RFID Bridge Centralizes Distributed Administration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing and configuring distributed RFID deployments across an enterprise from a central location is challenging due to their distributed nature, requiring a centralized system for monitoring and administration.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented system comprising RFID edge servers, an RFID administration server, and a management console that uses ALE protocol for data filtering and aggregation, allowing centralized monitoring and administration of multiple RFID devices, with features like graphical displays of operating metrics and customizable alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If distributed RFID deployments are implemented across multiple sites, then RFID coverage and tracking capability are improved, but system complexity and difficulty of centralized management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an RFID Bridge as an intermediary component that sits between RFID edge servers and the administration server. This bridge consolidates management traffic and data from multiple distributed RFID sites into a centralized interface, allowing administrators to manage complex distributed deployments without direct interaction with each remote site. The bridge handles protocol translation, data aggregation, and communication routing, thereby reducing the complexity burden on administrators while maintaining broad RFID coverage across multiple locations.
2Ease of operation
If centralized administration server is deployed, then ease of management is improved, but communication overhead and system latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the RFID administration system into three functional layers: RFID edge servers at remote locations, an optional intermediate RFID bridge for traffic consolidation, and a centralized administration server. This segmentation allows edge servers to operate independently with local functionality while the administration server provides centralized management. The bridge layer can be deployed selectively to consolidate traffic from multiple sites, reducing the number of direct communication paths to the administration server and thereby reducing communication overhead and latency for distributed management operations.
3Productivity
If multiple RFID edge servers are deployed, then system capability is improved, but data management and monitoring difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges data management and monitoring functions into a centralized administration server that aggregates information from multiple RFID edge servers. The administration server provides unified access to monitoring data, configuration parameters, and system status across all deployed edge servers through a single interface. This consolidation eliminates the need for administrators to individually manage and monitor each edge server, thereby reducing data management complexity while maintaining the enhanced system capability provided by multiple distributed edge servers.
Data Source
AI summary
An RFID bridge can provide a translation of management messages to SOAP messages for ALE units at multiple RFID edge servers. A console can use the RFID bridge to manage the multiple edge servers.