Industrial Vehicle RFID Reader Diagnostics Without Tag Interference

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing RFID systems in industrial vehicles lack effective methods for diagnosing faults and ensuring the operational integrity of tag readers, which can lead to system failures and inefficiencies in navigation and data communication.

Innovation Solution

The integration of a diagnostic tag and a reader module that discriminates between individual tags and a diagnostic tag, enabling the modulation of power to the diagnostic tag to prevent interference with the identification of individual tags, and generating signals for faults or deviations from specified operating parameters, with the ability to remove power to the diagnostic tag during read intervals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a diagnostic tag is continuously powered within the read range of the tag reader, then fault diagnosis capability is improved, but interference with individual tag identification occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault diagnosis capabilityVSAvoidinterference with tag identification
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The diagnostic tag is powered periodically rather than continuously. The reader module removes power to the diagnostic tag during read intervals when individual tags are being identified, and restores power during diagnostic intervals. This periodic power modulation eliminates interference with individual tag identification while maintaining fault diagnosis capability during designated diagnostic periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If the tag reader continuously monitors diagnostic tag status, then system reliability is improved, but productivity is reduced due to continuous monitoring overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidtag identification efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system alternates between diagnostic periods and read intervals. During read intervals, the diagnostic tag is powered off and individual tags are identified without monitoring overhead. During diagnostic periods, power is restored to the diagnostic tag for status monitoring. This periodic alternation ensures system reliability through regular diagnostics while maintaining productivity during operational intervals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enhances the reliability of RFID systems by accurately identifying faults and ensuring continuous operation of industrial vehicles by preventing diagnostic tag interference and enabling timely corrective actions, thereby improving navigation and data communication efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

Each RF tag is capable of conveying at least one of a plurality of unique radio frequency signals in response to electromagnetic excitation fields

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic excitation: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

enabling the modulation of power to the diagnostic tag to prevent interference with the identification of individual tags

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPower modulation:

Data Source

PatentEP3292506B1Diagnostic tag for an industrial vehicle tag reader
Publication Date: 2022.11.23 CROWN EQUIP CORP
  • EP3292506B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3292506B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C
  • EP3292506B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

An industrial vehicle comprising a tag reader, a reader module, and a diagnostic tag, wherein the diagnostic tag is coupled to the industrial truck within a read range of the tag reader. The reader module and the tag reader cooperate to identify the diagnostic tag and individual tags of a tag layout and the reader module discriminates between the individual tags of the tag layout and the diagnostic tag and the individual tags of the tag layout, correlates an identified individual tag of the tag layout with tag data, correlates an identified diagnostic tag with operation of the tag reader, and generates a missing tag signal if the diagnostic tag is not identified or the operation of the tag reader is not within specified operating parameters.