RFID network configuration program

• US 7,619,521 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: epcSolutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: epcSolutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Charles B., Kail, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/235,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 345/810, 345/835, 345/734, 345/735, 345/771, 345/156, 345/676, 703/13, 703/21, 716/2, 716/3, 716/5, 716/11, 709/238
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

An RFID network design system comprising a website hosted on a host computer which generates and displays icons specifically directed to various RFID components of a RFID network on a computer screen display. The icons are able to be picked and dropped on a drawing screen by a remote user on a remote computer operated by the user and connected to the host computer website. The host computer is provided with software which only allows selected RFID components to be connected together to form a RFID network when the RFID components are compatible with each other with the connected components forming a workable RFID network displayed on a display screen.

Claims

1. An RFID network design system comprising a website hosted on a host computer which generates and displays icons specifically directed to various RFID components of a RFID network on a remote user computer screen display, said icons being able to be picked and dropped on a drawing screen by a remote user on a remote computer operated by the user and connected to said host computer website, said host computer including software which only allows selected RFID components to be connected together to form RFID network when the RFID components are operable with each other, said connected components forming a workable RFID network displayed on said computer screen display;

and a bill of materials is generated for the user after the RFID network has been constructed, wherein components of the RFID network as listed in the bill of materials are automatically ordered from vendors of the components upon the uploading of the bill of materials to a purchasing website.

2. The RFID network design system of claim 1 wherein said RFID components include hardware and software components that are required for the creation and execution of an RFID network.

3. The RFID network design system of claim 2 wherein said hardware components comprise RFID antenna models and RFID readers.

4. The RFID network design system of claim 3 where said hardware components are grouped by manufacturer.

5. The RFID network design system of claim 2 wherein said software components comprise RFID middleware.

6. The RFID network design system of claim 5 where said software components are grouped by manufacturer.

7. The RFID network design system of claim 1 wherein said host computer contains a user selectable set of pallets, each pallet containing a family of related RFID sensor components and middleware.

8. The RFID network design system of claim 1 wherein said software comprises a software rules engine which enforces connection between the RFID components so that RFID components that are known to work together are allowed to be connected to each other and components that are known not to work together are not allowed to be connected to each other.

9. The RFID network design system of claim 1 wherein each component of a RFID network has a plurality of icons representing components from different manufacturers.

10. The RFID network design system of claim 1 wherein said website includes software which determines if the selected RFID components as identified by said specific icons are compatible and will work together before allowing the same to be connected together.

11. An RFID design system comprising a host computer which has a display of pallets of icons, each pallet displaying icons directed to specific hardware and software components required for a RFID network produced by different manufacturers, said icons being able to be picked and dropped on a drawing screen connected to a remote user on a remote computer operated by the user, software contained in said host computer which compares the operability compatibility of connected icons allowing said icons to be connected together when said software recognizes that the components represented by the icons are compatible and work together but refuses to allow incompatible icons to be connected together, said connected components forming a workable RFID network which can be downloaded by a user;

and a bill of materials is generated for the user after the a compatible RFID network has been constructed, wherein components of the RFID network are listed in a bill of materials with are automatically ordered from vendors of the components upon the uploading of the bill of materials to a purchasing website.

12. The RFID network design system of claim 11 wherein said components comprise RFID antenna models, RFID readers, and RFID middleware.

13. The RFID network design system of claim 11 wherein said software in said host computer is a software rules engine which enforces connection between the components so that components that are known to work together are not allowed to be connected to each other and components that are known to work together are allowed to be connected to each other.

14. The RFID network design system of claim 11 wherein each pallet has a plurality of icons representing components from different manufacturers.

15. An RFID design system comprising a host computer which has a display of pallets of icons, each pallet displaying icons directed to specific components for a RFID network available from different manufacturers, said icons being able to be picked and dropped on a drawing screen connected to a remote user on a remote computer operated by the user, software contained in said host computer comprising a software rules engine which enforces connection between the components so that components that are known to work together are not allowed to be connected to each other and components that are known to work together are allowed to be connected to each other, said connected components forming a workable RFID network drawing which can be downloaded by a user, said RFID network drawing being saved to a file that is used to configure the RFID network at runtime;

and a bill of materials is generated for the user after the a compatible RFID network has been constructed, wherein components of the RFID network are listed in a bill of materials with are automatically ordered from vendors of the components upon the uploading of the bill of materials to a purchasing website.