RFID tag locationing using dynamic beacon tag association
First Claim
1. A method for using a radio frequency identification (RFID) reading system to communicate with a reference RFID tag via a RFID communication protocol, the method comprising:
- using a radio locating system to wirelessly communicate with an active device via a second protocol that is different than the RFID communication protocol used by the RFID reading system to communicate with the reference RFID tag, including measuring the position of the active device to an accuracy of better than 1.0 meter using the radio locating system to determine the position of a reference point, wherein the active device is a mobile device and the reference point is a mobile reference point;
using the RFID reading system to communicate with the reference RFID tag and a RFID tag of interest via the RFID communication protocol, including;
(i) detecting a first RF signal from the reference RFID tag with an RF receiver in the RFID reading system, the radio locating system being a type of system that is different from the RFID reading system, wherein the reference RFID tag is located essentially at the same position of the mobile reference point, with the distance between the reference RFID tag and the reference point being less than 0.2 meter, and wherein the distance between the reference RFID tag and the RF receiver in the RFID reading system is more than 3.0 meter; and
(ii) detecting a second RF signal from the RFID tag of interest with the RF receiver in the RFID reading system; and
processing both the first RF signal and the second RF signal and relying upon at least partially the position of the reference point to determine a position of the RFID tag of interest.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining the position of a RFID tag. The method includes the following: (1) measuring the position of an active device to an accuracy of better than 1.0 meter using a radio locating system to determine the position of a reference point; (2) detecting a first RF signal from a reference RFID tag near the reference point with an RF receiver in an RFID reading system; (3) detecting a second RF signal from a RFID tag of interest with the RF receiver in the RFID reading system; and (4) processing both the first RF signal and the second RF signal and relying upon at least partially the position of the reference point to determine the position of the RFID tag of interest.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for using a radio frequency identification (RFID) reading system to communicate with a reference RFID tag via a RFID communication protocol, the method comprising:
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using a radio locating system to wirelessly communicate with an active device via a second protocol that is different than the RFID communication protocol used by the RFID reading system to communicate with the reference RFID tag, including measuring the position of the active device to an accuracy of better than 1.0 meter using the radio locating system to determine the position of a reference point, wherein the active device is a mobile device and the reference point is a mobile reference point; using the RFID reading system to communicate with the reference RFID tag and a RFID tag of interest via the RFID communication protocol, including; (i) detecting a first RF signal from the reference RFID tag with an RF receiver in the RFID reading system, the radio locating system being a type of system that is different from the RFID reading system, wherein the reference RFID tag is located essentially at the same position of the mobile reference point, with the distance between the reference RFID tag and the reference point being less than 0.2 meter, and wherein the distance between the reference RFID tag and the RF receiver in the RFID reading system is more than 3.0 meter; and (ii) detecting a second RF signal from the RFID tag of interest with the RF receiver in the RFID reading system; and processing both the first RF signal and the second RF signal and relying upon at least partially the position of the reference point to determine a position of the RFID tag of interest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for using with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, the apparatus comprising:
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an RFID reading system configured to communicate with a reference RFID tag and a RFID tag of interest via a RFID communication protocol; a radio locating system configured to wirelessly communicate with an active device via a second protocol that is different than the RFID communication protocol used by the RFID reading system to communicate with the reference RFID tag and the RFID tag of interest, wherein the radio locating system is configured to measure the position of the active device to an accuracy of better than 1.0 meter to determine the position of a reference point, wherein the active device is a mobile device and the reference point is a mobile reference point; the RFID reading system having a RF receiver configured to; (i) detect a first RF signal from the reference RFID tag, wherein;
(a) the reference RFID tag is more than 3.0 meter away from said RF receiver, (b) the radio locating system is a type of system that is different from the RFID reading system, (c) the reference RFID tag is located essentially at the same position of the mobile reference point, and (d) the distance between the reference RFID tag and the reference point is less than 0.2 meter; and(ii) detect a second RF signal from the RFID tag of interest; and a controller configured to process both the first RF signal and the second RF signal and to rely upon at least partially the position of the reference point to determine the position of the RFID tag of interest. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification