Stochastic communication protocol method and system for radio frequency identification (RFID) tags based on coalition formation, such as for tag-to-tag communication
First Claim
1. A method of forming and communicating among a number of data carrier clusters in an environment including a plurality of data carriers, the method comprising:
- grouping each of at least a portion of the plurality of data carriers into one of the number of data carrier clusters based at least in part on a first signal parameter of a signal generated by each of the respective data carriers meeting at least one defined clustering criteria as determined by another of the plurality of data carriers grouped in the one of the number of data carrier clusters, each of the data carriers grouped in the one of the number of data carrier clusters operable to directly wirelessly communicate only with another data carrier grouped in the same data carrier cluster; and
for each of the number of data carrier clusters, selecting at least one of the data carriers of the respective data carrier cluster as a bridge data carrier based at least in part on at least a first signal strength of the signal generated by the bridge data carrier exceeding the sum of at least a portion of first signal strengths of the other data carriers grouped in the same data carrier cluster as the bridge data carrier, the first signal strengths as determined by at least the portion of the data carriers in at least one other of the number of data carrier clusters, the bridge data carrier to provide wireless communications for the other data carriers in the respective data carrier cluster indirectly with the other data carriers of at least one other of the number of data carrier clusters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Data carriers (such as RFID tags) are formed into clusters of data carriers. Each cluster has at least one bridge data carrier that can communicate with a bridge data carrier of another cluster, thereby allowing data carriers in each cluster to communicate directly or indirectly with each other using a stochastic communication protocol method. Direct tag-to-tag communication capability is provided between data carriers in each cluster and/or between clusters. The data carriers can backscatter and modulate a carrier wave from a source, thereby using the backscattered and modulated carrier wave to convey data to each other.
204 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of forming and communicating among a number of data carrier clusters in an environment including a plurality of data carriers, the method comprising:
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grouping each of at least a portion of the plurality of data carriers into one of the number of data carrier clusters based at least in part on a first signal parameter of a signal generated by each of the respective data carriers meeting at least one defined clustering criteria as determined by another of the plurality of data carriers grouped in the one of the number of data carrier clusters, each of the data carriers grouped in the one of the number of data carrier clusters operable to directly wirelessly communicate only with another data carrier grouped in the same data carrier cluster; and for each of the number of data carrier clusters, selecting at least one of the data carriers of the respective data carrier cluster as a bridge data carrier based at least in part on at least a first signal strength of the signal generated by the bridge data carrier exceeding the sum of at least a portion of first signal strengths of the other data carriers grouped in the same data carrier cluster as the bridge data carrier, the first signal strengths as determined by at least the portion of the data carriers in at least one other of the number of data carrier clusters, the bridge data carrier to provide wireless communications for the other data carriers in the respective data carrier cluster indirectly with the other data carriers of at least one other of the number of data carrier clusters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system to form and communicate among a number of data carrier clusters in an environment having a plurality of data carriers, the system comprising:
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a plurality of data carriers, each including; an antenna; a nontransitory storage medium including parametric data associated with the data carrier; and a controller communicably coupled to the antenna and the nontransitory storage medium, that; autonomously forms a data carrier cluster with other data carriers that provide a signal having a first parameter that meets at least one defined clustering criteria; communicates directly only with other of the plurality of data carriers grouped in the same data carrier cluster; and communicates indirectly through a bridge data carrier grouped in the same data carrier cluster with those of the plurality of data carriers grouped in other data carrier clusters, the bridge data carrier selected based at least in part on at least a first signal strength of the signal generated by the bridge data carrier exceeding the sum of at least a portion of first signal strengths of the other data carriers grouped in the same data carrier cluster as the bridge data carrier, the first signal strengths as determined by at least the portion of the data carriers in at least one other of the number of data carrier clusters. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification