Wireless electric field communication interception device for consumer use, system comprising said device and method of use thereof

Abstract

The present invention introduces consumer-used or consumer-based devices that, in its original or regular state or configuration, are unable to intercept and decode / decode radio frequency (RF) signals, but may intercept RF signals from one or more excited / interrogated radio frequency identification (RFID) tags after improvement according to the present invention, systems comprising the apparatus and methods of using the same are also presented. In some embodiments, the device is improved to include a software controller that limits the function of the antenna to only receive and that can modulate and define intercepted RF signals generated by the interrogated RFID tag. In some embodiments, the software controller modulates the filtering of the receiver to collect target frequencies and perform data communications.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related patent applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of the following co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Applications: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 337,907 filed on May 3, 2022; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 382,319 filed on November 4, 2022; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 479,477 filed on January 11, 2023. The disclosures of each of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Various aspects of the disclosed subject matter generally relate to the field of consumer-based or consumer-used handheld mobile devices, and more specifically to consumer-based or consumer-used handheld mobile devices capable of intercepting and deciphering or decoding radio frequency signals or communications containing electronic product codes (EPCs) and / or other product / item-specific data. Background Art

[0004] Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are increasingly being used to provide item-level or product-specific data. This data includes electronic product codes (EPCs), tracking and tracing, inventory management, sustainability data (origin or raw materials, sustainable manufacturing processes, etc.), brand authentication / anti-counterfeiting, theft prevention, etc. Typically, users can obtain this information by scanning the RFID tag with an appropriate handheld and / or fixed reader. RFID tags can contain additional digital triggers that can direct or redirect users to visit a website or other resource to obtain product-specific information.

[0005] Currently, consumer use of this data typically involves scanning a QR code and then being directed to the retail brand owner's website to obtain product-specific information. This is because while conventional consumer-used or consumer-based mobile devices (such as cell phones, tablets and smart watches) are able to read certain digital triggers (such as QR codes), they cannot directly read RFID tags.

[0006] What is needed is a consumer-used or consumer-based device that can intercept radio frequency (RF) signals from RFID tags on products to obtain EPC or other product data and correlate that data with known product data to obtain different types of information about the product.

[0007] What is needed is a consumer-used or consumer-based device that can intercept radio frequency (RF) signals from RFID tags on products to obtain EPC or other product data and correlate that data with known product data to obtain different types of information about the product without requiring expensive and / or complex hardware.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a consumer-used or consumer-based device that can intercept radio frequency (RF) signals from RFID tags on products to obtain EPC or other product data and associate these data with known product data to obtain different types of information about the product.

[0009] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a consumer-used or consumer-based device that is capable of intercepting radio frequency (RF) signals from RFID tags on products to obtain EPC or other product data and associate these data with known product data to obtain different types of information about the product without the need for expensive and / or complex hardware.

[0010] Various aspects of the disclosed subject matter address the above-noted and other deficiencies of conventional consumer-use or consumer-based device implementations, providing a solution that provides the above-noted functionality without requiring expensive or complex hardware components or difficult modifications. Summary of the invention

[0011] The following is a brief summary of the invention of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of certain aspects of the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention. The present summary is not a comprehensive overview of the present disclosure. Its purpose is neither to identify the key or important elements of the disclosed embodiments nor to delineate the scope of these embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosed subject matter in a concise form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0012] The present invention introduces consumer-used or consumer-based devices, particularly mobile devices, which are unable to intercept and decipher / decode radio frequency (RF) signals in their original or conventional state or configuration, but can intercept RF signals from one or more excited / interrogated RFID tags after being improved according to the present invention, and the present invention also introduces systems including the devices and methods of using the same. In some embodiments, the devices are consumer-used or consumer-based handheld devices or headphones, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, smart watches, other mobile or wearable smart devices, etc. In other embodiments, the devices are fixed devices, such as devices permanently attached or resident on a surface (such as a retail point of sale or other appropriate location). Therefore, for purposes of this disclosure, it should be understood that the term "consumer-used or consumer-based device" (or simply "consumer device" or "device") as the context requires) is intended to cover any of the foregoing devices used or operated by a consumer, and is therefore intended to include familiar products such as handheld devices, headsets, and wearable electronic devices, such as cellular, satellite or other mobile phones, tablets or laptop computers, personal digital assistants, smart watches or other mobile or wearable smart devices, or any fixed device affixed to, integrated with, residing on, or used in conjunction with a surface, kiosk, control panel, or other structure (such as at a retail point of sale or other appropriate location where interrogation of RFID tags may be practical), or any electronic component embodied in or including any of the foregoing devices, either independently or in combination.

[0013] In some embodiments, the device can be modified to include a software controller. In some embodiments, the software controller modulates or controls (e.g., limits) the function of the antenna so that the antenna has only a receiving function and deciphers and decodes the intercepted RF signal generated by the interrogated RFID tag. This component is Figure 2 By modifying the functionality of the mobile device to receive only, the signal emitted by an RFID tag (such as an RFID UHF Gen2 tag) that is currently excited / interrogated by an RFID activator / reader will transmit a signal that can be received and deciphered / decoded by the mobile (or fixed) consumer device.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the software controller modulates the filtering of the receiver to collect the target frequency and communicate the data. Exemplary types of data that may be transmitted include or relate to, but are not limited to, electronic product codes (EPCs), other product data, brand authentication / anti-counterfeiting data, anti-theft alarms / notifications, etc. Once the data is collected, the device deciphers / decodes the data into the data transmitted by the RFID tag. The data may be stored on the device itself, on a local device (e.g., a laptop, desktop, tablet, etc.), at a retail location, or other suitable location, or in the cloud or another accessible data repository (e.g., the Connected Products Cloud), such as atma.io provided by Avery Dennison.

[0015] In some embodiments, software within a (mobile or fixed) device identifies modulation of a signal (e.g., an EPC signal) between an RF transponder and an exciter / reader. This software may identify the modulation it is looking for and exclude other signal modulations and other RF signals that exceed defined thresholds, which may include but are not limited to signal strength, frequency, and modulation. In some embodiments, the software is designed as described above, and the software may further include machine learning to adapt to the environment and modify thresholds to improve performance and efficiency. In some embodiments, the software is designed as described above, and the software utilizes cloud data to support threshold setting. In some embodiments, the software is designed as described above, and the software may modify the behavior of the receiving antenna.

[0016] In some embodiments, software within a (mobile or fixed) device identifies a signal (e.g., an EPC signal) as a BLE signal sent by an activator / reader. The activator / reader receives the EPC from the transponder (RFID tag) and broadcasts the EPC as a BLE signal. The software within the device receives the BLE signal. Once the data is collected, the device uses local or cloud data to display additional metadata. The metadata may be stored on the device itself, on a local device (e.g., a laptop, desktop, tablet, etc.), at a retail location, or other suitable location, or in the cloud or another accessible data repository (e.g., the Connected Products Cloud), such as atma.io provided by Avery Dennison. Other signal types may also be used, including but not limited to UHF Gen2, BLE, WiFi, and / or UWB. In another embodiment, the signal type is collected as it is transmitted between the activator and the transponder, wherein the activator operates under the same signal type. In some embodiments, a second signal type is used when a consumer purchases an item at a point of sale (POS).

[0017] In some embodiments, the device equipped with software and / or hardware measures at least RF noise, the number of RFID tags in the reading space and / or the user's personal preferences (including the above conditions). In some embodiments, the device can communicate with a close-range RF exciter (reader) through a known or standard data communication protocol (such as Bluetooth, WiFi, WAN, IR or other known methods) to convey environmental conditions or setting suggestions to the exciter / reader. As a result, the exciter / reader receives setting suggestions and / or environmental condition communications and modifies the settings in the reader to compensate for the environment. To cope with environmental conditions (including but not limited to RF noise), such settings may be power levels, Gen2 reader modes, sessions, EPC tag filtering, Gen2 A and B tag state management, or other known RF reader device settings. In other embodiments, the reader reads the unique ID of the RFID tag via RF and broadcasts the unique ID via Bluetooth / BLE. In some embodiments, the device is a conventional mobile phone, which includes components for intercepting RF signals and Bluetooth / BLE components.

[0018] The present invention also describes a system including the devices described herein and using the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the system includes an RFID reader or activator for initiating communication with an RFID transponder. The reader / activator sends an RF communication / signal to the transponder / tag, and the transponder / tag backscatters the return signal along the communication path. The mobile device has an adjustable receiver tuned by a software controller, and the adjustable receiver can intercept communications along its path.

[0019] The RFID reader can be any RFID reader known in the art, including but not limited to fixed readers (such as overhead readers, smart racks, etc.) or mobile readers (such as handheld readers). The RFID reader can also be a low-cost device (such as an exciter) that is used to initiate signal interactions along the path, but does not perform other more complex and / or expensive tasks, such as software, data storage, socket communications, etc., which are performed by conventional RFID readers.

[0020] The signals transmitted on the data path are generally subject to standard communication protocols, including but not limited to Gen2 UHF (Ultra High Frequency), WiFi, Bluetooth (such as BLE), LAN, IR, etc. These signals may be heard / detected by other communication devices such as cell phones / mobile phones, tablets, etc. The accessory device can be used with existing devices such as mobile phones. The present invention includes software defined communications of existing hardware to intercept data on the communication path using standard phone components and receive this data on the phone.

[0021] The present invention also discloses methods for intercepting item-level or item-specific data (such as EPC or other product data) using the devices and systems of the present invention. In certain embodiments, the methods include intercepting RF signals transmitted by an RFID tag that has been excited or interrogated by an RFID reader or activator using a mobile or fixed device of the present invention. The interception can be accomplished using a software controller alone or in combination with hardware / software.

[0022] The foregoing and other aspects of the various disclosed embodiments will become apparent through a review of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0023] According to certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter, a device may generally include: a modem capable of bidirectional data communication with a remote system according to a near field communication protocol; a transmitter capable of cooperating with the modem to transmit data to the remote system; a receiver capable of cooperating with the modem to receive data signals from the remote system; an antenna driver capable of selectively cooperating with the modem to tune the antenna to receive data signals from the remote system within a specific frequency range; and a software controller, wherein the software controller is configured to modulate filtering operations at the receiver so that the receiver collects and decodes data signals generated by interrogated RFID tags within one or more target radio frequency (RF) bands. The disclosed device further includes a digital controller configured to process a signal processing routine including the steps of: converting the data signal between analog and digital; performing RF filtering and signal conditioning at a low frequency band frequency at a selected frequency threshold; and equalizing and correcting the data signal to account for multipath effects. Such a device may further include a clock generator configured to control a voltage used to power the device.

[0024] In some embodiments, the software controller is configured to limit the functionality of the receiver to reception only. Embodiments are disclosed wherein the device is selected from a cellular or mobile phone, a tablet computing device, or a smart watch, wherein the data signal includes an electronic product code (EPC), wherein the data signal further includes additional item-specific data associated with the item to which the RFID tag is affixed, wherein the additional item-specific data includes brand authentication information.

[0025] According to other aspects of the disclosed subject matter, a system generally includes: the apparatus of the present invention; an RFID reader configured to excite an interrogated RFID tag to cause the interrogated RFID tag to generate a data signal. The present invention discloses an embodiment, wherein the reader is selected from an overhead reader, a tunnel reader, a handheld reader, a smart rack, a robot reader, or a combination thereof, wherein the reader is an exciter.

[0026] According to other aspects of the disclosed subject matter, a method of reading a radio frequency (RF) data signal generated by an interrogated radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to an item or product employs a device and generally comprises: using the device, intercepting a data signal generated by the RFID tag; in response to the use, selectively filtering the data signal received within a specific frequency range; decoding the data signal to identify item-specific information. Certain such methods are disclosed, wherein the device is selected from a cellular or mobile phone, a tablet computing device, or a smartwatch, wherein the item-specific information is an electronic product code (EPC), and wherein the device can intercept data signals for a plurality of products.

[0027] Certain methods are disclosed, wherein the item-specific information is compared to known data for a specific item, wherein the known data is hosted at a remote location or hosted locally at the device. Certain such methods are disclosed, wherein the known data is hosted at a network accessible remote data storage area, wherein the known data is hosted in or on a connected product platform. In certain disclosed methods, the item-specific information is compared to the known data via a standard communication protocol. Additionally or alternatively, in certain methods, the standard communication protocol is selected from Gen2 UHF, WiFi, or BLE.

[0028] According to other aspects of the disclosed subject matter, methods generally include: intercepting a data signal generated by an RFID tag; in response to the interception, selectively filtering the data signal received within a specific frequency range; decoding the data signal to identify item-specific information; and providing the item-specific information to a device for subsequent processing. The present invention discloses certain such methods, wherein the providing includes transmitting the item-specific information to a device selected from a cellular or mobile phone, a tablet computing device, or a smart watch, and in some instances, the providing includes transmitting an electronic product code (EPC). According to certain methods, the device can intercept data signals for multiple products.

[0029] The present invention discloses a method, further comprising comparing the item-specific information with known data for the specific item, wherein the known data is hosted at a remote location or hosted locally at the device; in addition or alternatively, the known data is hosted at a network accessible remote data storage area. As with the other embodiments mentioned above, the selective filtering may generally include filtering a frequency range selected from a group of frequencies used by one of Gen2 UHF, WiFi, and BLE. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1A schematic diagram of interrogating an RFID reader using an RFID tag associated with an item or product.

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the components of a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or cell phone) and its interaction with the RF signals generated by an interrogated RFID tag.

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the components of a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or cell phone) and its interaction with the RF signals generated by an interrogated RFID tag.

[0033] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram that references the intercepted data of a single item or product with the known data of the single item or product.

[0034] FIG. 5 a is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a radio frequency (RF) signal and a unique identifier (ID) associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

[0035] FIG. 5b is a schematic diagram of the conversion of the RF signal generated by an RFID tag into a unique binary ID.

[0036] Figure 6 Shows the basic configuration of the air monitor.

[0037] Figure 7 Shows the read range for the basic configuration of the air listener.

[0038] Figure 8 is a flow chart showing various aspects of a method for obtaining item specific information using intercepted data signals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present invention describes a consumer-used or consumer-based device that can intercept radio frequency (RF) signals from one or more (e.g., multiple) interrogated radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and also describes systems including the device and methods of using the same. In some embodiments, the consumer-used or consumer-based device can intercept RF signals from one or more objects. The device or a data repository associated with the device with known data can provide a user interface to allow the consumer to select a product of interest to the consumer from a plurality of products.

[0040] I. Equipment

[0041] The present invention describes devices for intercepting radio frequency (RF) communications. In some embodiments, consumers use these devices to obtain information about products at a retail location. In some embodiments, the devices are mobile devices, such as cell phones / mobile phones, tablet computers, smart watches, etc. In other embodiments, the devices are stationary devices for intercepting signals described herein. In other embodiments, the devices are wearable devices, such as smart watches, smart glasses, smart headphones, etc.

[0042] RFID readers, such as ultra-high frequency (UHF) Gen2 readers, can simultaneously send and receive transmissions. When receiving signals from transponders, the receiving antenna is fully powered. Reception is usually done on the same antenna, but a dual static antenna configuration (transmit and receive antennas) can be used. Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an RFID reader and how it interacts with an RFID tag to achieve item-level association. The reader 110 includes Figure 1 The various components are shown on the left. Figure 1 The right side of the figure shows an RFID tag 199 and its interaction with the reader 110. The reader 110 sends a query (reference numeral 1) to stimulate or interrogate the tag 199. For a passive RFID tag, the query (1) provides the energy required to wake up the tag 199, allowing it to communicate with the reader 110. The RFID tag 199 sends a response signal (reference numeral 2). The reader 110 sends a notification receipt signal (reference numeral 3). The tag 199 sends the EPC and / or other item or product information (such as the supplier code, manufacturing country code, etc. shown at reference numeral 4). The reader 110 sends an acknowledgement signal (reference numeral 5). The RFID tag 199 sends a process (reference numeral 6). The reader 110 sends an action command (reference numeral 7).

[0043] Conventional mobile devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, smart watches, etc.) include Figure 1 All components on the left side of Tx (reference numeral 111) and Rx (reference numeral 112) in FIG. However, such a device does not include Figure 1 The components shown on the right side of Tx 111 and Rx 112.

[0044] In the absence or installation of a transmitting device on the device, the device of the present invention utilizes a mobile device or phone (e.g., phone, tablet, smart watch, etc.) and / or a fixed device to receive the frequency deviation in a known frequency bandwidth. An additional device with a transmitter and a receiver can be used to initiate a protocol with the transponder.

[0045] A. Mobile device components

[0046] The device described in the present invention can use any consumer-based mobile or wearable device or fixed device. In some embodiments, the consumer-based mobile device is a mobile phone or a cellular phone. In other embodiments, the mobile or wearable device is a smart watch or a tablet computer.

[0047] Figure 2 2 is a schematic diagram of the components of a typical mobile or cellular phone. A typical modern mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone) (shown as reference numeral 210) includes an internal modem 218, which is functional if the user subscribes to a compatible service plan. The mobile phone 210 can be connected to nearby devices via a wired (e.g., USB) or wireless (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth (BTE)) communication protocol. The mobile phone 210 may also include a receiver 212 and a transmitter 211 for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals, respectively. The antenna driver 219 may control or modulate the antenna ( Figure 2 210). The handset 210 further includes a digital controller 217 that is responsible for all signal processing. Examples of signal processing include converting signals between analog and digital, RF filtering and signal conditioning at low frequencies, and equalization and correction of multipath effects. Finally, the handset 210 includes a voltage reference / clock generator 213 that manages the voltage used to power the handset 210.

[0048] B. Software Control / Controller

[0049] The device of the present invention further comprises a software control (also called a "software controller", such as Figure 2 By modifying the functionality of the mobile device 210 to be only capable of receiving, a signal (e.g., from an RFID UHF Gen2 tag) currently being excited / interrogated by an RFID reader (e.g., 110 or 210) will transmit a signal that can be received and deciphered / decoded by the mobile (or fixed) device 210.

[0050] The software controller 215 modulates or controls the filtering of the receiver 210 to collect the target frequency and data communication. Once the data is collected, the device 210 deciphers / decodes the data into the EPC / product data transmitted by the RFID tag 199. The EPC / product data can be stored on the device 210 itself, a local device (such as a laptop, desktop computer, tablet, etc.) or in the cloud or another accessible data repository.

[0051] In certain embodiments, software within a handheld device, smart phone, fixed receiving device, etc. (reference numeral 210) identifies the EPC signal modulation between the RF transponder and the energizer / reader (reference numeral 260). This software (reference numeral 215) can identify the modulation it is looking for and exclude other signal modulations and other RF signals that exceed defined thresholds, which may include but are not limited to signal strength, frequency, and modulation.

[0052] In some embodiments, the software 215 is designed as described above, and the software 215 may further include machine learning to adapt to the environment and modify the thresholds to improve performance and efficiency. In some embodiments, the software 215 is designed as described above, and the software 215 uses cloud data to support threshold settings. In some embodiments, the software 215 is designed as described above, and the software 215 can modify the behavior of the receiving antenna.

[0053] In some embodiments, the device 210 equipped with software 215 and / or hardware measures at least RF noise, the number of RFID tags in the reading space, and / or the user's personal preferences, including these and other environmental conditions. The device 210 can communicate with a close-range RF energizer or reader (as shown at reference numeral 260) via Bluetooth, WiFi, WAN, IR, or other known methods to convey environmental conditions or setting suggestions to the energizer / reader 260. Thus, the energizer / reader 260 receives the setting suggestions or receives the environmental condition communication and modifies the settings within the reader to compensate for the environment. To address environmental conditions (including but not limited to RF noise), such settings may be power levels, Gen2 reader modes, sessions, EPC tag filtering, Gen2 A and B tag state management, or other known RF reader device settings.

[0054] In some embodiments, software 215 within the (mobile or fixed) device 210 identifies a signal (e.g., an EPC signal) as a BLE signal sent by an activator / reader 260. The activator / reader 260 receives the EPC from the transponder (RFID tag 199) and broadcasts the EPC as a BLE signal. The software 215 within the device 210 receives the BLE signal. Once the data is collected, the device 210 uses local or cloud data to display additional metadata. The metadata may be stored on the device 210 itself, on a local device (e.g., a laptop, desktop, tablet, etc.), at a retail location, or other suitable location, or in the cloud or another accessible data repository (e.g., the Connected Products Cloud), such as atma.io provided by Avery Dennison. Other signal types may also be used, including but not limited to UHF Gen2, BLE, WiFi, and / or UWB. In another embodiment, the signal type is collected as it is transmitted between the activator 260 and the transponder, wherein the activator 260 operates under the same signal type. In certain embodiments, the second signal type is used when a consumer purchases merchandise at a point of sale (POS).

[0055] II. System

[0056] The present invention also contemplates systems comprising the apparatus described herein and using the methods described herein. A schematic diagram of a representative system is shown in FIG. Figure 3 In some embodiments, system 300 includes an RFID reader or activator (reference numeral 310) for initiating communication with an RFID transponder (360) (also referred to as an RFID tag 199). Reader / activator 310 sends an RF communication / signal (reference numeral 340) to transponder / tag 199, which in turn backscatters the return signal along a communication path indicated as reference numeral 350. Mobile device 210 has an adjustable receiver 212 tuned by software controller 215, which can be tuned along its path (e.g., Figure 3 As shown) intercepted communication 350.

[0057] RFID reader 310 may be any RFID reader known in the art, including but not limited to fixed readers (e.g., overhead readers, smart racks, etc.) or mobile readers (e.g., handheld readers). RFID reader 310 may also be a low-cost device (e.g., an activator) for initiating signal interactions along path 340, but does not include complex components or perform other more complex and / or expensive tasks, such as software, data storage, socket communications, etc., that a conventional RFID reader would perform.

[0058] The signals transmitted on the data path 340 are generally subject to standard communication protocols. Standard communication protocols are communication protocols well known in the art, including but not limited to WiFi, Bluetooth (such as BLE), etc. Other communication devices (such as cell phones / mobile phones, tablets, etc. (reference numeral 210)) can hear these signals. Accessory devices can be used with existing devices (such as mobile phones 210). The present invention includes software-defined communications for existing hardware to intercept data on the communication path 350 using standard phone components and receive these data on the phone 210.

[0059] As described above, data collected from RFID tags 199 / 360 can be associated with known data about an item or product (e.g., EPC or other product data). This association can occur on the device 210 itself or hosted locally (e.g., a laptop, desktop, or tablet at a retail location) or through a cloud-based application (e.g., the Connected Product Cloud). Where a known data association exists in the cloud, locally on the device 210, and / or in other accessible data repositories, the EPC / product data is referenced via a standard data communication protocol (e.g., WiFi, BLE, etc.). A schematic diagram of an exemplary known data association is shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown. The RFID reader / activator 260 interrogates the RFID tag 199 / 360, and the tag 199 / 360 generates an RF signal, which is intercepted by the device 210 of the present invention. The device 210 sends the data to a data repository, such as the Connected Product Cloud or other cloud-based application (reference numeral 490). The cloud-based application 490 then sends product data, customer engagement experiences, reference data, etc. to the consumer through the device 210.

[0060] III. Data interception methods

[0061] The present invention also discloses methods for intercepting item-level or item-specific data (such as EPC or other product data) using the devices and systems of the present invention. In some embodiments, the method includes intercepting an RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag 199 / 360 that has been excited or interrogated by an RFID reader or exciter 260 using a mobile / wearable or fixed device 210 of the present invention.

[0062] FIG5a is a schematic diagram of an RF signal generated by an RFID tag 199 / 360 with a pattern directly related to a unique identification (ID) encoded on or within the RFID tag 199 / 360. All unique RFID tag IDs are variations of frequency shift keying (FSK). The frequency referred to here is not the frequency generated by the reader 260 (such as 900Mhz), but the tag (baseband) frequency, such as 100-200kHz. A binary "1" can be encoded by causing the tag to flip state 100 times per millisecond, and a binary "0" can flip 50 times per millisecond (FIG5b). Since the frequency being changed is the frequency of the carrier amplitude modulation, similar techniques are sometimes called subcarrier modulation.

[0063] Example

[0064] Example 1. Exemplary Air Listener Device

[0065] A software defined radio (SDR) was built and tested with specifications similar to a production cell phone chip with air listening capabilities. The device achieved air detection at one (1) meter from the tag 199 / 360 and two (2) meters from the antenna 661 of the reader 260 with a reporting latency of less than one second. Based on these results, it is expected that a cell phone 210 software defined radio with a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a 3 megasamples per second (MSPS) rate, a 902-928 MHz center frequency adjustable range, and a 10 dB noise figure can decode Max Miller RFID tag backscatter (EPC) at least one (1) meter from the tag and two (2) meters from the reader 260 on a fixed channel.

[0066] Example 2. Verifying read range

[0067] A Speedway R700 (e.g., exciter 260) with a transmit power of 22 dBm was connected to a Laird S9025PR 5.5DbiC antenna (reference numeral 661) and then mounted on a tripod at a distance of one (1) meter from an Avery Dennison (AD)-237r6 tag 199 / 360 and two (2) meters from a 2dBiL antenna (mounted on another tripod) (reference numeral 662) which was connected to an SDR / computer combination Air Listener TM (such as an air monitor available at device 210) connection. Set up Figure 6As shown in Figure 1. With this baseline setting, the air listener successfully detected the singularized tag 199 / 360, and also detected the singularized tag 199 / 360 when the air listener was located at various different positions within the two-meter diameter circle. This example is intuitive: compared to the baseline scenario, within the one-meter radius of the circle, the air listener antenna is closer to the tag 199 / 360, so the received signal is stronger.

[0068] Link budget analysis of signal levels shows the robustness of the baseline scheme in the following table (where Table I shows link budget information for the reader, Table II shows link budget information for the tag, and Table III shows noise level information for the air listener implementation):

[0069]

[0070] Table I

[0071]

[0072] Table II

[0073]

[0074] Table III

[0075] For the configured air listener receiver gain setting, the maximum signal value that the ADC can accommodate is +9dBm. The reader signal power at the air listener is -9.2dBm, so this power is within the available ADC dynamic range. In addition, the tag signal power at the air listener is -44dBm, which is above the receiver noise floor value of -65dBm. Although the air listener receiver gain can be reduced to accommodate a larger signal as the air listener approaches the reader antenna 661, Figure 7 The illustration in shows how the airborne listener can detect singulated tag 199 / 360 at most points within a two meter diameter circle. Assuming an omnidirectional beam pattern from reader antenna 661 and ignoring near field effects, the received reader signal amplitude almost never exceeds the top end of the ADC dynamic range of +9 dBm (indicated by the shaded area where the power at the airborne listener ADC begins to exceed the maximum input signal level). Sample locations where the signal value is approximately +9 dBm are indicated by the triangular areas at the corners of the shaded area (reference numeral 799). See Figure 7 Nevertheless, due to the high signal-to-noise ratio between the on-air monitor tag signal and the noise floor at the baseline SDR gain setting, the SDR gain could in principle be reduced to increase the maximum signal level and further reduce the shadow region.

[0076] As mentioned above, Figure 8is a flow chart showing various aspects of a method for obtaining item specific information using intercepted data signals. Figure 8 As shown, the method 800 may begin by intercepting a data signal, such as a data signal generated by an RFID tag (see block 801). The data signal may be selectively filtered within a specific or desired frequency range (see block 802).

[0077] It should be noted that the devices shown and described herein may be adapted for the operations described at blocks 801 and 802. For example, the mobile phone described at reference numeral 210 may include RF components (e.g., receiver 212 and transmitter 211) that work in conjunction with an antenna, such as under the control of antenna driver 219, so that software, hardware, and electronic processing resources can control or modulate the antenna to receive only data signals within a specific or desired frequency range (i.e., a bandpass filter may be selectively implemented at block 802 to filter the data signal). As described above Figure 2 As shown, examples of signal processing that may be represented at blocks 801 and 802 include signal conversion between analog and digital, RF filtering and signal conditioning at specific frequencies, and equalization and correction for multipath effects.

[0078] In the manner described above, i.e., by modifying the antenna functionality to only receive and selectively filtering inbound RF signals, a data signal (e.g., from an RFID UHF Gen2 tag) may be received and deciphered / decoded using a device (e.g., device 210) that may not be specifically designed for such a purpose. In this regard, method 800 may continue to decode the data signal to identify item-specific information, as shown at block 803. As described above, any of a variety of item-specific types of data may be communicated via the data signals (including RFID signals) described herein. Such item-specific data may be application-specific data or otherwise dependent upon the overall functionality to be provided by a system (e.g., system 300); generally, such item-specific data may include or be related to EPC, other product data, brand authentication or anti-counterfeiting information, alarm or notification-related anti-theft data, and the like, generally as a design choice related to the operational characteristics of system 300. After intercepting the data signal within the selected frequency band, the device (such as device 210) may store such product-specific data on the device itself, a local or remote device (such as a laptop, desktop computer, tablet computer, etc.); in addition or alternatively, the product-specific data may be stored (i.e., transmitted to or provided to) a point-of-sale terminal at a retail location, some other remote server or suitable distributed location, or stored in the cloud or another network-accessible data repository (such as the Connected Products Cloud).

[0079] The above operations are detailed above, refer to Figure 1-Figure 3 .

[0080] In addition to the storage features described above, it should be appreciated that the item-specific information may then be provided to an appropriate resource at the device itself (e.g., device 210), or to one of the remote components described above, for further processing, as indicated by block 804. Such further processing may include comparison of the item-specific information with known information (e.g., information stored in a database). Such processing may be embodied in or include inventory monitoring and management, tracking and tracing, sustainability analysis (raw material sources, sustainable manufacturing processes, etc.), brand authentication or anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft, etc., and may ultimately be a design choice made in accordance with the operation of system 300. Again, as described above, such processing may be performed locally at a device such as device 210, or processing at device 210 may include transmitting or providing the item-specific information to a different device (e.g., a computer or server), where the aforementioned additional processing may be performed remotely.

[0081] It should be noted that the arrangement of the blocks and the order of operations drawn in the figures do not exclude other alternatives or options. For example, in some cases involving antenna tuning, the order of operations drawn in blocks 802 and 801 can be reversed. As other examples, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the operations drawn at blocks 801 and 802, blocks 802 and 803, or blocks 803 and 804 can be performed substantially simultaneously. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-described subject matter is susceptible to various design choices that may affect the figures (including but not limited to Figure 8 ) The order or arrangement of operations shown.

[0082] Several features and aspects of the devices, systems and methods have been described and illustrated in detail with reference to specific embodiments only by way of example (and not by way of limitation). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that alternative implementations and various modifications of the disclosed embodiments are within the scope and contemplation of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure be considered to be limited only by the scope of the attached invention claims.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a modem that enables two-way data communication with a remote system based on a near-field communication protocol; a transmitter operable in conjunction with the modem to transmit data to a remote system; a receiver operable in conjunction with the modem to receive a data signal from a remote system; an antenna driver, selectively operable in conjunction with the modem to tune the antenna to receive data signals from a remote system within a specific frequency range; as well as A software controller is configured to modulate filtering operations at a receiver so that the receiver collects and decodes data signals generated by interrogated RFID tags within one or more target RF bands.

2. The device according to claim 1 further includes a digital controller, which is configured to process a signal processing program, including the following steps: converting the data signal between analog and digital; performing RF filtering and signal conditioning at a low frequency band frequency at a selected frequency threshold; and equalizing and correcting the data signal to take into account multipath effects.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a clock generator configured to control a voltage used to power the device.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The software controller may be configured to limit the functionality of the receiver to reception only.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The device is a consumer device.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The device is selected from a cellular or mobile phone, a tablet computing device, or a smart watch.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The data signal includes an electronic product code.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein: The data signal further includes additional item-specific data associated with the item to which the RFID tag is attached.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein: The additional specific product data includes brand authentication information.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The device is a handheld or mobile device.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The device is a fixed device.

12. A system comprising: The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10; as well as The RFID reader is configured to stimulate the interrogated RFID tag to cause the interrogated RFID tag to generate a data signal.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein: The reader is selected from an overhead reader, a tunnel reader, a handheld reader, a smart rack, a robot reader or a combination thereof.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein: The reader is an activator.

15. A method of reading a radio frequency data signal generated by an interrogated radio frequency identification tag attached to an item or product, the method employing an apparatus and comprising: Using the device, intercepting a data signal generated by a radio frequency identification tag; In response to said use, selectively filtering received data signals within a specific frequency range; as well as The data signal is decoded to identify item-specific information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The device is selected from a cellular or mobile phone, a tablet computing device, or a smart watch.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The single product specific information is an electronic product code.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The device can intercept data signals of multiple products.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The item-specific information is compared to known data for the specific item, wherein the known data is hosted at a remote location or locally at the device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein: The known data is hosted in a network accessible remote data storage area.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: The known data is hosted in or on the interconnected product platform.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein: The item-specific information is compared with known data via standard communication protocols.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: The standard communication protocol is selected from Gen2 ultra-high frequency, wireless fidelity WiFi or Bluetooth low energy consumption BLE.

24. A method comprising: intercepting data signals generated by RFID tags; In response to the interception, selectively filtering the data signal received within a specific frequency range; Decode the data signal to identify product-specific information; as well as Provides unit-specific information to the device for subsequent processing.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein: The providing includes transmitting the item-specific information to a device selected from a cellular or mobile telephone, a tablet computing device, or a smart watch.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein: The providing includes transmitting an electronic product code.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein: The device can intercept data signals of multiple products.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising comparing the item-specific information with known data for a specific item, wherein: The known data is hosted at a remote location or locally at the device.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein: The known data is hosted in a network accessible remote data storage area.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein: The selective filtering includes filtering a frequency range selected from a group of frequencies used by one of Gen2 UHF, Wireless Fidelity WiFi, and Bluetooth Low Energy BLE.

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