# US 2014/0197929 A1 · Wearable rfid system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197929 A1 - Document ID: US20140197929A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/217,850 - Filed: 2014-03-18 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2009-04-22 - Assignees: Franwell, Inc. - Applicants: Franwell, Inc. - Inventors: Dilek Dagdelen Uysal; Ahmet Erdem Altunbas; Jeffrey Lane Wells - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197929A1 ## CPC - G06K 7/10009: {sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves} - G06K 7/0008: {General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer} - G06K 7/10079: {the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions} - G06K 7/10128: {the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device} - G06K 7/10396: {the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring (wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27)} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract Apparatus and methods are provided for automatically interrogating a tagged object using radio frequency identification (RFID) when the object is moved. In one embodiment, a worker is outfitted with a wearable RFID system including an RF antenna, an RFID reader, and a holder to hold the antenna and reader during operation. The system is worn by the worker while the worker moves objects from one place to another. When the worker moves an object with an attached RFID tag, the antenna automatically begins scanning for signals from the object's RFID tag. When a RF signal is received by the antenna, the RFID reader collects the signal and transmits it to a host system which processes the signal to obtain information related to the object to which the RFID tag is attached. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising: an RFID reader; a transmitting antenna capable of transmitting an interrogating radio frequency (RF) signal when driven by the RFID reader; a sensor, wherein the sensor senses a change in a physical environment and generates sensor information; an event recognition module, wherein the event recognition module processes the sensor information to recognize a triggering event, wherein when the event recognition module recognizes the triggering event, a trigger event message is transmitted to the RFID reader, wherein upon receipt of the trigger event message the RFID reader drives the transmitting antenna to transmit the interrogating RF signal, wherein upon incidence of the interrogating RF signal on an RFID tag, a response RF signal is produced; and a receiving antenna, wherein the receiving antenna receives the response RF signal, wherein the RFID reader receives the response RF signal from the receiving antenna. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna is the receiving antenna. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the event recognition module transmits the trigger event message to the RFID reader via a wireless or a wired interface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the event recognition module transmits the trigger event message to the RFID reader via a backplane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the event recognition module also processes the sensor information to recognize an application event, wherein when the event recognition module recognizes the application event, an application event message is transmitted to the RFID reader, wherein upon receipt of the application event message the RFID reader causes an adjustment of at least one system setting. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one system setting comprises a power output level used to drive the transmitting antenna. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one system setting comprises a band used to transmit the interrogating RF signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a user input interface and the triggering event comprises receiving certain input via the user input interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the certain input comprises actuation of a control on the user input interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the certain input comprises a voice command. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the change in the physical environment is selected from a group consisting of: a change in temperature; a change in humidity; a change in lighting; a change in acidity; a change in proximity of an object to a part of the system; a movement of an object; and a movement of a user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is removeably attached to a user and the triggering event comprises a movement of the sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer and the triggering event comprises an acceleration of the sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises a gyroscope and the triggering event comprises a change in orientation of the sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the event recognition module comprises a movement pattern recognition module that processes the sensor information to recognize a movement pattern of the user indicative of the user moving an object, wherein when the movement pattern recognition module recognizes the movement pattern of the user indicative of the user moving the object, the trigger event message is transmitted to the RFID reader. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the movement pattern is determined during a training period wherein the movement pattern is indicated by a human being, and the movement pattern is recognized by comparing the movement of the sensor to the movement pattern. ### Claim 17 A method of identifying an object when the object is moved by a user, comprising: providing a host system comprising a processing unit and a memory; driving a transmitting antenna to transmit an interrogating RF signal, wherein upon incidence of the interrogating RF signal on an RFID tag attached to an object, a response RF signal is produced, wherein the response RF signal is encoded with signal information; positioning an RFID system on a user, wherein the RFID system comprises: a receiving antenna that receives the response RF signal; and an RFID reader that receives the response RF signal from the receiving antenna and transmits the response RF signal to the host system; and having the user move the object, wherein the transmitting antenna is driven to transmit the interrogating RF signal automatically, and independent of any additional intentional movement by the user, when the user moves the object, wherein the host system receives the response RF signal, the processing unit decodes the response RF signal to obtain the signal information, and the host system identifies the object in the memory based on the signal information obtained from the response RF signal. ### Claim 18 One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of interrogating an RFID tag, the method comprising: determining that a triggering event has occurred; driving a transmitting antenna to transmit an interrogating RF signal, wherein upon incidence of the interrogating RF signal on an RFID tag, a response RF signal is produced; and receiving via a receiving antenna the response RF signal. ### Claim 19 A method of interrogating one or more RFID tags, comprising: driving a transmitting antenna at a first power level to transmit a first interrogating RF signal, wherein upon incidence of the first interrogating RF signal on zero or more of a set of RFID tags, a corresponding zero or more first response RF signals are produced; receiving at least zero of the zero or more first response RF signals via a receiving RF antenna within a certain time period; choosing a second power level to be used to drive the transmitting antenna based on the at least zero of the zero or more first response RF signals received within the certain time period; driving the transmitting antenna at the second power level to transmit a second interrogating RF signal, wherein upon incidence of the second interrogating RF signal on one or more of the set of RFID tags, a corresponding one or more second response RF signals are produced; and receiving at least one of the one or more second response RF signals via the receiving RF antenna. ### Claim 20 A method of interrogating a plurality of RFID tags, comprising: transmitting a first interrogating RF signal, wherein upon incidence of the first interrogating RF signal on a first RFID tag, a first response RF signal is produced; receiving the first response RF signal, wherein the first response RF signal is encoded with first signal information; transmitting a second interrogating RF signal, wherein upon incidence of the second interrogating RF signal on a second RFID tag, a second response RF signal is produced; receiving the second response RF signal, wherein the second response RF signal is encoded with second signal information; determining that the first response RF signal and the second response RF signal were received within a certain time period of each other; associating the first signal information with the second signal information.