Interrogator and interrogation system employing the same

• US 7,760,097 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lone Star SCM Systems, LP (f/k/a Medical I.P. Holdings, LP) (Incucomm Holdings Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Veroscan, Inc. (Tenet Healthcare Corporation)
• Inventors: Volpi, John P., Laferney, Jimmy D., Montgomery, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/357,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.6, 340/572.8, 340/568.1, 340/539.13, 340/10.1, 340/10.42, 340/571, 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 342/27
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an interrogator, method of discerning metal and radio frequency identification (RFID) objects, and an interrogation system employing the same. In one embodiment, the interrogator includes a metal sensing subsystem configured to provide a first signal having a signature representing a presence of a metal object, and a RFID sensing subsystem configured to provide a second signal having a signature representing a presence of a RFID object. The interrogator also includes a control and processing subsystem configured to discern a presence of at least one of the metal and RFID objects from one of the first and second signals.

Claims

1. An interrogation system, comprising:

a first radio frequency identification (RFID) sensing subsystem configured to provide a first signal having a RFID signature representing a presence of a RFID object;

a second RFID sensing subsystem configured to provide a second signal having a RFID signature representing a presence of a RFID object;

a metal sensing subsystem configured to provide a third signal having a metal signature representing a presence of a metal object; and

a control and processing subsystem configured to discern a presence of a RFID object from one of said first and second signals or to discern a presence of a metal object from said third signal.

2. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control and processing subsystem is configured to employ multiscan, coherent signal processing.

3. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a position sensor configured to provide a location observable for one of said first and second RFID sensing subsystems or said metal sensing subsystem.

4. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control and processing subsystem includes an adaptive integrating filter and is configured to coordinate a processing of said first, second and third signals in conjunction with one of an observable and data to discern a presence of said RFID object or said metal object.

5. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said first and second RFID sensing subsystems is configured to employ a RFID position marker to indicate a location of a feature.

6. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control and processing subsystem is configured to employ a database.

7. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising another sensing subsystem configured to provide a signal having a signature representing a presence of another object, said control and processing subsystem being configured to discern a presence of said another object from said signal from said another sensing subsystem.

8. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising first, second and third antenna assemblies coupled to said first RFID sensing subsystem, said second RFID sensing subsystem and said metal sensing subsystem, respectively, wherein at least one of said first, second and third antenna assemblies and said first RFID sensing subsystem, said second RFID sensing subsystem and said metal sensing subsystem, respectively, are located in a portable interrogator.

9. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control and processing subsystem is located in a computer system in communication with said first and second RFID sensing subsystems and said metal sensing subsystem.

10. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said first and second RFID sensing subsystems, said metal sensing subsystem and said control and processing subsystem, are integrated into an interrogator.

11. A method of discerning a presence of a RFID object, comprising:

providing a first signal having a RFID signature representing a presence of a RFID object;

providing a second signal having a RFID signature representing a presence of a RFID object;

providing a third signal having a metal signature representing a presence of a metal object; and

discerning a presence of a RFID object from one of said first and second signals or a presence of a metal object from said third signal.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said discerning employs multiscan, coherent signal processing.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising position sensing to provide a location observable for one of said first and second signals or said third signal.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising coordinating a processing of said first, second and third signals in conjunction with one of an observable and data to discern a presence of said RFID object or said metal object.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising employing a RFID position marker to indicate a location of a feature.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said discerning employs a database.

17. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising providing a signal having a signature representing a presence of another object and discerning a presence of said another object therefrom.

18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said providing said first signal or providing said third signal is performed by a portable interrogator.

19. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said discerning is performed by a control and processing subsystem located in a computer system.

20. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein one of said providing said first signal and said second signal, said providing said third signal and said discerning are integrated into an interrogator.