Rfid tag location using tag or host interaction record

• US 6,710,701 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Leatherman, Russel Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shimizu, Matsuichiro
• Application Number:
  US09/798,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 702/150, 702/250, 364/528.17
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A system to store a sequence of data records relating to attributes of interactions between fuel dispensers and tags. The data records at a location remote from the tag, such as a fuel dispenser, central site controller or other network. The data records may contain the identity of the dispenser, tag and any attribute of a received signal, such as frequency band or signal strength, or other attribute indicative of proximity. Every dispenser that attempts to communicate with a tag adds its own interaction data to a history of a tag'"'"'s past interactions with same and other dispensers. When a dispenser or central site control system examines the contents of the interaction histories, the detected presence of other dispensers or the relative strength of the recorded interaction attributes will determine action(s) to be taken by the dispensers or central site control system to communicate with the tag at issue.

Claims

1. A remote communication unit arbitration system comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a control system associated with said housing and having a memory;

c. communication electronics operatively associated with said control system and having a transmitter for transmitting signals to a remote communication unit and a receiver for receiving signals from the remote communication unit; and

d. attribute monitoring electronics having an output associated with said control system and an input associated with said communication electronics, said attribute monitoring electronics adapted to;

i. monitor an attribute of a signal received by said communication electronics, the attribute being indicative of the relative proximity between the remote communication unit and the housing, and

ii. provide said control system with a new proximity value indicative of the relative proximity between the remote communication unit and the housing;

e. said control system adapted to;

i. compare said new proximity value with a prior proximity value from a prior communication with the remote communication unit, and

ii. determine a relative proximity of the remote communication unit to the housing as compared to another communicative device that communicates with the remote communication unit associated with a prior communication based on the new and prior proximity values.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is adapted to obtain the prior proximity value from a record in an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including:

a. a prior proximity value associated with a prior communication with the remote communication unit from a communicative device, and

b. identification indicia of the communicative device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the interaction attribute database is located at the remote communication unit, said control system adapted to access the database via radio communications through said communication electronics.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the interaction attribute is located at a central control system apart from said housing, said control system adapted to communicate with the central control system.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said control system is further adapted to cause the new proximity value to be added as a record to the interaction attribute database in association with a unique identification indicia representative of a communicative device.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said control system determines the relative proximity of the remote communication unit by determining the proximity value representative of the closest proximity.

7. A remote communication unit facilitating arbitration in a multiple communicative device environment comprising:

a. radio communication electronics adapted to receive information from a plurality of communicative devices and transmit information to the communicative devices;

b. a memory having an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including;

i. an interaction attribute associated with a prior communication between said remote communication unit and a communicative device, and

ii. an identification indicia of the respective communicative device; and

c. a control system operatively associated with said communication electronics and said memory and adapted to;

i. receive an interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from a first communicative device via said communication electronics;

ii. store the interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from the first communicative device in said database;

iii. receive an interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from a second communicative device via said communication electronics;

iv. store the interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from the second communicative device in said database; and

v. transmit the interactive attributes and associated identification indicia to a communicative device via said communication electronics;

vi. said communication device compares the interactive attribute for the first communicative device with the interactive attribute for the second communicative device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the interaction attribute database is located at a central control system, said control system adapted to communicate with the central control system.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said control system is further adapted to store the interactive attribute and associated identification indicia for the first communicative device in said database in association with a unique identification indicia representative of the first communicative device.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said control system is further adapted to store the interactive attribute and associated identification indicia for the second communicative device in said database in association with a unique identification indicia representative of the second communicative device.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said communication device compares the interactive attribute for the first communicative device with the interactive attribute for the second communicative device.