Synchronous command model for RFID-enabling applications

• US 7,675,418 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sundaram, Jayaraman Kalyana, Ahmed, Mohamed Fakrudeen Ali, Sonnathi, Kalyan Chakravarthy, Agarwal, Abhishek, Sriram, Balasubramanian, Goteti, Janaki Ram, Venkatesh, Ramachandran, Kumar, Anush
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/460,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20080001712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 3405721-5729, 709/249, 709/250, 709/248, 370/310
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates providing communication channels within a radio frequency identification (RFID) infrastructure. A radio frequency identification (RFID) network can include at least one device that can receive data from a tag. A mixed mode component can employ a synchronous command and an asynchronous event processing with the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system configured to provide communication channels within a radio frequency identification (RFID) infrastructure, the computer-implemented system comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) network that includes at least one device configured to receive data from a tag;

a mixed mode component configured to concurrently execute a synchronous command and asynchronous event processing on the device;

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement the mixed mode component.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, further comprising an RFID process configured to receive, via at least one of the communication channels, data associated with the asynchronous event processing.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, wherein the RFID process comprises an object configured to create a unit of execution that relates to at least one of the following:

an outbound process;

a manufacturing process;

a shipping process;

a receiving process;

a tracking process;

a data representation process;

a data manipulation process;

a security process;

or a process utilizing at least one of;

an RFID device service, a device collection, a tag read, an event, an event queue, a tag write, a device configuration or a number count.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, further comprising an event handler associated with the RFID process.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 4, wherein the event handler is managed code configured to execute in a context of the RFID process.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one of the following:

an RFID reader;

an RFID writer;

an RFID printer;

a reader;

a writer;

an RFID transmitter;

an antenna;

a sensor;

a real-time device;

an RFID receiver;

a real-time sensor;

a device extensible to a web service;

or a real-time event generation system.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, further comprising an application configured to utilize at least one of the communication channels, wherein the at least one of the communication channels is associated with the synchronous command.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the synchronous command is at least one of:

a print tag, a decommission tag, a read tag, a write tag, an add read filter or a remove read filter.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the synchronous command is a request-response pattern.

10. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the asynchronous event processing is configured to enable an RFID process to receive data from the device without polling the device.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the multi-mode component is further configured to initiate multi-command exclusive access to the device while the synchronous command is being executed.

12. The computer-implemented system of claim 11, further comprising an administrative channel configured to access the device so the device is not locked out from control, while the synchronous command is being executed.

13. The computer-implemented system of claim 12, wherein the administrative channel is configured to be open while an application without administrative access is restricted to a synchronous command channel.

14. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, further comprising a uniform programming model configured to be utilized by the mixed mode component,

wherein the uniform programming model:

is device agnostic to enable hardware to execute the synchronous command or

is physical connection agnostic to enable an application to receive an asynchronous notification from the device while the synchronous command is executed on the device, and

wherein the uniform programming model is configured to abstract at least one physical connection to re-use for one or more exclusive logical connections.

15. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the RFID network comprises a collection of devices that form a sub-system, wherein the sub-system comprises:

an RFID reader configured to receive an RFID signal; and

an RFID tag configured to transmit to at least one of the collection of devices.

16. A computer-implemented method that provides communication channels within a radio frequency identification (RFID) infrastructure, the computer-implemented method comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive data from a device within an RFID network; and

simultaneously output, from a computer system to the device, a synchronous command and asynchronous event processing data, wherein the computer system is configured to perform the computer-implemented method.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the processor initiates exclusive access to the device while the synchronous command is output.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor generates an administrative channel configured to be open while the synchronous command is output.

19. A computer-implemented system configured to provide communication channels within a radio frequency identification (RFID) infrastructure, the computer-implemented system comprising:

a device configured to receive data from a tag, the device being included within a radio frequency identification (RFID) network;

a synchronous component configured to employ a synchronous command with the device;

an asynchronous component configured to perform asynchronous event processing with the device;

an administrative channel configured to access the device during a time period during which the synchronous command is employed, wherein the access enables control of the device during the time period;

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement at least one of the synchronous component, the asynchronous component or the administrative channel.