RFID readers and systems with antenna switching upon detecting too few tags and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for an RFID reader system coupled to at least a first antenna and a second antenna, comprising:
- causing the first antenna to radiate a first signal for estimating how many tags are likely present in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view; and
if fewer than a preset number of tags are estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view, causing the second antenna to radiate a second signal for estimating how many tags are likely present in the second antenna'"'"'s field of view,else inventorying tags estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view.
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Abstract
RFID readers, reader systems, and methods are provided that utilize smart antenna switching. A first signal is transmitted from a first antenna estimating presence of tags within the antennas field of view. If fewer than a predefined number of tags are estimated, the system switches to a second antenna. Otherwise, the tags found in the field of view of the first antenna are inventoried before switching to the second antenna.
44 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A method for an RFID reader system coupled to at least a first antenna and a second antenna, comprising:
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causing the first antenna to radiate a first signal for estimating how many tags are likely present in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view; and if fewer than a preset number of tags are estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view, causing the second antenna to radiate a second signal for estimating how many tags are likely present in the second antenna'"'"'s field of view, else inventorying tags estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An RFID reader system coupled to at least a first antenna and a second antenna, comprising:
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a control circuit configured to; cause the first antenna to radiate a first signal for estimating whether any tags are present in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view; and if fewer than a preset number of tags are estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view, cause the second antenna to radiate a second signal for estimating whether any tags are present in the second antenna'"'"'s field of view, else inventory tags estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip for an RFID reader coupled to at least a first antenna and a second antenna, the DSP chip comprising:
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circuitry configured to; cause the first antenna to radiate a first signal for estimating whether any tags are present in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view; and if fewer than a preset number of tags are estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view, cause the second antenna to radiate a second signal for estimating whether any tags are present in the second antenna'"'"'s field of view, else inventory tags estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A computer-readable medium with computer-executable instructions encoded thereon for controlling operations of an RFID reader system coupled to at least a first antenna and a second antenna, the instructions comprising:
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causing the first antenna to radiate a first signal for estimating whether any tags are present in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view; and if fewer than a preset number of tags are estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view, causing the second antenna to radiate a second signal for estimating whether any tags are present in the second antenna'"'"'s field of view, else inventorying tags estimated in the first antenna'"'"'s field of view. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification