RFID wireless scanning system for non-RFID mobile devices, and related operating methods
A wireless scanning system for obtaining data related to items includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to interrogate RFID tags and obtain tag data from interrogated RFID tags, and a mobile wireless device that is incapable of interrogating RFID tags. The system uses a device RFID tag in close proximity to the mobile wireless device, where the device RFID tag is configured to convey data that identifies the mobile wireless device when interrogated by the RFID reader. When the mobile wireless device is within close proximity to an item of interest having a corresponding item RFID tag, the RFID reader interrogates the device RFID tag and the item RFID tag. Thereafter, the RFID reader routes the item tag data in a manner destined for the mobile wireless device. This system enables the mobile wireless device to obtain the item tag data even though the mobile wireless device has no native RFID reader capabilities.
1. A wireless scanning system, comprising:
a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to interrogate RFID tags and obtain tag data from interrogated RFID tags;
a mobile wireless device configured to transmit an interrogation request to the RFID reader;
a device RFID tag coupled to the mobile wireless device, the device RFID tag configured to convey data that identifies the mobile wireless device when the device RFID tag is interrogated by the RFID reader; and
a plurality of item RFID tags each of which is coupled to an associated item of interest, wherein in response to the interrogation request the plurality of item RFID tags within a scan range of the mobile wireless device are interrogated by the RFID reader to obtain data for the associated item of interest, and
wherein information from a selected one of the plurality of item RFID tags within the scan range is sent to the mobile wireless device based on one of a predefined criterion and a user selection.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device RFID tag is coupled to the mobile wireless scanner device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile wireless device is configured to scan items using a non-RFID scanning technique.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an item RFID tag corresponding to an item of interest, wherein the RFID reader is configured to:
interrogate the item RFID tag and the device RFID tag to obtain respective item tag data and device tag data; and
route at least a portion of the item tag data to the mobile wireless device using the device tag data.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the RFID reader is configured to wirelessly transmit the at least a portion of the item tag data directly to the mobile wireless device.
6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a wireless access device coupled to the RFID reader, wherein:
the RFID reader is configured to route the at least a portion of the item tag data to the wireless access device; and
the wireless access device is configured to wirelessly transmit the at least a portion of the item tag data directly to the mobile wireless device.
7. A wireless scanning method, comprising:
transmitting an interrogation request to an RFID reader from a mobile wireless device having a device RFID tag;
generating a radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogation signal to interrogate RFID tags within an interrogation range in response to the interrogation request;
conveying, in response to the RFID interrogation signal, data that identifies the mobile wireless device when the device RFID tag is interrogated by the RFID reader;
interrogating, by the RFID reader, a plurality of item RFID tags each of which is coupled to an associated item of interest wherein in response to the interrogation request the plurality of item RFID tags within a scan range of the mobile wireless device are interrogated by the RFID reader to obtain data for the associated item of interest, and
sending information from a selected one of the plurality of item RFID tags within the scan range to the mobile wireless device based on one of a predefined criterion and a user selection.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting a wireless signal to the mobile wireless device, the wireless signal conveying the item tag data.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the generating, conveying, interrogating, sending, and transmitting the wireless signal steps are performed by an RFID reader; and
the transmitting the wireless signal step comprises transmitting the wireless signal directly from the RFID reader to the mobile wireless device.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving the wireless signal at the mobile wireless device;
the mobile wireless device extracting the item tag data from the wireless signal; and
the mobile wireless device processing the item tag data.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising routing at least one data packet to a wireless access device, the at least one data packet conveying the item tag data.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting a wireless signal from the wireless access device to the mobile wireless device, the wireless signal conveying the item tag data.
13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining a distance between the mobile wireless device and the item of interest, wherein generating the RFID interrogation signal is performed when the distance is less than a threshold distance.
14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining a distance between the device RFID tag and the item RFID tag, wherein generating the RFID interrogation signal is performed when the distance is less than a threshold distance.