Systems and methods for slot classification

• US 8,022,814 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novanta Corporation (Novanta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Fiegel, Brian, Maguire, Yael, Yogeeswaran, Karthik, Reddy, Harinath
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US11/559,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/10.5, 340/12.11, 340/12.12
• US Class Current: 340/10.2
• 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 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous

Abstract

Systems and methods for inventory round slot classification are described. The method includes transmitting, to zero or more RFID tags, a message during a slot of an inventory round and receiving a response from at least some of the zero or more RFID tags. The method also includes analyzing a received response for the presence of the pilot tone and classifying a respective slot in response to the analysis.

Claims

1. A method of classifying a slot of an inventory round, each slot corresponding to a time period for response by one or more of RFID tags, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting, to one or more RFID tags, a message during a slot of an inventory round;

(b) receiving a response from at least some of the one or more RFID tags, the response comprising a pilot tone;

(c) analyzing the received responses for the presence of the pilot tone, the analysis comprising detecting a phase reversal within a modulation coding in the received response; and

(d) classifying a respective slot as empty in response to a detected phase reversal within a specified time period.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing comprises detecting a phase reversal within a baseband physical layer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising classifying the respective slot as either collided or singly occupied in response to not detecting a phase reversal within a specified time period.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising processing the received signal when the slot is classified as either collided or singly occupied.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the processing comprises performing pattern matching on the received signal.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising classifying the respective slot as having a collision when the processing indicates that there is not a pattern match.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting an acknowledgment message when the processing indicates that there is a pattern match.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving a response to the acknowledgment message and analyzing the received response to the acknowledgment message.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the analyzing the received response to the acknowledgment messages comprises performing pattern matching on the received response to the acknowledgment message.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising classifying the slot as having a collision when the pattern matching indicates that there is not a pattern match.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising further processing the received response to the acknowledgment message when the pattern matching indicates that there is a pattern match.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the further processing comprises decoding at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising classifying the respective slot as having a collision when the decoding indicates that the decoded at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message does not match an expected result.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the classifying comprises classifying the respective slot as having a collision when the decoding indicates that a length specified by a decoded response length indicator does not match the length of the decoded message.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising classifying the respective slot as singly occupied when the decoding indicates that the decoded at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message matches an expected result.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the classifying comprises classifying the respective slot as singly occupied when the decoding indicates that a length specified by a decoded response length indicator matches the length of the decoded message.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising classifying the respective slot as collided in response to (i) not detecting a phase reversal within a specified time period and (ii) detecting that a start-of-frame pattern of the received signal does not match a predetermined pattern.

18. A system for classifying a slot of an inventory round, each slot corresponding to a time period for response by one or more of RFID tags, the system comprising:

a transmitter that transmits, to one or more RFID tags, a message during a slot of an inventory round;

a receiver that receives a response from at least one of the one or more RFID tags, the response comprising a pilot tone; and

a processing unit in communication with the receiver, the processing unit

analyzing the received response for the presence of a pilot tone, the analysis comprising detecting a phase reversal within a modulation coding, and

classifying a respective slot in response to the analysis,

wherein the processing unit detects a phase reversal in the received response and classifies the respective slot as empty in response to a detected phase reversal within a specified time period.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing unit comprises a digital signal processor.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing unit comprises a field programmable gate array.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing unit comprises an application specific integrated circuit.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing unit comprises a microprocessor.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing unit detects a phase reversal within a baseband physical layer.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing unit classifies the respective slot as either collided or singly occupied in response to not detecting a phase reversal within a specified time period.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the processing unit processes the received response when the slot is classified as either collided or singly occupied.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the processing comprises performing pattern matching on the received response.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the processing unit classifies the respective slot as having a collision when the processing indicates that there is not a pattern match.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the processing unit is in communication with the transmitter and the processing unit instructs the transmission of an acknowledgment message, via the transmitter, when the processing indicates that there is a pattern match.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the receiver receives a response to the acknowledgment message and the processing unit analyzes the received response to the acknowledgment message.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the processing unit analyzes the received response to the acknowledgment message by performing pattern matching on the received response to the acknowledgment message.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the processing unit classifies the slot as having a collision when the pattern matching indicates that there is not a pattern match.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the processing unit further processes the received response to the acknowledgment message when the pattern matching indicates that there is a pattern match.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the processing unit decodes at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the processing unit classifies the respective slot as having a collision when the decoding indicates that the decoded at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message does not match an expected result.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the processing unit classifies the respective slot as having a collision when the decoding indicates that a length specified by a decoded response length indicator does not match the length of the decoded message.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein the processing unit classifies the respective slot as singly occupied when the decoding indicates that the decoded at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message matches an expected result.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the processing unit classifies the respective slot as singly occupied when the decoding indicates that a length specified by a decoded response length indicator matches the length of the decoded message.

38. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing unit classifies the respective slot as collided in response to (i) not detecting a phase reversal within a specified time period and (ii) detecting that a start-of-frame pattern of the received signal does not match a predetermined pattern.

39. A system for classifying a slot of an inventory round, each slot corresponding to a time period for response by one or more of RFID tags, the system comprising:

means for transmitting, to one or more RFID tags, a message during a slot of an inventory round;

means for receiving a response from at least some of the one or more RFID tags, the response comprising a pilot tone;

means for analyzing the received response for the presence of the pilot tone, the analysis comprising detecting a phase reversal within a modulation coding; and

means for classifying a respective slot in response to the analysis;

wherein the means for analyzing comprises means for detecting a phase reversal in the received response, and the means for classifying comprises means for classifying the respective slot as empty in response to a detected phase reversal within a specified time period.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the means for analyzing comprises means for detecting a phase reversal within a baseband physical layer.

41. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for classifying the respective slot as either collided or singly occupied in response to not detecting a phase reversal within a specified time period.

42. The system of claim 41 further comprising means for processing the received response when the slot is classified as either collided or singly occupied.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the means for processing comprises means for performing pattern matching on the received response.

44. The system of claim 43 further comprising means for classifying the respective slot as having a collision when the means for processing indicates that there is not a pattern match.

45. The system of claim 43 further comprising means for transmitting an acknowledgment message when the means for processing indicates that there is a pattern match.

46. The system of claim 45 further comprising means for receiving a response to the acknowledgment message and means for analyzing the received response to the acknowledgment message.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the means for analyzing the received response to the acknowledgment messages comprises means for performing pattern matching on the received response to the acknowledgment message.

48. The system of claim 47 further comprising means for classifying the slot as having a collision when the pattern matching indicates that there is not a pattern match.

49. The system of claim 47 further comprising means for further processing the received response to the acknowledgment message when the pattern matching indicates that there is a pattern match.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the means for further processing comprises decoding at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message.

51. The system of claim 50 further comprising means for classifying the respective slot as having a collision when the decoding indicates that the decoded at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message does not match an expected result.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein the means for classifying comprises means for classifying the respective slot as having a collision when the decoding indicates that a length specified by a decoded response length indicator does not match the length of the decoded message.

53. The system of claim 50 further comprising means for classifying the respective slot as singly occupied when the decoding indicates that the decoded at least a portion of the response to the acknowledgment message matches an expected result.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein the means for classifying comprises means for classifying the respective slot as singly occupied when the decoding indicates that a length specified by a decoded response length indicator matches the length of the decoded message.

55. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for classifying the respective slot as collided in response to (i) not detecting a phase reversal within a specified time period and (ii) detecting that a start-of-frame pattern of the received signal does not match a predetermined pattern.