Optimizing an interrogation of a tag population

• US 20060170534A1
• Filed: 01/09/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bandy, William R., Arneson, Michael R.
• Application Number:
  US11/327,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170534A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.200
• 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: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for optimizing an interrogation of a tag population that includes a plurality of tags. The method includes defining a number of time slots allocated to a first read cycle, and selecting a different number of time slots allocated to a second read cycle based on a duration of the first read cycle.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing an interrogation of a tag population that includes a plurality of tags, comprising:

defining a number of time slots allocated to a first read cycle; and

selecting a different number of time slots allocated to a second read cycle based on a duration of the first read cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a number of tags in the tag population based on the number of time slots allocated to the first read cycle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a step size for the first read cycle, wherein the step size comprises at least one time slot.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting a different step size for the second read cycle based on the duration of the first read cycle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring interrogation efficiency during a measurement epoch;

determining whether the measured interrogation efficiency is acceptable; and

repeating the defining and selecting steps if the measured interrogation efficiency is not acceptable.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining step comprises the step of determining whether the measured interrogation efficiency is greater than a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the measuring step comprises the step of calculating:

E=T_min/T_actual, wherein;

E is the interrogation efficiency;

T_actual is the actual time it takes to perform an interrogation of a tag population; and

T_min is the minimum possible time required to interrogate the same tag population.

8. A system for optimizing an interrogation of a tag population that includes a plurality of tags, comprising:

means for defining a number of time slots allocated to a first read cycle; and

means for selecting a different number of time slots allocated to a second read cycle based on a duration of the first read cycle.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for computing a number of tags in the tag population based on the number of time slots allocated to the first read cycle.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for defining a step size for the first read cycle, wherein the step size comprises at least one time slot.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for selecting a different step size for the second read cycle based on the duration of the first read cycle.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for measuring interrogation efficiency during a measurement epoch;

means for determining whether the measured interrogation efficiency is acceptable; and

means for repeating the defining and selecting means if the measured interrogation efficiency is not acceptable.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining whether the measured interrogation efficiency is greater than a predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for measuring comprises means for calculating:

E=T_min/T_actual, wherein;

E is the interrogation efficiency;

T_actual is the actual time it takes to perform an interrogation of a tag population; and

T_min is the minimum possible time required to interrogate the same tag population.