Enhanced controller utilizing RFID technology

• US 8,260,948 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Owen, JR., Joseph P., Pietrzyk, Arthur P., Somogyi, Andreas, Tinnell, Kenneth A., Chand, Sujeet, Bapat, Vivek R., Hall, Kenwood H., Morse, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US11/200,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) component receives a data stream from at least one RFID tag. A controller can integrate and/or embed at least one of the following, 1) middleware that filters the data stream associated with the RFID component, 2) RFID software that provides RFID component software functionality, and 3) a smart component that connects to the RFID component.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first radio frequency identification (RFID) reader of a first type configured to receive a first data stream from a first RFID tag via a first wireless communication and send a first input corresponding to the first data stream to an RFID software according to a first protocol;

a second RFID reader of a second type configured to receive a second data stream from a second RFID tag via a second wireless communication and send a second input corresponding to the second data stream to the RFID software according to a second protocol that is different from the first protocol, wherein the first type and the second type differ in make, model, or brand;

a controller, comprising;

a backplane,

a memory that stores the RFID software that processes the first input from the first RFID reader and the second input from the second RFID reader;

a processor that facilitates execution of the RFID software;

a smart component that electrically interfaces with the backplane, the first RFID reader, and the second RFID reader, wherein the smart component provides a universal connection to the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader and provides an additional input and output to the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader, wherein the smart component facilitates programming of the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader according to a common programming language;

a middleware module that interfaces with the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader through the smart component and hosts a middleware that facilitates sharing of information between the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader by comparing signal strengths associated with the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader, wherein the middleware further provides a common filtering software for the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader; and

a data flow manager that monitors and provides limitations in relation to a number of bytes sent from at least one of the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader in a transaction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID software is configured to optimize at least one of:

turning on the first RFID reader or the second RFID reader, or

turning off the first RFID reader or the second RFID reader.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID software is further configured to utilize a sensor associated with the controller to determine a location of the RFID tag.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the middleware further comprises a clock synchronization component configured to synchronize a clock associated with the controller to a clock associated with the first RFID reader or the second RFID reader.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart component is a micro programmable logic controller (PLC).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the middleware comprises a filter master configured to interface with the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader and provide the common filtering software for the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID software is configured to demodulate the first data stream from the first RFID reader and the second data stream from the second RFID reader.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID software is configured to decode the first data stream from the first RFID reader and the second data stream from the second RFID reader.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a first input corresponding to a first data stream related to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag from a first RFID reader of a first type according to a first communication protocol through a smart component at RFID software of an industrial controller

receiving a second input corresponding to a second data stream related to a second RFID tag from a second RFID reader of a second type, that is different from the first type in make, model or brand, according to a second communication protocol that is different from the first protocol through the smart component at RFID software of the industrial controller, wherein the smart component electrically interfaces with the first RFID reader, the second RFID reader and the industrial controller and provides an additional input and output to the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader;

facilitating universal programming of the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader through a common programming language at the smart component;

executing middleware hosted on a middleware module that interfaces with the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader through the smart component and facilitating sharing of information between the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader by comparing signal strengths associated with the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader and facilitating universal filtering of the first input and the second input;

monitoring a number of bytes sent from at least one of the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader in a transaction and providing limitations on the number of bytes sent from at least one of the first RFID reader and the second RFID reader by a data flow manager; and

executing RFID software stored in memory of the industrial controller with a processor to process the first data stream and the second data stream.