Utilization of motion and spatial identification in RFID systems

• US 9,007,178 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Nikitin, Pavel V., Spiess, Gary Neal, Leland, Hunter Martin, Hingst, Lynn Carl, Sherman, John Howland
• Primary Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US13/794,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.31, 340/10.32, 340/10.4, 340/10.5, 340/10.52, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.9
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

In one aspect where a load or a subset of one or more tags is in motion relative to an RFID reader system, the RFID system obtains tag readings and derives tag scalar or vector motional data e.g. tag velocity, tag acceleration, and/or rate of change of tag acceleration which can be compared to known tag motional information to distinguish true tags of interest from false positives which are unavoidably also within the field of the reader system. An antenna system may also make readings during distinctive movement patterns of true tags, such as vertical or arcuate movement and utilize computed tag motional data based on the tag readings to distinguish true tags from false positives. Two components of the RFID system may communicate information on identified tags, and/or interact (e.g. by silencing tags), so as to cooperate in identifying true positive tags.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification system comprising

a load transporter having a load receiving space for receiving a radio frequency identification tagged item with a true tag, moved from an external region external to the load receiving space to the load receiving space of the load transporter;

a radio frequency identification reader system for taking tag readings during movement of the true tag along a path from the external region to the load receiving space of the load transporter; and

a processing system having true tag motional information as to predetermined or measured movement of the true tag along said path from the external region to the load receiving space, and comparing tag motional data based on the tag readings with the true tag motional information to establish whether the tag readings represent a true tag moving along said path to the load receiving space or represent an extraneous tag.

2. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, with said radio frequency identification reader system marking a true tag being delivered along said path or being within said load receiving space as identified so that the true tag does not respond thereafter during reading of further tags within the reading field of the radio frequency identification reader system.

3. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, with said radio frequency identification reader system marking true tags which are not extraneous as identified, and providing an activating radio frequency field for maintaining the status of such true tags which are not extraneous, as identified.

4. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, wherein a robotic system effects the predetermined or measured movement of the radio frequency identification tagged item with the true tag along the path to the load receiving space.

5. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, with the load transporter comprising a shopping vehicle.

6. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, further comprising an antenna system for projecting a radio frequency activating field to the load receiving space for maintaining a powered status of true tags in the load receiving space of the load transporter.

7. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 6, wherein the radio frequency activating field maintains the status of true tags in the load receiving space as identified while the orientation of the activating field relative to the true tags is shifted.

8. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, with a position reading system for reading the position of a radio frequency identification tagged item with a true tag in the load receiving space.

9. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 8, with the position reading system projecting laser light into the load receiving space.

10. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 8, wherein a record of the position of tagged items in the load receiving space is maintained.

11. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, wherein a count of the number of tagged items in the load receiving space is maintained as successive tagged items are added to the load receiving space or removed from the load receiving space.

12. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 2, wherein a non-reading activating field is applied to true tags of the load receiving space to maintain their status as identified.

13. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 4, wherein said radio frequency identification system comprises an external radio frequency identification antenna system carried by the robotic system which is used to identify tagged items in the external region.

14. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 13, with said external radio frequency identification antenna system serving to determine the order of serially arranged tagged items in the external region.

15. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 4, wherein an energization system of the robotic system supplies a non-reading activating field to maintain the status of identified tagged items during transport from the external region.

16. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, wherein a list of the true tags in the load receiving space is maintained as successive tagged items are added to the load receiving space or removed from the load receiving space.

17. A radio frequency identification system for distinguishing a true radio frequency identification tag from an extraneous tag, said radio frequency identification system comprising:

a radio frequency identification reader system configured to scan for a radio frequency identification tag within a read zone of the radio frequency identification reader system and producing tag readings therefrom, wherein the read zone at least partially overlaps with a true radio frequency identification tag;

a data system configured to at least assist in determining tag motional data based on the tag readings of the radio frequency identification reader system taken during movement of the true radio frequency identification tag; and

a processing system communicatively coupled to the data system, wherein the processing system is configured to compare the tag motional data based on the tag readings with true tag motional information to determine whether the tag readings are from the true radio frequency identification tag.

18. A method of distinguishing a true radio frequency identification tag of interest from an extraneous tag comprising:

determining true tag motional information as a function of movement of the true radio frequency identification tag within a read zone of a radio frequency identification reader system;

obtaining tag readings for a radio frequency identification tag in the read zone of a radio frequency identification reader system to monitor movement of a radio frequency identification tag within the read zone;

obtaining radio frequency identification tag motional data from the tag readings; and

determining whether the radio frequency identification tag is the true radio frequency identification tag or is an extraneous tag based upon the tag motional data in comparison to the true tag motional information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a path of movement of a true radio frequency identification tag in the read zone has a substantial vertical component and movement along the path is monitored by obtaining tag readings for the radio frequency identification tag for successive points along the path where the path has a substantial vertical component, to obtain the tag motional data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein movement based on the tag readings is monitored to obtain tag motional data which is a measure of a tag motional rate.