Data separation in high density environments

• US 20100277284A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Jonathan E., Burkart, Scott M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• 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 7/10069 the collision being resolved in the frequency domain, e.g. by hopping from one frequency to the other frequency hopping or spread spectrum techniques H04B7/00
• 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: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

Systems and methods for data separation, which may be employed to receive and process RFID tag data in RF signal environments where multiple RFID tags are tracked, localized and/or employed to transmit information. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented for data separation in a high density aRFID environment using RFID tags in combination with spatial and/or frequency separation.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification interrogator (RFIDI) system, comprising:

first band transmitter circuitry for transmitting first band radio frequency (RF) signal communications, the first band being a multiple channel-based frequency band; and

at least one processing device that is coupled to the first band transmitter circuitry;

the at least one processing device being configured to control transmission of first band RF signal interrogator polling signals to multiple radio frequency identification (RFID) tags from the RFIDI system by the first band transmitter circuitry;

wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the first band transmitter circuitry to transmit a separate interrogator polling signal on each of a selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of the multiple channel-based first band, each of the pre-defined multiple channels being selected to correspond to the first band receiver frequency of at least one given RFID tag;

wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to control the first band transmitter circuitry to transmit each of the interrogator polling signals on a selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time prior to sequentially transmitting another interrogator polling signal on a different selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time in a frequency hopping manner; and

wherein each the interrogator polling signals transmitted on each given one of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels has a data format readable by at least one given RFID tag having a first band receiver frequency corresponding to the given pre-defined channel on which the interrogator signal is transmitted, and contains instructions operable to control one or more operations of the given RFID tag.

2. The RFIDI system of claim 1, further comprising a directional signal transmission system coupled to the first band transmitter circuitry, the directional signal transmission system being configured to individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas;

wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to control the first band transmitter circuitry to first sequentially transmit interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a first given direction to a first sector coverage area, and then to sequentially transmit interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a second given direction to a second sector coverage area, the first and second coverage areas being different from each other; and

wherein the directional signal transmission system is further configured to individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals a first time to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a master coverage area; and

then to repeatedly individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals additional times to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the master coverage area.

3. A radio frequency identification interrogator (RFIDI) system, comprising:

first band transmitter circuitry for transmitting first band radio frequency (RF) signal communications;

at least one processing device that is coupled to the first band transmitter circuitry;

the at least one processing device being configured to control transmission of first band RF signal interrogator polling signals to multiple radio frequency identification (RFID) tags from the RFIDI system by the first band transmitter circuitry; and

a directional signal transmission system coupled to the first band transmitter circuitry, the directional signal transmission system being configured to individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas;

wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to control the first band transmitter circuitry to first transmit at least one interrogator polling signal on at least one channel or band in a first given direction to a first sector coverage area, and then to transmit at least one interrogator polling signal on the same at least one channel or band in a second given direction to a second sector coverage area, the first and second coverage areas being different from each other;

wherein each of the interrogator polling signals transmitted on the at least one channel or band to each of the first and second coverage areas has a data format readable by at least one given RFID tag having a first band receiver frequency corresponding to the at least one channel or band on which each interrogator polling signal is transmitted, and contains instructions operable to control one or more operations of the given RFID tag.

4. The RFIDI system of claim 3, wherein the directional signal transmission system is configured to individually and selectively transmit at least one interrogator polling signal a first time to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a master coverage area;

and then to repeatedly individually and selectively transmit at least one interrogator polling signal additional times to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the master coverage area.

5. The RFIDI system of claim 4, wherein the directional signal transmission system comprises multiple antenna panels, each of the multiple antenna panels being oriented to outwardly and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals to a given one of the multiple sector coverage areas and not to any other one of the multiple sector coverage areas when the directional signal transmission system is positioned within the interior of the master coverage area.

6. A method of communicating with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, comprising:

transmitting a separate interrogator polling signal on each of a selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of a first band that is a multiple channel-based frequency band, each of the pre-defined multiple channels of the first band being selected to correspond to the first band receiver frequency of at least one given RFID tag, and each of the interrogator polling signals being transmitted on a selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time prior to sequentially transmitting another interrogator polling signal on a different selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time in a frequency hopping manner;

wherein each the interrogator polling signals transmitted on each given one of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels has a data format readable by at least one given RFID tag having a first band receiver frequency corresponding to the given pre-defined channel on which the interrogator signal is transmitted, and contains instructions operable to control one or more operations of the given RFID tag; and

wherein each given RFID tag is associated with an object.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving each of the interrogator polling signals transmitted on each given one of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels at a given respective RFID tag corresponding to each of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels;

and in response thereto transmitting a second band response signal from each given respective RFID tag to one or more second band receivers, the second band being a non-channel based frequency band.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

first sequentially transmitting interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a first given direction to a first sector coverage area; and

then sequentially transmitting interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a second given direction to a second sector coverage area, the first and second coverage areas being different from each other;

individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals a first time to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a master coverage area; and

then repeatedly individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals additional times to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the master coverage area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising outwardly and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals from the interior of the master coverage area to a given one of the multiple sector coverage areas and not to any other one of the multiple sector coverage areas.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

first receiving each of the interrogator polling signals transmitted in the first given direction on each given one of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels at a given respective RFID tag in the first sector coverage area that corresponds to each of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels, and in response thereto transmitting a second band response signal from each given respective RFID tag in the first sector coverage area to one or more second band receivers; and

then receiving each of the interrogator polling signals transmitted in the second given direction on each given one of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels at a given respective RFID tag in the second sector coverage area that corresponds to each of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels, and in response thereto transmitting a second band response signal from each given respective RFID tag in the second sector coverage area to one or more second band receivers, the second band being a non-channel based frequency band;

wherein the RFID tags positioned in the first sector coverage do not receive the interrogator polling signals transmitted in the second given direction; and

the RFID tags positioned in the second sector coverage area do not received the interrogator polling signals transmitted in the second given direction; and

wherein the second band is a non-channel based frequency band.

11. A method of communicating with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, comprising:

individually and selectively transmitting first band radio frequency (RF) interrogator polling signals to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas such that at least one interrogator polling signal is first transmitted on at least one channel or band in a first given direction to a first sector coverage area, and then at least one interrogator polling signal is transmitted on the same at least one channel or band in a second given direction to a second sector coverage area, the first and second coverage areas being different from each other;

wherein each of the interrogator polling signals transmitted on the at least one channel or band to each of the first and second coverage areas has a data format readable by at least one given radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having a first band receiver frequency corresponding to the at least one channel or band on which each interrogator polling signal is transmitted, and contains instructions operable to control one or more operations of the given RFID tag.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising individually and selectively transmitting at least one interrogator polling signal a first time to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a master coverage area;

and then repeatedly individually and selectively transmitting at least one interrogator polling signal additional times to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the master coverage area.

13. A radio frequency identification (RFID) communication system, comprising:

multiple RFID tags, each of the multiple RFID tags being configured to receive first band radio frequency (RF) interrogator polling signals at the RFID tag and to transmit second band RF signal response signals from the RFID tag in response to receiving the first band interrogator polling signals, the first band being a multiple channel-based frequency band and the second band being a non-channel based frequency band, and wherein each one of the RFID tags is assigned to receive first band RF interrogator polling signals corresponding to a different one of a selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of the multiple channel-based first band;

a first RFID interrogator (RFIDI) system configured to transmit a separate interrogator polling signal on each of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of the multiple channel-based first band, and each of the interrogator polling signals being transmitted from the first RFIDI system on a selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time prior to sequentially transmitting another interrogator polling signal from the first RFIDI system on a different selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time in a frequency hopping manner; and

a first group of multiple second band receivers, each of the first group of multiple second band receivers being configured to receive the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags;

wherein the first RFIDI system is further configured to first sequentially transmit interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a first given direction to one or more RFID tags located in a first sector coverage area, and then to sequentially transmit interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a second given direction to one or more RFID tags located in a second sector coverage area, the first and second coverage areas being different from each other; and

wherein the first group of multiple second band receivers are configured to receive the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the first and second coverage areas.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first band is a narrow band frequency modulation (NBFM) frequency band;

and wherein the second band is an ultra-wideband (UWB) frequency band.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first RFID interrogator (RFIDI) system is configured to individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a first master coverage area;

and then to repeatedly individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals additional times in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the first master coverage area; and

wherein the first group of multiple second band receivers are configured to receive the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the multiple number of sector coverage areas of the first master coverage area.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a data processing network system, the data processing network system comprising:

at least one data processing circuitry component coupled to receive digital receiver data signals from each of the first group of multiple second band receivers and to produce digital processed tag information therefrom, the digital processed tag information comprising current calculated tag location coordinates for one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, collected or processed sensor information obtained from one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, or a combination thereof; and

data base engine circuitry coupled to receive the digital processed tag information from the at least one data processing circuitry component.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a second RFID interrogator (RFIDI) system configured to transmit a separate interrogator polling signal on each of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of the multiple channel-based first band, and each of the interrogator polling signals being transmitted from the second RFIDI system on a selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time prior to sequentially transmitting another interrogator polling signal from the second RFIDI system on a different selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time in a frequency hopping manner; and

a second group of multiple second band receivers, each of the multiple second band receivers being configured to receive the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags;

wherein the second RFID interrogator (RFIDI) system is located at a different position from the first RFIDI system and is further configured to first sequentially transmit interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a third given direction to one or more RFID tags located in a third sector coverage area, and then to sequentially transmit interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a fourth given direction to one or more RFID tags located in a fourth sector coverage area, the third and fourth sector coverage areas being different from each other and being different from the first and second sector coverage areas; and

wherein the second group of multiple second band receivers include at least one second band receiver that is not included in the first group of multiple second band receivers, and wherein the second group of multiple second band receivers are configured to receive the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the third and fourth coverage areas.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the first RFID interrogator (RFIDI) system is configured to individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a first master coverage area; and

then to repeatedly individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals additional times in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the first master coverage area; and

wherein the first group of multiple second band receivers are configured to receive the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the multiple number of sector coverage areas of the first master coverage area; and

wherein the second RFIDI system is configured to individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a second master coverage area; and

then to repeatedly individually and selectively transmit interrogator polling signals additional times in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the second master coverage area; and

wherein the second group of multiple second band receivers are configured to receive the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the multiple number of sector coverage areas of the second master coverage area.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a data processing network system, the data processing network system comprising:

a first data processing circuitry component coupled to receive digital receiver data signals from each of the first group of multiple second band receivers and to produce digital processed tag information therefrom, the digital processed tag information comprising current calculated tag location coordinates for one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, collected or processed sensor information obtained from one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, or a combination thereof;

a second data processing circuitry component coupled to receive digital receiver data signals from each of the second group of multiple second band receivers and to produce digital processed tag information therefrom, the digital processed tag information comprising current calculated tag location coordinates for one or more of the RFID tags located in the second master coverage area, collected or processed sensor information obtained from one or more of the RFID tags located in the second master coverage area, or a combination thereof; and

data base engine circuitry coupled to receive the digital processed tag information from the first and second data processing circuitry components.

20. A method of communicating in a radio frequency identification (RFID) communication environment, comprising:

transmitting a separate radio frequency (RF) interrogator polling signal from a first interrogator location on each of a selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of a multiple channel-based first band, each of the interrogator polling signals being transmitted on a selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time prior to sequentially transmitting another interrogator polling signal on a different selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time in a frequency hopping manner; and

receiving the first band interrogator polling signals from the first interrogator location at each one of a multiple number of RFID tags and transmitting a second band RF signal response signal from each respective one of the multiple number of RFID tags in response to receiving a first band interrogator polling signal from the first interrogator location, the second band being a non-channel based frequency band, and each one of the multiple RFID tags assigned to and receiving first band RF interrogator polling signals from the first interrogator location corresponding to a different one of a selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of the multiple channel-based first band;

receiving the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from each of the multiple RFID tags at a first group of multiple second band receivers;

wherein the method further comprises first sequentially transmitting interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a first given direction to one or more of the multiple RFID tags located in a first sector coverage area, and then sequentially transmitting interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a second given direction to one or more of the multiple RFID tags located in a second sector coverage area, the first and second coverage areas being different from each other; and

wherein the method further comprises receiving the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the first and second coverage areas.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first band is a narrow band frequency modulation (NBFM) frequency band;

and wherein the second band is an ultra-wideband (UWB) frequency band.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals from the first interrogator location in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a first master coverage area;

then repeatedly individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals additional times from the first interrogator location in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the first master coverage area; and

receiving the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the multiple number of sector coverage areas of the first master coverage area at the first group of multiple second band receivers.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving digital receiver data signals from each of the first group of multiple second band receivers and producing digital processed tag information therefrom, the digital processed tag information comprising current calculated tag location coordinates for one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, collected or processed sensor information obtained from one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting a separate radio frequency (RF) interrogator polling signal from a second interrogator location on each of the selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of the multiple channel-based first band, each of the interrogator polling signals being transmitted on a selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time prior to sequentially transmitting another interrogator polling signal from the second interrogator location on a different selected pre-defined channel for a given transmit time in a frequency hopping manner;

receiving the first band interrogator polling signals from the second interrogator location at each one of a multiple number of RFID tags and transmitting a second band RF signal response signal from each respective one of the multiple number of RFID tags in response to receiving a first band interrogator polling signal from the second interrogator location, each one of the multiple RFID tags assigned to and receiving first band RF interrogator polling signals corresponding to a different one of a selected number of multiple pre-defined channels of the multiple channel-based first band; and

receiving the second band RF signal response signals at a second group of multiple second band receivers transmitted from each of the multiple RFID tags in response to the first band interrogator polling signals received from the second interrogator location;

wherein the method further comprises first sequentially transmitting interrogator polling signals from the second interrogator location on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a third given direction to one or more of the multiple RFID tags located in a third sector coverage area, and then sequentially transmitting interrogator polling signals on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels in a fourth given direction to one or more of the multiple RFID tags located in a fourth sector coverage area, the third and fourth coverage areas being different from each other and being different from the first and second sector coverage areas; and

wherein the method further comprises receiving the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the third and fourth coverage areas, the second group of multiple second band receivers including at least one second band receiver that is not included in the first group of multiple second band receivers.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals form the first interrogator location in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a first master coverage area;

then repeatedly individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals additional times from the first interrogator location in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the first master coverage area; and

receiving the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the multiple number of sector coverage areas of the first master coverage area at the first group of multiple second band receivers; and

individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals form the second interrogator location in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of a multiple number of sector coverage areas that together define a second master coverage area;

then repeatedly individually and selectively transmitting interrogator polling signals additional times from the second interrogator location in a sequential manner on each of the selected multiple pre-defined channels to each one of the multiple number of sector coverage areas that define the first master coverage area; and

receiving the second band RF signal response signals transmitted from the RFID tags located in each of the multiple number of sector coverage areas of the second master coverage area at the first group of multiple second band receivers.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

producing digital processed tag information from digital receiver data signals received from each of the first group of multiple second band receivers, the digital processed tag information comprising current calculated tag location coordinates for one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, collected or processed sensor information obtained from one or more of the RFID tags located in the first master coverage area, or a combination thereof; and

producing digital processed tag information from digital receiver data signals received from each of the second group of multiple second band receivers, the digital processed tag information comprising current calculated tag location coordinates for one or more of the RFID tags located in the second master coverage area, collected or processed sensor information obtained from one or more of the RFID tags located in the second master coverage area, or a combination thereof