Method and apparatus for synchronization of proximate RFID readers in a gaming environment
US7357299B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 12, 2004 |
| Grant date | Apr 15, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 12, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07F17/3239
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method for an improved player tracking in a gaming environment. Certain embodiments include a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) readers for detecting a response signal from an RFID tag, an RFID tag generating a response signal including identification data in response to an interrogation signal transmitted by one of the plurality of RFID readers, and a location manager controlling transmission by the plurality of RFID readers according to at least one collision-avoidance scheme. The collision-avoidance scheme may include one or more of the following schemes: localized RFID reader managers coordinating electrical operation of the plurality of RFID readers, an active RFID reader transmitting the interrogation signal and a plurality of passive RFID readers listening for the response signal, an RFID reader multiplexed through a plurality of antennas, TDMA, CDMA, and/or quasi-random synchronization for the RFID readers, for example.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.