Infrastructure-mounted RFID tags
First Claim
1. An RFID-based read field, comprising:
- an RFID reader adapted to emit a signal;
a plurality of RFID-readable infrastructure tags, wherein at least one of the infrastructure tags is adapted to emit a return signal upon receiving a signal from the RFID reader and at least one of the infrastructure tags is adapted to emit a non-signal or no reading upon receiving a signal from the RFID reader; and
a system controller associated with the RFID reader and programmed to compare any return signal or non-signal received by the RFID reader to an expected return signal, non-signal, or no reading and adjust at least one of the performance parameters of the RFID reader if the return signal or non-signal is different from the expected return signal or non-signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Infrastructure-mounted RFID-readable tags or transponders are provided for various applications. Such infrastructure tags may be employed in combination with RFID-readable product tags and an RFID reader for an improved inventory-management system which requires both types of tags to be scanned to constitute a successful product count. Infrastructure tags may also be employed as “read” or “no-read” tags in an RFID read field. The infrastructure tags of the RFID read field are combined with an RFID reader which is dynamically adaptable during initial set-up and use to improve the performance of the read field. When a perturbing object is detected in the read field, one or more performance parameters of the reader are adjusted to overcome any perturbing influence caused by the object.
19 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An RFID-based read field, comprising:
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an RFID reader adapted to emit a signal; a plurality of RFID-readable infrastructure tags, wherein at least one of the infrastructure tags is adapted to emit a return signal upon receiving a signal from the RFID reader and at least one of the infrastructure tags is adapted to emit a non-signal or no reading upon receiving a signal from the RFID reader; and a system controller associated with the RFID reader and programmed to compare any return signal or non-signal received by the RFID reader to an expected return signal, non-signal, or no reading and adjust at least one of the performance parameters of the RFID reader if the return signal or non-signal is different from the expected return signal or non-signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating an RFID-based read field, comprising:
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providing plurality of RFID-readable infrastructure tags; providing an RFID reader; emitting a signal from the RFID reader; emitting a return signal, non-signal, or no reading from the tag if the tag receives said signal from the RFID reader; comparing any return signal, non-signal, or no reading received by the RFID reader to an expected return signal, non-signal, or no reading; and adjusting at least one performance parameter of the RFID reader if the return signal, non-signal, or no reading is different from the expected return signal, non-signal, or no reading. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification