Deploying rfid readers in environments having a dense population of rfid tags

A method of deploying radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers in an installation site, the method comprising:

• selecting corner locations such that coverage volumes of RFID readers at the corner locations intersect walls forming corners at or above a first predetermined height based on an expected maximum height of RFID tags on fixtures along the walls;
• selecting perimeter locations such that coverage volumes of RFID readers at the perimeter locations intersect walls at the first predetermined height and intersect neighboring coverage volumes at or above a second predetermined height based on an expected maximum height of the RFID tags in the installation site;
• selecting interior locations such that coverage volumes of RFID readers at the interior locations intersect adjacent coverage volumes at or above the second predetermined height;
• installing the RFID readers at the corner locations, perimeter locations, and interior locations;
• and
• commissioning the RFID readers to locate RFID tags in the installation site based on signals from the RFID tags received by the RFID readers and actual locations of the RFID readers.

A method of locating radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers in an RFID environment containing a population of RFID tags, the method comprising:

• receiving floor plan information that describes an extent of physical space of the RFID environment;
• determining first locations within the physical space for a plurality of RFID readers, the first locations being distributed across the physical space in a first pattern;
• computing a first plurality of peak radio-frequency (RF) power levels at a plurality of locations of interest within the physical space, wherein the first plurality of peak RF power levels are based on RF fields emitted by the plurality of RFID readers and the first locations of the plurality of RFID readers and wherein each location of interest is a sub-region of the physical space that an RFID tag is expected to inhabit within the RFID environment;
• determining, for at least a first location of interest of the plurality of locations of interest, that a first peak RF power level of the first plurality of peak RF power levels for the first location of interest does not satisfy a link margin criterion, wherein the link margin criterion identifies a target power level that establishes communications between at least one RFID reader of the plurality of RFID readers and an RFID tag located at the first location of interest;
• in response to the first peak RF power level not satisfying the link margin criterion, determining second locations within the physical space for the plurality of RFID readers, the second locations being distributed across the physical space in a second pattern that has spacings between the RFID readers of the plurality of RFID readers that is less than spacings between the RFID readers for the first pattern;
• computing a second plurality of peak RF power levels at the plurality of locations of interest within the physical space, wherein the second plurality of peak RF power levels are based on the RF fields emitted by the plurality of RFID readers and the second locations of the plurality of RFID readers;
• determining, for at least the first location of interest or a second location of interest of the plurality of locations of interest, that a second peak RF power level of the second plurality of peak RF power levels for the first location of interest or the second location of interest satisfy the link margin criterion for the first location of interest or the second location of interest, wherein the first location of interest or the second location of interest is a location having a lowest peak RF power level of the second plurality of peak RF power levels;
• and
• in response to the second peak RF power level satisfying the link margin criterion, outputting the second locations as intended locations for installing the plurality of RFID readers.