Method and apparatus for selective deep scan using a motion sensor co-located with RFID reader
View Patent ↗A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader is disclosed that allows for selective deep scans of RFID tags. The RFID reader may include a motion detection sensor, a radio frequency transceiver configured to transmit RF energy at first and second frequencies, and a processor. The processor may perform the following steps: (1) when motion is detected by the sensor, commanding the transceiver to transmit RF energy at the first RFID profile; and (2) when motion has not been detect for a predetermined time period, commanding the transceiver to transmit RF energy at the second RFID profile. A method for using the RFID reader to perform selective deep scanning is also disclosed.
1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader comprising:
a motion detection sensor;
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver to transmit RF energy at a first and a second RFID profile; and
a processor connected to the motion detection sensor and the RF transceiver, the processor to:
when the motion detection sensor detects motion, instruct the transceiver to transmit the RF energy at the first RFID profile corresponding to a dynamic number of time slots in which an RFID tag can respond; and
when the motion detection sensor has not detected motion for a predetermined time period, instruct the transceiver to transmit the RF energy at the second RFID profile corresponding to a fixed number of time slots in which the RFID tag can respond.
2. The RFID reader of claim 1 , wherein the motion detection sensor includes at least one of an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, an infrared sensor, a sonar sensor, or a LIDAR sensor.
3. The RFID reader of claim 1 , wherein the second RFID profile is to cause a deep scan of a plurality of RFID tags.
4. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:
a controller connected to a plurality of RFID readers, respective RFID readers including:
a motion detection sensor;
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver to transmit RF energy at a first and a second RFID profile; and
a processor connected to the motion detection sensor and the RF transceiver, the processor to:
when the motion detection sensor detects motion, instruct the transceiver to transmit the RF energy at the first RFID profile corresponding to a dynamic number of time slots in which an RFID tag can respond; and
when the motion detection sensor has not detected motion for a predetermined time period, instruct the transceiver to transmit the RF energy at the second RFID profile corresponding to a fixed number of time slots in which the RFID tag can respond.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the motion detection sensor includes at least one of an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, an infrared sensor, a sonar sensor, or a LIDAR sensor.
6. The system of claim 4 further including a plurality of RFID tags, respective ones of the RFID tags to transmit data at a first time interval when the respective tag receives the RF energy at the first RFID profile, and at a second time interval when the respective tag receives the RF energy at the second RFID profile.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of RFID tags are to transmit data for the second time interval for a longer duration than the first interval.
8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the RF transceiver in the respective readers is to detect data signals from a plurality of RFID tags, the system further including a database operatively connected with the controller, the database to record a time when the data signals are received from respective tags in the plurality of RFID tags, data contained in the data signals from respective tags in the plurality of RFID tags.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data signals include an electronic product code (EPC).
10. The system of claim 8 wherein respective ones of the RFID tags are connected with an object, the system further including a point-sale-sale (POS) system that is to record sales information for the object in the database.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller includes a second processor to perform an inventory analysis of objects connected to the plurality of RFID tags.
12. A method for selectively inducing a deep scan in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system monitoring a space, the system including a controller connected to a plurality of RFID readers, wherein respective RFID readers include a motion detection sensor, and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver to transmit RF energy at a first and a second RFID profile, the method comprising:
when the motion detection sensor detects motion, instructing the transceiver to transmit the RF energy at the first RFID profile corresponding to a dynamic number of time slots in which an RFID tag can respond; and
when the motion detection sensor has not detected motion for a predetermined time period, instructing the transceiver to transmit the RF energy at the second RFID profile corresponding to a fixed number of time slots in which the RFID tag can respond.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the RF transceiver in respective readers is to detect data signals from a plurality of RFID tags, the method further including:
recording a time when the data signal is received from respective tags in the plurality of RFID tags; and
recording the data contained in the data signal from the respective tags in the plurality of RFID tags.
14. The method of claim 12 , further including performing an inventory analysis of objects connected with the plurality of RFID tags.