Method and apparatus for power management for a radio frequency identification system

• US 8,810,372 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Golba LLC
• Original Assignee: Golba LLC
• Inventors: Moshfeghi, Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US13/669,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/10.34, 340/10.3, 340/10.31, 340/10.2, 340/13.26
• US Class Current: 340/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10207 parameter settings related to power consumption of the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A method and device of power management for a networked radio frequency identification (“RFID”) system are disclosed. The described power management methods reduce the power consumption of battery-operated RFD) readers and REED tags. These power conservation methods increase the RFID system'"'"'s hours of operation and decrease the cost by allowing the RFID readers and tags to function for a longer period of time before requiring charging or replacement of their batteries.

Claims

1. A method of reading and transmitting radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data by a mobile RFID reader at power efficient locations, the RFID reader communicatively coupled to a set of RFID tags and a set of access points, the method comprising:

measuring radio frequency (RF) coverage and interference levels in a geographic area of the RFID reader;

determining that a location of the RFID reader is in a power efficient location of the power efficient locations for reading a particular RFID tag in the set of RFID tags and for transmitting to an access point of the set of access points when (i) the measured RF coverage is above a coverage threshold and (ii) the measured interference levels are below an interference threshold;

determining whether the particular RFID tag has been within a range of the RFID reader for a predetermined period of time;

in response to (i) determining that the particular RFID tag has been within the range of the RFID reader for a predetermined period of time and (ii) determining that the location of the RFID reader is in the power efficient location for reading the particular RFID tag, reading a particular RFID tag data of the particular RFID tag by the RFID reader; and

transmitting the particular RFID tag data from the RFID reader to the access point when the location of the RFID reader is in said power efficient location of the power efficient locations for transmitting the particular RFID tag data to the access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the location of the RFID reader further comprises utilizing one of cell related information from cellular networks, a GPS device, and a triangulation scheme.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular RFID tag is a first RFID tag, wherein the particular RFID tag data is a first RFID tag data, the method further comprising:

determining whether a second RFID tag has entered a range of the RFID reader; and

in response to determining that the second RFID tag has entered the range of the RFID reader, reading a second RFID tag data of the second RFID tag by the RFID reader.

4. A method of reading and transmitting radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data by a mobile RFID reader at power efficient locations, the RFID reader communicatively coupled to a set of RFID tags and a set of access points, the method comprising:

measuring radio frequency (RF) coverage and interference levels in a geographic area of the RFID reader;

determining that a location of the RFID reader is in a power efficient location of the power efficient locations for reading a particular RFID tag in the set of RFID tags and for transmitting to an access point of the set of access points when (i) the measured RF coverage is above a coverage threshold and (ii) the measured interference levels are below an interference threshold;

determining whether the particular RFID tag is moving within a range of the RFID reader;

in response to (i) determining that the particular RFID tag is moving within the range of the RFID reader and (ii) determining that the location of the RFID reader is in the power efficient location for reading the particular RFID tag, reading a particular RFID tag data of the particular RFID tag by the RFID reader; and

transmitting the particular RFID tag data from the RFID reader to the access point when the location of the RFID reader is in said power efficient location of the power efficient locations for transmitting the particular RFID tag data to the access point.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining of the location of the RFID reader further comprises utilizing one of cell related information from cellular networks, a GPS device, and a triangulation scheme.

5. A method of reading and transmitting radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data by a mobile RFID reader at power efficient locations, the RFID reader communicatively coupled to a set of RFID tags and a set of access points, the method comprising:

measuring radio frequency (RF) coverage and interference levels in a geographic area of the RFID reader;

determining that a location of the RFID reader is in a power efficient location of the power efficient locations for reading a particular RFID tag in the set of RFID tags for transmitting to an access point of the set of access points when (i) the measured RF coverage is above a coverage threshold and (ii) the measured interference levels are below an interference threshold;

determining whether polarization angels between the RFID reader and the particular RFID tag are aligned;

determining whether the particular RFID tag is moving within a range of the RFID reader;

in response to (i) determining that polarization angels between the RFID reader and the particular RFID tag are aligned and (ii) determining that the location of the RFID reader is in the power efficient location for reading the particular RFID tag and (iii) determining whether the particular RFID tag is moving within the range of the RFID reader, reading a particular RFID tag data of the particular RFID tag by the RFID reader; and

transmitting the particular RFID tag data from the RFID reader to the access point when the location of the RFID reader is in said power efficient location of the power efficient locations for transmitting the particular RFID tag data to the access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining of the location of the RFID reader further comprises utilizing one of cell related information from cellular networks, a GPS device, and a triangulation scheme.