RFID reader and range indicating method for the RFID reader

• US 7,786,865 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Psion PLC (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Psion Teklogix (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): King; Curtis J
• Application Number:
  US11/466,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20080061937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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

Abstract

An RFID reader and range indicating method for the RFID reader is provided. The RFID reader includes an RF antenna for communicating with one or more than one tag using RF signals, a module for operating on the tag, a module for analyzing a range of the RFID reader; and a module for indicating, based on the analysis, a potential area where the RFID reader is capable of implementing the operation on the tag.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) reader, comprising:

an RF antenna for communicating with at least one tag using RF signals;

a range indicator for projecting a visual indicator associated with a coverage area of the RF antenna at a position of a target object when the target object is within a range of the RFID reader; and

a controller for calibrating the range indicator based on the position of the target object and the range of the RFID reader when the target object is within the range of the RFID reader.

2. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

an analyzer for analyzing the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object.

3. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 2, wherein the visual indicator comprises:

a multi-dimensional visual indicator calibrated based on the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object.

4. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller determines at least one dimension of the visual indicator.

5. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller analyzes the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object, and determines the at least one dimension of the visual indicator, based on the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object.

6. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an analyzer for determining, based on the position of the target object and the range of the RFID reader, whether the target object is within the range of the RFID reader, and wherein the range indicator projects the visual indicator on the target object only when it is determined that the target object is within the range of the RFID reader.

7. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a multi-dimensional visual pattern.

8. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

an analyzer for analyzing distance to the target object and the range of the RFID reader.

9. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 8, comprising:

a module for measuring the distance between the target object and the RFID reader.

10. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 8, wherein the analyzer determines whether the target object is within the range of the RFID reader to enable the range indicator.

11. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one dimension of the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object is determined based on a function of the range of the RFID reader with a distance to the target object.

12. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one dimension of the coverage area is determined based on a function of the distance to the target object and power output.

13. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one dimension of the coverage area is determined based on a function of the distance to the target object, power output, and at least one environmental condition factor.

14. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a feedback device for providing feedback to the user of the RFID reader when the controller determines that the target object is outside the range of the RFID reader.

15. A method for a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) reader, the RFID reader including an RF antenna for communicating with a tag using RF signals, the method comprising the steps of:

analyzing a range of the RFID reader and a position of a target object and calibrating a range indicator based on the position and the range of the RFID reader when the target object is within the range of the RFID reader; and

projecting from the range indicator a visual indicator associating with the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object when the target object is within the range of the RFID reader.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

measuring a distance to the target object; and

determining the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the visual indicator comprises a multi-dimensional visual indicator and wherein the step of calibrating comprises calibrating the multi-dimensional visual indicator based on coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object.

18. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

determining at least one dimension of the visual indicator.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

analyzing the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object; and

determining the at least one dimension of the visual indicator, based on the coverage area of the RF antenna at the position of the target object.

20. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

determining, based on the position of the target object and the range of the RFID reader, whether the target object is within the range of the RFID reader, and wherein

the step of projecting illuminates the visual indicator only when it is determined that the target object is within the range of the RFID reader.

21. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of projecting comprises projecting the visual indicator having a multi-dimensional pattern.

22. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

analyzing a distance to the target object and the range of the RFID reader.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, comprising:

measuring the distance between the target object and the RFID reader.

24. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

determining at least one dimension of the visual indicator based on a function of the range of the RFID reader with a distance to the target object.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining the at least one dimension of the visual indicator based on a function of the distance to the target object and power output.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining the at least one dimension of the visual indicator based on a function of the distance to the target object, power output, and at least one environmental condition factor.

27. A method as claimed in claim 15, comprising:

providing feedback to the user of the RFID reader when the controller determines that the target object is outside the range of the RFID reader.

28. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing comprises:

determining whether the target object is within the range of the RFID reader, and

enabling the step of projecting when the target object is within the range of the RFID reader.