RFID TAG LOCATION USING SYNTHESIZED-BEAM RFID READERS
First Claim
1. A method to estimate a location of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
- generating multiple radio-frequency beams, each directed to a different target location;
transmitting multiple interrogating signals on each beam;
receiving, on each beam, at least one response from the IC to the interrogating signals;
determining, for each beam, a response rate;
selecting a first beam having a first response rate and a second beam having a second response rate, wherein the first beam partially overlaps the second beam to form an overlap region; and
using a target location of the first beam, a target location of the second beam, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Synthesized-beam RFID readers may be used to locate RFID tags. In one embodiment, a tag'"'"'s response rates on different beams can be used, along with the target locations of those beams, to estimate the tag'"'"'s location. The estimated tag location is within a region where beams with nonzero tag response rates overlap, and the distances of the estimated tag location from any two different beam target locations may correspond to a ratio of tag response rates on the two different beams. In another embodiment, a tag'"'"'s response rates on different beam pairs configured to cooperatively power RFID tags can be used, along with the target locations of those beam pairs, to estimate the tag'"'"'s location.
17 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method to estimate a location of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
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generating multiple radio-frequency beams, each directed to a different target location; transmitting multiple interrogating signals on each beam; receiving, on each beam, at least one response from the IC to the interrogating signals; determining, for each beam, a response rate; selecting a first beam having a first response rate and a second beam having a second response rate, wherein the first beam partially overlaps the second beam to form an overlap region; and using a target location of the first beam, a target location of the second beam, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method to estimate a location of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
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generating multiple pairs of radio-frequency (RF) beams, wherein each beam pair is directed to a different target location and the beams within each beam pair cooperatively provide RF power to the target location; transmitting multiple interrogating signals on at least one beam of each beam pair; receiving, on at least one beam of each beam pair, at least one response from the IC to the interrogating signals; determining, for each beam pair, a response rate; selecting a first beam pair having a first response rate and a second beam pair having a second response rate, wherein the first beam pair partially overlaps the second beam pair to form an overlap region; and using a target location of the first beam pair, a target location of the second beam pair, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) synthesized-beam reader (SBR) to estimate a location of an RFID integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
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serially synthesizing each of multiple beams according to a scan pattern, each beam directed to a respective target location; transmitting a series of interrogating signals on each beam; receiving, on each beam, at least one response from the RFID IC to the series of interrogating signals; determining, for each beam, a response rate; selecting a first beam having a first response rate and a second beam having a second response rate, wherein the first beam partially overlaps the second beam to form an overlap region; and using a target location of the first beam, a target location of the second beam, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification