Radio frequency identification based networks

• US 8,331,862 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Twitchell, Robert W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US11/930,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/7.21, 340/539.16, 340/505, 340/539.17, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/870.11, 340/870.16, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0238 where the received signal is an unwanted signal, e.g. interference or idle signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An RF addressable sensor network includes one or more RF addressable sensors; one or more wireless sensor readers coupled to a communications network; and one or more end user devices coupled to the communications network. The one or more wireless sensor readers communicate with the one or more RF addressable sensors to obtain sensor data for transmission over the communications network. A wireless sensor reader includes at least one antenna configured for communication with the one or more RF addressable sensors, a controller, a network communications module coupled to the controller, the network communications module having an interface for coupling to a communications network, a logic module coupled to the controller, and a user interface. The logic module includes a sensor communications module for receiving sensor data from the one or more RF addressable sensors.

Claims

1. A radio frequency addressable sensor network, comprising:

one or more radio frequency addressable sensors;

one or more wireless sensor readers coupled to a communications network; and

one or more end user devices coupled to the communications network;

wherein the one or more wireless sensor readers communicate with the one or more radio frequency addressable sensors to obtain sensor data for transmission over the communications network;

wherein a wireless sensor reader comprises;

at least one antenna configured for communication with the one or more radio frequency addressable sensors,

a controller, and

a network communications module coupled to the controller, the network communications module having an interface for coupling to a communications network,

wherein each wireless sensor reader is configured for receiving sensor data from the one or more radio frequency addressable sensors;

wherein each of the one or more wireless sensor readers includes a profile stored in a memory thereof, the profile including a class designation, and wherein each of the one or more wireless sensor readers is configured to form a class-based network for network communications with other wireless sensor readers that have the same class designation.

2. A radio frequency addressable sensor network, comprising:

one or more radio frequency addressable sensors;

one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices that transmit data in packets coupled to a communications network; and

one or more end user devices coupled to the communications network;

wherein the one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices that transmit data in packets communicate with the one or more radio frequency addressable sensors to obtain sensor data for transmission over the communications network; and

wherein one of the two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices that transmits data in packets comprises;

at least one antenna configured for communication with the one or more radio frequency addressable sensors,

a controller,

a component coupled to the controller, the component having an interface for coupling to a communications network,

logic coupled to the controller, and

wherein each two-way wireless radio frequency data communication device that transmits data in packets is configured for receiving sensor data from the one or more radio frequency addressable sensors;

wherein each of the one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices includes a profile stored in a memory thereof, the profile including a class designation, and wherein each of the one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices is configured to form a class-based network for network communications with other two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices that have the same class designation.

3. A radio frequency addressable sensor interface network, comprising:

one or more radio frequency addressable sensor interfaces;

one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices that transmit data in packets and that are coupled to an external network; and

one or more hand held electronic communication devices coupled to the external network;

wherein the one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices communicate with the one or more radio frequency addressable sensor interfaces to obtain sensor derived information for transmission over the external network; and

wherein one of the two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices comprises;

at least one antenna configured for communication with the one or more radio frequency addressable sensor interfaces,

a digital processor and operative software for controlling the two-way wireless radio frequency data communication device,

an interface configured for communications with the external network, and

wherein the two-way wireless radio frequency data communication device is configured for receiving sensor derived information from the one or more radio frequency addressable sensor interfaces;

wherein each of the one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices includes a profile stored in a memory thereof, the profile including a class designation, and wherein each of the one or more two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices is configured to form a class-based network for network communications with other two-way wireless radio frequency data communication devices that have the same class designation.