The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 19, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 14, 2005
Wayne E. Shanks, Baltimore, MD (US);
Kevin J. Powell, Annapolis, MD (US);
William R. Bandy, Gambrills, MD (US);
Michael R. Arneson, Westminister, MD (US);
Wayne E. Shanks, Baltimore, MD (US);
Kevin J. Powell, Annapolis, MD (US);
William R. Bandy, Gambrills, MD (US);
Michael R. Arneson, Westminister, MD (US);
Symbol Technologies, Inc., Holtsville, NY (US);
Abstract
A method, system, and apparatus for interrogating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag population are described. Tags are interrogated by a reader. The reader and tags engage in communication according to communications algorithms, where data symbols are exchanged between the reader and tags. Furthermore, a reader implicitly controls the operating state of every tag in the tag population by transmitting a single data symbol. Bit patterns may be collected from the tags by the reader, using a variety of interrogation techniques. In a general interrogation, the reader exchanges symbols with the tag population to interrogate the entire tag population. In a specific interrogation, a reader exchanges symbols with the tag population to target a particular tag identification number. Tags may also be placed in a superposition state by the reader, where they respond whenever a received data symbol matches the next bit of their identification number.