Intelligent RFID tag for magnetic field mapping

• US 7,446,662 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Tinnell, Kenneth A., Somogyi, Andreas, Bapat, Vivek R., Chand, Sujeet, Hall, Kenwood H., Morse, Richard A., Owen, JR., Joseph P., Pietrzyk, Arthur P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US11/235,730
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/10.51, 340/539, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/539.21, 340/539.17, 340/539.16, 340/825.49, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2485 Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) to increase the accuracy and efficiency of an RFID system is provided. A system includes an RFID component that receives a signal from an RFID reader, and an identifier component that interfaces with the RFID component and identifies the source of the signal. The system further includes a signal strength component that interfaces with the identifier component and measures the strength of the signal. The system can include an environment component that analyzes an operating environment.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:

an RFID component that receives a signal from an RFID reader;

an identifier component that interfaces to the RFID component and identifies a signal source of the signal;

a signal strength component that interfaces to the identifier component and determines signal strength data of the signal; and

a signal measurement component that interfaces to the RFID reader and determines a voltage level measurement of a signal received from the RFID component.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mapping component that maps an electromagnetic field of the RFID reader based at least in part on the identified signal source.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mapping component maps the electromagnetic field based at least in part on the signal strength data and the voltage level measurement.

4. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:

an RFID component that receives a signal from an RFID reader;

an identifier component that interfaces to the RFID component and identifies a signal source of the signal;

a signal strength component that interfaces to the identifier component and determines signal strength data of the signal; and

an adjustment component that adjusts the signal strength data of the RFID reader based at least in part on one of the identified signal source and the signal strength data.

5. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:

an RFID component that receives a signal from an RFID reader;

an identifier component that interfaces to the RFID component and identifies a signal source of the signal; and

a signal strength component that interfaces to the identifier component and determines signal strength data of the signal,

wherein the RFID reader is also a writer that writes data to the RFID component.

6. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:

an RFID component that receives a signal from an RFID reader;

an identifier component that interfaces to the RFID component and identifies a signal source of the signal; and

a signal strength component that interfaces to the identifier component and determines signal strength data of the signal,

wherein the RFID component further comprises an environment component that analyzes environmental data associated with an operating environment.

7. The RFID system of claim 6, wherein the environment component comprises at least one of a temperature module, a humidity module, a shock module, and a vibration module.

8. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a transceiver component that receives a signal from an RFID reader; and

a processing component that processes the signal to determine signal strength data,

wherein the processing component processes a plurality of different frequencies each associated with a different frequency band.

9. The RFID tag of claim 8, wherein the signal strength data is transmitted via the transceiver component to a remote location.

10. The RFID tag of claim 8, wherein the signal includes a reader ID that uniquely identifies the reader.

11. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the transceiver component transmits both the signal strength data and the reader ID to a remote location.

12. The RFID tag of claim 8, wherein the signal strength data is calculated and transmitted in response to receiving the signal.

13. The RFID tag of claim 8, wherein the signal is associated with a band of frequencies.

14. The RFID tag of claim 13, wherein the band of frequencies includes 915 MHz.

15. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a transceiver component that receives a signal from an RFID reader; and

a processing component that processes the signal to determine signal strength data,

wherein the processing component receives environmental data associated with at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor, and transmits the environmental data with the signal strength data.

16. A method of mapping an electromagnetic field of an RFID reader using a plurality of RFID tags, comprising:

transmitting a signal to the plurality of RFID tags from the RFID reader;

measuring at each tag a voltage associated with the signal;

adding the measured voltage to tag data transmitted to the RFID reader; and

mapping the electromagnetic field based at least in part on the measured voltage at the plurality of RFID tags.

17. The method of claim 16, before mapping the electromagnetic field, performing acts of:

receiving the tag data and the measured voltage at the RFID reader; and

measuring at the RFID reader a voltage associated with the tag data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting the measured voltage and a reader ID of the RFID reader to a remote location to determine the mapping.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the field is associated with an area of coverage of the RFID reader.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting a signal strength based upon the mapping.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting a signal range based upon the mapping.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising obtaining an operating data parameter.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the parameter is one of signal strength data and signal origin data.

24. A system that facilitates an RFID data read operation, comprising:

means for receiving a read signal;

means for analyzing the read signal;

means for collecting signal strength data of the read signal; and

means for mapping an electromagnetic field of an RFID reader based in part on the signal strength data.