Method and apparatus for monitoring a radio frequency identification network

• US 8,610,541 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2006
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coty, Constance, Jana, Rittwik, Zaifman, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): EUSTAQUIO, CAL J
• Application Number:
  US11/618,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20080157923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,543 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/825
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• 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 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/26 using historical data, averaging values or statistics

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring one or more wireless channels of an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) network are disclosed. For example, the method reads one or more RFID reference tags periodically to obtain RFID reference tag reading results for each time interval. The method then processes the RFID reference tag reading results for monitoring the one or more wireless channels of the RFID network.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring one or more wireless channels of a radio frequency identification network, comprising:

reading one or more radio frequency identification reference tags periodically to obtain radio frequency identification reference tag reading results for each time interval of a plurality of time intervals; and

processing the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results for monitoring the one or more wireless channels of the radio frequency identification network, wherein the processing comprises;

identifying a radio frequency identification reader that provides a last known location of a lost radio frequency identification tagged object being tracked;

calculating an average reading confidence level over a predefined time interval for each of a plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader based on the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results, wherein the average reading confidence level for each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers comprises a success rate for each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers in reading a set of radio frequency identification tags associated with each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers over the predefined time interval;

determining a radio frequency identification reader of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader having a worst average reading confidence level as compared to others of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader; and

searching for the lost radio frequency identification tagged object at a location proximate to the radio frequency identification reader determined to have the worst average reading confidence level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference radio frequency identification tags are deployed in fixed locations within the radio frequency identification network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identification reference tags are read via a radio frequency identification antenna by a radio frequency identification reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval is a configurable parameter set by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

processing the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results within a time series; and

identifying failed readings and successful readings from the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results within the time series.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing further comprises:

deriving a motion sequence of an entity traversing through the radio frequency identification network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing further comprises:

raising an alarm if the reading results indicate receipt of a predefined number of successive failed readings associated with one or more of the radio frequency identification reference tags.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

retrieving a long term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results;

retrieving a short term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results;

comparing the long term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results with the short term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results; and

raising an alarm if the comparing indicates a deviation.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for monitoring one or more wireless channels of a radio frequency identification network, comprising:

reading one or more radio frequency identification reference tags periodically to obtain radio frequency identification reference tag reading results for each time interval of a plurality of time intervals; and

processing the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results for monitoring the one or more wireless channels of the radio frequency identification network, wherein the processing comprises;

identifying a radio frequency identification reader that provides a last known location of a lost radio frequency identification tagged object being tracked;

calculating an average reading confidence level over a predefined time interval for each of a plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader based on the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results, wherein the average reading confidence level for each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers comprises a success rate for each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers in reading a set of radio frequency identification tags associated with each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers over the predefined time interval;

determining a radio frequency identification reader of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader having a worst average reading confidence level as compared to others of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader; and

searching for the lost radio frequency identification tagged object at a location proximate to the radio frequency identification reader determined to have the worst average reading confidence level.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the reference radio frequency identification tags are deployed in fixed locations within the radio frequency identification network.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the radio frequency identification reference tags are read via a radio frequency identification antenna by a radio frequency identification reader.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the time interval is a configurable parameter set by a user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the processing comprises:

processing the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results within a time series; and

identifying failed readings and successful readings from the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results within the time series.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the processing further comprises:

deriving a motion sequence of an entity traversing through the radio frequency identification network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the processing further comprises:

raising an alarm if the reading results indicate receipt of a predefined number of successive failed readings associated with one or more of the radio frequency identification reference tags.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the processing comprises:

retrieving a long term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results;

retrieving a short term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results;

comparing the long term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results with the short term set of the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results; and

raising an alarm if the comparison indicates a deviation.

17. A system for monitoring one or more wireless channels of a radio frequency identification network, comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency identification reference tags deployed within the radio frequency identification network;

a radio frequency identification reader for reading the plurality of radio frequency identification reference tags periodically to obtain radio frequency identification reference tag reading results for each time interval of a plurality of time intervals; and

a server for processing the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results for monitoring the one or more wireless channels of the radio frequency identification network, wherein the server is configured to;

identify a radio frequency identification reader that provides a last known location of a lost radio frequency identification tagged object being tracked;

calculate an average reading confidence level over a predefined time interval for each of a plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader based on the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results, wherein the average reading confidence level for each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers comprises a success rate for each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers in reading a set of radio frequency identification tags associated with each of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers over the predefined time interval;

determine a radio frequency identification reader of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader having a worst average reading confidence level as compared to others of the plurality of radio frequency identification readers located near the identified radio frequency identification reader; and

search for the lost radio frequency identification tagged object at a location proximate to the radio frequency identification reader determined to have the worst average reading confidence level.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server processes the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results within a time series, and identifies failed readings and successful readings from the radio frequency identification reference tag reading results within the time series.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the server derives a motion sequence of an entity traversing through the radio frequency identification network.