Utilization of motion and spatial identification in RFID systems

• US 9,704,002 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Leland, Hunter Martin, Spiess, Gary Neal, Hingst, Lynn Carl, Sherman, John Howland, Nikitin, Pavel V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/640,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

In one aspect where a load or a subset of one or more tags is in motion relative to an RFID reader system, the RFID system obtains tag readings and derives tag scalar or vector motional data e.g. tag velocity, tag acceleration, and/or rate of change of tag acceleration which can be compared to known tag motional information to distinguish true tags of interest from false positives which are unavoidably also within the field of the reader system. An antenna system may also make readings during distinctive movement patterns of true tags, such as vertical or arcuate movement and utilize computed tag motional data based on the tag readings to distinguish true tags from false positives. Two components of the RFID system may communicate information on identified tags, and/or interact (e.g. by silencing tags), so as to cooperate in identifying true positive tags.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification system comprising

a load transporter having a load receiving space for receiving a radio frequency identification tagged item with a first tag that is moved to the load receiving space;

a radio frequency identification reader system for taking one or more tag readings during movement of the first tag along a path to the load receiving space; and

a processing system that compares tag motional data based on the one or more tag readings with first tag motional information relating to movement of the first tag along the path to establish whether the one or more tag readings represent a tag moving along the path to the load receiving space,

wherein the tag motional information is based on movement of the first tag in different directions, and wherein the processing system compares tag motional data based on tag readings taken during such movement in such different directions, with first tag motional information based on such movement in different directions, and for radio frequency identification tags not exhibiting tag motional data corresponding to movement in such different directions, determining that such radio frequency identification tags are extraneous.

2. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, with said radio frequency identification reader system marking a tag being delivered along the path or being within the load receiving space as identified so that the first tag does not respond thereafter during reading of further tags within the reading field of the radio frequency identification reader system.

3. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, with said radio frequency identification reader system marking first tags which are identified as within the first space, and providing an activating radio frequency field for maintaining the status of such first tags within the first space.

4. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, wherein the load transporter comprising a shopping vehicle.

5. A radio frequency identification system according to claim 1, further comprising an antenna system for projecting a radio frequency activating field to the load receiving space for maintaining a powered status of first tags in the load receiving space of the load transporter, wherein the radio frequency activating field maintains the status of first tags in the load receiving space as identified while the orientation of the activating field relative to the first tags is shifted.

6. A radio frequency identification system comprising

a radio frequency identification reader system having an antenna system for support by a transport vehicle, and for projecting a reading field into an interior receiving space of the transport vehicle;

an actuator for actuation as a radio frequency identification tag is moved along a path into the interior receiving space and for activating said radio frequency identification reader system to obtain tag readings scanning for the moving radio frequency identification tag; and

a processing system coupled with the radio frequency identification reader system and obtaining information based on the tag readings enabling the processing system to determine whether the tag readings represent a tag being inserted into the interior receiving space of the transport vehicle or an extraneous tag external to the interior receiving space of the transport vehicle,

wherein information is obtained based on tag readings taken during movement of the radio frequency identification tag in opposite directions, and wherein the processing system compares tag motional data based on tag readings taken during movement of the radio frequency identification tag in such opposite directions, with first tag motional information representing such movement of the radio frequency identification tag, and for radio frequency identification tags not exhibiting tag motional data corresponding to movement in such opposite directions, determining that such radio frequency identification tags are extraneous.

7. A radio frequency identification system for distinguishing a first radio frequency identification tag from an extraneous tag, said radio frequency identification system comprising:

a radio frequency identification reader system configured to scan for a radio frequency identification tag within a read zone of the radio frequency identification reader system and producing tag readings therefrom;

a data system that assists in determining tag motional data based on the tag readings of the radio frequency identification reader system taken during movement of the radio frequency identification tag; and

a processing system that compares the tag motional data based on the tag readings with first tag motional information to determine whether the tag readings are from the radio frequency identification tag,

wherein the first tag motional information is based on movement of the radio frequency identification tag in different directions, and wherein the processing system compares tag motional data based on tag readings taken during such movement in such different directions, with first tag motional information based on such movement in different directions, and for radio frequency identification tags not exhibiting tag motional data corresponding to movement in such different directions, determining that such radio frequency identification tags are extraneous.

8. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein the radio frequency identification reader system is movable with a vehicle, and wherein the read zone and the first radio frequency identification tag are movable with the vehicle during operation of the radio frequency identification reader system.

9. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein the data system comprises an accelerometer or gyroscope providing a basis for the first tag motional information.

10. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein the first radio frequency identification tag occupies a load receiving space, and wherein the data system is configured to determine a position of the radio frequency identification tag relative to the load receiving space based on said tag readings.

11. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein the tag motional data based on the tag readings is obtained during movement of the first radio frequency identification tags along a path having a vertical component, and wherein the processing system compares the tag motional data based on the tag readings taken during such movement along the vertical component of said path, with the first tag motional information for the first radio frequency identification tag based on such movement, and for radio frequency identification tags not exhibiting such tag motional data corresponding to movement having a vertical component, determining that such radio frequency identification tags are extraneous.

12. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein tag motional data based on the tag readings is obtained during movement of the first radio frequency identification tag along a path having a arcuate component, and wherein the processing system compares tag motional data based on the tag readings taken during such movement with the arcuate component, with first tag motional information based on such movement with the arcuate component, and for radio frequency identification tags not exhibiting such tag motional data corresponding to movement having a arcuate component, determining that such radio frequency identification tags are extraneous.

13. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein tag motional data is obtained based on tag readings taken during movement of the first radio frequency identification tag in opposite directions, and wherein the processing system compares tag motional data based on tag readings taken during movement of the first radio frequency identification tag in such opposite directions, with first tag motional information representing such movement of the first radio frequency identification tag, and for radio frequency identification tags not exhibiting tag motional data corresponding to movement in such opposite directions, determining that such radio frequency identification tags are extraneous.

14. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein the tag motional data and the first tag motional information comprise motional rate values.

15. The radio frequency identification system of claim 14 wherein the tag motional data and the first tag motional information comprise velocity, acceleration, or jerk motional values.

16. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein the tag motional data and the first tag motional information comprise vector motional rate values.

17. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein the tag motional information and the first tag motional information comprise vector velocity, acceleration, or jerk values.

18. The radio frequency identification system of claim 7, wherein each of a plurality of subsets of first radio frequency identification tags is individually identified, the first radio frequency identification tags of the subsets, after identification, being assembled into a compact load for transport to a remote site.

19. The radio frequency identification system of claim 18, wherein the number of first radio frequency identification tags in each subset is known, such number being utilized to insure that the correct number of radio frequency identification tags has been identified for each respective subset.