Automated RFID reader detection

• US 10,834,617 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2019
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carraher, Theodore R., Hyre, Bruce H., Lavin, David K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Jung H
• Application Number:
  US16/370,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20190230527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2488 Timing issues, e.g. synchronising measures to avoid signal collision, with multiple emitters or a single emitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Included are network devices, systems, methods, and computer readable medium. These may employ a microcontroller with access to computer readable memory and computer readable storage wherein the microcontroller operates at a first network component of a local area network. The microcontroller may be configured to spatially locate one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member. The spatial location may be determined by receiving a unique identifier for a first fiducial network component, receiving a wireless signal from the first fiducial network component, determining a physical distance between the first network component and the first fiducial network component, and updating a registry with the determined physical distance. In certain embodiments, the network component may be an RFID reader and the unique identifier may be an IP or MAC address.

Claims

1. A computer system for initially determining the physical distance between components, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the one or more of the non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine the spatial location of one or more fiducial network components by;

program instructions to receive a unique identifier for a first fiducial network component from one or more fiducial network components;

program instructions to receive a wireless signal from the first fiducial network component, using a plurality of received wireless signal responses to a previously sent wireless signal, the received responses from two or more fiducial network components in the local area network, to initially determine, using radio frequency telemetry, the physical distance between each fiducial network component for which a response was received;

program instructions to exchange with other components of a local area network, distances between fiducial network components calculated by other components of the local area network; and

program instructions to verify the accuracy of these calculated distances between fiducial network components.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna in communication with the microcontroller, the antenna configured to at least transmit or receive radio frequency electro-magnetic waves.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first fiducial network component comprises an RFID reader added to the local area network after initially determining the physical distance between each fiducial network component for which a response was received.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, wherein the unique identifier comprises an IP address or MAC address.

5. The computer system according to claim 3, further comprising:

program instructions to query known RFID readers in a network and, in response to this query, determine a physical distance between the network component and one or more newly added RFID readers.

6. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is received from an active RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

7. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is received from a passive RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

8. A computer system for initially locating or subsequently calibrating fiducial network components, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the one or more of the non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to spatially locate one or more stationary fiducial network components in the local area network in which the computer system is a member, wherein, when carrying out the instructions, program instructions to determine the spatial location of one or more fiducial network components by;

program instructions to send a radio signal to two or more fiducial network components, the radio signal including an identity of the nonfiducial network component;

using radio frequency telemetry from received radio signal responses to the sent radio signal, from fiducial network components, to determine a physical distance between the first nonfiducial network component and any fiducial network component to send a radio signal response to the sent radio signal; and

program instructions to update a registry with the determined physical distance or distances;

program instructions to exchange, with other components of the local area network, distances between fiducial network components calculated by the other components of the local area network; and

program instructions to verify the accuracy of these calculated distances between fiducial network components.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the first fiducial network component comprises an RFID reader and wherein the first fiducial network component comprises program instructions to determine a distance between the first fiducial network component and two or more other RFID readers.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the unique identifier comprises an IP or MAC address.

11. The computer system of claim 9 further comprising:

program instructions to query known RFID readers in the local area network and, in response to this query, program instructions to determine a physical distance or relative direction between the computer system and one or more known RFID readers.

12. The computer system of claim 8 further comprising:

program instructions to receive the unique identified from an active RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

13. The computer system of claim 8 further comprising:

program instruction to receive the unique identifier from a passive RFID tag positioned on a fiducial network component.

14. A computer system for spatial locating one or more fiducial network components of a local area network, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the one or more of the non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions receive a unique identifier for a first fiducial network component from one or more fiducial network components;

program instructions to receive a wireless signal from the first fiducial network component, using radio frequency telemetry from a plurality of received wireless signal responses to a previously sent wireless signal, the received wireless responses from two or more fiducial network components in the local area network, program instructions to initially determine the physical distance between each fiducial network component for which a response was received;

program instructions to update a registry with the determined physical distance or distances;

program instructions to exchange, with other components of the local area network, distances between RFID readers calculated by the other components of the local area network; and

program instructions to verify the accuracy of the calculated distances between RFID readers.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the registry comprises information identifying components of the local area network, and wherein the registry is accessible by the components of the local area network.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions to determine the physical distance includes program instructions to determine the location of each fiducial network component for which a response was received.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions to spatially locate one or more fiducial network components of a local area network in which the microcontroller is a member further comprising:

program instructions to determine the orientation of one or more stationary fiducial network components.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein program instructions to spatially locate one or more fiducial network components of a local area network further comprising:

program instructions to listen for an announcement from a fiducial network component, the announcement indicating that the fiducial network component has joined the local network or has moved to a different location.

19. The computer system of claim 14, wherein program instructions to spatially locate one or more fiducial network components of a local area further comprising:

program instructions to repeat a calibration cycle in which the presence of one or more RFID readers in the local network is sensed and compared to a list of known RFID readers, the program instructions to repeat a calibration cycle further comprising;

program instructions to send an identification query to a newly identified RFID reader;

program instructions to compare a calibrated distance to readers on the list of known RFID readers and program instructions to compare to known RFID reader positions; and

program instructions to receive a calibration RF signal from one or more RFID readers in the local network.

20. The computer system of claim 14, wherein program instructions to spatially locate one or more fiducial network components further comprising:

program instructions to determine when a fiducial network is not detected and is known to be in the local area network, program instructions to extrapolate the location of the nondetected fiducial network component by reusing one or more previously known positions of the nondetected fiducial network component.