US 2015/0084746 A1 · Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Facilitating the Reading of RFID Tags

Abstract

These teachings generally comprise interrogating RFID tags and receiving corresponding responses from various ones of these RFID tags while also receiving, from a remote source, surrogate response corresponding to at least some of the plurality of RFID tags that are not responding to the current interrogation. A corresponding plurality of end user-perceivable indications as correspond to both the responses from various ones of the plurality of RFID tags and the aforementioned surrogate responses are then provided to thereby ultimately inform an end user of the RFID tag reader with respect to a corresponding reading state as regards the plurality of RFID tags.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method to facilitate an end user reading a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags using an RFID tag reader, the method comprising:

interrogating en masse the plurality of RFID tags;
receiving corresponding responses from various ones of the plurality of RFID tags;
receiving from a remote source surrogate responses corresponding to at least some of the plurality of RFID tags that did not respond to the interrogation;
providing at the RFID tag reader a plurality of end user-perceivable indications corresponding to the responses from the various ones of the plurality of RFID tags and the surrogate responses to thereby inform an end user of the RFID tag reader with respect to a corresponding read state as regards the plurality of RFID tags.

1 more element

An apparatus to facilitate reading a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, the apparatus comprising:

an RFID tag reader configured to interrogate the plurality of RFID tags and to receive corresponding responses from various ones of the plurality of RFID tags;
a receiver configured to receive surrogate responses for non-responding RFID tags;
an annunciator configured to provide end user-perceivable indications;
a control circuit operably coupled to the annunciator and the receiver and configured to provide a plurality of end user-perceivable indications corresponding to the responses from the various ones of the plurality of RFID tags and the surrogate responses to thereby inform an end user of the apparatus with respect to a completeness level of the reading of the plurality of RFID tags.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Facilitating the Reading of RFID Tags

Life of this patent

Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Facilitating the Reading of RFID Tags

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17