RFID system with distributed readers
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, each reader being capable of using a single antenna for both transmit and receive functions,wherein, during operation, one of the readers transmits to an RFID tag and at least another of the readers receives a response to the transmission from the RFID tag, wherein the one of the readers is coupled to an antenna located remotely from an antenna coupled to the at least another of the readers;
wherein each of the readers is coupled to only the single antenna, wherein the single antenna of each of the at least one of the readers is mounted on a housing thereof.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system in one embodiment includes a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, each reader being capable of using a single antenna for both transmit and receive functions, wherein, during operation, one of the readers transmits and at least another of the readers receives a response to the transmission from an RFID device. A system in another embodiment includes a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, each reader having at least one antenna mounted on a housing thereof, wherein, during operation, the reader transmitting emits a signal sufficient to communicate with a battery assisted passive RFID device at a range of at least 20 meters. Additional systems and methods are also presented.
30 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, each reader being capable of using a single antenna for both transmit and receive functions, wherein, during operation, one of the readers transmits to an RFID tag and at least another of the readers receives a response to the transmission from the RFID tag, wherein the one of the readers is coupled to an antenna located remotely from an antenna coupled to the at least another of the readers; wherein each of the readers is coupled to only the single antenna, wherein the single antenna of each of the at least one of the readers is mounted on a housing thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, each reader having at least one antenna mounted on a housing thereof, a command point in communication with each of the RFID readers, the command point being configured to instruct one of the RED readers to transmit, a signal and other of the RFID readers to receive a response from an RFID device; wherein, during operation, the reader transmitting emits a signal sufficient to enable receipt of a response from a battery assisted passive RFID device at a range of at least 20 meters, wherein the command point is configured to receive responses from at least some of the other readers receiving a backscatter response from the RFID device, instruct the transmitting reader to transmit instructions to the RFID device, and select one of the RFID readers closest to the RFID device to receive a backscatter response to the instructions based on the responses, the selected RFID reader being different than the transmitting reader. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method, comprising:
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instructing one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader to transmit a first signal; receiving information from a plurality of RFID readers corresponding, to a signal from an RFID device received by the plurality of readers, each of the readers independently processing the signal from the RFID device, the information including a characteristic of the signal from the RFID device; selecting at least one of the readers from which the information is received based on the information; processing additional inthrmation received from the selected at least one of the readers and corresponding, to the signal from the RFID device; selecting at least one of the readers as a new transmitter for further communication with the RFID device based on the information, the new transmitter being different than the RFID reader instructed to transmit the first signal; and selecting at least one of the RFID readers as a receiver for receiving a backscatter response from the RFID device to instruction sent by the new transmitter, wherein the receiver and new transmitter are different RFID readers. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method, comprising:
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instructing one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader to transmit a first signal; receiving information from a plurality of RFID readers corresponding to a signal from an RFID device received by the plurality of readers, each of the readers independently processing the signal from the RFID device, the information including a characteristic of the signal from the RFID device; selecting multiple readers from which the information is received based on the information; processing additional information received from the selected readers and corresponding to the signal from the RFID device; and performing error correction on data sent by the RFID device using the processed information from the selected readers, the error correction including comparing the processed data from the selected readers and determining most likely data values based on the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method, comprising:
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instructing one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader to transmit; receiving information from a plurality of RFID readers, the information corresponding to a signal from an RFID device received by the plurality of readers, each of the readers independently processing the signal from the RFID device, the information including a characteristic of the signal from the RFID device; selecting a new reader to transmit based on the information; and instructing the new reader to transmit to the RFID device; and receiving information from the plurality of RFID readers, the information corresponding to a second signal received by the plurality of readers from the RFID device in response to the new reader transmitting, each of the readers independently processing the second signal from the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, each reader being capable of using a single antenna for both transmit and receive functions, wherein, during operation, one of the readers transmits to an RFID tag and at least another of the readers receives a response to the transmission front the RFID tag, wherein the one of the readers is coupled to an antenna located remotely from an antenna coupled to the at least another of the readers; logic for instructing one of the RFID readers to transmit, wherein the transmitting reader emits a signal sufficient to communicate with a battery assisted passive RFID tag at a range of at least 20 meters; logic for receiving information from the plurality of RFID readers corresponding to a signal from an RFID device received by the plurality of readers, each of the readers independently processing the signal from the RFID device, the information including a characteristic of the signal from the RFID device; logic, for selecting at least one of the readers from which the information is received based on the information; logic for processing additional information received from the selected at least one of the readers and corresponding to the signal from the RFID device, wherein the antenna of at least one of the readers is directional; logic, for selecting at least one of the readers as a new transmitter for further communication with the RFID device, and logic for instructing the receiving readers to listen for backscatter on a frequency used by the transmitting reader, wherein the at least one of the selected readers locks onto a frequency of a carrier signal generated by the transmitting reader, wherein the carrier signal from the transmitting reader is received and analyzed directly by the at least one of the selected readers. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, each reader having at least one antenna mounted on a housing thereof, a command point in communication with each of the RFID readers, the command point being configured to instruct one of the RFID readers to transmit a signal and other of the RFID readers to receive a response from an RFID device; wherein, during operation, the reader transmitting emits a signal sufficient to enable receipt of a response from a battery assisted passive RFID device at a range of at least 20 meters, wherein the command point is configured to receive responses from at least some of the other readers receiving a backscatter response from the RFID device, and select one of the RFID readers closest to the RFID device for further transmitting or receiving based on the responses; logic for instructing, one of the RFID readers to transmit; logic for receiving information from the plurality of RFID readers corresponding to a signal from an RFID device received by the plurality of readers, each of the readers independently processing the signal from the RFID device, the information including a characteristic of the signal from the RFID device; logic for selecting at least one of the readers from which the information is received based on the information; and logic for processing additional information received from the selected at least one of the readers and corresponding to the signal from the RFID device, wherein the antenna of at least one of the readers is omnidirectional.
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31. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of Radio Frequency identification (RFID) readers, each reader having at least one antenna mounted on a housing, thereof, a command point in communication with each of the RFID readers, the command point being configured to instruct one of the RFID readers to transmit a signal and other of the RFID readers to receive a response from an RFID device; wherein, during operation, the reader transmitting emits a signal sufficient to enable receipt of a response from a battery assisted passive RFID device at a range of at least 20 meters, wherein the command point is configured to receive responses from at least some of the other readers receiving a backscatter response from the RFID device, and select one of the RFID readers closest to the RFID device for further transmitting or receiving based on the responses; logic for instructing one of the RFID readers to transmit; logic for receiving information from the plurality of RFID readers corresponding to a signal from an RFID device received by the plurality of readers, each of the readers independently processing the signal from the RFID device, the information including a characteristic of the signal from the RFID device; logic for selecting at least one of the readers from which the information is received based on the information; and logic for processing additional information received from the selected at least one of the readers and corresponding to the signal from the RFID device, wherein the antenna of at least one of the readers is directional, wherein the antenna of at least one of the readers is omnidirectional.
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Specification