Automated RFID reader detection

• US 8,860,551 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carraher, Theodore Robert, Hyre, Bruce Henry, Lavin, David Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/409,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 340/8.1, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2488 Timing issues, e.g. synchronising measures to avoid signal collision, with multiple emitters or a single emitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Included are network devices, systems, methods, and computer readable medium. These may employ a microcontroller with access to computer readable memory and computer readable storage wherein the microcontroller operates at a first network component of a local area network. The microcontroller may be configured to spatially locate one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member. The spatial location may be determined by receiving a unique identifier for a first fiducial network component, receiving a wireless signal from the first fiducial network component, determining a physical distance between the first network component and the first fiducial network component, and updating a registry with the determined physical distance. In certain embodiments, the network component may be an RFID reader and the unique identifier may be an IP or MAC address.

Claims

1. A network component comprising:

a microcontroller having access to computer readable memory and computer readable storage, the microcontroller operating at a first nonfiducial network component of a local area network; and

,

an antenna in communication with the microcontroller, the antenna configured to at least transmit or receive radio frequency electro-magnetic waves,

wherein the microcontroller is configured to spatially locate one or more fiducial network components in the local area network in which the microcontroller is a member,

wherein the microcontroller is further configured to determine the spatial location of one or more fiducial network components by;

receiving a unique identifier for a first fiducial network component from the one or more fiducial network components,

receiving a wireless signal from the first fiducial network component,

using a plurality of received wireless signal responses to a previously sent wireless signal, the received responses from two or more fiducial network components in the local area network, to determine, using radio frequency telemetry, the physical distance between each fiducial network component for which a response was received, and

wherein the microcontroller is further configured to exchange with other components of the local area network, distances between fiducial network components calculated by other components of the local area network, and verify the accuracy of these calculated distances between fiducial network components.

2. The network component of claim 1 wherein the first fiducial network component is an RFID reader added to the local area network after initially determining the physical distance between each fiducial network component for which a response was received.

3. The network component of claim 2 wherein the unique identifier is an IP address or MAC address.

4. The network component of claim 2 wherein the microcontroller is further configured to query known RFID readers in a network and, in response to this query, determine a physical distance between the network component and one or more newly added RFID readers.

5. The network component of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is received from an active RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

6. The network component of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is received from a passive RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

7. A method of initially locating or subsequently calibrating fiducial network components, the method comprising:

carrying out operating instructions at a microcontroller of a nonfiducial first network component of a local area network, the microcontroller having access to computer readable memory and computer readable storage and in communication with an antenna configured to at least transmit or receive radio frequency electro-magnetic waves,

wherein, when carrying out the instructions, the microcontroller spatially locates one or more stationary fiducial network components in the local area network in which the microcontroller is a member,

wherein, when carrying out the instructions, the microcontroller determines the spatial location of one or more fiducial network components by;

sending a radio signal to two or more fiducial network components, the radio signal including the identity of the nonfiducial network component;

using radio frequency telemetry from received radio signal responses to the sent radio signal, from fiducial network components, to determine a physical distance between the first nonfiducial network component and any fiducial network component to send a radio signal response to the sent radio signal, and

updating a registry with the determined physical distance or distances, and

when carrying out the instructions, the microcontroller exchanges, with other components of the local area network, distances between fiducial network components calculated by the other components of the local area network, and verifies the accuracy of these calculated distances between fiducial network components.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first fiducial network component is an RFID reader and wherein the first fiducial network component determines a distance between it and two or more other RFID readers.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the unique identifier is an IP or MAC address.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the microcontroller further queries known RFID readers in the local area network and, in response to this query, determines a physical distance or relative direction between the microcontroller and one or more known RFID readers.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the unique identifier is received from an active RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the unique identifier is received from a passive RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by a microprocessor cause the microprocessor to carryout steps comprising:

spatially locating one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member by;

receiving a unique identifier for a first fiducial network component from one or more fiducial network components,

receiving a wireless signal from the first fiducial network component, using radio frequency telemetry from a plurality of received wireless signal responses to a previously sent wireless signal, the received wireless responses from two or more fiducial network components in the local area network, to determine the physical distance between each fiducial network component for which a response was received;

updating a registry with the determined physical distance or distances;

exchanging, with other components of the local area network, distances between RFID readers calculated by the other components of the local area network; and

verifying the accuracy of the calculated distances between RFID readers.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the wireless signal is a radio signal, such as an RFID signal.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the registry includes information identifying components of the local area network and wherein the registry is accessible by the components of the local area network.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein determining the physical distance includes determining the location of each fiducial network component for which a response was received.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein spatially locating one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member further comprises:

determining the orientation of one or more stationary fiducial network components.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the first fiducial network component is a stationary RFID reader.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein spatially locating one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member further comprises:

listening for an announcement from a fiducial network component, the announcement indicating that the fiducial network component has joined the local network or has moved to a different location.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein spatially locating one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member further comprises:

repeating a calibration cycle in which the presence of one or more RFID readers in the local network is sensed and compared to a list of known RFID readers, the calibration cycle comprising;

sending an identification query to a newly identified RFID reader;

comparing a calibrated distance to readers on the list of known RFID readers and comparing to known RFID reader positions; and

receiving a calibration RF signal from one or more RFID readers in the local network.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein spatially locating one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member further comprises:

when a fiducial network is not detected but is known to be in the local area network, extrapolating the location of the nondetected fiducial network component by reusing one or more previously known positions of the nondetected fiducial network component.