Multi-protocol RFID system using bit-lock or step-lock synchronization

• US 8,314,687 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gravelle, Kelly, Catanach, Steven J., Tiernay, Robert W., Kao, Joseph H., Melville, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US13/274,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.34, 340/5.62, 340/572.4, 340/10.42, 340/10.1, 455/423, 455/67.4, 455/226.2, 235/492, 235/462.13, 375/225, 375/226, 370/242, 370/252
• US Class Current: 340/10.34
• 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 7/016 Synchronisation of sensing process
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10069 the collision being resolved in the frequency domain, e.g. by hopping from one frequency to the other frequency hopping or spread spectrum techniques H04B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles

Abstract

A multi-protocol RFID interrogating system employs a synchronization technique (step-lock) for a backscatter RFID system that allows simultaneous operation of closely spaced interrogators. The multi-protocol RFID interrogating system can communicate with backscatter transponders having different output protocols and with active transponders including: Title 21 compliant RFID backscatter transponders; IT2000 RFID backscatter transponders that provide an extended mode capability beyond Title 21; EGO™ RFID backscatter transponders, SEGO™ RFID backscatter transponders; ATA, ISO, ANSI AAR compliant RFID backscatter transponders; and IAG compliant active technology transponders. The system implements a step-lock operation, whereby adjacent interrogators are synchronized to ensure that all downlinks operate within the same time frame and all uplinks operate within the same time frame, to eliminate downlink on uplink interference.

Claims

1. An interrogator system to read active RFID transponders and backscatter RFID transponders at a single monitoring location comprising:

at least two transceivers,

each transceiver covering a capture zone at said monitoring location wherein said system establishes a tag communication signal sequence, said signal sequence comprising first, second and third sequence portions, said signal sequence being arranged to enable said system to read at least one active RFID transponder in a first capture zone during said first sequence portion, to read at least one active RFID transponder in a second capture zone during said second sequence portion and to simultaneously read backscatter RFID transponders in both capture zones during said third sequence portion, said first and second sequence portions occurring at different times during said signal sequence and said third sequence portion occurring at a different time than said first and second sequence portions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein a synchronization signal is shared between said transceivers.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the active RFID transponders and the backscatter RFID transponders are read at different frequencies.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the active RFID transponders that are read during the second sequence portion use a different communications protocol from the active RFID transponders that are read during the first sequence portion.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the capture zones overlap.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein two or more active RFID transponders are read in turn during the first sequence portion.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the two or more active RFID transponders read in turn during the first sequence portion are read using different communications protocols.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said signal sequence is repetitive and wherein different commands are transmitted to said backscatter RFID transponders during subsequent said third sequence portions.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, during said third sequence portion, a different command is transmitted by a first transceiver covering a first capture zone than is transmitted by a second transceiver covering a second capture zone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said single monitoring location is a section of a multi-lane roadway.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises at least a third transceiver, said tag communication signal sequence further comprises a fourth sequence portion and said signal sequence is arranged to enable said system to read at least one active RFID transponder in a third capture zone during said fourth signal portion, and to simultaneously read backscatter RFID transponders in said first, second and third capture zones during said third sequence portion and wherein said forth sequence portion occurs at a different time than said first, second and third sequence portions.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said signal sequence is repetitive and wherein different commands are transmitted to said backscatter RFID transponders during subsequent said third sequence portions.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein, during said third sequence portion, a different command is transmitted by a first transceiver covering a first capture zone than is transmitted by a second transceiver covering a second capture zone.

14. An interrogator system using at least a first and second protocol to read RFID transponders comprising:

at least two transceivers, each transceiver covering a respective capture zone at a single monitoring location; and

a synchronization circuit adapted to synchronize the two transceivers to establish a tag communication signal sequence, said signal sequence comprising first and second signal portions such that said at least two transceivers operate the first protocol simultaneously with each other during said first signal portion and operate the second protocol simultaneously with each other during said second signal portion.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said single monitoring location is a section of a multi-lane roadway.