Method and system for correctly identifying specific RFID tags

• US 8,659,397 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Vargo, Rob, Zoschg, Ryan, Borgoyn, Edward Charles, Naughton, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US12/841,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• 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 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10069 the collision being resolved in the frequency domain, e.g. by hopping from one frequency to the other frequency hopping or spread spectrum techniques H04B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system and method for identifying a specific RFID tag includes RFID reader circuitry, such as within an RFID reader, configured for sending and receiving RF signals to detect RFID tags and for obtaining signal parameter information associated with the RFID tags. Processing circuitry is configured for using the signal parameter information for one or more tags of the RFID tags and calculating a tag score for the one or more RFID tags. The processing circuitry is further configured for determining a specific RFID tag using the tag scores for the one or more RFID tags.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a specific RFID tag, the system comprising:

RFID reader circuitry configured for sending and receiving RF signals to detect RFID tags and for obtaining signal parameter information associated with the RFID tags including a plurality of different signal parameter values associated with the one or more RFID tags;

processing circuitry configured for using the signal parameter information for one or more tags of the RFID tags and calculating a tag score for the one or more RFID tags and further configured for emphasizing at least one of the signal parameter values over another signal parameter value in the calculation of the tag score by multiplying the at least one signal parameter value by a respective multiplier, the processing circuitry further configured for determining a specific RFID tag using the tag score for the one or more RFID tags.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader circuitry and the processing circuitry are contained in a single device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader circuitry and the processing circuitry are contained in separate devices.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an RFID reader containing the RFID reader circuitry and a computer device containing the processing circuitry.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader circuitry is operable for obtaining signal parameter values including a received signal strength indication (RSSI) value and an occurrence frequency value for the one or more RFID tags and the processor circuitry is operable for using RSSI values and occurrence frequency values to calculate tag scores for one or more tags of the RFID tags.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the processing circuitry is further operable for averaging the RSSI and occurrence frequency values for each of the one or more RFID tags to calculate a tag score for each RFID tag.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is operable for determining a difference between a highest tag score and a next highest tag score for the one or more RFID tags and comparing the difference to a first threshold value to determine a specific RFID tag using the tag scores.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing circuitry is further operable for selecting the RFID tag associated with the highest tag score as the specific RFID tag if the difference exceeds the first threshold value.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to normalize the RSSI values and occurrence frequency values.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein processing circuitry is further operable for normalizing the RSSI values by dividing the RSSI value by a maximum detected RSSI value, and normalizing the occurrence frequency value by dividing the occurrence frequency value by a maximum detected occurrence frequency value.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one signal parameter value that is emphasized is normalized before multiplying the signal parameter value with a respective multiplier value.

12. The system of claim 7 being further operable, when the difference does not exceed the first threshold value, to again obtain signal parameter information associated with the RFID tags and to calculate another tag score for the one or more RFID tags and to determine a difference between a highest another tag score and a next highest another tag score and to compare the difference to the first threshold value to determine a specific RFID tag using the tag scores.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein when the difference between the another tag scores again does not exceed the first threshold value, the processing circuitry is further operable to:

average the tag score and the another tag score for each RFID tag to determine an average score for each RFID tag;

determine a difference between a highest average score and a second highest average score;

compare the difference to a second threshold value; and

select the RFID tag associated with the highest average score as the specific RFID tag based upon if the difference between the highest average score and the second highest average score exceeds the second threshold value.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processing circuitry is further operable, if the difference exceeds the second threshold value, to determine if the highest average score is greater than a minimum average score threshold.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to provide an audible indication when the specific RFID tag has been determined.

16. A system for identifying a specific RFID tag, the system comprising:

an RFID reader configured for sending and receiving RF signals to detect RFID tags and for obtaining signal parameter information associated with the RFID tags including a plurality of different signal parameter values associated with the RFID tags;

a computer device configured for using the signal parameter information for one or more tags of the RFID tags and calculating a tag score for the one or more RFID tags and further configured for emphasizing at least one of the signal parameter values over another signal parameter value in the calculation of the tag score by multiplying the at least one signal parameter value by a respective multiplier, the computer device further configured for determining a specific RFID tag using the tag score for the one or more RFID tags.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the RFID reader is operable for obtaining signal parameters including a received signal strength indication (RSSI) value and an occurrence frequency value for the one or more RFID tags and the computer device is operable for using RSSI values and occurrence frequency values to calculate tag scores for one or more tags of the RFID tags.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer device is operable for determining a difference between a highest tag score and a next highest tag score for the one or more RFID tags and comparing the difference to a first threshold value to determine a specific RFID tag using the tag scores.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer device is further operable for selecting the RFID tag associated with the highest tag score as the specific RFID tag if the difference exceeds the first threshold value.

20. The system of claim 19 being further operable, when the difference does not exceed the first threshold value, to again obtain signal parameter information associated with the RFID tags and to calculate another tag score for the one or more RFID tags and to determine a difference between a highest another tag score and a next highest another tag score and to compare the difference to the first threshold value to determine a specific RFID tag using the tag scores.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein when the difference between the another tag scores again does not exceed the first threshold value, the computer device is further operable to:

average the tag score and the another tag score for each RFID tag to determine an average score for each RFID tag;

determine a difference between a highest average score and a next highest average score;

compare the difference to a second threshold value; and

select the RFID tag associated with the highest average score as the specific RFID tag based upon if the difference between the highest average score and the second highest average score exceeds the second threshold value.

22. A method for identifying a specific RFID tag, the method comprising:

sending and receiving RF signals to detect RFID tags and obtain signal parameter information associated with the RFID tags, the signal parameter information including a plurality of different signal parameter values associated with the RFID tags;

using the signal parameter information for one or more RFID tags and calculating a tag score for the one or more RFID tags;

in calculating the tag score, emphasizing at least one signal parameter values over another signal parameter value by multiplying the at least one signal parameter value by a respective multiplier value

determining a specific RFID tag using the tag score for the one or more RFID tags.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising obtaining signal parameter values including a received signal strength indication (RSSI) value and an occurrence frequency value for each of the for the one or more RFID tags and using RSSI values and occurrence frequency values to calculate tag scores for one or more of the RFID tags.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising averaging the RSSI and occurrence frequency values for each of the one or more RFID tags to calculate a tag score for each RFID tag.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining a difference between a highest tag score for the one or more RFID tags and a next highest tag score and comparing the difference to a first threshold value to determine a specific RFID tag using the tag scores.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising selecting the RFID tag associated with the highest tag score as the specific RFID tag if the difference exceeds the first threshold value.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising normalizing the RSSI value and occurrence frequency value.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising normalizing the RSSI value by dividing the RSSI value by a maximum detected RSSI value, and normalizing the occurrence frequency value by dividing the occurrence frequency value by a maximum detected occurrence frequency value.

29. The method of claim 22 further comprising normalizing the at least one signal parameter value that is emphasized before multiplying the signal parameter value with a respective multiplier value.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

again obtaining signal parameter information associated with the RFID tags when the difference does not exceed the first threshold value;

calculating another tag score for the one or more RFID tags;

determining a difference between a highest another tag score and a next highest another tag score;

comparing the difference to the first threshold value to determine a specific RFID tag using the tag scores.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein when the difference between the another tag scores again does not exceed the first threshold value, the method further comprising:

averaging the tag score and the another tag score for each RFID tag to determine an average score for each RFID tag;

determining a difference between a highest average score and a next highest average score;

comparing the difference to a second threshold value; and

selecting the RFID tag associated with the highest average score as the specific RFID tag based upon if the difference between the highest average score and the second highest average score exceeds the second threshold value.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein, if the difference exceeds the second threshold value, the method further comprises determining if the highest average score is greater than a minimum average score threshold.