Encoded information reading system including RFID reading device having multiple antennas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10181063-B2
Application number	US-201615255391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2016
Priority date	Jan 16, 2012
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

An encoded information reading (EIR) system can comprise a microprocessor, a memory, and at least one RFID reading device, all communicatively coupled to a system bus. The EIR system can further comprise two or more external antennas electrically coupled to a multiplexing circuit. The multiplexing circuit can be configured to electrically couple each antenna to the RFID reading device by using a time division method or a frequency division method. The external antennas can be disposed according to a spatial pattern configured to provide a spatially continuous RFID signal reception within a pre-defined area or volume. The antennas can be configured to receive RFID signals from a plurality of RFID tags attached to a plurality of items and disposed within a radio frequency range of the antennas. The EIR system can be configured to store in its memory a plurality of responses received from the plurality of RFID tags.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader;
two or more antennas that are configured to receive RFID signals indicative of a plurality of responses from a plurality of RFID tags, respectively, disposed within a radio frequency range of the two or more antennas,
wherein a multiplexing circuit electrically couples each antenna of the two or more antennas to the RFID reader so that each antenna of the two or more antennas are configured to communicate with the RFID reader at the same time, and, using frequency division multiplexing, each of the two or more antennas, operating in the radio frequency range, transmit and receive RF signals simultaneously at different non-overlapping frequencies assigned by the multiplexing circuit,
wherein, during said reception of said RF signals, the multiplexing circuit is configured to shift a frequency of a first signal, from the plurality of RFID tags, received by an antenna of the two or more antennas before feeding the first signal into the RFID reader, and wherein, during said transmission of said RF signals, the multiplexing circuit is further configured to shift a frequency of a second signal to be transmitted to at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags by the RFID reader via an antenna of the two or more antennas before feeding the second signal to the transmitting antenna.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more antennas that are separated by a distance that exceeds an effecting RF signal reception range by each antenna so that the two or more antennas can transmit or receive two or more RF signals simultaneously without interference.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexing circuit comprises one or more hardware components.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexing circuit comprises one or more software components.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of responses received from the plurality of RFID tags include one of: a product code, an EPC code, an RFID tag identifier, and an alphanumeric string.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more antennas are mounted on one or more storage shelves.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more antennas are mounted on a vending machine.

8. The system of claim 1 , further configured to transmit to an external computer at least one message based on a plurality of responses received from the plurality of RFID tags.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a software module for processing data received from the plurality of RFID tags.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one antenna of the two or more external antennas is fabricated of a material having a composite right- and left-handed (CRLH) structure.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one antenna of the two or more external antennas is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB).

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one antenna of the two or more antennas is provided by at least one of: a patch cell array comprising one or more patch cells, a patch cell stack comprising two or more patch cells.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more antennas are disposed according to a spatial pattern configured to provide a spatially continuous RFID signal reception within an area.

14. A method comprising:
receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) signals, at two or more antennas, indicative of a plurality of responses from a plurality of RFID tags, respectively, disposed within a radio frequency range of the two or more antennas;
electrically coupling, by a multiplexing circuit, each antenna of the two or more antennas to an RFID reader so that each antenna of the two or more antennas are configured to communicate with the RFID reader at the same time, and, using frequency division multiplexing, each of the two or more antennas, operating in the radio frequency range, transmit and receive RF signals simultaneously at different non-overlapping frequencies assigned by the multiplexing circuit;
during said reception of said RF signals, shifting a frequency of a first signal, from the plurality of RFID tags, received by an antenna of the two or more antennas before feeding the first signal into the RFID reader; and
during said transmission of said RF signals, shifting a frequency of a second signal to be transmitted to at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags by the RFID reader via an antenna of the two or more antennas before feeding the second signal to the transmitting antenna.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the two or more antennas that are separated by a distance that exceeds an effecting RF signal reception range by each antenna so that the two or more antennas can.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein a plurality of responses received from the plurality of RFID tags include one of: a product code, an EPC code, an RFID tag identifier, and an alphanumeric string.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the two or more antennas are mounted on one or more storage shelves.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the two or more antennas are mounted on a vending machine.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising transmitting to an external computer at least one message based on a plurality of responses received from the plurality of RFID tags.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising processing data received from the plurality of RFID tags.

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Wang Ynjiun Paul
• Qu Huyu

Classifications

• G06K7/10356 Primary

  using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas · CPC title

• G06K19/07773

  Antenna details (antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22) · CPC title