Association based locationing for RFID
First Claim
1. A method of mapping RFID tag locations to transmit power levels comprising:
- setting a first signal of an RFID reader to a first signal strength or first radiation pattern;
providing the first signal to a population of tags;
associating a first tag responsive to the first signal with a first cluster of tags, the first cluster of tags being in an approximate first known physical location;
setting a second signal of the RFID reader to a second signal strength or second radiation pattern, the second signal strength different from the first signal strength and the second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern;
providing the second signal to the population of tags;
associating a second tag responsive to the second signal with a second cluster of tags, the second cluster of tags being in a different physical location than the first cluster of tags.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, system and techniques for determining a location of an RFID tag among a population of tags are disclosed. The system includes an RFID reader with at least one antenna port and a population of RFID tags. The population of tags can be homogenous or heterogeneous. The RFID reader varies its transmit power through one or more antenna ports resulting in a grouping of the RFID tags into clusters. In one embodiment, the reader utilizes multiple antennas to further define RFID tag clusters among the population. Each read tag is then uniquely associated with a defined cluster. Tag agents also can be provided among the population of tags facilitating definition of the clusters.
22 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of mapping RFID tag locations to transmit power levels comprising:
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setting a first signal of an RFID reader to a first signal strength or first radiation pattern; providing the first signal to a population of tags; associating a first tag responsive to the first signal with a first cluster of tags, the first cluster of tags being in an approximate first known physical location; setting a second signal of the RFID reader to a second signal strength or second radiation pattern, the second signal strength different from the first signal strength and the second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern; providing the second signal to the population of tags; associating a second tag responsive to the second signal with a second cluster of tags, the second cluster of tags being in a different physical location than the first cluster of tags. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for mapping RFID tag locations comprising:
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a plurality of RFID tags; and a RFID reader comprising at least one antenna, the RFID reader configured to; set a first signal of an RFID reader to a first signal strength or first radiation pattern; provide the first signal through the at least one antenna to a population of tags; associate a first tag responsive to the first signal with a first cluster of tags, the first cluster of tags being in an approximate first known physical location; set a second signal of the RFID reader to a second signal strength or second radiation pattern, the second signal strength different from the first signal strength and the second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern; provide the second signal through the at least one antenna to the population of tags; associate a second tag responsive to the second signal with a second cluster of tags, the second cluster of tags being in a different physical location than the first cluster of tags. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification