RFID system

• US 8,120,495 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nishino, Hitoshi, Fukuda, Kaoru, Kimura, Yoshinori, Matsueda, Tsuyoshi, Sakamoto, Shiroh
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US12/197,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/10, 340/505
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

An RFID system according to the present invention includes an RFID antenna system including: a first antenna that can communicate with an external reader/writer; an antenna selector for connecting with the first antenna; and a plurality of second antennas that can connect with the first antenna in order via the antenna selector, each of the second antennas can communicate with an IC tag that is attached to an article placed in a region defined by the second antenna.

Claims

1. An RFID antenna system comprising:

a single wireless external reader/writer; and

a plurality of cabinet storage units, each of the plurality of cabinet storage units separately wirelessly connected to the single wireless external reader/writer, each of the plurality of the cabinet storage units including;

a single first antenna for communicating with the single wireless external reader/writer in response to the single first antenna receiving a wireless signal from the single wireless external reader/writer;

a single antenna selector wired to the single first antenna; and

a plurality of second antennas, each of the plurality of second antennas connected to the single antenna selector connected to the single first antenna,

wherein the single antenna selector is triggered to connect each of the plurality of second antennas, separately, to the single first antenna in response to a communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna.

2. The RFID antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the single antenna selector comprises a radio-frequency switch.

3. The RFID antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of the cabinet storage units further includes:

a plurality of articles located within an antenna periphery range of the plurality of second antennas; and

an IC tag coupled to each of the plurality of articles,

wherein each of the plurality of second antennas communicate with the IC tag to obtain information relating to each of the plurality of articles.

4. The RFID antenna system according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of articles are located within the antenna periphery range of each of the plurality of second antennas.

5. The RFID antenna system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of second antennas include:

at least one either of a group of antennas for communicating with the IC tag coupled to the article located within the antenna periphery range of the plurality of second antennas; and

a group of antennas for communicating with two or more IC tags coupled to two or more articles located within the antenna periphery range of the plurality of second antennas.

6. The RFID antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna includes the single wireless external reader/writer sending a wireless signal to the single first antenna.

7. An item management system comprising:

an RFID antenna system including;

a single wireless external reader/writer; and

a plurality of cabinet storage units, each of the plurality of cabinet storage units separately wirelessly connected to the single wireless external reader/writer, each of the plurality of the cabinet storage units including;

a single first antenna for communicating with the single wireless external reader/writer in response to the single first antenna receiving a wireless signal from the single wireless external reader/writer;

a single antenna selector wired to the single first antenna; and

a plurality of second antennas, each of the plurality of second antennas connected to the single antenna selector connected to the single first antenna,

wherein the single antenna selector is triggered to connect each of the plurality of second antennas, separately, to the single first antenna in response to a communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna; and

a control unit wirelessly coupled to the single wireless external reader/writer of the RFID antenna system for wirelessly communicating with the single wireless external reader/writer.

8. The item management system according to claim 7, wherein the RFID antenna system further includes:

a plurality of articles located within an antenna periphery range of each of the plurality of second antennas; and

an IC tag coupled to each of the plurality of articles,

wherein each of the plurality of second antennas communicate with the IC tag to obtain information relating to each of the plurality of articles.

9. The item management system according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of articles are located within the antenna periphery range of a distinct second antenna of the plurality of second antennas.

10. The item management system according to claim 7, wherein the communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna includes the single wireless external reader/writer sending a wireless signal to the single first antenna.

11. A cabinet storage unit with an RFID antenna, comprising:

a housing component;

a single first antenna attached to a surface of the housing component for communicating with a single wireless external reader/writer in response to a the single first antenna receiving a wireless signal from the single wireless external reader/writer;

a single antenna selector attached to the surface of the housing, the single antenna selector wired to the single first antenna; and

a plurality of second antennas, provided on at least one holder inside the housing, each of the plurality of second antennas connected to the single antenna selector connected to the single first antenna,

wherein the single antenna selector is triggered to connect each of the plurality of second antennas, separately, to the single first antenna in response to a communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna.

12. The cabinet storage unit with an RFID antenna according to claim 11, wherein the single antenna selector includes a radio-frequency switch.

13. The cabinet storage unit with an RFID antenna according to claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of articles located within an antenna periphery range of each of the plurality of second antennas; and

an IC tag coupled to each of the plurality of articles,

wherein each of the plurality of second antennas communicate with the IC tag to obtain information relating to each of the plurality of articles.

14. The cabinet with an RFID antenna according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of articles are located within the antenna periphery range of a distinct second antenna of the plurality of second antennas.

15. The cabinet with an RFID antenna according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of second antennas include:

at least one of a group of antennas for communicating with the IC tag coupled to the article located within the antenna periphery range of the plurality of second antennas; and

a group of antennas for communicating with two or more IC tags coupled to two or more articles located within the antenna periphery range of the plurality of second.

16. The cabinet storage unit with an RFID antenna according to claim 11, wherein the communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna includes the single wireless external reader/writer sending a wireless signal to the single first antenna.

17. An item management system, comprising:

a cabinet storage unit with an RFID antenna, comprising;

a housing component;

a single first antenna attached to a surface of the housing component for communicating with a single wireless external reader/writer in response to the single first antenna receiving a wireless signal from the single wireless external reader/writer;

a single antenna selector attached to the surface of the housing, the single antenna selector wired to the single first antenna; and

a plurality of second antennas, provided on at least one holder inside the housing, each of the plurality of second antennas connected to the single antenna selector connected to the single first antenna,

wherein the single antenna selector is triggered to connect each of the plurality of second antennas, separately, to the single first antenna in response to a communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna; and

a control unit wirelessly coupled to the single wireless external reader/writer of the cabinet storage unit for communicating with the single wireless external reader/writer.

18. The item management system according to claim 17, wherein the cabinet storage unit with an RFID antenna further includes:

a plurality of articles located within an antenna periphery range of each of the plurality of second antennas; and

an IC tag coupled to each of the plurality of articles,

wherein each of the plurality of second antennas communicate with the IC tag to obtain information relating to each of the plurality of articles.

19. The item management system according to claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of articles are located within the antenna periphery range of a distinct second antenna of the plurality of second antennas.

20. The item management system according to claim 17, wherein the communication between the single wireless external reader/writer and the single first antenna includes the single wireless external reader/writer sending a wireless signal to the single first antenna.