RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION READER PAD

• US 20130313321A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Megacom Ltd (Avenir Telecom SA)
• Original Assignee: Megacom Ltd (Avenir Telecom SA)
• Inventors: MAN, Chun Sing Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/831,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20130313321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices

Abstract

A RFID reader pad includes at least an embedded antenna; a RFID reader module that includes at least a physical port, the RFID reader module being connected to the at least one embedded antenna through the at least one physical port; a micro-controller module connected to the RFID reader module; and a wireless communication module connected to the micro-controller module. The micro-controller module is configured to receive data from the RFID reader module and transmit the data through the wireless communication module. A RFID reader pad network that includes a plurality of the RFID reader pads is also provided.

Claims

1. A RFID reader pad comprising:

at least an embedded antenna;

a RFID reader module comprising at least a physical port, the RFID reader module being connected to the at least one embedded antenna through the at least one physical port;

a micro-controller module connected to the RFID reader module; and

a wireless communication module connected to the micro-controller module;

wherein;

the micro-controller module is configured to receive data from the RFID reader module and transmit the data through the wireless communication module.

2. The RFID reader pad of claim 1 further comprising a network module connected to the micro-controller module, wherein the micro-controller module is configured to receive data from the RFID reader module and transmit the data through the network module.

3. The RFID reader pad of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader module comprises an additional physical port and the addition physical port is configured for connecting the RFID reader module and an external antenna.

4. The RFID reader pad of claim 1, wherein the micro-controller module comprises a processor and a non-volatile data memory.

5. The RFID reader pad of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to monitor any changes in the detection of RFID tags in an area proximate to the RFID reader module relative to a prior interrogation of the RFID reader module.

6. The RFID reader pad of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the physical port of the RFID reader module to establish a RF communication between the RFID reader module and the RFID tags.

7. The RFID reader pad of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication module is a WiFi module.

8. The RFID reader pad of claim 7, wherein the network module is configured to establish communication based on TCP/IP protocol and through a LAN cable.

9. The RFID reader pad of claim 8, wherein the RFID reader module is configured to receive a command from the network module and the micro-controller module through a LAN cable or from the wireless communication module and the micro-controller module through a WiFi connection.

10. The RFID reader pad of claim 9, wherein the micro-controller module is configured to provide a UART to TCP/IP interface for data communication.

11. The RFID reader pad of claim 2, wherein the RFID reader module comprises a plurality of physical ports, each physical port is connected to an antenna, the micro-controller module is configured to start to scan the physical ports when network and power cables are connected to the RFID reader pad.

12. The RFID reader pad of claim 11, wherein the micro-controller module is configured to check whether a physical port that is being scanned is an operable port or the last port in a queue.

13. The RFID reader pad of claim 12, wherein if the physical port is an operable port, the micro-controller module is configured to utilize the physical port by interrogating any tags through the antenna connected to the physical port and processing any data received by the antenna.

14. The RFID reader pad of claim 13, wherein if the physical port is the last operable port, the micro-controller module is configured to scan the first port in the queue.

15. A RFID reader pad network comprising a plurality of RFID reader pads and a backend processing unit connected to the RFID reader pads, each RFID reader pad comprising:

at least an embedded antenna;

a RFID reader module with at least a physical port, the RFID reader module being connected to the at least one embedded antenna through the at least one physical port;

a micro-controller module connected to the RFID reader module; and

a wireless communication module connected to the micro-controller module;

wherein;

the micro-controller module is configured to receive data from the RFID reader module and transmit the data through the wireless communication module.

16. The RFID reader pad network of claim 15, wherein the RFID reader pads are connected with each other and with the backend processing unit through LAN or WiFi connections.

17. The RFID reader pad network of claim 15, wherein the RFID reader pads are configured to transmit data to the backend processing unit for further processing.

18. A RFID reader pad comprising:

a plurality of embedded antennas;

a RFID reader module comprising a plurality of physical ports, the RFID reader module being connected to the embedded antennas through the physical ports;

a micro-controller module connected to the RFID reader module; and

a wireless communication module connected to the micro-controller module;

wherein;

the micro-controller module is configured to receive data from the RFID reader module and transmit the data through the wireless communication module, and configured to receive a command from the wireless communication module and transmit the command to the RFID reader module.

19. The RFID reader pad of claim 18 further comprising a network module connected to the micro-controller module, wherein the micro-controller module is configured to receive data from the RFID reader module and transmit the data through the network module, and configured to receive a command from the network module and transmit the command to the RFID reader module.

20. The RFID reader pad of claim 19, wherein the RFID reader module comprises an additional physical port and the addition physical port is configured for connecting the RFID reader module and an external antenna.