US 8,138,891 B2Granted

RFID network control and redundancy

AssigneeSensormatic Electronics Corporation

InventorsRichard John Campero, Steven James Raynesford, Craig Evan Trivelpiece, Steve Edward Trivelpiece

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In accordance with the preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments of the invention, RFID network control devices (RNCDs) are provided wherein RFID traffic signals from any one of multiple RFID readers may be routed to any of the RFID antennas coupled to the RNCD. Each reader coupled directly or indirectly to the RNCD, either through its own action or the action of the external host controller managing the reader, may issue commands to the RNCD, over the same cable used to carry RFID traffic signals, and cause the RNCD to set its internal switch configuration such that a channel is established for RFID traffic signals between that reader and a particular RFID antenna coupled to the RNCD. This may include commands from the reader or external host controller which place other intervening RNCD units in a bypass state so as to establish the required communications channel with a minimum of signal strength loss.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device that couples to RFID antennas and a host system and allows bidirectional communications between RFID tags disposed in a vicinity of the RFID antennas and the host system comprising:

a plurality of RFID antenna ports each adapted to direct RFID traffic signals to and from one or more of the RFID antennas in order to establish a transmission path with one of more of the RFID tags, wherein the RFID traffic signals include a radio frequency carrier signal having RFID traffic information modulated thereon;
at least two switchable, configurable and bidirectional control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of at least some of the RFID traffic signals through the respective control port, to be switched to a command configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of RFID command signals through the respective control port, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information;
a switch network configurable to connect any one of said at least two control ports to any one of said plurality of RFID antenna ports of said RFID network control device in order to allow for transmission of specific RFID traffic signals therebetween;
and
a control unit adapted to receive the RFID command signals and to configure and control any of the at least two control ports and the switch network based upon the RFID command information decoded from the received RFID command signals, the control unit thereby adapted to direct various ones of the RFID traffic signals among the at least two control ports and the plurality of RFID antenna ports.

2 more elements

A radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device that couples to RFID antennas and allows communication with RFID tags disposed in a vicinity of the RFID antennas comprising:

a plurality of RFID antenna ports adapted to communicate RFID traffic signals to and from one or more of the RFID antennas in order to establish communication with one of more of the RFID tags, wherein the RFID traffic signals include a radio frequency carrier signal having RFID traffic information modulated thereon;
at least two switchable, configurable and bidirectional control ports, each of said at least two control ports configurable to be switched to a configuration that allows for bidirectional communication of at least some of the RFID traffic signals to and from the plurality of RFID ports, and to receive and transmit RFID command signals, wherein the RFID command signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon, the RFID command information being different from the RFID traffic information, and to be switched to a bypass configuration that allows direct transmission of certain ones of the RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device;
a switch network configurable to connect any one of said at least two control ports to any one of said plurality of RFID antenna ports of said RFID network control device in order to allow for transmission of specific RFID traffic signals therebetween;
a control unit adapted to receive the RFID command signals and configure the at least two control ports and the switch network to direct various ones of the RFID traffic signals among the at least two control ports and the plurality of RFID antenna ports based upon the RFID command information decoded from the received RFID command signals;
and
an RFID reader coupled to at least one of the at least two control ports and adapted to generate and decode at least some of the RFID traffic signals and to generate and decode at least some of the RFID command signals, wherein the RFID reader is disposed in proximity to the plurality of RFID antenna ports, the at least two control ports, the switch network, and the control unit.

3 more elements

A method of using a radio frequency identification (RFID) network control device that couples to RFID antennas through a plurality of RFID antenna ports and a host system and allows bidirectional communications between RFID tags disposed in a vicinity of the RFID antennas and the host system comprising the steps of:

configuring a control unit of the RFID network control device, through one of a plurality of at least two switchable, configurable and bidirectional control ports that are included in the RFID network control device to connect any one of said at least two control ports to any one of said plurality of RFID antenna ports in order to allow for transmission of specified RFID traffic signals therebetween, using RFID command signals that include a radio frequency carrier signal having RFID command information modulated thereon;
configuring, using the control unit, the at least two control ports and a switch network that is included in the RFID network control device, wherein the configuring using the control unit includes establishing a bypass configuration that that allows direct transmission of certain RFID traffic signals input to one of the at least two control ports to another one of the at least two control ports for output of the certain ones of the RFID traffic signals from the another one of the at least two control ports, thereby providing for a bypass transmission path through the RFID network control device;
and
establishing RFID traffic signals between the plurality of RFID antenna ports that are included in the RFID network control device and that are each adapted to direct selected RFID traffic signals to and from one or more of the plurality of the RFID antennas in order to establish a transmission path with one of more of the RFID tags and the host, wherein the RFID traffic signals include the radio frequency carrier signal having RFID traffic information modulated thereon, the RFID traffic information being different than the RFID control information.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/341,894Filed 22 Dec 2008 · continuation in part
Priority: 7 Mar 2006
Published: US 2009/0168753 A12 Jul 2009
Granted: 20 Mar 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G01S 13/825
Wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted: with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
H04L 49/30
Packet switching elements: peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
G01S
Radio direction-finding
H04L
Digital communication

Family

Application11/370,530Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Mar 2006
Application61/016,413Us provisional application · filed 21 Dec 2007
US 2009/0168753 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Jul 2009
US 2007/0211689 A1Published application
US 8,497,762 B2Related patent
US 8,138,891 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.