RFID readers system and methods for early hopping out of a frequency channel in the presence of RF interference
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader system for communicating with RFID tags using a plurality of communication channels, comprising:
- an antenna; and
an operational processing block coupled to the antenna and operable to;
cause a first wireless signal to be transmitted via the antenna to the RFID tags, the first wireless signal having a frequency carrier in a first one of the channels;
determine whether or not objectionable interference has been detected based on a reply from at least one RFID tag communicating in the first channel and RF energy received in at least one of the channels available for communicating with the RFID tags; and
cause a second signal to be transmitted to the RFID tags, the second signal having a frequency carrier in a second channel, andin which the second signal staffs to be transmitted at a first hopping time if no objectionable interference has been detected, and at a second hopping time earlier than the first hopping time if objectionable interference has been detected.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
RFID readers, systems, and methods are provided for overcoming the effects of RF interference. While a system is communicating in a channel, RF interference is monitored. If it is low, then hopping to another channel is performed according to an ordinary decision. But if interference is high, then hopping out to another channel can be earlier than would be dictated by the ordinary decision under the same circumstances. The earlier hopping out can result in diminishing communication in channels with a lot of RF interference.
-
Citations
51 Claims
-
1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader system for communicating with RFID tags using a plurality of communication channels, comprising:
-
an antenna; and an operational processing block coupled to the antenna and operable to; cause a first wireless signal to be transmitted via the antenna to the RFID tags, the first wireless signal having a frequency carrier in a first one of the channels; determine whether or not objectionable interference has been detected based on a reply from at least one RFID tag communicating in the first channel and RF energy received in at least one of the channels available for communicating with the RFID tags; and cause a second signal to be transmitted to the RFID tags, the second signal having a frequency carrier in a second channel, and in which the second signal staffs to be transmitted at a first hopping time if no objectionable interference has been detected, and at a second hopping time earlier than the first hopping time if objectionable interference has been detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A method for communicating with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and using a plurality of communication channels, comprising:
-
causing a first wireless signal to be transmitted to the RFID tags, the first wireless signal having a frequency carrier in a first one of the channels; determining whether or not objectionable interference has been detected based on a reply from at least one RFID tag communicating in the first channel and RF energy received in at least one of the channels available for communicating with the RFID tags; and causing a second signal to be transmitted to the RFID tags, the second signal having a frequency carrier in a second channel, and in which the second signal staffs to be transmitted at a first hopping time if no objectionable interference has been detected, and at a second hopping time earlier than the first hopping time if objectionable interference has been detected. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A machine-readable storage medium with instructions encoded thereon for operating a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader system to communicate with RFID tags using a plurality of communication channels, the RFID reader system including at least one antenna, the instructions such that, if read and executed by the RFID reader system, actions result comprising:
-
causing a first wireless signal to be transmitted via the antenna of the RFID to the RFID tags, the first wireless signal having a frequency carrier in a first one of the channels; determining at a processor of the RFID reader system whether or not objectionable interference has been detected based on a reply from at least one RFID tag communicating in the first channel and RF energy received in at least one of the channels available for communicating with the RFID tags; and causing a second signal to be transmitted via the antenna of the RFID to the RFID tags, the second signal having a frequency carrier in a second channel, and in which the second signal starts to be transmitted at a first hopping time if no objectionable interference has been detected, and at a second hopping time earlier than the first hopping time if objectionable interference has been detected. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
-
Specification