Mobile RFID monitoring system and method thereof

• US 8,390,429 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Getac Technology Company Limited (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Getac Technology Company Limited (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shiau, Jun-Ting, Lee, Ta-Yung, Hsu, Jen-Hao, Yu, Chia-Chin
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAMERT, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US12/358,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.27, 340/7.29, 340/8.1, 340/539.13, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 370401-405
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

A mobile RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system and method are provided to monitor multiple control zones of the system simultaneously through a mobile outpost monitor. The control zones included in the system are connected with each other through a data exchange interface. Each of the control zones includes a link interface connecting with a gateway of at least one RFID tracking module. The gateway connects with at least one RFID reader and a signal transmitter to receive tag information of RFID tags within the control zone, and transmits the tag information through the signal transmitter. When the mobile outpost monitor moves from one control zone to another, the mobile outpost monitor may switch to link with the signal transmitter of the gateway in the current control zone. Through the data exchange interface, the mobile outpost monitor is able to obtain the monitoring information of another control zones.

Claims

1. A mobile RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) monitoring system, comprising:

at least a first control zone having a first signal range and a second control zone having a second signal range, the first control zone comprising a first RFID tracking module, the second control zone comprising a second RFID tracking module, wherein the first RFID tracking module includes at least one RFID reader obtaining tag data transmitted from at least one RFID tag located within the first signal range and generating a monitoring information according to the tag data, and the second RFID tracking module includes at least one RFID reader obtaining tag data transmitted from at least one RFID tag located within the second signal range and generating a monitoring information according to the tag data;

the first control zone comprising a first link interface configured therein, the first link interface connecting with the first RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information generated by the first RFID tracking module;

the second control zone comprising a second link interface configured therein, the second link interface connecting with the second RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information generated by the second RFID tracking module;

a data exchange interface connecting the first and second control zones; and

a mobile outpost monitor including at least one RFID transceiver, configured such that when the mobile outpost monitor is located in the first signal range of the first control zone, the mobile outpost monitor links to the first RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information of the first control zone, and links to the second RFID tracking module through the first link interface, the data exchange interface and the second link interface to receive the monitoring information of the second control zone, and when the mobile outpost monitor is moved out of the first signal range and into the second signal range of second control zone, the mobile outpost monitor links to second RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information of the second control zone, and links to the first RFID tracking module through second link interface, the data exchange interface and the first link interface to receive the monitoring information of the first control zone.

2. The mobile RFID monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first and second RFID tracking modules each include at least one gateway, the gateway connecting the respective RFID reader and link interface.

3. The mobile RFID monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the gateway further connects with a signal transmitter and the monitoring information is transmitted through the signal transmitter to the mobile outpost monitor.

4. The mobile RFID monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the gateway and the mobile outpost monitor are linked through a preset communication protocol.

5. The mobile RFID monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the data exchange interface is an Ethernet.

6. The mobile RFID monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the mobile outpost monitor is a mobile RFID reader.

7. The mobile RFID monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the link interface is a wireless is a wireless station.

8. The mobile RFID monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the link interface is a wired network interface.

9. A mobile RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) monitoring method for a system comprising at least a first control zone having a first signal range and a second control zone having a second signal range, a data exchange interface connecting the first and second control zones, and a mobile outpost monitor including at least one RFID transceiver, wherein the first control zone comprises a first RFID tracking module, wherein the second control zone comprises a second RFID tracking module, wherein the first RFID tracking module includes at least one RFID reader obtaining tag data transmitted from at least one RFID tag within the first signal range and generating a monitoring information according to the tag data, wherein the second RFID tracking modules includes at least one RFID reader obtaining taq data transmitted from at least one RFID tag within the second signal range and generating a monitoring information according to the tag data, wherein the first control zone comprises a first link interface connecting with the first RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information generated by the first RFID tracking module, and wherein the second control zone comprises a second link interface connecting with the second RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information generated by the second RFID tracking module, comprising the steps of:

(a) when the mobile outpost monitor moves to into the first signal range of the first control zone, linking with the first RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information of the first control zone;

(b) the mobile outpost monitor issuing a monitoring information access request signal through the first link interface, the data exchange interface, and the second link interface of the second control zone to the second RFID tracking module;

(c) the mobile outpost monitor linking with the second RFID tracking module of the second control zone to obtain the monitoring information of the second RFID tracking module through the data exchange interface;

(d) when the mobile outpost monitor moves out the first signal range and into the second signal range the second control zone, linking with the second RFID tracking module to obtain the monitoring information of the second control zone;

(e) the mobile outpost monitor issuing a monitoring information access request signal through the second link interface, the data exchange interface, and the first link interface of the first control zone to the first RFID tracking module; and

(f) the mobile outpost monitor linking with the first RFID tracking module of the first control zone to obtain the monitoring information of the first RFID tracking module through the data exchange interface.

10. The mobile RFID monitoring method of claim 9, wherein the first and second RFID tracking modules each include at least one gateway, the gateway connecting the respective RFID reader and link interface.

11. The mobile RFID monitoring method of claim 10, wherein the gateway further connects with a signal transmitter and the monitoring information is transmitted through the signal transmitter to the mobile outpost monitor.

12. The mobile RFID monitoring method of claim 10, wherein the gateway and the mobile outpost monitor are connected through a preset communication protocol.

13. The mobile RFID monitoring method of claim 9, wherein the data exchange interface is an Ethernet.

14. The mobile RFID monitoring method of claim 9, wherein the mobile outpost monitor is a mobile RFID reader.

15. The mobile RFID monitoring method of claim 9, wherein the link interface is a wireless station.

16. The mobile RFID monitoring method of claim 9, wherein the link interface is a wired network interface.