Conveyor RFID Tire Tracking with Calibrated Read Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for automated and univocal identification of tires, such as printed barcodes, are prone to deletion or corruption during manufacturing and operation, limiting their effectiveness in optimizing manufacturing processes and logistics.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing RFID tags with an antenna installed over or nearby a conveyor belt to radiate and receive radiofrequency signals, including a preliminary calibration step to determine optimal transmission power and footprint area, enabling accurate reading and writing of univocal identifiers on tires moving on the conveyor belt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If printed barcodes are applied to tires for identification, then automated identification during manufacturing and logistics is enabled, but the barcodes are prone to deletion or corruption during manufacturing and operation, becoming illegible or difficult to read
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical barcode system with an RFID (radio-frequency identification) system. Instead of using printed visual patterns that can be damaged, the invention uses electromagnetic fields to communicate with RFID tags embedded in or attached to tires. The reader antenna mounted on the conveyor belt reads RFID tags wirelessly, eliminating the need for physical contact or line-of-sight reading, thus preventing corruption and deletion issues inherent in printed barcodes.
2Reliability
If RFID tags are used for tire identification, then barcode reliability issues are resolved, but reading and writing performance may be insufficient without proper calibration of transmission power and footprint area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary calibration phase before actual RFID reading operations. During this calibration step, the system determines the optimal transmission power level and identifies the precise footprint area (read zone) of the reader antenna by scanning with a test RFID tag. This preliminary characterization of the electromagnetic field environment ensures that subsequent production readings occur under optimized conditions, maximizing reading reliability and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration process uses feedback from RFID signal strength measurements to determine optimal operating parameters. The system reads signals from a test tag at various positions and power levels, analyzes the received signal strength indicators (RSSI), and uses this feedback to establish the maximum transmission power needed and define the footprint area boundaries. This feedback-driven calibration ensures precise reading performance adapted to the specific installation environment.
3Measurement precision
If multiple reads are performed on moving tires, then data accuracy may be improved, but manufacturing and logistics efficiency is reduced due to increased processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration to precisely define the footprint area and optimal reading parameters before production runs. This allows the system to configure the reader to operate at maximum efficiency during normal operation, reading tire identifiers in a single pass as tires move along the conveyor belt at calibrated speeds, eliminating the need for multiple reading attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous RFID reading operation as tires continuously move along the conveyor belt through the calibrated footprint area. The system maintains continuous electromagnetic field coverage and performs uninterrupted reading operations, ensuring that each tire is read exactly once at the optimal moment when it passes through the center of the footprint area, thereby maintaining both high accuracy and high productivity without requiring multiple discrete reading operations.
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 approach provides enhanced RFID-based reading and writing performance, allowing for univocal detection and tracking of tires, improving manufacturing and logistics efficiency by avoiding multiple reads and ensuring accurate data storage and retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
an antenna installed over or nearby the conveyor belt and configured to radiate radiofrequency (RF) signals toward a footprint area on the conveyor belt, and receive backscattered RF signals from said footprint area
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for reading and/or writing data from/on RFID tags of tires conveyed on a conveyor belt in a conveyance direction, wherein each tire is fitted with a respective RFID tag storing a univocal identifier of said tire. An antenna is installed over or nearby the conveyor belt and configured to radiate RF signals toward a footprint area on the conveyor belt and receive backscattered RF signals from said footprint area. A reader is connected to the antenna to operate the latter in transmission and reception. A preliminary calibration step is applied to the reader and a reading and/or writing step is carried out by operating the calibrated reader.