RFID tags with CDMA communication capabilities

• US 8,754,749 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Maltseff, Paul A., Payne, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US12/446,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.31, 340/10.32, 340/10.33, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 370/342, 370/344
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

An apparatus for use in an RFID data collection system includes an antenna portion for wirelessly exchanging signals and a memory portion for storing RFID data. A signal processing portion is coupled among the antenna portion and the memory portion. The signal processing portion is configured to receive RFID data and to at least encode or decode the received RFID data via at least one spreading code, such as a mutually orthogonal code. Other configurations are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An RFID tag, comprising:

a tag substrate;

at least a first antenna and a second antenna formed on the substrate;

a memory, received by the substrate, and storing data and at least one orthogonal code selected from a set of mutually orthogonal codes;

processing circuitry and modulation circuitries received by the substrate and coupled among the antenna and the memory, the processing circuitry and modulation circuitries configured to;

receive at least some of the stored data,

generate an initial protocol communication based on the stored data,

wherein the initial protocol communication indicates that the RFID tag is capable of CDMA communication,

encode the stored data using the stored orthogonal code to produce a first code division multiple access (CDMA) encoded signal and a second CDMA encoded signal,

direct at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna to transmit the non-CDMA encoded initial protocol communication to an RFID reader, and

subsequently direct the first antenna to transmit the first CDMA encoded signal and direct the second antenna to transmit the second CDMA encoded signal

wherein the first CDMA encoded signal is different than the second CDMA encoded signal, and

wherein the first CDMA encoded signal and the second CDMA encoded signal together comprise a single sequentially partitioned message.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is a passive tag.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry and modulation circuitries are further configured to receive and process CDMA encoded signals.

4. An RFID reader, comprising:

antenna means for wirelessly exchanging signals, the antenna means including at least a first antenna and a second antenna;

a memory means for storing data; and

processing and circuitry means, coupled among the antenna means and the memory means, for receiving an operating protocol communication, responsively entering an appropriate communication mode based on the operating protocol communication, and subsequently receiving a first portion of RFID tag data stored in RFID tags from the first antenna and a second portion of the RFID tag data from the second antenna,

wherein the operating protocol communication indicates that the RFID tag is capable of code division multiple access (CDMA) communication;

wherein the first portion is different than the second portion,

wherein the first portion and second portion together comprise a single sequentially partitioned message, and

wherein the received RFID tag data is encoded using CDMA encoding, and

wherein the processing and circuitry means further comprises means for decoding the CDMA encoded RFID tag data.

5. The RFID reader of claim 4 wherein the processing and circuitry means includes means for transmitting data using CDMA encoding.

6. The RFID reader of claim 4 wherein the processing and circuitry means comprises means for receiving the operating protocol communication via a non-CDMA encoded protocol.

7. A semiconductor device for use in an RFID tag, the device comprising:

processing circuitry configured to receive incoming data stored by the RFID tag and generate an initial protocol communication based on the stored data, the initial protocol communication indicating that the RFID tag is capable of spread spectrum communication;

encoder circuitry configured to receive the incoming data stored by the RFID tag and converts the stored RFID data into at least two different spread spectrum signals using a pseudo-random code,

wherein the at least two different spread spectrum signals together comprise a single sequentially partitioned signal; and

an output portion configured to output the RFID tag data, as the at least two spread spectrum signals spread using the pseudo-random code, to be transmitted in parallel by the RFID tag through at least two transmitting antennas as the single sequentially partitioned signal,

such that communication speed is increased between the RFID tag and an RFID tag reader as compared to communication speed between the RFID tag and the RFID tag reader if the RFID tag data was not encoded using the two different spread spectrum signals using the pseudo-random code.

8. The semiconductor device for use with an RFID tag of claim 7 wherein the pseudo-random code is an orthogonal code.

9. The semiconductor device for use with an RFID tag of claim 7 wherein the pseudo-random code is a chipping sequence.

10. The semiconductor device for use with an RFID tag of claim 7 wherein the pseudo-random code is a frequency hopping code.

11. The semiconductor device for use with an RFID tag of claim 7 wherein the RFID tag includes the at least two transmitting antennas, and wherein the at least two transmitting antennas are spatially separated.

12. The semiconductor device for use with an RFID tag of claim 7, further comprising memory, coupled to the encoder circuitry, for storing the RFID tag data and the pseudo-random code.

13. An apparatus for use in an RFID data collection system, the apparatus comprising:

an antenna portion for wirelessly exchanging signals,

wherein the antenna portion includes at least a first antenna and a second antenna;

a memory portion for storing RFID data; and

a signal processing portion coupled among the antenna portion and the memory portion,

wherein the signal processing portion is configured to receive RFID data determine if orthogonal communications are possible, and to at least encode or decode the received RFID data via at least two different orthogonal codes that are mutually orthogonal to other codes employed by the RFID data collection system, and

wherein the signal processing portion is further configured to communicate an initial protocol communication indicating that orthogonal communications are possible via at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna, a first portion of the RFID data encoded or decoded via a first of the at least two different orthogonal codes via the first antenna, and to communicate a second portion of the RFID data encoded or decoded via a second of the at least two different orthogonal codes via the second antenna, and

wherein the first portion and second portion together comprise a single sequentially partitioned message.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the apparatus is an RFID tag, and wherein the signal processing portion is configured to encode the received RFID data via the at least two independent orthogonal codes.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the apparatus is an RFID tag reader, and wherein the signal processing portion is configured to decode the received RFID data via the at least two independent orthogonal codes after entering an orthogonal communications mode.

16. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one device to perform a method for decoding data received from an RFID tag, the method comprising:

receiving initial RFID data from the RFID tag,

wherein the initial RFID data indicates that the RFID tag is capable of code division multiplexing (CDM);

determining that CMD communications are possible based on the initial RFID data;

entering a CDM mode if the CDM communications are possible, the CDM mode for communicating CDM encoded RFID tag data;

receiving RFID tag data from the RFID tag, wherein the received RFID tag data is encoded into at least two CDM encoded sequences, and

wherein receiving the RFID tag data comprises;

receiving the RFID tag data encoded into a first of the at least two CDM encoded sequences via a first antenna; and

receiving the RFID tag data encoded into a second of the at least two CDM encoded sequences via a second antenna,

wherein the first of the at least two CDM encoded sequences and the second of the at least two CDM encoded sequences together comprise a single sequentially partitioned message;

decoding the CDM encoded RFID tag data; and

,

outputting the decoded CDM encoded RFID tag data for data storage or automated data processing.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the operating protocol communication via a non-CDM encoded protocol.

18. A wireless data collection system comprising:

an RFID tag having at least a first antenna and a second antenna;

an RFID reader module having at least one antenna and configured to exchange wireless communications with the RFID tag;

wherein the RFID tag is configured to transmit an initial communication indicating that the RFID tag is capable of spread spectrum communications and, responsive to this initial communication, at least the RFID tag or the RFID reader is configured to transmit the RFID data over a range of frequencies, wherein the RFID data is apportioned into two channels and spread over the range of frequencies via at least a first spreading code and a second spreading code, and

wherein the RFID tag and RFID reader are configured to communicate the RFID data apportioned to the first spreading code via the first antenna, and to communicate the RFID data apportioned to the second spreading code via the second antenna, and

wherein the RFID data apportioned to the first spreading code and the RFID data apportioned to the second spreading code together comprise a single sequentially partitioned message.

19. The wireless data collection system of claim 18 wherein the both the RFID tag and the RFID reader module have N number of antennas, where N is greater than or equal to three.

20. The wireless data collection system of claim 18 wherein the RFID data is tag data stored in the RFID tag, wherein the spreading code is at least one chip sequence, and wherein the RFID tag includes a combiner for combining the chip sequence with the tag data to spread the tag data over the range of frequencies.

21. The wireless data collection system of claim 18 wherein the spreading code is at least one orthogonal code, and wherein the RFID reader includes CDMA encoder circuitry to combine the orthogonal code with the RFID data to spread the RFID data over the range of frequencies.

22. The wireless data collection system of claim 18 wherein the RFID data is tag data stored in the RFID tag, and wherein the spreading code is at least one of the following:

pseudo-noise, m-sequence, Kasami sequence, and Gold code.