Patent ID: 6563417
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: G06K,G06Q,H04W

Abstract:
An apparatus for identification and monitoring of, and obtaining data relating to, products moving along a distribution path, comprising:an RFID tag mountable to a product, or product carrier, a plurality of interrogators spaced apart along said distribution path, wherein each interrogator of said plurality of interrogators cooperates in RF communication with said RFID tag when said RFID tag is in proximity to said each interrogator along said distribution path, wherein said each interrogator interrogates said RFID tag during said RF communication so as to obtain unique data, unique to said RFID tag, wherein said each interrogator communicates said unique data to a central data base, a central database processor cooperating with said central database and communicating with said plurality of interrogators so as to obtain up-to-date data, including said unique data, from said RFID tag as said RFID tag progresses along said distribution path, distributed processors along said distribution path also in communication with said central database processor so that said distributed processors may obtain feedback information and data from said central database no matter where said RFID tag is along said distribution path so as to obtain up-to-date product status data from said up-to-date data including said unique data, wherein said plurality of interrogators include at least one choke point interrogator, wherein said at least one choke point interrogator interrogates for ID's of said RFID tag by means of time division multiplexing, and wherein frame sizes within said time division multiplexing are adjusted by an interrogator processor calculating, so as to optimize said frame sizes by an optimizing fame size adjustment of said frame sizes according to, a collision rate between responses from said RFID tag in response to said interrogation from said choke point interrogator and responses from other RFID tags within a choke point communication range of said choke point interrogator.