interrogation request from a third RFID device;

transmitting a third interrogation reply to the third RFID device in response to the third interrogation request;

transmitting a fourth interrogation request to a fourth RFID device; and

receiving a fourth interrogation reply from the fourth RFID device.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the third interrogation request comprises a read or write request for data residing with the interrogator element, and the fourth interrogation request comprises a read or write request for data residing within the fourth RFID device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first set of data comprises accumulated power consumption data measured by the first RFID device.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first RFID device and the second RFID device comprise interrogator elements.

20. A wireless network device, comprising:

a digital radio circuit configured to generate a radio signal for data transmission and to receive a signal for data reception; and

a processing unit that is coupled to the radio transmitter circuit and configured to;

transmit first interrogation request to a first radio frequency identifier (RFID) device;

receive a first interrogation reply from the first RFID device;

receive a second interrogation request from a second RFID device;

transmit a second interrogation reply to the second RFID device in response to the second interrogation request;

receive a third interrogation request from a third RFID device;

transmit a third interrogation reply to the third RFID device in response to the third interrogation request;

transmit a fourth interrogation request to a fourth RFID device; and

receive a fourth interrogation reply from the fourth RFID device.

21. The wireless network device of claim 20, wherein the first set of data comprises accumulated power consumption data measured by the first RFID device.