POWERING RFID TAGS USING MULTIPLE SYNTHESIZED-BEAM RFID READERS
First Claim
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1. A method for inventorying a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag comprising:
- communicating, from a controller, a target location to a first synthesized-beam RFID reader and to a second synthesized-beam RFID reader,steering, responsive to the communicated target location, a first beam from the first synthesized-beam reader to the target location and a second beam from the second synthesized-beam reader to the target location;
transmitting, simultaneously, from the first synthesized-beam reader a modulated RF inventory signal and from the second synthesized-beam reader a substantially unmodulated RF signal;
receiving, responsive to the modulated RF inventory signal, a tag reply at one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers; and
transmitting, from one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers, a modulated RF acknowledgment signal responsive to the tag reply, and from the other of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a substantially unmodulated RF signal.
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Abstract
Synthesized-beam RFID readers may be used to manage and provide information about RFID tag populations. In one embodiment, two or more synthesized-beam readers synthesize respective RF beams towards a tag location. The synthesized-beam readers may coordinate their pointing by means of a controller, a peer-to-peer network, or by using a master-slave arrangement. The synthesized-beam readers may coordinate their transmissions to increase the RF energy available to a tag at the pointing location.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for inventorying a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag comprising:
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communicating, from a controller, a target location to a first synthesized-beam RFID reader and to a second synthesized-beam RFID reader, steering, responsive to the communicated target location, a first beam from the first synthesized-beam reader to the target location and a second beam from the second synthesized-beam reader to the target location; transmitting, simultaneously, from the first synthesized-beam reader a modulated RF inventory signal and from the second synthesized-beam reader a substantially unmodulated RF signal; receiving, responsive to the modulated RF inventory signal, a tag reply at one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers; and transmitting, from one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers, a modulated RF acknowledgment signal responsive to the tag reply, and from the other of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a substantially unmodulated RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for inventorying a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag comprising:
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communicating, from a first synthesized-beam RFID reader, a target location to a second synthesized-beam RFID reader, steering a first beam from the first synthesized-beam reader to the target location; steering, responsive to the communicated target location, a second beam from the second synthesized-beam reader to the target location; transmitting, simultaneously, from one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a modulated RF inventory signal and from the other of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a substantially unmodulated RF signal; receiving, responsive to the modulated RF inventory signal, a tag reply at one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers; and transmitting, from one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers, a modulated RF acknowledgment signal responsive to the tag reply, and from the other of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a substantially unmodulated RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for inventorying a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag comprising:
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storing at least one target location and at least one corresponding target-location time in first and second synthesized-beam RFID readers; steering, at the target-location time, a first beam from the first synthesized-beam reader to the target location and a second beam from the second synthesized-beam reader to the target location; transmitting, simultaneously, from one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a modulated RF inventory signal and from the other of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a substantially unmodulated RF signal; receiving, responsive to the modulated RF inventory signal, a tag reply at one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers; and transmitting, from one of the first and second synthesized-beam readers, a modulated RF acknowledgment signal responsive to the tag reply, and from the other of the first and second synthesized-beam readers a substantially unmodulated RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification