Method for associating and RFID tag with a known region

• US 8,421,627 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Rinkes, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/195,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/825.49, 340/8.1, 342/450, 342/458
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/753 where the polling of the sub-stations is synchronous
• 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

Abstract

A method of associating radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags with a region, location, or container is provided. The method can comprise, among other steps, transmitting an interrogation signal with an RFID reader corresponding to a read zone of a first size, receiving a response from at least one of the plurality of RFID tags in the region as a new tag, recording an indicator of the response of the at least one of the plurality of RFID tags, thereby designating it as a recorded tag, increasing the read zone of the RFID reader until no new tags are detected, and associating of each of the recorded tags with the region.

Claims

1. A method of determining an identity of one or more radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags of a plurality of RFID tags within a region, the method comprising:

transmitting an interrogation signal with an RFID reader corresponding to a read zone having a first size;

receiving a response from a first RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags located within the read zone;

recording an indicator of the response for the first RFID tag that designates the first RFID tag as a first recorded tag;

increasing the size of the read zone to a second size within the region;

receiving a second response from a second RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags if the second RFID tag is located within the read zone having the second size;

recording a second indicator of the second response for the second RFID tag that designates the second RFID tag as a second recorded tag if the second response is received from the second RFID tag; and

associating the first recorded tag with the region; and

associating the second recorded tag with the region if the second indicator designates the second RFID tag as the second recorded tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the increasing the size of the read zone of the RFID reader comprises successively increasing the size of the read zone and transmitting successive interrogation signals to the read zone after each increase in the size of the read zone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the read zone has a substantially spherical shape.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the increasing the size of the read zone of the RFID reader comprises receiving responses from additional RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags, wherein additional indicators are recorded for the additional RFID tags that designate the additional RFID tags as additional recorded tags in response to the transmitting of the successive interrogation signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the size of the read zone of the RFID reader comprises:

transmitting a third interrogation signal corresponding to the read zone having a third size that is greater than the second size and that substantially corresponds to the region; and

receiving a third response from a third RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags if the third RFID tag is located within the read zone having the third size;

recording a third indicator of the third response for the third RFID tag that designates the third RFID tag as a third recorded tag if the third response is received from the third RFID tag; and

associating the third recorded tag with the region if the third indicator designates the third RFID tag as the third recorded tag.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an association for the first recorded tag with the region; and

storing a second association for the second recorded tag with the region if the second indicator designates the second RFID tag as the second recorded tag.

7. A method of determining an association of a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags with a container, the method comprising:

transmitting a first interrogation signal corresponding to a read zone having a first size;

receiving a response from a first RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags that is disposed within the container located within the read zone;

recording an indicator of the response of the first RFID tag as a first recorded RFID tag that designates the first RFID tag as a first recorded RFID tag;

transmitting a second interrogation signal corresponding to a second read zone having a second size;

receiving a second response from a second RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags if the second RFID tag is located in the second read zone with the second size;

recording a second indicator of the second response for the second RFID tag that designates the second RFID tag as a second recorded RFID tag if the second response is received from the second RFID tag;

associating the first recorded RFID tag with the container; and

associating the second recorded RFID tag with the container if the container is located within the second read zone.

8. The method of claim 7, where the second size is larger than the first size.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting a third interrogation signal corresponding to a third read zone having a third size that is larger than the first size and smaller than the second size;

receiving a third response from a third RFID tag in the third read zone of the third size without receiving the third response from the third RFID tag in the read zone of the first size;

recording a third indicator of the third response of the third RFID tag as a third recorded RFID tag that designates the third RFID tag as the third recorded RFID tag; and

associating the third recorded RFID tag with the container if the container is located within the third read zone.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the container comprises a container RFID tag adapted to convey tag data corresponding to the container and the method further comprises receiving the tag data from the container RFID tag.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein associating the first recorded RFID tag and associating the second recorded RFID tag with the container comprises associating the first recorded RFID tag and the second recorded RFID tag with the tag data from the container RFID tag.

12. A method of associating radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags with a location, the location having a plurality of boundaries designated by a plurality of boundary RFID tags, the plurality of boundary RFID tags adapted to convey tag data corresponding to the location, and the method comprising:

transmitting an interrogation signal to a read zone having a first size with an RFID reader;

receiving a response from a first RFID tag within the read zone;

increasing the size of the read zone until the RFID reader receives the tag data from at least one of the plurality of boundary RFID tags; and

associating the first RFID tag with the tag data conveyed by the at least one of the plurality of boundary RFID tags.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein increasing the size of the read zone comprises increasing the size of the read zone until the RFID reader receives the tag data from at least two boundary RFID tags of the plurality of boundary RFID tags.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein increasing the size of the read zone comprises increasing the size of the read zone until the RFID reader receives the tag data from at least four boundary RFID tags of the plurality of boundary RFID tags.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising shaping the read zone to provide the read zone with a substantially asymmetrical shape.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing an association for the first RFID tag with the tag data conveyed by the plurality of boundary RFID tags.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the interrogation signal comprises transmitting the interrogation signal from multiple antennas of the RFID reader.