RFID beam forming system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for deriving information from an RFID tag, comprising:
- transmitting RFID tag interrogation signals from at least one antenna array, each antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements, to an RFID tag using a transmit/receive beamformer configured to adjust relative phases of the RFID tag interrogation signals to direct the transmitted RFID tag interrogation signals in a desired direction within a read space;
processing backscattered sequences of RFID tag information received by each of the antenna elements in the at least one antenna array from the RFID tag to form a backscattered signal by altering relative phase between the backscattered sequences of RFID tag information; and
deriving information from the backscattered signal.
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Abstract
A multi-protocol, multi-band array antenna system may be used in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system reader and sensory networks. The antenna array may include array elements with an integrated low noise amplifier. The system may employ digital beam forming techniques for transmission and steering of a beam to a specific sensor tag or group of tags in a cell. The receive beam forming network is optimized for detecting signals from each sensor tag. Narrow and wideband interferences may be excised by an interference nulling algorithm. Space division multiplexing may be used by the antenna system to enhance system processing capacity.
77 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method for deriving information from an RFID tag, comprising:
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transmitting RFID tag interrogation signals from at least one antenna array, each antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements, to an RFID tag using a transmit/receive beamformer configured to adjust relative phases of the RFID tag interrogation signals to direct the transmitted RFID tag interrogation signals in a desired direction within a read space; processing backscattered sequences of RFID tag information received by each of the antenna elements in the at least one antenna array from the RFID tag to form a backscattered signal by altering relative phase between the backscattered sequences of RFID tag information; and deriving information from the backscattered signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An RFID reader system for deriving information from an RFID tag, comprising:
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at least one antenna array, each antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements; and a transmit/receive module configured to; transmit RFID tag interrogation signals to an RFID tag using the at least one antenna array by adjusting relative phases of the RFID tag interrogation signals to direct the transmitted RFID tag interrogation signals in a desired direction within a read space; process backscattered sequences of RFID tag information received by each of the antenna elements in the at least one antenna array from the RFID tag to form a backscattered signal by altering relative phase between the backscattered sequences of RFID tag information; and derive information from the backscattered signal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification