RFID tag location using synthesized-beam RFID readers
First Claim
1. A method to estimate a location of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
- generating multiple radio-frequency beams, each directed to a different target location;
transmitting multiple interrogating signals on each beam;
receiving, on each beam, at least one response from the IC to the interrogating signals;
determining, for each beam, a response rate;
selecting a first beam having a first response rate and a second beam having a second response rate, wherein the first beam partially overlaps the second beam to form an overlap region; and
using a target location of the first beam, a target location of the second beam, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Synthesized-beam RFID readers may be used to locate RFID tags. In one embodiment, a tag'"'"'s response rates on different beams can be used, along with the target locations of those beams, to estimate the tag'"'"'s location. The estimated tag location is within a region where beams with nonzero tag response rates overlap, and the distances of the estimated tag location from any two different beam target locations may correspond to a ratio of tag response rates on the two different beams. In another embodiment, a tag'"'"'s response rates on different beam pairs configured to cooperatively power RFID tags can be used, along with the target locations of those beam pairs, to estimate the tag'"'"'s location.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method to estimate a location of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
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generating multiple radio-frequency beams, each directed to a different target location; transmitting multiple interrogating signals on each beam; receiving, on each beam, at least one response from the IC to the interrogating signals; determining, for each beam, a response rate; selecting a first beam having a first response rate and a second beam having a second response rate, wherein the first beam partially overlaps the second beam to form an overlap region; and using a target location of the first beam, a target location of the second beam, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method to estimate a location of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
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generating multiple pairs of radio-frequency (RF) beams, wherein each beam pair is directed to a different target location and the beams within each beam pair cooperatively provide RF power to the target location; transmitting multiple interrogating signals on at least one beam of each beam pair; receiving, on at least one beam of each beam pair, at least one response from the IC to the interrogating signals; determining, for each beam pair, a response rate; selecting a first beam pair having a first response rate and a second beam pair having a second response rate, wherein the first beam pair partially overlaps the second beam pair to form an overlap region; and using a target location of the first beam pair, a target location of the second beam pair, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) synthesized-beam reader (SBR) to estimate a location of an RFID integrated circuit (IC) coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
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serially synthesizing each of multiple beams according to a scan pattern, each beam directed to a respective target location; transmitting a series of interrogating signals on each beam; receiving, on each beam, at least one response from the RFID IC to the series of interrogating signals; determining, for each beam, a response rate; selecting a first beam having a first response rate and a second beam having a second response rate, wherein the first beam partially overlaps the second beam to form an overlap region; and using a target location of the first beam, a target location of the second beam, and the first and second response rates to estimate the IC location within the overlap region. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification