Patent · US Active

Systems and methods for reading RFID tags

US12086674B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
3References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 15, 2021
Grant dateSep 10, 2024
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 22, 2042

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K7/10297
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An RFID system comprises an array of antennas each configured to emit a plurality of beams in different directions. The beams of each pair of adjacent antennas are directed towards one another and overlap. A pair of adjacent antennas transmits simultaneously and the overlapping beams interfere to create an interference pattern. An RFID reader controls the relative phase and/or frequency of the beams to move the interference pattern to read an RFID tag within the moving pattern. As the chance of a RFID tag responding to an emitted beam generally increases with signal strength of the reader beam an area of constructive interference means that RFID tags in that region are more likely to respond to the signal. The system can cover a large proportion of the area below ceiling-mounted antennas, where cover generally means that RFID tags in that area will be successfully read.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.