Tag identification systems and methods

A method for emulating passive tags when communicating with readers of a passive-tag identification system, the readers configured to wirelessly transmit interrogation signals for interrogating passive tags within the passive-tag identification system, the passive tags configured to wirelessly transmit tag signals in response to the interrogation signals, the tag signals including tag identifiers for identifying the passive tags, the method comprising:

• receiving an interrogation signal from a reader of the passive-tag identification system via an active tag;
• identifying the reader at the active tag based on communication between the active tag and the reader;
• transmitting a tag signal from the active tag to the identified reader after a predefined delay from the receiving such that the identified reader receives the tag signal within an expected time window for receiving a response to the received interrogation signal;
• automatically determining a communication characteristic for the tag signal based on the identifying such that the tag signal emulates a transmission from a passive tag to the identified reader for responding to the received interrogation signal, wherein the communication characteristic pertains to a timing of the tag signal;
• and
• controlling the tag signal in accordance with the communication characteristic based on the determining thereby enabling the tag signal to be received by the identified reader.

An active tag for emulating passive tags when communicating with readers of a passive-tag identification system, the readers configured to wirelessly transmit interrogation signals for interrogating passive tags within the passive-tag identification system, the passive tags configured to wirelessly transmit tag signals in response to the interrogation signals, the active tag comprising:

• a communication module for communicating with the readers, the communication module configured to receive at least one interrogation signal from a reader of the passive-tag identification system;
• a power supply for powering components of the active tag;
• and
• logic configured to identify the reader based on the received at least one interrogation signal, the logic configured to wirelessly transmit a tag signal via the communication module in response to the received at least one interrogation signal, the logic configured to determine a delay for responding to the received at least one interrogation signal based on identification of the reader by the tag, the logic further configured to control a timing of transmission of the tag signal based on the delay such that the identified reader receives the tag signal within an expected time window for receiving a response to the received at least one interrogation signal thereby emulating a transmission from a passive tag to the identified reader.

A method for emulating passive tags when communicating with readers of a passive-tag identification system, the readers configured to wirelessly transmit interrogation signals for interrogating passive tags within the passive-tag identification system, the passive tags configured to wirelessly transmit tag signals in response to the interrogation signals, the method comprising:

• receiving at least one interrogation signal from a reader of the passive-tag identification system via an active tag;
• transmitting a tag signal from the active tag to the reader in response to the received at least one interrogation signal;
• identifying the reader at the active tag based on the received at least one interrogation signal;
• automatically determining at the active tag a delay for responding to the received at least one interrogation signal based on the identifying;
• and
• controlling a timing of the transmitting at the active tag based on the delay such that the identified reader receives the tag signal within an expected time window for receiving a response to the received at least one interrogation signal thereby enabling the tag signal to be received by the identified reader.