RFID sensor array
First Claim
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1. A method of monitoring an environment in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) system tracks the movement of articles through a supply chain, each article having attached thereto an RFID tag, the method comprising:
- electromagnetically receiving first information that comprises the signal strength of a detected radio frequency (RF) signal at one or more of a plurality of RFID readers (readers) that are located within the environment, wherein the received first information is sent from one or more detecting readers that were not attempting to read any RFID tags while the RF signal was being detected;
storing into a memory device values representing a level of interference with RFID system performance, wherein each stored value is based on the received first information; and
electromagnetically locating the source of the detected RF signal, wherein locating the source of the detected RF signal comprises estimating the relative position of the source of the detected RF signal based on the relative strengths of the detected RF signal at each reader and predetermined information about the positions of each of the detecting readers.
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Abstract
An RFID performance monitoring system may include systems, methods, or computer program products for collecting information related to the performance of an RFID system. One source of performance-related information can be the RFID readers, both during an active (reading) period and an inactive (listening) period. In various embodiments described herein, a performance monitoring system may collect performance-related information from RFID readers during both during their active and inactive periods.
83 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring an environment in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) system tracks the movement of articles through a supply chain, each article having attached thereto an RFID tag, the method comprising:
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electromagnetically receiving first information that comprises the signal strength of a detected radio frequency (RF) signal at one or more of a plurality of RFID readers (readers) that are located within the environment, wherein the received first information is sent from one or more detecting readers that were not attempting to read any RFID tags while the RF signal was being detected; storing into a memory device values representing a level of interference with RFID system performance, wherein each stored value is based on the received first information; and electromagnetically locating the source of the detected RF signal, wherein locating the source of the detected RF signal comprises estimating the relative position of the source of the detected RF signal based on the relative strengths of the detected RF signal at each reader and predetermined information about the positions of each of the detecting readers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of monitoring an environment in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) system tracks the movement of articles through a supply chain, each article having attached thereto an RFID tag, the method comprising:
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electromagnetically receiving first information that comprises the signal strength of a detected radio frequency (RF) signal at one or more of a plurality of RFID readers (readers) that are located within the environment, wherein the received first information is sent from one or more detecting readers that were not attempting to read any RFID tags while the RF signal was being detected; storing into a memory device one or more values representing a level of interference with RFID system performance, wherein each stored value comprises a measurement of the RF signal strength detected at a corresponding one of the detecting readers; if any one of the stored values exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold during a read attempt, performing a corrective action; and electromagnetically locating the source of the detected RF signal by estimating the relative position of the source of the detected RF signal based on the relative strengths of the detected RF signal at each reader, wherein the corrective action comprises repeating one or more attempts to electromagnetically read tags while any one of the stored values exceeded the corresponding predetermined threshold, the repeating being performed after the strength of the detected RF signal falls below a second predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of monitoring an environment in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) system tracks the movement of articles through a supply chain, each article having attached thereto an RFID tag, the method comprising:
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electromagnetically sending a command to one of a plurality of RFID readers (readers) in the RFID system to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal encoded with information that identifies the transmitting reader; electromagnetically receiving first information that comprises information about the signal strength of a detected radio frequency (RF) signal at one or more of a plurality of readers that are located within the environment, wherein the received first information further comprises information that identifies the transmitting reader, and the received first information is sent from one or more detecting readers that were not attempting to read any RFID tags while the RF signal was being detected; storing into a memory device one or more values representing a level of interference with RFID system performance, wherein each stored value comprises a measurement of the RF signal strength detected at a corresponding one of the detecting readers; if any one of the stored values exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold, then; (1) selecting two or more readers to multiplex based the stored values; and (2) operating the selected readers to attempt to read RFID tags only at non-overlapping times; and displaying a two-dimensional reader collision map based on the received first information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of monitoring an environment in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) system tracks the movement of articles through a supply chain, each article having attached thereto an RFID tag, the method comprising:
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electromagnetically receiving first information that comprises the signal strength of a detected radio frequency (RF) signal at one or more of a plurality of RFID readers (readers) that are located within the environment, wherein the received first information is sent from one or more detecting readers that were not attempting to read any RFID tags while the RF signal was being detected; storing into a memory device values representing a level of interference with RFID system performance, wherein each stored value is based on the received first information; and if any one of the stored values exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold during a electromagnetically read attempt, performing a corrective action comprising repeating one or more attempts to electromagnetically read tags that were made while one or more of the stored values exceeded a predetermined threshold, the repeating being performed after the stored values fall below a second predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of monitoring an environment in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) system tracks the movement of articles through a supply chain, each article having attached thereto an RFID tag, the method comprising:
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electromagnetically receiving first information that comprises the signal strength of a detected radio frequency (RF) signal at one or more of a plurality of RFID readers (readers) that are located within the environment, wherein the received first information is sent from one or more detecting readers that were not attempting to read any RFID tags while the RF signal was being detected; storing into a memory device values representing a level of interference with RFID system performance, wherein each stored value is based on the received first information; and if any one of the stored values exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold during a read attempt, performing a corrective action comprising displaying a two-dimensional reader collision map based on the received first information.
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26. A method of monitoring an environment in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) system tracks the movement of articles through a supply chain, each article having attached thereto an RFID tag, the method comprising:
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electromagnetically receiving first information comprising a signal strength of a detected radio frequency (RF) signal at one or more of a plurality of RFID readers (readers) that are located within the environment and information that identifies the transmitting reader, wherein the received first information is sent from one or more detecting readers that were not attempting to read any RFID tags while the RF signal was being detected; storing into a memory device values representing a level of interference with RFID system performance, wherein each stored value is based on the received first information; sending a command to one of the readers in the RFID system to transmit an RF signal encoded with information that identifies the transmitting reader; if the strength of the RF signal detected at one of the detecting readers exceeds a predetermined threshold, then operating the detecting reader and the transmitting reader to attempt to read RFID tags only at non-overlapping times; and selecting two or more readers to multiplex based on the stored values, and operating the selected readers to attempt to read RFID tags only at non-overlapping times, wherein storing the values for each selected reader comprises storing a value representing the cumulative level of interference associated with the combined effect of RF signals that may be transmitted by one or more of the selected readers if operated to read tags at the same time.
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Specification