RFID converter module

• US 9,292,720 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wang, Steve, Wild, Ben J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/963,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

A tag communication method includes providing a tag reader operating at a first frequency and having transmit and receive antenna ports, providing a frequency converter module having transmit and receive plugs adapted to directly mate with the transmit and receive ports, and directly mating the transmit plug with the transmit port and the receive plug with the receive port. A transmit signal at the first frequency is received from the reader by the converter module by way of the directly mated transmit plug and converted to a second frequency differing from the first frequency to provide a converted transmit signal which is transmitted to the tag. A receive signal is received from the tag at the second frequency and converted to the first frequency to provide a converted receive signal which is applied by the conversion module to the reader by way of the directly mated receive plug.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmit plug configured to couple to a transmit antenna port of an EAS reader;

a first receiver port coupled to the transmit plug, the first receiver port and transmit plug configured to receive a reader transmit signal at an EAS frequency from the EAS reader;

a first frequency converter coupled to the first receiver port and configured to convert the reader transmit signal to an RFID frequency to provide a converted reader transmit signal, the RFID frequency differing from the EAS frequency;

a first transmit port configured to transmit the converted reader transmit signal to a tag via a first transmit cable and transmit antenna coupled to said first transmit port;

a second receiver port configured to receive a tag transmit signal from a tag via a receiver antenna and a first receiver cable coupled to said second receiver port;

a second frequency converter configured to convert the tag transmit signal to the EAS frequency to provide a converted tag transmit signal;

a second transmit port coupled to the second frequency converter and configured to receive the converted tag transmit signal; and

a receive plug coupled to the second transmit port and configured to couple to a receive antenna port of the EAS reader, the receive plug and second transmit port configured to transmit the converted tag transmit signal to the EAS reader.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a baseband converter for

converting the reader transmit signal to provide a baseband transmit signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reader transmit signal is an encoded reader transmit signal and the baseband transmit signal is an encoded baseband transmit signal, said apparatus further comprising decoder circuitry for decoding the encoded baseband transmit signal to provide a decoded baseband signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the reader transmit signal is encoded with a first coding scheme, said apparatus further comprising encoding circuitry for encoding the decoded baseband signal with a second encoding scheme differing from the first encoding scheme to provide a further encoded baseband signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a further frequency enables a communication between the EAS reader and a computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a further frequency converter configured to convert the reader transmit signal to a third frequency differing from the first and second frequencies to provide a further converted reader transmit signal and transmitting the further converted reader transmit signal to a tag, said third frequency being equal to or greater than 3.6 GHz.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a communication with a combination tag by way of the third frequency and at least one of the first and second frequencies.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first receiver port is coupled to the transmit plug by a second transmit cable.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second transmit port is coupled to the receive plug by a second receive cable.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein transmit plug is configured to directly mate with the transmit antenna port.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein receive plug is configured to directly mate with the receive antenna port.