Item positioning system and method thereof

• US 8,624,708 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Chih Yen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US12/547,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 340/8.1, 340/825.49, 340/905, 340/505, 340 101- 105, 340/572.1, 235/385, 705/28
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• 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: G06K 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices

Abstract

An item positioning system is provided. The item positioning system comprises a plurality of tag readers and a control device. The plurality of tag readers generate access signals respectively and receive a response signal from a target tag. The control device adjusts transmitting power of the access signals of the tag readers, and determines a position of the target item according to whether the tag readers receive the response signal.

Claims

1. An item positioning system for determining a position of a target item to which a target tag is attached, comprising:

a plurality of independent tag readers each located at one of a plurality of predetermined separate positions within a same space, and each configured to respectively generate a plurality of access signals and to receive a response signal generated by the target tag, wherein each of the tag readers comprises;

a tag reader module configured to generate an access signal according to a control signal, to transmit the access signal within a predetermined range, and to generate a successful access signal according to whether the tag reader module receives the response signal from the target tag;

a transforming device coupled to each of the tag readers via a power line network; and

a control device coupled to the transforming device via Ethernet and configured to adjust transmitting power of the access signals of selected tag readers according to whether the selected tag readers generated the successful access signal and to determine the position of the target item according to whether the tag readers receive the response signal,

wherein the transforming device receives the access signals from the tag readers on the power line network and is configured to convert power line network access signals to Ethernet access signals for transmission to the control device, and wherein the transforming device receives the control signal from the control device via Ethernet and is configured to convert an Ethernet control signal to a power line network control signal for sending to the tag readers.

2. The item positioning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target tag is a high frequency (HF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

3. The item positioning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined range corresponds to transmitting power of the access signal.

4. The item positioning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the target tag is located in the predetermined range, the target tag receives the access signal and generates the response signal according to the access signal.

5. The item positioning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the tag readers further comprises:

a power line network transmitting/receiving module, coupled to the tag reader module, and connected to the transforming device via a power line network, for receiving the control signal from the control device.

6. The item positioning system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the power line network transmitting/receiving module is coupled to the tag reader module via a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART), an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) or a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

7. A positioning method for determining a position of a target item to which a target tag is attached, comprising steps of:

generating a control signal at a control device;

transmitting the control signal to a transforming device via Ethernet,

converting the control signal received via Ethernet to a power line network control signal for transmission to a plurality of independent tag readers via a power line network;

controlling the plurality of tag readers to generate access signals respectively, according to the control signal, wherein the plurality of tag readers are each located at one of a plurality of predetermined separate positions within a same space;

transmitting the access signals within predetermined ranges, wherein when the target item is located in the predetermined ranges, the target tag generates response signals according to the access signals;

generating, at one or more of the plurality of tag readers, respective successful access signals according to whether the plurality of tag readers receive response signals generated by the target tag;

transmitting the successful access signals to the transforming device via the power line network;

converting the access signals received on the power line network to Ethernet access signals for transmission to a control device via Ethernet;

adjusting transmitting power of the access signals of the tag readers according to whether the tag readers generated the successful access signal; and

determining the position of the target item according to whether the number of the tag readers receiving the response signals is smaller than a predetermined value.