RFID conveyor system and method
First Claim
1. A conveyor system for processing items on which radio frequency identification tags are disposed, said system comprising:
- a frame;
a generally planar conveyor that is disposed movably on the frame and that conveys items through a path of travel, each item having at least one respective radio frequency identification tag disposed thereon;
a first antenna disposed proximate the path of travel so that the first antennaradiates a first gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into a first area through which the items pass, wherein the first gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction, andreceives responses to the radio frequency signals from radio frequency identification tags on the items in the path of travel;
a second antenna proximate the first antenna and the path of travel so that the second antennaradiates a second gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into the first area, wherein the second gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction;
at least one radio frequency receiver that receives signals from the first antenna corresponding to the responses received by the first antenna from the respective radio frequency identification tags and outputs first signals corresponding to the responses; and
a processor that receives the first signals from the at least one receiver and is programmed to associate a said first signal with a first said item if the processor receives the first signal from the at least one receiver while at least a portion of the first item is within a predetermined second area that includes at least part of the first area,wherein the first gain pattern and the second gain pattern are defined, and wherein the second antenna is disposed with respect to the first antenna, so that the direction of the electric field of the first gain pattern opposes the direction of the electric field of the second gain pattern in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the conveyor in the first area and in a direction generally parallel to the path of travel in the first area.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A conveyor system for processing items on which radio frequency identification tags are disposed includes a frame and a generally planar conveyor that is disposed moveably on the frame and that conveys items through a path of travel, each item having at least one respective radio frequency identification tag disposed thereon. A first antenna is disposed proximate the path of travel so that the first antenna radiates a first gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into a first area through which the items pass, wherein the first gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction and receives responses to the radio frequency signals from radio identification tags on the items. A second antenna is proximate the first antenna and the path of travel so that the second antenna radiates a second gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into the first area, wherein the second gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction. At least one radio frequency receiver receives signals from the first antenna corresponding to the responses received by the first antenna from the respective radio frequency identification tags and outputs first signals corresponding to the responses. A processor receives the first signal from the at least one receiver and is programmed to associate a first signal with a first item if the processor receives the first signal from the at least one receiver while at least a portion of the first item is within a predetermined second area that includes at least part of the first area. The gain pattern of the first antenna and the gain pattern of the second antenna are defined, and the second antenna is disposed with respect to the first antenna, so that the direction of the electric field of the first gain pattern opposes the direction of the electric field of the second gain pattern in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the conveyor in the first area and in a direction generally parallel to the path of travel in the first area.
72 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A conveyor system for processing items on which radio frequency identification tags are disposed, said system comprising:
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a frame; a generally planar conveyor that is disposed movably on the frame and that conveys items through a path of travel, each item having at least one respective radio frequency identification tag disposed thereon; a first antenna disposed proximate the path of travel so that the first antenna radiates a first gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into a first area through which the items pass, wherein the first gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction, and receives responses to the radio frequency signals from radio frequency identification tags on the items in the path of travel; a second antenna proximate the first antenna and the path of travel so that the second antenna radiates a second gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into the first area, wherein the second gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction; at least one radio frequency receiver that receives signals from the first antenna corresponding to the responses received by the first antenna from the respective radio frequency identification tags and outputs first signals corresponding to the responses; and a processor that receives the first signals from the at least one receiver and is programmed to associate a said first signal with a first said item if the processor receives the first signal from the at least one receiver while at least a portion of the first item is within a predetermined second area that includes at least part of the first area, wherein the first gain pattern and the second gain pattern are defined, and wherein the second antenna is disposed with respect to the first antenna, so that the direction of the electric field of the first gain pattern opposes the direction of the electric field of the second gain pattern in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the conveyor in the first area and in a direction generally parallel to the path of travel in the first area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A conveyor system for processing items on which radio frequency identification tags are disposed, said system comprising:
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a frame; a generally planar belt that is disposed movably on the frame and that conveys items through a path of travel, each item having at least one respective radio frequency identification tag disposed thereon; a first antenna disposed proximate the belt so that the first antenna radiates a first gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into a first area that is proximate the belt and through which the items pass, wherein the first gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction, and receives responses to the radio frequency signals from radio frequency identification tags on the items on the belt; a second antenna proximate the first antenna and the belt so that the second antenna radiates a second gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into the first area, wherein the second gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction; at least one radio frequency receiver that receives signals from the first antenna corresponding to the responses received by the first antenna from the respective radio frequency identification tags and outputs first signals corresponding to the responses; and a processor that receives the first signals from the at least one receiver and is programmed to associate a said first signal with a first said item if the processor receives the first signal from the at least one receiver while at least a portion of the first item is within a predetermined second area that includes at least part of the first area, wherein the first gain pattern and the second gain pattern are defined, and wherein the second antenna is disposed with respect to the first antenna, so that the direction of the electric field of the first gain pattern opposes the direction of the electric field of the second gain pattern in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the belt in the first area and in a direction generally parallel to the path of travel in the first area. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A conveyor system for processing items on which radio frequency identification tags are disposed, said system comprising:
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a frame; a generally planar belt that is disposed movably on the frame and that conveys items through a path of travel, each item having at least one respective radio frequency identification tag disposed thereon; a first antenna comprising a substrate and a plurality of first patch elements disposed on the substrate so that generally planar respective top surfaces of the first patch elements are generally coplanar in a first plane that intersects a plane including a centerline of the belt at a first acute angle; a second antenna comprising a substrate and a plurality of second patch elements disposed on the substrate so that generally planar respective top surfaces of the second patch elements are generally coplanar in a second plane that intersects the plane including the centerline of the belt at a second acute angle approximately equal to the first acute angle; wherein the first antenna is disposed proximate the belt so that the first patch elements face away from the second antenna and so that the first antenna radiates first radio frequency signals into a first area that is proximate the belt and through which the items pass, and receives responses to the first radio frequency signals from the respective radio frequency identification tags on the items on the belt; wherein the second antenna is disposed proximate the belt so that the second patch elements face away from the first antenna and so that the second antenna radiates second radio frequency signals into the first area; a signal feed network that attaches to and drives the first antenna at a first power, and that attaches to and drives the second antenna at a second power approximately equal to the first power, so that electric current that drives the first patch elements to radiate the first radio frequency signals is in phase with electric current that drives the second patch elements to radiate the second radio frequency signals, and the electric current at each patch element of the first patch elements and the second patch elements rotates in the same rotational direction about respective axes generally perpendicular to the generally planar top surfaces of the patch elements; at least one radio frequency receiver that receives signals from the first antenna corresponding to the responses received by the first antenna from the respective radio frequency identification tags and outputs first output signals corresponding to the responses; and a processor that receives the first output signals from the at least one receiver and is programmed to associate a said first output signal with a first said item if the processor receives the first output signal from the at least one receiver while at least a portion of the first item is within a predetermined second area that includes at least part of the first area, wherein the first area is defined on a side, with respect to the path of travel, of a line generally transverse to the path of travel and extending between the first antenna and the second antenna faced by the first patch elements. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of processing items on each of which at least one respective radio frequency identification tag is disposed, where the items are conveyed through a path of travel by a generally planar belt that is disposed movably on a frame, said method comprising the steps of:
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radiating a first gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into a first area that is proximate the belt and through which the items pass, wherein the first gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction; receiving responses to the radio frequency signals from the respective radio frequency identification tags on the items on the belt and outputting first signals corresponding to the responses; radiating a second gain pattern carrying radio frequency signals into the first area, wherein the second gain pattern defines an electric field having magnitude and direction; associating a said first signal with a first said item if the response that corresponds to the first signal is received while at least a portion of the first item is within a predetermined second area that includes at least part of the first area; and wherein the radiating step includes defining the first gain pattern and the second gain pattern, so that the direction of the electric field of the first gain pattern opposes the direction of the electric field of the second gain pattern in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the belt in the first area and in a direction generally parallel to the path of travel in the first area. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification