Intelligent station using multiple RF antennae and inventory control system and method incorporating same

An intelligent station system that tracks RFID tags comprising:

• a reader unit that transmits and receives RF signals;
• a first intelligent station that comprises:
• a first RF antenna connected to the reader unit by a first transmission cable through a first switch;
• and one or more additional RF antennae connected to the reader unit by the same first transmission cable through respective one or more additional switches;
• and
• a control unit that is operatively connected to the reader unit and to the first and one or more additional switches, wherein the control unit generates a control signal that selectively operates the first and one or more additional switches;
• wherein the first intelligent station further comprises a self-test RFID tag within range of each of the RF antennae;
• each intelligent station comprises at least one self-test RFID tag within range of each RF antenna, and an RF antenna during a testing step detects the self-test RFID tags within adjacent RF antennae and thus determines which other RF antennae or which other intelligent stations are adjacent;
• and wherein the adjacency information is used to determine which other RF antennae are to be detuned when an RF antenna is selected for reading.

A method of inventory control for items tagged with RFID tags, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing one or more reader units and one or more intelligent stations each of which is connected to at least one reader unit, each of the intelligent stations tracks RFID tags to determine item information of items to be inventoried, each intelligent station comprising:
• a first RF antenna connected to the reader unit by a first transmission cable through a first switch;
• and one or more additional RF antennae connected to the reader unit by the same first transmission cable through one or more additional switches, respectively;
• determining item information of items to be inventoried by selectively energizing the first and one or more additional RF antennae of each of the intelligent stations to determine item information of items that are located on the respective intelligent stations;
• and
• processing the determined item information to update inventory information of the items to be inventoried;
• wherein the step of providing one or more intelligent stations further comprises, for each intelligent station, providing a second transmission cable that connects the reader unit to the first and one or more additional RF antennae through first and one or more additional switches, respectively, wherein the reader unit transmits an unmodulated RF signal to the first and one or more additional RF antennae through the second transmission cable, and transmits a modulated RF signal to the first and one or more additional RF antennae through the first transmission cable;
• and
• wherein the step of providing one or more intelligent stations comprises, for each intelligent station, configuring the first and one or more additional switches to operate in one of only three states, a first state that only transmits a modulated RF signal to a respective one of the first or one or more additional RF antennae, a second state that only transmits an unmodulated RF signal to the one of the respective first or one or more additional RF antennae, and a third state such that both the modulated RF signal and the unmodulated RF signal bypass the respective one of the first or one or more additional RF antennae.

A method of inventory control for items tagged with RFID tags, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing one or more reader units and one or more intelligent stations each of which is connected to at least one reader unit, each of the intelligent stations tracks RFID tags to determine item information of items to be inventoried, each intelligent station comprising:
• a first RF antenna connected to the reader unit by a first transmission cable through a first switch;
• and one or more additional RF antennae connected to the reader unit by the same first transmission cable through one or more additional switches, respectively;
• determining item information of items to be inventoried by selectively energizing the first and one or more additional RF antennae of each of the intelligent stations to determine item information of items that are located on the respective intelligent stations;
• and processing the determined item information to update inventory information of the items to be inventoried;
• and
• for each reader unit, determining optimal RF power to be provided to read RF antennae connected to that reader unit;
• storing the determined optimal RF power for each reader unit in a data storage means;
• and using the stored optimal RF power for a reader unit when selectively energizing the RF antennae connected to that reader unit to determine item information of items located on the intelligent stations connected to that reader unit;
• wherein the data storage means comprise a look-up table.

An intelligent shelf system that tracks RFID tags comprising:

• a reader unit that transmits and receives RF signals;
• and a first intelligent station that comprises:
• a first RF antenna connected to the reader unit by a first transmission cable through a first switch;
• and one or more additional RF antennae connected to the reader unit by the same first transmission cable through respective one or more additional switches, wherein the intelligent station is arranged on a circular rack;
• wherein two RF antennae are orthogonally disposed in two vertical planes within the center of the circular rack.

An intelligent shelf system that tracks RFID tags comprising:

• a reader unit that transmits and receives RF signals;
• and a first intelligent station that comprises:
• a first RF antenna connected to the reader unit by a first transmission cable through a first switch;
• and one or more additional RF antennae connected to the reader unit by the same first transmission cable through respective one or more additional switches, wherein the intelligent station is arranged on a circular rack;
• wherein the RF antennae are designed as hangers and are arranged or provided on different portions of the circular rack.