RF Identification System with Restricted Range

• US 20070290853A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Tuttle, John
• Application Number:
  US11/847,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290853A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 19/00 Casting in, on, or around objects which form part of the product B22D23/04 takes precedence; alumino-thermic welding B23K23/00; coating by casting molten material on the substrate C23C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/06 of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools B22F7/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence
• 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 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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 7/10217 parameter settings controlling the transmission power of the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 : used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 : formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 : Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 : Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 : Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 : for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 : Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 : for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 : Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 : by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use

Abstract

A method of adjusting the 2-way communication range of an RFID system to assist a human operator to individually handle and interrogate a plurality of tagged objects, such as suitcases, that each include an RFID tag transceiver. An RFID interrogator transceiver is mounted on the human operator. The 2-way communication range between the interrogator transceiver and the tag transceivers is adjusted to only slightly exceed the closest distance between the interrogator and the tag while the operator is handling the tagged object. Preferably, the 2-way communication range is short enough that other tagged objects will remain outside the communication range and will not respond to messages from the interrogator. Another aspect of the invention is a method of verifying whether an object to be transported has reached its intended destination. In this aspect, an interrogator transceiver at a first destination interrogates an RFID tag transceiver on the object, and in response the tag transmits its intended destination.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A system for tracking an object, the system comprising:

a database configured to store information regarding a plurality of RFID tags;

a first interrogator configured to communicatively couple to the database, the first interrogator configured to utilize identification information received from one or more RFID tags to update the database with information regarding the one or more RFID tags; and

a second interrogator configured to communicatively couple to the database and be positioned remotely from the first interrogator and the database, the second interrogator configured to utilize the identification information received from the one or more RFID tags to update the database with status information regarding the one or more RFID tags, wherein the first interrogator and the second interrogator are configured to receive information from the database associated with the one or more RFID tags.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the database is further configured to store a destination of the RFID tag, and the first interrogator and the second interrogator are configured to receive the destination of the RFID tag.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein at least one of the first interrogator and the second interrogator is a portable interrogator and the first interrogator and the second interrogator is configured to access the database via wireless communications.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the status information includes location information.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the first interrogator and the second interrogator are further configured to retrieve routing information regarding the RFID tag from the database.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the identifier includes a unique identifier of the RFID tag.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the identifier corresponds to the object.

35. A system to track a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the system comprising:

a database storing information associated with the RFID tag;

an RFID tag attached to an item to be tracked, the RFID tag having a first antenna, communications circuitry, and a first memory, the communications circuitry including circuitry to receive a first request and to communicate a first response, the first request comprising a request for an identifier stored in the first memory and the first response comprising the identifier; and

an interrogator having a second antenna and a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to cause the second antenna to transmit the first request and to receive the first response, the interrogator being communicatively coupled to the database and configured to use the identifier to access the database and to retrieve a destination of the RFID tag.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the interrogator is a portable interrogator and the interrogator is configured to access the database via wireless communications.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the interrogator is further configured to update the database with positional information of the RFID tag.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the interrogator is further configured to retrieve routing information regarding the RFID tag from the database.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the identifier includes a unique identifier of the RFID tag.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the identifier corresponds to the object.