1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to touch free identification, location and/or tracking systems. More particularly, the invention relates to an RFID identification, location and/or tracking system utilizing Phase Ranging to determine the distance of a target RFID from the system antenna.
2. Description of Related Art
Commonly owned PCT Patent Application Publication WO 2009/035723, titled “Radio Frequency Signal Acquisition and Source Location System” by Bloy et al published Mar. 19, 2009, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a real-time RFID location system that utilizes an Intelligent Tracking and Control System (ITCS) coupled to one or more intelligent scanning antenna Signal Acquisition and Source Location (SASL) modules (an ITCS installation) to enable the accurate 3-dimensional location of RFID tags arbitrarily placed and/or moving through a defined target area (volume). Touch free Identification, location and/or tracking systems such as the ITCS object identification systems disclosed in WO 2009/035723 enable the identification and location of tags and/or tagged items, attributing significance to the appearance, disappearance, location or co-location of tags or tagged items and thereby facilitating better business process decisions.
A SASL steerable phased array antenna may be configured to provide highly accurate interrogation beam direction feedback, enabling identification of a vector through the volume upon which a target RFID may be located. However, ranging of the distance from the antenna to the position along the beam where the target RFID is located, to enable three-dimensional location of the target RFID within the volume, is impossible without further inputs.
When provided with further data storage/processing capabilities, an RFID location system such as disclosed in WO 2009/035723 can be further enhanced to monitor tagged and/or untagged objects via RF environmental fingerprint monitoring and analysis as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/395,595, titled “Radio Frequency Environment Object Monitoring System and Methods of Use”, filed Feb. 29, 2009 by Bloy, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
An ITCS installation typically includes multiple SASL to provide high precision triangulation data for RFID location calculations. However, an optimal multiple SASL configuration requires a volume configured such that each of the SASL can scan the entirety of the volume from separate mounting locations. Barriers and/or products in a typical volume at any moment during use may create obstructed scanning areas for one or more of the SASL, preventing the scanning of a target RFID by at least two SASL and thus inhibiting interrogation signal beam intersection triangulation location of the target RFID. Further, costs for multiple SASL hardware, installation and maintenance may become significant.
WO 2009/035723 also discloses alternative methods for RFID range location utilizing a single SASL, such as signal transmit/receive timing, Return Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), ghost signal analysis and/or multiple signal averaging. However, location accuracy utilizing these alternative methods may be less than satisfactory where RFID location with high precision is desired.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an object monitoring solution that overcomes deficiencies in the prior art. A further object of the present invention is to facilitate ease of configuration, operation reliability and maintenance of RFID object location systems.