A rotatable electric RFID reader and a control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a rotatable electric RFID reader and a control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of RFID reader application. The reader comprises a rotating support and a reader main body, the rotating support comprises a framework, a control board, a driving assembly and a gear assembly, the driving assembly comprises a vertical shaft stepping motor and a horizontal shaft stepping motor, the reader moves in the vertical direction through the vertical shaft stepping motor, the reader moves in the horizontal direction through the horizontal shaft stepping motor, and the control board is used for signal control of the movement of the rotating support. The application uses the electric rotating support, combines with the fixed reader to perform multi-angle radiation, expands the range of electromagnetic wave received by the reader, and thus improves the reading efficiency of a single device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of RFID reader application technology, and in particular to a rotatable electric RFID reader and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section are merely background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] With the continuous development of UHF RFID technology, the technical solutions for passive UHF RFID tags are becoming increasingly mature. UHF RFID technology consists of two parts: a reader and a tag. Passive UHF RFID tags use low-power chips and do not require an internal power supply. The tag is powered by its antenna receiving electromagnetic waves emitted by the reader and converting these waves into electrical energy to power the low-power chip. Once activated, the low-power chip transmits the information stored in it via an antenna carrier wave. The reader receives the electromagnetic waves and reconstructs the signal transmitted by the tag, thus enabling long-distance reading of the passive UHF RFID tag data.

[0004] This technology is currently being widely applied in various fields such as new retail, animal husbandry, warehouse access monitoring, and asset inventory. Since the tags do not require a power source, they can be fixed to object surfaces using methods such as adhesive, clips, or self-tapping screws, just like ordinary paper tags. Real-time inventory and location tracking of objects can be achieved by installing fixed readers in fixed positions.

[0005] Passive UHF RFID tags emit very low-power electromagnetic waves because they have no power source. Furthermore, to improve reading efficiency, both the antennas of passive UHF RFID tags and readers are directional. This means the electromagnetic wave radiation range is fixed in direction.

[0006] Because electromagnetic waves are directional, the emitted electromagnetic waves may not be received by the tag. The electromagnetic waves emitted by the tag are also difficult for the reader to capture. This results in a low tag reading rate, with some tags failing to be read due to angle or obstruction.

[0007] The currently common solution in the industry is the multi-channel solution. A multi-channel solution involves installing fixed directional reading antennas at multiple locations within a given space to achieve wider signal coverage, thereby increasing the read rate. However, multi-channel solutions are very expensive to install, and installing antennas at multiple points results in poor antenna-space integration and an unsightly appearance. Therefore, how to achieve wide-area coverage for single-channel readers has become a pressing issue that needs to be addressed in current technology. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader and its control method. By using an electrically powered rotating bracket in conjunction with a fixed reader for multi-angle radiation, the range of electromagnetic waves received by the reader is expanded, thereby improving the reading efficiency of a single device.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution:

[0010] The first aspect of this invention provides a rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader, including a rotating bracket and a reader body. The rotating bracket includes a frame, a control board, a drive assembly, and a gear assembly. The drive assembly includes a vertical axis stepper motor and a horizontal axis stepper motor. The gear assembly includes a screw gear and a bevel gear. The reader body is connected to the rotating bracket via a screw in the screw gear. One end of the bevel gear is connected to the vertical axis stepper motor, and the other end meshes with the screw gear in an umbrella shape. The reader achieves vertical movement via the vertical axis stepper motor and horizontal movement via the horizontal axis stepper motor. The control board is used to control the movement of the rotating bracket via signals, and the control board is connected to both the vertical axis stepper motor and the horizontal axis stepper motor.

[0011] Furthermore, the reader body is a UHF type RFID single-channel reader.

[0012] Furthermore, the screw gear includes a screw and a gear section, a bevel gear and a vertical axis stepper motor are connected and mounted together on the frame, and the gear section is connected to the frame through the bevel gear.

[0013] Furthermore, the back of the reader body is provided with mounting holes, which are connected to the screw of the screw gear.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure and a horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure. The vertical axis stepper motor is fixed to the front half of the frame through the vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure, and the horizontal axis stepper motor is fixed to the rear half of the frame through the horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a hoisting and fixing structure, which includes a hoisting part, a connecting rod and a base. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the hoisting part and the other end is connected to the base, which is fixed to the wall.

[0016] Furthermore, the hoisting part is cylindrical, with one end fixed to the connecting rod and the other end connected to the rotor of the horizontal axis stepper motor.

[0017] Furthermore, the rotating bracket can rotate 360 ​​degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically.

[0018] Furthermore, the control board is mounted on the frame, specifically between the horizontal axis stepper motor and the vertical axis stepper motor.

[0019] A second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader based on the first aspect, comprising the following steps:

[0020] Obtain RFID reader reading tasks and configure motion strategies for the control board according to the reading tasks;

[0021] When the RFID reader starts working, it sends a pulse signal to the control board.

[0022] The control board receives the pulse signal and controls the drive components according to the motion strategy.

[0023] The above one or more technical solutions have the following beneficial effects:

[0024] This invention discloses a rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader and its control method. By using an electrically powered rotating bracket in conjunction with a fixed reader, it can rotate in both vertical and horizontal directions, thereby expanding the radiation range of electromagnetic waves. The electrically powered rotating bracket can rotate 360 ​​degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically. Through the horizontal and vertical rotation of the bracket, the main lobe of the fixed antenna can radiate to all areas within the space. This improves the reading efficiency of a single device while reducing the number of devices and construction complexity within the space, resulting in a smaller number of devices used, a more aesthetically pleasing overall design, and lower costs.

[0025] Advantages of additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the rotating bracket of the electric RFID reader in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0028] The components are: 1. Reader body, 2. Screw gear, 3. Bevel gear, 4. Vertical axis stepper motor, 5. Vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure, 6. Frame, 7. Control board, 8. Horizontal axis stepper motor, 9. Horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure, 10. Lifting part, 11. Connecting rod. Detailed Implementation

[0029] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0030] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0031] Example 1:

[0032] Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a rotating bracket and a reader body 1. The rotating bracket includes a frame 6, a control board 7, a drive assembly, a gear assembly, a hoisting and fixing structure, a vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure 5, and a horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure 9. The drive assembly includes a vertical axis stepper motor 4 and a horizontal axis stepper motor 8. The gear assembly includes a screw gear 2 and a bevel gear 3. The reader body 1 achieves vertical movement via the vertical axis stepper motor 4 and horizontal movement via the horizontal axis stepper motor 8. The control board 7 is used to control the movement of the rotating bracket and is connected to both the vertical axis stepper motor 4 and the horizontal axis stepper motor 8.

[0033] In one specific embodiment, the reader body 1 is a UHF RFID single-channel reader. A mounting hole is located at the center of the back of the reader body 1, and this mounting hole connects to the screw of the screw gear 2. In this embodiment, the reader is cuboid in shape, with a length and width of 226mm and a height of 50mm. In addition to the mounting hole, its back also has a power port and an alarm interface, while its sides have a working indicator light, a reset hole, and a power indicator light. The rotating bracket allows the reader to rotate 360 ​​degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically, greatly increasing the radiation range and enabling whole-house coverage under certain conditions.

[0034] The reader body 1 is connected to the rotating bracket via a screw in the screw gear 2. The screw gear 2 includes a screw and a gear section. A bevel gear 3 and a vertical axis stepper motor 4 are connected and mounted together on the frame 6. The gear section is connected to the frame 6 via the bevel gear 3. Specifically, the bevel gear 3 consists of two parts: a bevel-shaped front end and a cylindrical rear end. One cylindrical end of the bevel gear 3 is connected to the vertical axis stepper motor, and the other bevel-shaped end meshes with the screw gear 2. The gear section of the screw gear 2 is perpendicular to the bevel gear 3. The teeth in the screw gear 2 also adopt a bevel-shaped design, realizing the meshing between the bevel gear 3 and the screw gear 2. This design can change the rotation direction of the vertical axis stepper motor 4 from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction.

[0035] The vertical axis stepper motor 4 is fixed to the front half of the frame 6 via the vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure 5, and the horizontal axis stepper motor 8 is fixed to the rear half of the frame 6 via the horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure 9. In this embodiment, both the vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure 5 and the horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure 9 are fixed to the frame 6 with bolts and are both provided with grooves. The vertical axis stepper motor 4 and the horizontal axis stepper motor 8 are respectively disposed in the grooves of the vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure 5 and the horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure 9. The purpose of the vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure and the horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure is to fix and protect the drive motor. The control board is mounted on the frame, specifically between the horizontal axis stepper motor and the vertical axis stepper motor, and is connected to the two motors through wires. The control board controls the start and stop of the horizontal axis stepper motor and the vertical axis stepper motor. In this embodiment, the control board mainly consists of five parts: a main control chip, a dual-channel H-bridge chip, a power supply line, an external communication line, and a stepper motor interface. The external communication line is mainly connected to the main control chip. After the external signal is transmitted to the main control chip through the external communication line, the main control chip controls the dual H-bridge chip, and finally controls the stepper motor through the stepper motor interface.

[0036] The hoisting and fixing structure includes a hoisting part 10, a connecting rod 11, and a base. One end of the connecting rod 11 is connected to the hoisting part 10, and the other end is connected to the base. The base is disc-shaped with through holes on its edge, through which it is fixed to the wall using expansion bolts or similar methods. The hoisting part 10 is cylindrical, with one end fixed to the connecting rod 11 and the other end connected to the rotor of the horizontal axis stepper motor 8. Since the hoisting part is fixed to the connecting rod, and the connecting rod is fixed to the wall after being connected to the base, when the horizontal axis stepper motor starts working, the rotor is fixed, thereby pushing the stator part to rotate in the opposite direction. The stator part is then fixed to the frame by the horizontal axis fixing device, so the frame is also driven to rotate horizontally.

[0037] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: The vertical axis stepper motor rotates horizontally, and the horizontal axis stepper motor rotates horizontally as well. When the vertical axis stepper motor starts rotating horizontally clockwise, it drives the bevel gear to rotate horizontally clockwise, which in turn drives the screw gear to swing upwards. This, in turn, causes the fixed RFID reader to swing upwards. When the vertical axis stepper motor starts rotating horizontally counterclockwise, it drives the bevel gear to rotate horizontally counterclockwise, which in turn drives the screw gear to swing downwards. This, in turn, causes the fixed RFID reader to swing downwards.

[0038] When the horizontal axis stepper motor begins to rotate clockwise, its rotor, connected to a fixed mounting structure, will cause the stator to rotate counter-clockwise, thus rotating the entire frame counter-clockwise. The frame, in turn, is connected to a fixed RFID reader via a vertical axis stepper motor, causing the reader to rotate counter-clockwise. Similarly, when the horizontal axis stepper motor begins to rotate counter-clockwise, it will cause the fixed RFID reader to rotate clockwise.

[0039] Example 2:

[0040] Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a control method for a rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader based on Embodiment 1, comprising the following steps:

[0041] Step 1: Obtain the RFID reader reading task and configure the motion strategy for the control board according to the reading task.

[0042] The configuration strategy is set individually based on the installation point. For example, at one location, the motorized rotating bracket can only rotate from 120 degrees horizontally to 240 degrees horizontally. At another location, the vertical angle doesn't need to change; only a 360-degree horizontal rotation is required. Therefore, the actual adjustment of the motorized rotating bracket's movement strategy is necessary depending on the installation location.

[0043] Step 2: When the RFID reader starts working, it sends a pulse signal to the control board.

[0044] Step 3: The control board receives the pulse signal and controls the drive components according to the motion strategy.

[0045] The steps and methods involved in the above embodiment two correspond to those in embodiment one. For specific implementation details, please refer to the relevant description section of embodiment one.

[0046] Those skilled in the art will understand that the modules or steps of the present invention described above can be implemented using general-purpose computer devices. Optionally, they can be implemented using computer-executable program code, thereby allowing them to be stored in a storage device for execution by a computer device, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. The present invention is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0047] While the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort based on the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader, characterized in that, The device includes a rotating bracket and a reader body. The rotating bracket comprises a frame, a control board, a drive assembly, and a gear assembly. It also includes a vertical axis stepper motor mounting structure and a horizontal axis stepper motor mounting structure. The vertical axis stepper motor is fixed to the frame via the vertical axis stepper motor mounting structure. Furthermore, it includes a hoisting and fixing structure. The drive assembly includes a vertical axis stepper motor and a horizontal axis stepper motor. The gear assembly includes a screw gear and a bevel gear. The screw gear includes a screw and a gear section. A mounting hole is provided on the back of the reader body, and the mounting hole is connected to the screw of the screw gear. One end of the bevel gear is connected to a vertical axis stepper motor, and the other end is umbrella-shaped and meshes with the gear part of the screw. The gear part of the screw gear is perpendicular to the bevel gear. The reader achieves vertical movement via a vertical axis stepper motor and horizontal movement via a horizontal axis stepper motor. The control board is used to control the movement of the rotating bracket via signals, and the control board is connected to both the vertical axis stepper motor and the horizontal axis stepper motor. The rotor of the horizontal axis stepper motor is fixedly connected to the hoisting and fixing structure, and the stator is fixedly connected to the frame through the horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure. When the vertical axis stepper motor starts rotating horizontally clockwise, it drives the bevel gear to rotate horizontally clockwise, which in turn drives the screw gear to swing upwards, which in turn drives the reader body to swing upwards. When the horizontal axis stepper motor starts rotating horizontally clockwise, it drives the stator to rotate counterclockwise, which in turn drives the entire frame to rotate counterclockwise, which in turn drives the reader body to rotate counterclockwise.

2. The rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reader body is a UHF type RFID single-channel reader.

3. The rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical axis stepper motor is fixed to the front half of the frame through a vertical axis stepper motor fixing structure, and the horizontal axis stepper motor is fixed to the rear half of the frame through a horizontal axis stepper motor fixing structure.

4. The rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The hoisting and fixing structure includes a hoisting part, a connecting rod, and a base. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the hoisting part, and the other end is connected to the base. The base is fixed to the wall.

5. The rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The hoisting part is cylindrical, with one end fixed to the connecting rod and the other end connected to the rotor of the horizontal axis stepper motor.

6. The rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating bracket can rotate 360 ​​degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically.

7. The rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The control board is mounted on the frame, specifically between the horizontal axis stepper motor and the vertical axis stepper motor.

8. A control method for a rotatable, electrically powered RFID reader according to any one of claims 1-7, comprising the following steps: Obtain RFID reader reading tasks and configure motion strategies for the control board according to the reading tasks; When the RFID reader starts working, it sends a pulse signal to the control board. The control board receives the pulse signal and controls the drive components according to the motion strategy.

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