Method and system for RFID communication

• US 7,518,515 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Keystone Technology Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Trosper, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/581,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5728, 340/10.1, 340/815.45, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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 7/0095 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: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0222 Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units

Abstract

In one embodiment a method, which may be implemented on a system, is provided to have RFID tags provide a human perceptible signal when identified by an interrogator.

Claims

1. An RFID communication system comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags individually comprising

memory to store an identification code,

transceiver circuitry to provide the identification code via wireless radio frequency signals, and

indication circuitry configured to emit a human perceptible signal; and

wherein individual ones of the RFID tags are configured to receive a wireless command transmitted by an interrogator and to process the wireless command, wherein the wireless command is configured to identify at least one of the RFID tags and wherein the at least one RFID tag is configured to control the respective indication circuitry of the at least one RFID tag to emit the human perceptible signal responsive to the processing of the wireless command by the at least one RFID tag determining that the wireless command identifies the at least one RFID tag.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless command identifies less than all of the RFID tags, and only the identified ones of the RFID tags emit human perceptible signals responsive to processing of the wireless command.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID tags are associated with objects in inventory, and the human perceptible signal emitted by the at least one RFID tag assists with identification of one of the objects which is associated with the at least one RFID tag.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID tags not identified by the wireless command do not emit human perceptible signals.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising the interrogator configured to emit the wireless command.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one RFID tag is configured to emit a wireless reply responsive to the determining that the wireless command identifies the at least one RFID tag.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one RFID tag is configured to backscatter radio frequency energy to emit the wireless reply.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one RFID tag is a passive device configured to use radio frequency energy to provide operational energy for use by the at least one RFID tag and the at least one RFID tag is void of a power source which provides operational energy independent of radio frequency energy.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the indication circuitry is configured to emit the human perceptible signal comprising a visible signal.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the emitted human perceptible signal is useable to ascertain information regarding the communications range of the interrogator.

11. An RFID communication system comprising:

an interrogator configured to transmit a wireless communications signal within a wireless communications range of the interrogator; and

a plurality of RFID tags individually comprising

memory to store an identification code,

transceiver circuitry to provide the identification code via wireless radio frequency signals, and

indication circuitry configured to emit a human perceptible signal, wherein the RFID tags are positioned at different locations in space including locations within the wireless communications range of the interrogator and locations outside of the wireless communications range of the interrogator, wherein the indication circuits of the RFID tags positioned within the wireless communications range of the interrogator individually emit the human perceptible signal responsive to reception of the wireless communications signal by the respective individual RFID tags, and wherein the RFID tags positioned outside of the wireless communications range of the interrogator do not emit the human perceptible signal responsive to the transmission of the wireless communications signal by the interrogator.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein at least some of the RFID tags are stationary during transmission of the wireless communications signal by the interrogator.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the RFID tags which received the wireless communications signal are configured to emit wireless reply signals in response to receiving the wireless communications signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the interrogator is configured to receive the wireless reply signals and to provide information regarding the wireless communications range using the received wireless reply signals.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the indication circuits of the RFID tags are individually configured to emit the human perceptible signal comprising a visible signal.

16. An RFID communication system comprising:

an interrogator configured to transmit a wireless communications signal within a wireless communications range of the interrogator; and

a plurality of RFID tags individually comprising indication circuitry configured to emit a human perceptible signal, wherein the RFID tags are positioned at different locations in space including locations within the wireless communications range of the interrogator and locations outside of the wireless communications range of the interrogator, wherein the indication circuits of the RFID tags positioned within the wireless communications range of the interrogator individually emit the human perceptible signal responsive to reception of the wireless communications signal by the respective individual RFID tags, and wherein the RFID tags positioned outside of the wireless communications range of the interrogator do not emit the human perceptible signal responsive to the transmission of the wireless communications signal by the interrogator;

wherein the emitted human perceptible signals are useable to ascertain information regarding the communications range of the interrogator.

17. An RFID communications method comprising:

outputting a wireless communications signal using an interrogator;

receiving the wireless communications signal using a plurality of RFID tags within a wireless communications range of the interrogator, wherein the plurality of RFID tags individually comprising memory to store an identification code and transceiver circuitry to provide the identification code via wireless radio frequency signals;

processing the wireless communications signals using the RFID tags, the processing determining tat at least one of the RFID tags is identified by the wireless communications signal; and

using the at least one RFID tag, entitling a human perceptible signal responsive to the determining.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the outputting comprises outputting the wireless communications signal comprising an indicate command and the emitting comprises emitting responsive to the processing identifying the wireless communications signal as the indicate command.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising ascertaining information regarding the wireless communications range using the emitted human perceptible signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one RFID tag remains stationary during the outputting, the receiving and the emitting.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the wireless communications signal identifies less than all of the RFID tags within the wireless communications range of the interrogator and wherein the identified ones of the RFID tags emit human perceptible signals.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the RFID tags not identified by the wireless command do not emit human perceptible signals responsive to the receiving.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the RFID tags are associated with objects in inventory, and further comprising identifying a location of one of the objects associated with the at least one RFID tag using the emitted human perceptible signal.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising emitting a wireless reply signal using the at least one RFID tag responsive to the determining.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the emitting comprises emitting the human perceptible signal comprising a visible signal.

26. An RFID communications method comprising:

outputting a wireless communications signal using an interrogator;

receiving the wireless communications signal using a plurality of RFID tags within a wireless communications range of the interrogator;

processing the wireless communications signals using the RFID tags, the processing determining that at least one of the RFID tags is identified by the wireless communications signal; and

using the at least one RFID tag, emitting a human perceptible signal responsive to the determining;

wherein the wireless communications signal identifies all of the RFID tags, the emitting comprises emitting a plurality of human perceptible signals using the RFID tags, and further comprising ascertaining information regarding the wireless communications range using the emitted human perceptible signals.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein some of the RFID tags do not emit human perceptible signals responsive to the outputting and the ascertaining information comprises identifying nulls in the wireless communications range.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising arranging the RFID tags within a desired pattern corresponding to the wireless communications range before the outputting.

29. An RFID communications method comprising:

positioning an RFID tag at a point in space within a wireless communications range of an interrogator;

using the interrogator, transmitting a wireless communications signal;

using the RFID tag positioned at the point in space, receiving the wireless communications signal;

responsive to the receiving, emitting a human perceptible signal using the RFID tag positioned at the point in space; and

ascertaining information regarding the wireless communications range of the interrogator using the emitted human perceptible signal.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the ascertaining comprises identifying the point in space as being within the wireless communications range of the interrogator.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the positioning comprises positioning a plurality of RFID tags at a plurality of stationary points in space within the wireless communications range of the interrogator, the receiving comprises receiving using the plurality of RFID tags, the emitting comprises emitting a plurality of respective human perceptible signals using the plurality of RFID tags positioned at the points in space, and the ascertaining comprises ascertaining using the emitted human perceptible signals.

32. The meted of claim 31 wherein the plurality of RFID tags comprises initial RFID tags and wherein the positioning comprises positioning at least one additional RFID tag at a stationary point in space outside of the wireless communications range of the interrogator, and wherein the at least one additional RFID tag does not receive the wireless communications signal and does not emit the human perceptible signal responsive to the transmitting, and wherein the ascertaining information comprises identifying a null in the wireless communications range responsive to no emission of the human perceptible signal from the at least one additional RFID tag.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising arranging the RFID tags within a desired pattern corresponding to a periphery of the wireless communications range before the transmitting.

34. An RFID communications method comprising:

positioning a plurality of RFID tags at a plurality of different locations in space corresponding to a wireless communications range of an interrogator and wherein at least some of the RFID tags are positioned within the wireless communications range;

using the interrogator, emitting a wireless communications signal with the RFID tags positioned at the different locations in space;

using the at least some of the RFID tags positioned within the wireless communications range, receiving the wireless communications signal;

using the at least some of the RFID tags positioned within the wireless communications range, emitting respective human perceptible signals responsive to the receiving; and

ascertaining information regarding a periphery of the wireless communications range using the emitted human perceptible signals.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the RFID tags are stationary at the different locations in space during the emitting of the wireless communications signal and the human perceptible signals.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the ascertaining comprises identifying the different locations in space which correspond to the at least some of the RFID tags as being within the wireless communications range of the interrogator.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein others of the RFID tags are not positioned within the wireless communications range, and the others of the RFID tags do not receive the wireless communications signal and do not emit human perceptible signals.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the ascertaining comprises identifying the different locations in space which correspond to the others of the RFID tags as being outside of the wireless communications range of the interrogator.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the ascertaining information comprises identifying a plurality of locations within the wireless communications range corresponding to the locations of the some of the RFID tags which emit the human perceptible signals responsive to the receiving.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the ascertaining information comprises identifying a plurality of locations outside of the wireless communications range corresponding to the locations of others of the RFID tags which fail to emit a human perceptible signal responsive to the emitting of the wireless communications signal using the interrogator.