Enhanced controller utilizing RFID technology

• US 20070035396A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Chand, Sujeet, Hall, Kenwood, Somogyi, Andreas, Owen, Joseph, Bapat, Vivek, Tinnell, Kenneth, Pietrzyk, Arthur, Morse, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) component receives a data stream from at least one RFID tag. A controller can integrate and/or embed at least one of the following, 1) middleware that filters the data stream associated with the RFID component, 2) RFID software that provides RFID component software functionality, and 3) a smart component that connects to the RFID component.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates utilizing radio frequency identification (RFID), comprising:

an RFID component that receives a data stream from at least one RFID tag; and

a controller that integrates at least one of the following;

middleware that filters the data stream associated with the RFID component;

RFID software that provides RFID component software functionality; and

a smart component that connects to the RFID component.

2. The system of claim 1, the RFID component is at least one of an RFID reader, an RFID writer, and an RFID reader/writer.

3. The system of claim 1, the RFID tag is at least one of an active RFID tag and, a passive RFID tag.

4. The system of claim 1, the controller contains at least one of a software component and a hardware component that has at least one of an input and an output utilized with automating at least one of an industrial manufacturing device and a process.

5. The system of claim 1, the middleware further comprises a filter master that implements common filtering software that can be employed by a plurality of disparate RFID components.

6. The system of claim 1, the middleware further comprising a configure component that configures at least one RFID component.

7. The system of claim 6, the configuration includes at least one of programming the RFID component and providing a human machine interface (HMI).

8. The system of claim 1, the middleware utilizes at least one of an Ethernet port, an open socket related to Ethernet, and a serial port to interface to the RFID component.

9. The system of claim 1, the middleware orchestrates sharing information associated with disparate RFID components for data filtering.

10. The system of claim 1, the middleware further comprising a data flow manager that regulates data sent from the RFID component.

11. The system of claim 1, the middleware further comprises controller software that interacts with the middleware to enhance the filtering of data streams.

12. The system of claim 11, the enhancement is the optimization of at least one of turning on the RFID component and turning off the RFID component.

13. The system of claim 11, the enhancement further utilizes a sensor associated with the controller to determine a location of the RFID tag.

14. The system of claim 1, the middleware further comprises a clock sync component that synchronizes a clock associated with at least one of the controller and the RFID component.

15. The system of claim 1, the RFID software further comprises a demodulate component that demodulates the data stream received by the RFID component.

16. The system of claim 1, the RFID software further comprises a decode component that decodes the data stream received by the RFID component.

17. The system of claim 1, the RFID software performs conversion between an analog signal and binary information.

18. The system of claim 1, the RFID software enables an aggregate control of a plurality of disparate RFID components via a single interface on the controller.

19. The system of claim 1, the smart component connects to the RFID component through an existing interface.

20. The system of claim 19, the interface is at least one of a serial port, an Ethernet port, and an open socket associated with the Ethernet port.

21. The system of claim 1, the smart component is a micro programmable logic controller (PLC) that provides a common programming language for a plurality of disparate RFID components.

22. The system of claim 1, the smart component is a controller that contains at least one of a software component and a hardware component that has at least one of an input and an output utilized with automating at least one of an industrial manufacturing device and a process.

23. The system of claim 1, the smart component further comprises at least one of an additional output and additional input that is at least one of digital and analog.

24. The system of claim 1, the smart component further comprises a location component that adds a location capability to the RFID component.

25. The system of claim 24, the location capability is provided by a global positioning system (GPS).

26. The system of claim 1, the smart component further comprises a network component that adds a network capability to the RFID component.

27. The system of claim 26, the network capability is at least one of Ethernet, EtherNet/IP, Modbus/TCP, and ProfiNet.

28. A computer readable medium having stored thereon the components of the system of claim 1.

29. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intelligent component that employs a probabilistic and/or statistical-based analysis to prognose or infer an action to be automatically performed.

30. A controller that facilitates utilizing RFID, comprising at least one of:

a middleware that filters a data stream associated with an RFID component;

an RFID component software that provides at least one of a conversion of the data stream from an analog signal to binary data and binary data to an analog signal; and

a smart device that connects to the RFID component to enhance such RFID component.

31. A computer-implemented method that facilitates utilizing RFID, comprising:

associating an RFID tag to at least one of an object and a portion of a plurality of objects;

receiving a data stream related to at least one RFID tag; and

utilizing a controller with integrated middleware to provide a common filtering of the data stream associated with a portion of disparate RFID components.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising at least one of configuring, human machine interfacing, programming, sharing data, regulating data, and utilizing a sensor to optimize control of the RFID component.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

integrating RFID software into the controller; and

utilizing the controller with RFID software to provide software fimctionality to at least one RFID component.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising at least one of demodulating data, decoding data, and converting data.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

connecting a smart component to an existing RFID component; and

utilizing the smart component with the existing RFID component to receive a data stream related to the RFID tag.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising at least one of providing an additional input, providing an additional output, providing additional network capability, and providing location capability.

37. The method of claim 31, the RFID component is at least one of an RFID reader, an RFID writer, and an RFID reader/writer.

38. The method of claim 31, the RFID tag is at least one of an active RFID tag and a passive RFID tag.

39. The method of claim 31, the controller contains at least one of a software component and a hardware component that has at least one of an input and an output utilized with automating at least one of an industrial manufacturing device and a process.

40. A data packet that communicates between at least two of an RFID tag, an RFID component, and a controller, the data packet facilitates the method of claim 31.

41. A computer-implemented system that facilitates utilizing RFID, comprising:

means for receiving a data stream from at least one RFID tag; and

means for embedding at least one of the following into a controller;

middleware that filters the data stream associated with the RFID tag;

RFID software that provides RFID component software functionality; and

a smart component that connects to the RFID component.