Methods and apparatus for operating a radio device

• US 8,330,580 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novanta Corporation (Novanta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Reynolds, Matthew S., Richards, Joseph L., Pathare, Sumukh N., Post, E. Rehmatulla, Maguire, Yael G., Tsai, Harry F., Pappu, Ravikanth S., Schoner, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US13/036,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.2
• US Class Current: 340/10.2
• 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 7/10297 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

Abstract

A radio device such as a wireless tag reader communicates with multiple types of wireless identification tags in a monitored region. The radio device includes a network interface to receive messages transmitted over a network. In response to receiving a message indicating to reconfigure the radio device to support an additional wireless tag protocol, the radio is reconfigured to support communications with a corresponding new type of wireless identification tag in a monitored region. Based on this technique of reconfiguring the radio device via network messages, the radio device optionally supports additional, new or latest versions of wireless tag protocols without having to physically reprogram or replace the radio device.

Claims

1. A method for minimizing interference between a first wireless transceiver device and a second wireless transceiver device in communication with a first type of wireless identification tag using a first communication protocol and a second type of wireless identification tag using a second communication protocol, the method comprising:

performing, by a first wireless transceiver device, a query to determine a presence of each wireless communication protocol used by a first type of wireless identification tag and a second type of wireless identification tag; and

reconfiguring, by the first wireless transceiver device in order to minimize interference between the first wireless transceiver device and the second wireless transceiver device, via a message generated responsive to the query and received by the second wireless transceiver device over a network, a digital signal processor of the second wireless transceiver device to (1) begin use of a wireless communication protocol for communicating with the first or second type of wireless identification tag, (2) discontinue use of a wireless communication protocol for communicating with the first or second type of wireless identification tag, or (3) modify a wireless communication protocol for communicating with the first or second type of wireless identification tag.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

at the first wireless transceiver device, at least occasionally performing a query to determine the presence of each type of wireless identification tag in a monitored region.

3. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

scheduling additional wireless communications directed to the first or second type of wireless identification tag.

4. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

collecting information related to the wireless identification tags; and

storing the information in a database at the first wireless transceiver device, the database of the first wireless transceiver device forming part of an overall hierarchical database distributed over the network.

5. A method as in claim 1 comprising:

communicating, by the first wireless transceiver device, with the first and second types of wireless identification tag, and

generating wireless signals over multiple carrier frequencies.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein generating wireless signals includes:

generating wireless signals from the first wireless transceiver device at different carrier frequencies but utilizing a common baseband to receive data information from the wireless identification tags.

7. A method as in claim 5, wherein generating wireless signals includes:

generating wireless signals from the first wireless transceiver device at different carrier frequencies but utilizing a common intermediate frequency to receive data information from the wireless identification tags.

8. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

simultaneously generating wireless signals from the first wireless transceiver device at different carrier frequencies to communicate with the first and second types of wireless identification tags at the same time.

9. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

communicating, by the first wireless transceiver device, with the first and second types of wireless identification tag, and

powering the different types of wireless identification tags via wireless signals generated by the first wireless transceiver device.

10. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

at the first wireless transceiver device, receiving a network message including an agent generated by a source at a remote location;

executing the agent at the first wireless transceiver device; and

in response to satisfying a condition of the agent, transmitting messages over the network to report data information associated with the first wireless transceiver device back to the source.

11. A method as in claim 10 further comprising:

executing multiple agents received from multiple sources at different remote locations relative to the first wireless transceiver device, each of the multiple agents having an associated function for retrieving particular information from a database associated with the first wireless transceiver device that stores wireless identification tag information.

12. A method as in claim 10 further comprising:

as a result of executing the agent at the first wireless transceiver device, filtering data information associated with wireless identification tags that would otherwise be sent back to the source.

13. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

at the first wireless transceiver device, receiving a network message including an agent generated by a source at a remote location;

executing the agent at the first wireless transceiver device to determine the presence of each wireless communication protocol used by the first type of wireless identification tag and the second type of wireless identification tag.

14. A method as in claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting messages over the network to report information associated with the first wireless transceiver device back to the source.

15. A system for minimizing interference between a first wireless transceiver device and a second wireless transceiver device in communication with a first type of wireless identification tag using a first communication protocol and a second type of wireless identification tag using a second communication protocol, the system comprising:

a first wireless transceiver device performing a query to determine a presence of each wireless communication protocol used by a first type of wireless identification tag and a second type of wireless identification tag; and

a second wireless transceiver device;

wherein, in order to minimize interference between the first wireless transceiver device and the second wireless transceiver device, the first wireless transceiver device reconfigures, via a message generated responsive to the query and received by the second wireless transceiver device over a network, a digital signal processor of the second wireless transceiver device to (1) begin use of a wireless communication protocol for communicating with the first or second type of wireless identification tag, (2) discontinue use of a wireless communication protocol for communicating with the first or second type of wireless identification tag, or (3) modify a wireless communication protocol for communicating with the first or second type of wireless identification tag.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein the first wireless transceiver device performs a query at least occasionally to determine the presence of each type of wireless identification tag in a monitored region.

17. A system as in claim 15, wherein the first or second wireless transceiver device schedules additional wireless communications directed to the first or second type of wireless identification tag.

18. A system as in claim 15 further comprising a database of the first wireless transceiver device, the database forming part of an overall hierarchical database distributed over the network, wherein the first wireless transceiver device collects information related to the wireless identification tags and stores the information in the database.

19. A system as in claim 15, wherein the first wireless transceiver device generates wireless signals over multiple carrier frequencies for communications with the first and second types of wireless identification tag.

20. A system as in claim 15, wherein the first wireless transceiver device receives a network message including an agent generated by a source at a remote location, and executes the agent at the first wireless transceiver device to determine the presence of each wireless communication protocol used by the first type of wireless identification tag and the second type of wireless identification tag.