RFID Mixed-Data Encoding with Character-Run Bit Compaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current RFID and optical media encoding methods, such as those used in Gen 2 RFID tags and barcodes, face inefficiencies in data compaction and random access, particularly in handling alphanumeric and mixed data strings, leading to increased bit requirements and slower data transfer rates.
Innovation Solution
A method that generates a character map for alphanumeric strings, identifies runs of like characters, and encodes them into binary substrings, allowing for efficient encoding and decoding by parsing run fields and completing a reduced character map, which reduces the number of bits needed to represent data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If existing standard data formats (ISO/IEC 15961 and 15962) are used for encoding RFID tag data, then data can be stored in a standardized manner, but compaction efficiency is poor and the number of bits required to represent data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the encoding parameters by introducing a new character map that maps alphanumeric characters to optimized binary representations. Instead of using fixed-length encodings, the system varies the number of bits allocated to different character types based on their frequency and information content, achieving better compaction while maintaining standard compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data encoding process into distinct components: character type identification, run-length encoding of consecutive identical characters, and variable-length binary mapping. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, improving overall compaction efficiency while maintaining ease of implementation
2Ease of operation
If the entire memory bank is read to access a desired data element, then complete data access is achieved, but the reading process slows down due to reading many useless '0' bits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by organizing data into structured records with explicit length fields and type identifiers before transmission. This allows the reader to quickly determine the actual data length and skip unnecessary bits without reading the entire memory bank, improving reading speed while maintaining complete data access capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary data elements by using length-prefixed records and type identifiers. The reader can extract the specific data element of interest by reading the length field and type identifier, then jumping directly to the relevant data portion, eliminating the need to read all useless '0' bits in the memory bank
3Productivity
If a selected number of memory words are read to improve reading speed, then reading efficiency increases, but the tag returns an error code with no indication of how many words were actually available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by including length fields and type identifiers in the data structure that provide immediate information about the actual data content. When the reader requests data, the tag uses these embedded length indicators to accurately determine how many words to return, providing feedback about the actual available data and avoiding error codes with no indication of available words
4Adaptability or versatility
If standard RFID formats are used for encoding alphanumeric data, then compatibility with existing systems is maintained, but the number of bits required to encode data increases and encoding efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing a character map and encoding scheme that can represent multiple character types (alphanumeric, special characters) using a unified variable-length binary format. This multi-functional encoding system maintains compatibility with existing RFID systems while reducing the number of bits required for diverse data types through optimized mapping
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A
AI summary
An encoding method comprises generating a character map of an alphanumeric character string, identifying runs of like character type symbols in sequential positions, and removing the runs of character type symbols from the character map. The center for the center infix run is determined, and the characters of each character type are encoded into binary encoded substrings. A decoding method comprises parsing the one or more run fields in the alphanumeric header to determine a number of characters of each type of a plurality of character types represented in the binary encoded string, generating a character map having a string of character type symbols representing the binary encoded string, including determining a reduced character map, centering the character type symbols for a center infix run about the center of the reduced character map, completing a final character map, and decoding each binary encoded string.