Method, apparatus, and system for radio frequency identification (RFID) tag association and relative positioning
First Claim
1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:
- an RFID reader adapted to provide an interrogation signal; and
a plurality of RFID tags, at least a first of said RFID tags being positioned to receive said interrogation signal and being adapted to provide at least one first return signal in response to said interrogation signal, at least a second of said RFID tags being adapted to provide a second return signal, said second return signal being encoded with information, associated with said second RFID tag, that is provided to said first RFID tag, said at least one first return signal provided by said first RFID tag being encoded with information resident in said first RFID tag and with said provided information associated with said second RFID tag,wherein said RFID reader is adapted to decode said first return signal to obtain the resident information and associated information encoded therein, and adapted to process said decoded information to identify said second RFID tag as being positioned in indirect communication with said RFID reader, and wherein said associated information is distinguished from said resident information by an identification added to said associated information, said identification usable by said RFID reader to perform said identify of said second RFID tag as being in indirect communication with said RFID reader.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Obscured radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are indirectly read by an RFID reader. Other tags operate to relay the information associated with the obscured tags from one tag to another, until the associated information is ultimately received by the RFID reader from a tag in direct communication with the RFID reader. The tags may be adapted to store the received information associated with the obscured tags and then to encode this associated information and resident information in return signal(s) transmitted to the RFID reader and/or to other tag(s). The RFID reader is adapted to decode the received return signals to obtain the information encoded therein, and to process the decoded information to identify irrelevant tags and obscured tags.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:
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an RFID reader adapted to provide an interrogation signal; and a plurality of RFID tags, at least a first of said RFID tags being positioned to receive said interrogation signal and being adapted to provide at least one first return signal in response to said interrogation signal, at least a second of said RFID tags being adapted to provide a second return signal, said second return signal being encoded with information, associated with said second RFID tag, that is provided to said first RFID tag, said at least one first return signal provided by said first RFID tag being encoded with information resident in said first RFID tag and with said provided information associated with said second RFID tag, wherein said RFID reader is adapted to decode said first return signal to obtain the resident information and associated information encoded therein, and adapted to process said decoded information to identify said second RFID tag as being positioned in indirect communication with said RFID reader, and wherein said associated information is distinguished from said resident information by an identification added to said associated information, said identification usable by said RFID reader to perform said identify of said second RFID tag as being in indirect communication with said RFID reader. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader apparatus, comprising:
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an antenna and transceiver circuitry adapted to provide an interrogation signal to at least some of a plurality of RFID tags and adapted to receive respective return signals from responsive ones of said RFID tags, at least one of said return signals from each responsive RFID tag being encoded with first information pertaining to the respective responsive RFID tag and second information associated with at least one other responsive RFID tag; a decoder coupled to said transceiver circuitry to decode said first information and said second information from each at least one return signal; and a processor coupled to said decoder to process said decoded first information and said decoded second information to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said antenna and which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal indirectly to said antenna via at least one other RFID tag, and wherein to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal indirectly to said antenna, said processor is adapted to detect a flag in said decoded second information, said flag indicating that the RFID tag associated with the decoded second information is positioned in a location insufficient to permit the at least one return signal of that RFID tag to be received by said antenna. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader apparatus, comprising:
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an antenna and transceiver circuitry adapted to provide an interrogation signal to at least some of a plurality of RFID tags and adapted to receive respective return signals from responsive ones of said RFID tags, at least one of said return signals from each responsive RFID tag being encoded with first information pertaining to the respective responsive RFID tag and second information associated with at least one other responsive RFID tag; a decoder coupled to said transceiver circuitry to decode said first information and said second information from each at least one return signal; and a processor coupled to said decoder to process said decoded first information and said decoded second information to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said antenna and which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal indirectly to said antenna via at least one other RFID tag, and wherein said apparatus is further adapted to determine, collectively from all of said decoded second information, which of said plurality of RFID tags are relevant to a particular read operation and which of said plurality of RFID tags are irrelevant to said read operation, said RFID tags determined by said processor to be irrelevant having a least number of communications with other RFID tags during said read operation. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the method comprising:
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storing first information in said RFID tag, said first information pertaining to said RFID tag; receiving by said RFID tag second information associated with another RFID tag that is unable to communicate said second information directly to an RFID reader; encoding said first information and said second information in at least one return signal; transmitting said at least one return signal having said first information and said second information encoded therein in response to an interrogation signal from said RFID reader; and adding an identification to said second information to indicate that said second information is associated with said another RFID tag rather than pertaining to said RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the method comprising:
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providing an interrogation signal to at least some of a plurality of RFID tags; in response to said provided interrogation signal, receiving respective return signals from energized ones of said RFID tags, at least one of said return signals from each energized RFID tag being encoded with first information pertaining to the respective energized RFID tag and second information associated with at least one other energized RFID tag; decoding said first information and said second information from each at least one return signal; and processing said decoded first information and said decoded second information to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said RFID reader and which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal indirectly to said RFID reader via at least one other RFID tag, wherein said determining which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said RFID reader includes detecting a flag in said decoded second information, said flag indicating that the RFID tag associated with the decoded second information is positioned in a location insufficient to permit the at least one return signal of that RFID tag to be received by said RFID reader. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the method comprising:
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providing an interrogation signal to at least some of a plurality of RFID tags; in response to said provided interrogation signal, receiving respective return signals from energized ones of said RFID tags, at least one of said return signals from each energized RFID tag being encoded with first information pertaining to the respective energized RFID tag and second information associated with at least one other energized RFID tag; decoding said first information and said second information from each at least one return signal; processing said decoded first information and said decoded second information to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said RFID reader and which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal indirectly to said RFID reader via at least one other RFID tag; and determining, collectively from all of said decoded second information, which of said plurality of RFID tags are relevant to a particular read operation and which of said plurality of RFID tags are irrelevant to said read operation, said RFID tags determined to be irrelevant having a least number of communications with other RFID tags during said read operation.
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18. An article of manufacture, comprising:
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a non-transitory computer-readable medium, of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, encoded with computer-readable instructions that are executable by a processor of said RFID reader to communicate with a plurality of RFID tags, by; providing an interrogation signal to at least some of said plurality of RFID tags; in response to said provided interrogation signal, receiving respective return signals from energized ones of said RFID tags, at least one of said return signals from each energized RFID tag being encoded with first information pertaining to the respective energized RFID tag and second information associated with at least one other energized RFID tag; decoding said first information and said second information from each at least one return signal; and processing said decoded first information and said decoded second information to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said RFID reader and which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal indirectly to said RFID reader via at least one other RFID tag, wherein to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said RFID reader, said instructions are executable by said processor to; detect a flag in said decoded second information, said flag indicating that the RFID tag associated with the decoded second information is positioned in a location insufficient to permit the at least one return signal of that RFID tag to be received by said RFID reader. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An article of manufacture, comprising:
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a non-transitory computer-readable medium, of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, encoded with computer-readable instructions that are executable by a processor of said RFID reader to communicate with a plurality of RFID tags, by; providing an interrogation signal to at least some of said plurality of RFID tags; in response to said provided interrogation signal, receiving respective return signals from energized ones of said RFID tags, at least one of said return signals from each energized RFID tag being encoded with first information pertaining to the respective energized RFID tag and second information associated with at least one other energized RFID tag; decoding said first information and said second information from each at least one return signal; and processing said decoded first information and said decoded second information to determine which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal directly to said RFID reader and which of said plurality of RFID tags provided their respective at least one return signal indirectly to said RFID reader via at least one other RFID tag, and wherein said non-transitory computer-readable medium is further encoded with computer-readable instructions executable by said processor to; determine, collectively from all of said decoded second information, which of said plurality of RFID tags are relevant to a particular read operation and which of said plurality of RFID tags are irrelevant to said read operation, said RFID tags determined to be irrelevant having a least number of communications with other RFID tags during said read operation.
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Specification