Radio frequency identification apparatuses
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- controlling an interrogator using an application program on a host computer to receive data from the interrogator;
transmitting, from the interrogator, a forward link signal to implement an arbitration scheme to determine an identification code of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag from among a plurality of RFID tags contained within an RF field of the interrogator, the forward link signal comprising;
a parameter to select a group of RFID tags from the plurality of RFID tags, andreturn link configuration information;
processing, via the RFID tag attached to an item of inventory and storing the identification code to track the item via the host computer, at least a portion of the forward link signal to compare the parameter to a value stored in the RFID tag to determine if the RFID tag is a member of the group; and
transmitting, from the tag, a return link signal modulated in accordance with a modulation scheme selected by the return link configuration information, wherein each bit of the return link signal is multiplied by a selectable one of at least three subcarrier sequences selected by the return link configuration information.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting a signal from a wireless transmitter to a radio frequency (RF) device of a plurality of RF devices within a communication range of the transmitter. The signal is to select a group of the RF devices. A reply signal is received from each RF device if the respective RF device determines that it is a member of the group.
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Citations
74 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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controlling an interrogator using an application program on a host computer to receive data from the interrogator; transmitting, from the interrogator, a forward link signal to implement an arbitration scheme to determine an identification code of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag from among a plurality of RFID tags contained within an RF field of the interrogator, the forward link signal comprising; a parameter to select a group of RFID tags from the plurality of RFID tags, and return link configuration information; processing, via the RFID tag attached to an item of inventory and storing the identification code to track the item via the host computer, at least a portion of the forward link signal to compare the parameter to a value stored in the RFID tag to determine if the RFID tag is a member of the group; and transmitting, from the tag, a return link signal modulated in accordance with a modulation scheme selected by the return link configuration information, wherein each bit of the return link signal is multiplied by a selectable one of at least three subcarrier sequences selected by the return link configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method, comprising:
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transmitting an interrogation signal from an interrogator to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of a plurality of RFID tags within a communication range of the interrogator, the interrogation signal comprising; a parameter to select a group of RFID tags from the plurality of RFID tags, and return link configuration information; and receiving a reply signal from the RFID tag if the RFID tag determines that the RFID tag is a member of the group based on comparing the parameter to a value stored in the RFID tag, the reply signal being in accordance with one of a plurality of modulation types selected using the return link configuration information, wherein in accordance with one of the plurality of modulation types the return link configuration information is used to select one of at least three different pulse waveforms to multiply with a baseband waveform. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method, comprising:
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receiving an interrogation signal from an interrogator, the interrogation signal comprising; a parameter to select a group of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags from a plurality of RFID tags within a communication range of the interrogator, and return link configuration information; comparing the parameter to a value stored in an RFID tag to determine if the RFID tag is a member of the group; and transmitting a reply signal from the RFID tag in accordance with one of a plurality of modulation types selected using the return link configuration information, wherein in accordance with one of the plurality of modulation types the return link configuration information is used to select one of at least three different pulse waveforms to multiply with a baseband waveform. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:
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a host computer; an interrogator coupled to the host computer, wherein the interrogator is configured to transmit commands to implement an arbitration scheme to determine an identification code of an RFID tag from among a plurality of RFID tags contained within an RF field of the interrogator, the commands comprising selection information and modulation information; an item of inventory; and the RFID tag attached to the item and storing the identification code to track the item via the host computer, the tag configured to use the selection information to determine if the RFID tag is a member of a group of tags selected by the interrogator, and to communicate a reply modulated using a modulation type selected from a plurality of modulation types by the modulation information, wherein in accordance with one of the plurality of modulation types each bit of the reply is multiplied by a selectable one of at least three subcarrier sequences selected by the modulation information. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system, comprising:
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an interrogator configured to transmit an interrogation signal to implement an arbitration scheme to determine an identification code of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of a plurality of RFID tags disposed within an RF field of the interrogator, the interrogation signal comprising selection information and modulation information; an item to be tracked; the RFID tag attached to the item, the tag configured to; determine if the RFID tag is selected using the selection information, and communicate a reply signal having a baseband waveform multiplied by a pulse waveform selected by the modulation information from at least three different pulse waveforms; and a host computer coupled to the interrogator to receive and process the identification code. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:
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an interrogator configured to transmit an interrogation signal to perform collision arbitration, the interrogation signal comprising selection information and modulation information; a plurality of items; and a plurality of RFID tags affixed respectively to the plurality of items, each of the RFID tags configured to; determine whether being selected by the selection information, and when selected, communicate a reply signal having a bit represented by a waveform sequence length selected by the modulation information from at least three different waveform sequence lengths. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A system, comprising:
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an interrogator configured to transmit an interrogation signal to implement arbitration, the interrogation signal comprising selection information and modulation information; a host computer coupled to the interrogator to track a plurality of items; and a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags attached to the plurality of items respectively, the plurality of RFID tags including an RFID tag attached to an item of the plurality of items, the tag storing an identification code associated with the item, the tag configured to communicate a reply signal to the interrogation signal if, at least in part, the tag determines that the tag is selected by the selection information, wherein the reply signal includes at least a bit represented by a waveform sequence selected by the modulation information from at least three waveform sequences of different lengths. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method, comprising:
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transmitting an interrogation signal from a wireless transmitter to a radio frequency device of a plurality of radio frequency devices within a communication range of the wireless transmitter, the interrogation signal comprising; a parameter to select a group of radio frequency devices from the plurality of radio frequency devices, and return link configuration information; and receiving a reply signal from the radio frequency device if the radio frequency device determines that the radio frequency device is a member of the group based on comparing the parameter to a value stored in the radio frequency device, the reply signal being in accordance with one of a plurality of modulation types utilized based on the return link configuration information, wherein in accordance with one of the plurality of modulation types the return link configuration information is used to select from at least three different pulse waveforms to multiply with a baseband waveform. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. Apparatus, comprising:
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transmitter apparatus configured to transmit a first signal to a first radio frequency device, the first device being one of a plurality of radio frequency devices within a communication range of the transmitter apparatus, the first signal comprising; a parameter to select a subset of radio frequency devices from the plurality of radio frequency devices, and return link configuration information; and receiver apparatus configured to receive a reply signal from the first radio frequency device if the radio frequency device determines that the first radio frequency device is a member of the subset based on comparing the parameter to a value stored in the first radio frequency device, the reply signal having been modulated according to one of a plurality of modulation types utilized based on the return link configuration information, wherein the return link configuration information is used to select from at least three different pulse waveforms to multiply with a baseband waveform. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
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63. Apparatus, comprising:
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transmitter apparatus configured to transmit a first signal to a first radio frequency device, the first device being one of a plurality of radio frequency devices within a communication range of the transmitter apparatus, the first signal comprising; a parameter to select a subset of radio frequency devices from the plurality of radio frequency devices, and return link configuration information; and receiver apparatus configured to receive a reply signal from the first radio frequency device if the first radio frequency device determines that it is a member of the subset based on comparing the parameter to a value stored in the first radio frequency device, the reply signal having been modulated according to one of a plurality of modulation types utilized based on the return link configuration information, wherein the return link configuration information is used to select an operating mode that utilizes at least one of at least three different pulse waveforms to multiply with a baseband waveform. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66)
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67. A radio frequency device, comprising:
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a storage apparatus; receiver apparatus configured to receive a first signal from a wireless transmitter device, the radio frequency device being one of a plurality of radio frequency devices within a communication range of the wireless transmitter device, the first signal comprising; a parameter to select a subset of radio frequency devices from the plurality of radio frequency devices, and return link configuration information; and transmitter apparatus configured to transmit a reply signal from the radio frequency device if the radio frequency device determines that the first radio frequency device is a member of the subset based on comparing the parameter to a value stored in the storage device, the transmitter apparatus being configured to modulate the reply signal according to one of a plurality of modulation types utilized based on the received return link configuration information, wherein the received return link configuration information is configured to permit selection from at least three different pulse waveforms to multiply with a baseband waveform generated by the radio frequency device. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70)
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71. A radio frequency device, comprising:
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a storage apparatus; receiver apparatus configured to receive a first signal from a wireless transmitter device, the radio frequency device being one of a plurality of radio frequency devices within a communication range of the wireless transmitter device, the first signal comprising; a parameter to select a subset of radio frequency devices from the plurality of radio frequency devices, and return link configuration information; and transmitter apparatus configured to transmit a reply signal from the radio frequency device if the radio frequency device determines that the first radio frequency device is a member of the subset based on comparing the parameter to a value stored in the storage device, the transmitter apparatus being configured to modulate the reply signal according to one of a plurality of modulation types utilized based on the received return link configuration information, wherein the return link configuration information is used to select an operating mode that utilizes at least one of at least three different pulse waveforms to multiply with a baseband waveform. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74)
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Specification