Method of grouping RF transponders

• US 5,777,561 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zai, Li-Cheng Richard, Heinrich, Harley Kent, Chieu, Trieu Can, Cofino, Thomas Anthony, Sousa, Paul Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US08/720,598
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.54, 340/572, 340/573, 342/42
• US Class Current: 340/10.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• 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 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous

Abstract

A method of selecting groups of radio frequency RF transponders (tags) for communication between a base station and the tags. The tags are selected into groups according to a physical attribute ofthe signal sent by the tags to the base station, or according to the physical response of the tags to a physical attribute of the signal sent from the base station to the tags. Communication with the tags is thereby simplified, and the time taken to communicate with the first tag is markedly reduced.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a base station and a set of radio frequency (RF) transponders (tags), comprising;

selecting a plurality of groups of tags from the set of RF tags, the selection according to a physical attribute of the response of the tags to a first RF signal sent from the base station; and

communicating with tags in each group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication with tags in each group is simultaneous.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a polarization of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication with tags in each group is simultaneous.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the selection of groups of tags is by signals received by at least two antennas of the base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a phase of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication with tags in each group is simultaneous.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the phase the signals received from a first group of tags is primarily in phase with a carrier signal sent out from the base station, and the phase of the signals received from a second group of tags is primarily 90 degrees out of phase with the signal sent out from the base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a frequency of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication with tags in each group is simultaneous.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the frequency of the second RF signal received from the tags by the base station is harmonically related to a base station carrier frequency.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the frequency of the second Rf signal received from the tags by the base station is a base station carrier frequency Doppler shifted by relative motion between the tags and the base station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a first group of tags is a group of tags having relative motion towards the base station, and a second group of tags is a group of tags having relative motion away from the base station.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a modulation frequency of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication with tags in each group is sequential.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a signal strength of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the communication with tags in each group is sequential.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selection of a first group of tags is followed in order by communication with the first group of tags, the selection of a second group of tags, and communication with the second group of tags.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the signal strength of the second RF signal received from the tags by a receiver of the base station is compared to a signal strength of a third signal introduced by the base station into the receiver of the base station, and wherein the first group of tags is selected to be the group of tags which have signal strengths greater than the signal strength of the third signal.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a polarization and a phase of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a polarization and a signal strength of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response of the tags is a phase and a signal strength of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical response ofthe tags is a polarization and a phase and a signal strength of a second RF signal returned by the tags, the second RF signal received by the base station.

24. A method for communicating between a base station and a set of radio frequency (RF) transponders (tags), comprising;

selecting a plurality of groups oftags from the set of RF tags, the selection according to a physical attribute of the response of the tags to a polarization of a first RF signal sent from the base station; and

communicating with the tags in each group.

25. A method for communication between a base station and a set of RF tags, comprising;

I) transmitting a carrier wave with a first modulated signal to a base station antenna, the first modulated signal instructing the set of tags to return a second modulated signal in a time period (slot) defined by a tag communication protocol;

then

II) transmitting a carrier wave with a steady amplitude modulation to the base station antenna, the steady amplitude modulation being less than an amplitude modulation required to communicate with the set of tags; and

III) measuring a modulation of a carrier wave received from the base station antenna,

A) when the modulation of the carrier wave received from the base station antenna is steady, reducing the amplitude of the modulation of the carrier wave with a steady amplitude modulation and returning to step I);

B) when the modulation of the carrier wave received from the base station antenna is not steady, and

a) when the modulation can be read, communicating with a first tag and then instructing the first tag to cease sending modulated signals, then reducing the amplitude of the modulation of the carrier wave with a steady amplitude modulation and returning to step I);

b) when the modulation can not be read, and

i.) when the modulation of the carrier wave received from the base station antenna outside the communication protocol time slot is steady, communicating with multiple tags using a multiple tag communication protocol, then instructing the multiple tags to cease returning the second modulated signal,reducing the amplitude of the modulation of the carrier wave with a steady amplitude modulation and returning to step I);

ii.) when the modulation of the carrier wave received from the base station antenna outside the communication protocol time slot is not steady, stopping.

26. A method for communication between a base station and a set of RF tags, comprising;

a) transmitting a first modulated signal to a base station antenna, the first modulated signal instructing the set of tags to return a second modulated signal in a time period (slot) defined by a tag communication protocol;

then

b) transmitting an unmodulated first carrier wave having a defined first phase to the base station antenna during the time slot defined by a tag communication protocol;

then

c) measuring a second modulated signal of a second carrier wave returned by the tags to the base station antenna in the time slot defined by the tag communication protocol, the second carrier wave having a second defined phase with respect to the first phase of the first carrier wave, and communicating with a first group of tags producing the modulated second carrier wave; and

d) measuring a third modulated signal of a third carrier wave returned by the tags to the base station antenna in the time slot defined by the tag communication protocol, the third carrier wave having a third defined phase with respect to the first phase of the first carrier wave, and communicating with a second group of tags producing the modulated third carrier wave.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein steps c) and d) are carried out simultaneously.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein steps c) and d) are carried out sequentially.