RFID READER DISCIPLINE

• US 20180032762A1
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zest Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zest Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Bares, William Henry, Mehring, Peter Arnold
• Granted Patent: US 11,055,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 7/10356 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 method for coordinating reader transmissions, according to one embodiment, includes: at a first reader, receiving from a second reader a request to transmit to a RFID tag; determining whether the first reader is transmitting; and sending a denial of the request from the first reader to the second reader in response to determining that the first reader is transmitting. A method, according to another embodiment, includes: from a first reader, sending to a plurality of readers a request to transmit to a RFID tag; waiting for responses from the plurality of readers; not transmitting to the RFID tag in response to the first reader receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers; and transmitting to the RFID tag in response to the first reader not receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers. Additional systems, methods and computer program products are presented.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating reader transmissions, comprising:

at a first reader, receiving from a second reader a request to transmit to a radio frequency identification tag;

in response to receiving the request, determining whether the first reader is transmitting; and

sending a denial of the request from the first reader to the second reader in response to determining that the first reader is transmitting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the readers communicate directly with each other via at least one of radio frequency signal and a network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to transmit is directed to the first reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reader sends a completion notice to the second reader upon completion of the transmitting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second reader transmits to the radio frequency identification tag in response to not receiving a denial of the request after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the second reader transmitted the request to transmit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second readers receive a request to transmit from a third reader, wherein a denial of the third reader'"'"'s request is sent from the first and second readers when the first reader is transmitting and the second reader is waiting to transmit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third reader waits until the second reader completes transmission before attempting to communicate with a radio frequency identification tag.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second readers receive a request to transmit from a third reader, wherein the request from the third reader includes a request for priority, wherein the first reader aborts transmitting when the first reader is transmitting upon receiving the request from the third reader, wherein the second reader waits to transmit to the radio frequency identification tag until after the third reader communicates with a radio frequency identification tag.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second readers receive a request to transmit from a third reader, wherein the request from the third reader includes a request for priority, wherein the first reader sends a denial of the third reader'"'"'s request when the first reader is transmitting upon receiving the request from the third reader, wherein the second reader waits to transmit to the radio frequency identification tag until after the third reader communicates with a radio frequency identification tag.

10. A method for coordinating reader transmissions, comprising:

from a first reader, sending to a plurality of readers a request to transmit to a radio frequency identification tag, the request being directed to the readers;

waiting for responses from the plurality of readers;

not transmitting to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers; and

transmitting to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader not receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the readers communicate directly with each other via radio frequency signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the readers communicate with each other via a network.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

awaiting receipt of a completion notice from the reader sending the denial prior to transmitting in response to receiving a denial of the request.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first reader transmits to the radio frequency identification tag in response to not receiving a denial of the request after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the first reader transmitted the request to transmit.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving a request to transmit from another reader, wherein a denial of the other reader'"'"'s request is sent from the first reader when the first reader is transmitting or the first reader is waiting to transmit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the other reader waits until the first reader completes transmission before attempting to communicate with a radio frequency identification tag.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving a request to transmit from another reader, wherein the request from the other reader includes a request for priority, wherein the first reader aborts transmitting when the first reader is transmitting upon receiving the request from the other reader, wherein the first reader waits to retransmit to the radio frequency identification tag until after the other reader communicates with a radio frequency identification tag.

18. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving a request to transmit from another reader, wherein the request from the other reader includes a request for priority, wherein the first reader sends a denial of the other reader'"'"'s request when the first reader is transmitting upon receiving the request from the other reader, wherein the remainder of the plurality of readers wait to transmit to the radio frequency identification tag until after the other reader communicates with a radio frequency identification tag.

19. A method for coordinating reader transmissions, comprising:

for a first of a plurality of readers, determining whether the first reader and any other of the readers interfere with each other; and

storing a result of the determination;

wherein the first reader sends a request to transmit to those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa prior to transmitting to a radio frequency identification tag, the request to transmit being directed to those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa;

wherein the first reader does not transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers the request was sent to; and

wherein the first reader transmits to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader not receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers the request was sent to.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determination is performed in response to activating at least one of the readers.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein previous determinations are stored for other readers, wherein the determination involves only the at least one of the readers activating in relation to the other readers.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first reader stores the result of the determination.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the method is performed for each of the readers.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the readers communicate with each other via a network, each reader being assigned a network address for allowing the first reader to directly send the request to transmit to those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein only those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa receive the request from the first reader.

26. A system, comprising:

a processing circuit;

memory coupled to the processing circuit; and

an antenna coupled to the processing circuit,

wherein the processing circuit is configured to;

at a first reader, receive from a second reader a request to transmit to a radio frequency identification tag; and

send a denial of the request from the first reader to the second reader when the first reader is transmitting upon receiving the request from the second reader.

27. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer code thereon, which when executed by a reader causes the reader to:

receive, by the reader, a request to transmit to a radio frequency identification tag from a remote reader; and

send, by the reader, a denial of the request to the remote reader when the reader is transmitting upon receiving the request from the remote reader.

28. A system, comprising:

a processing circuit;

memory coupled to the processing circuit; and

an antenna coupled to the processing circuit,

wherein the processing circuit is configured to;

from a first reader, send to a plurality of readers a request to transmit to a radio frequency identification tag, the request being directed to the readers;

wait for responses from the plurality of readers;

not transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers; and

transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader not receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers.

29. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer code thereon, which when executed by a reader causes the reader to:

send to a plurality of readers a request to transmit to a radio frequency identification tag, the request being directed to the readers;

wait for responses from the plurality of readers;

not transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers; and

transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader not receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers.

30. A system, comprising:

a processing circuit;

memory coupled to the processing circuit; and

an antenna coupled to the processing circuit,

wherein the processing circuit is configured to;

determine whether a first of a plurality of readers and any other of the readers interfere with each other;

store a result of the determination;

store a request to transmit from the first reader to those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa prior to transmitting to a radio frequency identification tag, the request to transmit being directed to those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa;

not transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers receiving the request; and

transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader not receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers receiving the request.

31. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer code thereon, which when executed by a reader causes the reader to:

determine whether a first of a plurality of readers and any other of the readers interfere with each other; and

store a result of the determination;

send a request to transmit from the first reader to those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa prior to transmitting to a radio frequency identification tag, the request to transmit being directed to those readers determined to interfere with the first reader or vice versa;

not transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader receiving a of the request from any of the readers receiving the request; and

transmit to the radio frequency identification tag in response to the first reader not receiving a denial of the request from any of the readers receiving the request.