Systems, methods, and apparatus for RFID tag detection

• US 8,384,521 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Matsen, Marc Rollo, Dabelstein, Donald, Blackwell, David B., Geren, William Preston, Ayyagari, Arun, Ung, Kevin Yong, Battles, Craig F., Bommer, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): EUSTAQUIO, CAL J
• Application Number:
  US12/200,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20100052911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system for tracking objects that include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags associated therewith. The system including a structure substantially defining an enclosure, a reflective interior of the enclosure configured for the reflection of radio signals, at least one conveyor belt that transports the objects through the structure, at least one RFID reader panel inside the structure, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel transmits a radio signal into the interior of the structure such that the radio signal will reflect off of the interior of the structure to increase a probability that the RFID tags associated with the objects that enter the structure are read, and an operator terminal that receives and stores information regarding read RFID tags from the at least one reader panel.

Claims

1. A system for tracking at least one object that includes at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the system comprising:

a structure comprising dimensions that do not share a common factor other than 1, the structure further comprising;

a first side wall;

a second side wall opposite the first side wall;

a top coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall;

a bottom opposite the top, the bottom coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall; and

a radio frequency reflective interior defined by the side first wall, the second side wall, the top, and the bottom;

at least one conveyor belt that transports the at least one object through the structure;

at least one RFID reader panel coupled to the top of the structure and an additional RFID reader panel coupled to the bottom of the structure, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel and the additional RFID reader panel are configured to transmit a radio signal into the interior and are operable to read the at least one RFID tag in the interior; and

an operator terminal that receives and stores information regarding a read RFID tag from the at least one RFID reader panel and the additional RFID reader panel

a first opening that allows transport of at least one object with at least one RFID tag into the interior;

a second opening that allows the transport of the at least one object out of the structure; and

at least one reflective curtain at each of the first opening and the second opening, wherein the at least one reflective curtain limits propagation of the radio signal transmitted from the at least one RFID reader panel.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel transmits a radio signal into the interior such that the radio signal reflects off of the interior for the purpose of increasing a probability that the at least one RFID tag is read.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel is a movable RFID reader panel.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID panel comprises an antenna with a circulator to allow the antenna to both transmit the radio signal into the interior and to receive a response radio signal from the at least one RFID tag.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the first side wall, the second side wall, the top, and the bottom of the structure is made of a material with a minimum conductivity of 10E4 (S/m) to 10E8 (S/m).

6. An apparatus for detecting a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the apparatus comprising:

a structure comprising dimensions that do not share a common factor other than 1;

a first side wall;

a second side wall opposite the first side wall;

a top coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall;

a bottom opposite the top, the bottom coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall; and

a radio frequency reflective interior defined by the first side wall, the second side wall, the top, and the bottom;

a first opening that allows transport of at least one object with at least one RFID tag into the interior;

at least one RFID reader panel coupled to the top of the structure and an additional RFID reader panel coupled to the bottom of the structure, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel and the additional RFID reader panel are configured to transmit a radio signal into the interior and are operable to read at least one RFID tag in the interior;

a second opening that allows the transport of the at least one object out of the structure;

at least one reflective curtain at each of the first opening and the second opening, wherein the at least one reflective curtain limits propagation of the radio signal transmitted from the at least one RFID reader panel; and

at least one conveyor belt that transports the at least one object into the interior of the structure through the first opening and out of the interior of the structure through the second opening.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a recognition component that identifies when the at least one object is present inside of the structure.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recognition component is one of the following:

an optical recognition component, an electro-mechanical contactor, and a relay.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the radio signal transmitted from the at least one RFID reader reflects off of the interior to increase a probability that the at least one RFID tag on the at least one object that enters the structure is read.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel comprises an antenna with a circulator to allow the antenna to both transmit the radio signal into the interior and to receive a response radio signal from the at lest one RFID tag.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an additional RFID reader panel, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel is coupled to the top of the structure and wherein the additional RFID reader panel is coupled to the bottom of the structure.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the first side wall, the second side wall, the top, and the bottom of the structure is made of a material with a minimum conductivity of about 10E4 (S/m) to about 10E8 (S/m).

13. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one reflective curtain is made of one of the following:

aluminum, nickel, copper, and galvanized steel.

14. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one reflective curtain is flexible.

15. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one reflective curtain is a reflective fabric.

16. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a dimension of the structure facilitates non-degenerate model field distributions.

17. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein dimensions of the structure do not have a common factor.

18. A method for tracking at least one object that includes at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the method comprising:

transmitting radio signals into an interior of a structure having dimensions that do not share a common factor other than 1, the radio frequency reflective interior defined by a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, at top coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall, and a bottom opposite the top, the bottom coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein the radio signals are transmitted from a first RFID reader panel coupled to the top of the structure and a second RFID reader panel coupled to the bottom of the structure, the structure having a first opening that allows transport of at least one object with at least one RFID tag into the interior, a second opening that allows the transport of the at least one object out of the structure, and at least one reflective curtain at each of the first opening and the second opening, wherein the at least one reflective curtain limits propagation of the radio signal transmitted from the at least one RFID reader panel; and

receiving an indication that at least one of the first RFID reader panel and the second RFID reader panel has successfully read the at least one RFID tag.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising removing the at least one object from the structure via a conveyor belt.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the radio signals reflect off of the interior to increase a probability that the at least one RFID tag is read.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising receiving an indication that that at least one object has entered the structure.

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising receiving and indication that a successful read of the at least one RFID tag on the at least one object has not been made.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising manually removing the at least one object associated with the at least one unread RFID or redirecting the at least one object associated with the at least one unread RFID tag to an alternate path for further verification.

24. An apparatus having a radio frequency reflective interior for reflecting a radio signal transmitted from a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader panel to increase a probability that an RFID tag on an object is read, the apparatus comprising:

a structure defining the interior and having dimensions that do not share a common factor other than 1, the structure comprising;

a first side wall;

a second side wall opposite the first side wall;

a top coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall; and

a bottom opposite the top, the bottom coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall;

a first opening that allows a transport of at least one object including at least one RFID tag into the interior;

a recognition component that identifies when the at least one object is present inside of the interior;

at least one RFID reader panel coupled to the top of the structure and an additional RFID reader panel coupled to the bottom of the structure, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel and the additional RFID reader panel are configured to transmit a radio signal into the interior and are operable to read at least one RFID tag in the interior;

a second opening that allows the transport of the at least one object out of the interior; and

at least one reflective curtain at each of the first opening and the second opening, wherein the at least one reflective curtain limits the propagation of the radio signal transmitted from the at least one RFID reader panel and the additional RFID reader panel;

wherein the at least one RFID panel comprises an antenna with a circulator to allow the antenna to both transmit the radio signal into the interior and to receive a response radio signal from the at least one RFID tag; and

wherein the radio frequency reflective walls are made of aluminum.

25. A method for tracking an object that includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag through a structure including dimensions that do not share a common factor other than 1, the structure with a radio frequency reflective interior defined by a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, at top coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall, and a bottom opposite the top, the bottom coupled to the first side wall and the second side wall, the radio frequency reflective interior configured to facilitate reflecting a radio signal transmitted from a first RFID reader panel coupled to the top of the structure and a second RFID reader panel coupled to the bottom of the structure to increase a probability that the RFID tag on the object inside the structure is read, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that at least one object including at least one RFID tag has entered the structure;

transmitting radio signals from the first RFID reader panel and the second RFID reader panel into the interior of the structure;

covering a first opening and a second opening of the structure with one or more reflective curtains to limit propagation of the radio signals transmitted from the first RFID reader panel and the second RFID reader panel; and

receiving an indication that at least one of the first RFID reader panel and the second RFID reader panel has successfully read the at least one RFID tag or receiving and indication that a successful read of the at least one RFID tag on the at least one object has not been made.