Eastman-kodak Company

Abhishek Sharma

Mark P Hinman

Edward Zogg

Donald Saul Rimai

A classification of a container is identified using a mobile station including an image capture device and an RFID reader having a reader antenna. The container has two RFID tags affixed thereto at respective, different locations. Each tag has a directional antenna steered in a different direction, so that a reader location is defined in the intersection of the antenna propagation patterns. Using the image capture device, one or more images of the container are captured. A controller determines, using the captured image data, whether the mobile station is in a candidate reader location. When the mobile station is in the candidate reader location, the RFID reader attempts to read both tags. If both tags are read while the mobile station is in the candidate reader location, the controller determines the classification of the container is a classification corresponding to the candidate reader location.

Container-classification identification using directional-antenna RFID

A method of reading an RFID tag using an RFID reader includes providing an RF-blocking enclosure having a port. The RFID reader has an antenna located within the enclosure. The enclosure is positioned so that the port is adjacent to a conductive surface and the RFID tag is within the enclosure. The RFID reader is activated at a selected read power level to read the tag in the enclosure.

Reading RFID tag using antenna within enclosure

An active RFID tag has an antenna inside RF-blocking enclosure having a port with a selected shortest dimension. An RFID reader located outside the enclosure at a reader position transmits a downlink RF signal through the port as a directional RF signal on a downlink carrier frequency corresponding to a downlink wavelength smaller than the selected shortest dimension. The port is selectively configured so that the directional downlink RF signal can pass through the port in an access mode during a selected access time interval and are attenuated by at least 60 dB in a restricted mode during a selected restricted time interval that does not overlap with the access time interval.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Abhishek Sharma