RFID network control and redundancy
First Claim
1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device comprising:
- a plurality of RFID antenna ports adapted to direct RFID traffic signals to and from one or more RFID antennas;
at least two control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of at least some of the RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information;
a switch network configurable to connect any one of said at least two control ports to any one of said plurality of RFID antenna ports of said RFID network control device;
the switch network comprising a plurality of inverters, switches and conductive paths, the plurality of inverters, switches, and conductive paths arranged in a cascading configuration including at least two interconnected layers of the switches, each switch of the plurality of switches coupled to an inverter of the plurality of inverters, and each conductive path of the plurality of conductive paths assigned and coupled to a switch of said plurality of switches, each switch adapted to selectively couple at least two of said ports to provide an electrically connected communication path for traffic signals between a pair of said ports; and
a control unit adapted to receive the RFID command signals and to configure and control any of the at least two control ports and the switch network based upon the RFID command information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, RFID network control devices (RNCDs) are provided wherein RFID traffic signals from any one of multiple RFID readers may be routed to any of the RFID antennas coupled to the RNCD. Each reader coupled directly or indirectly to the RNCD, either through its own action or the action of the external host controller managing the reader, may issue commands to the RNCD, over the same cable used to carry RFID traffic signals, and cause the RNCD to set its internal switch configuration such that a channel is established for RFID traffic signals between that reader and a particular RFID antenna coupled to the RNCD. This may include commands from the reader or external host controller which place other intervening RNCD units in a bypass state so as to establish the required communications channel with a minimum of signal strength loss.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device comprising:
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a plurality of RFID antenna ports adapted to direct RFID traffic signals to and from one or more RFID antennas; at least two control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of at least some of the RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information; a switch network configurable to connect any one of said at least two control ports to any one of said plurality of RFID antenna ports of said RFID network control device;
the switch network comprising a plurality of inverters, switches and conductive paths, the plurality of inverters, switches, and conductive paths arranged in a cascading configuration including at least two interconnected layers of the switches, each switch of the plurality of switches coupled to an inverter of the plurality of inverters, and each conductive path of the plurality of conductive paths assigned and coupled to a switch of said plurality of switches, each switch adapted to selectively couple at least two of said ports to provide an electrically connected communication path for traffic signals between a pair of said ports; anda control unit adapted to receive the RFID command signals and to configure and control any of the at least two control ports and the switch network based upon the RFID command information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A control arrangement for a radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device comprising:
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at least two control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information; a plurality of RFID antenna ports adapted to direct the RFID traffic signals to and from one or more RFID antennas; and a switch network having a plurality of inverters, switches and conductive paths, the plurality of inverters, switches, and conductive paths arranged in a cascading configuration including at least two interconnected layers of the switches, each switch of the plurality of switches coupled to an inverter of the plurality of inverters, and each conductive path of the plurality of conductive paths assigned and coupled to a switch of said plurality of switches, each switch adapted to selectively couple at least two of said ports to provide an electrically connected communication path for traffic signals between a pair of said ports. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A radio frequency identification (RFID) control arrangement, comprising:
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a plurality of RFID readers; an RFID network control device for coupling to RFID antennas and the plurality of RFID readers for allowing bidirectional communications between RFID tags disposed in a vicinity of the RFID antennas and the plurality of RFID readers, the network control device comprising; a plurality of RFID antenna ports each adapted to direct RFID traffic signals to and from one or more of the RFID antennas, wherein the RFID traffic signals include a radio frequency carrier signal having RFID traffic information modulated thereon; at least two switchable, configurable and bidirectional control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of at least some of the RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, and a switch network having a plurality of inverters, switches and conductive paths, the plurality of inverters, switches, and conductive paths arranged in a cascading configuration including at least two interconnected layers of the switches, each switch of the plurality of switches coupled to an inverter of the plurality of inverters, and each conductive path of the plurality of conductive paths assigned and coupled to a switch of said plurality of switches, each switch adapted to selectively couple at least two of said ports to provide an electrically connected communication path for traffic signals between a pair of said ports, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information; wherein first and second RFID readers of the plurality of RFID readers are coupled to the RFID network device via one of the at least two control ports, and wherein the RFID network control device is configurable by the first and second RFID readers to allow the first and second RFID readers to generate and receive the RFID traffic signals and the RFID control signals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification