Encoded information reading terminal with multi-directional antenna

• US 10,013,588 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun Paul, Qu, Huyu, Feng, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US13/211,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20130043981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,512 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101, 340 103, 340 104, 340 105, 340 106, 3405721, 3405724, 235380, 235385, 235492, 235379, 342200, 343876, 370310, 455415, 4554561, 705 17, 706 46
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10089 the interrogation device using at least one directional antenna or directional interrogation field to resolve the collision direction or location finding, such as triangulation techniques, G01S13/00
• 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 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials

Abstract

An encoded information reading terminal can comprise a microprocessor, a memory communicatively coupled to the microprocessor, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) reading device, and two antennas having substantially different spatial orientation. A switching circuit can be configured to alternatively electrically couple one of the antennas to the RFID reading device.

Claims

1. An encoded information reading terminal comprising:

a radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader; and

one or more antennas operable in one of a first arrangement or a second arrangement, wherein said first arrangement comprises at least a first antenna and a second antenna electrically coupled to a switching circuit,

wherein at least said first and second antennas have substantially different spatial orientations, and said first antenna is spaced apart from said second antenna by a predetermined distance based on a size of said first antenna,

wherein said switching circuit is configured to alternatively electrically couple each antenna of at least said first and second antennas to said RFID reader for a pre-defined period of time, until a radio signal having a signal strength exceeding a pre-defined signal strength threshold is detected,

wherein said second arrangement comprises at least said first antenna electrically coupled to a mechanical rotor, wherein said mechanical rotor is configured to periodically rotate said first antenna by a first predetermined angle around an axis which is substantially orthogonal to a printed circuit board (PCB) on which said first antenna are mounted, and

wherein said mechanical rotor is further configured to rotate said first antenna around said axis directed under a second predetermined angle with respect to said PCB on which said first antenna is mounted.

2. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, further comprising an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of:

a bar code reading device and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform at least one of;

outputting raw message data containing an encoded message and outputting

decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message.

3. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said first antenna is substantially orthogonal to said second antenna.

4. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 3, wherein said one or more antennas further comprises a third antenna that is orthogonal to each of at least said first and second antenna;

and

wherein said first antenna is spaced apart from said third antenna by a distance comparable with a size of said first antenna.

5. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein at least said first and second antennas are provided by metamaterial antennas.

6. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

said first antenna, said second antenna is provided by at least one of;

a patch cell array comprising one or more patch cells, a patch cell stack comprising two or more patch cells.

7. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second antennas are mounted/printed on one or more PCBs.

8. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said first antenna is mounted or printed on a first PCB and said second antenna is mounted or printed on a second PCB;

and

wherein said first PCB and said second PCB are mounted within a housing component of said encoded information reading terminal.

9. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said switching circuit is configured to electrically couple each antenna of at least said first and second antennas to said RFID reader for a pre-defined period of time in a pre-defined sequential manner.

10. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said one or more antennas further comprises a third antenna, and

wherein said switching circuit is configured to alternatively electrically couple said first antenna, said second antenna, and said third antenna to said RFID reader for a pre-defined period of time.

11. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1,

wherein said switching circuit is configured to alternatively electrically couple said first antenna and said second antenna to said RFID reader for a pre-defined period of time in a pre-defined sequential manner, until said radio signal having said signal strength exceeding said pre-defined signal strength threshold is detected.

12. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said switching circuit is configured to electrically couple each antenna of at least said first and second antennas to said RFID reader in a pre-defined sequential manner responsive to establishing that a radio signal from a currently connected antenna has a signal strength below a pre-defined signal strength threshold.

13. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said switching circuit is configured to alternatively electrically couple said first antenna and said second antenna to said RFID reader in a pre-defined sequential manner responsive to establishing that a radio signal from a currently connected antenna has a signal strength below a pre-defined signal strength threshold.

14. An encoded information reading terminal comprising:

a radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader;

an antenna electrically coupled to said RFID reader; and

a mechanical rotor configured to change a spatial orientation of said antenna, wherein said mechanical rotor is configured to rotate said antenna by a first predetermined angle around an axis which is substantially orthogonal to a printed circuit board (PCB) on which said antenna is mounted, and wherein said mechanical rotor is further configured to rotate said antenna around said axis directed under a second predetermined angle with respect to said PCB on which said antenna is mounted, and

wherein said mechanical rotor is further configured to rotate said antenna by said first predetermined angle and said second predetermined angle responsive to establishing that a radio signal from said antenna has a signal strength below a pre-defined signal strength threshold.

15. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 14, further comprising an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of:

a bar code reading device and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform at least one of;

outputting raw message data containing an encoded message and outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message.

16. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 14, wherein said antenna is provided by a metamaterial antenna.

17. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 14, wherein said antenna is provided by at least one of:

a patch cell array comprising one or more patch cells, a patch cell stack comprising two or more patch cells.

18. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 14, wherein said rotor is configured to rotate said antenna around an axis substantially orthogonal to the PCB on which said antenna is mounted/printed.

19. The encoded information reading terminal of claim 14, wherein said mechanical rotor is configured to rotate said antenna by said second predetermined angle until a radio signal having a signal strength exceeding a pre-defined signal strength threshold is detected.