US Patent 7714697 Token passing protocol for RFID systems

Patent 7714697 was granted and assigned to Symbol Technologies on May, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Is a

Patent

Patent attributes

Current Assignee

Symbol Technologies

Patent Jurisdiction

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Patent Number

7714697

Date of Patent

May 11, 2010

Patent Application Number

11393824

Date Filed

March 31, 2006

Patent Primary Examiner

‌

Vernal U Brown

Patent abstract

Methods, systems and apparatuses for RFID readers forming a reader network are described. In an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of RFID readers are configured to interrogate tags. Furthermore, the readers are configured to communicate with one another by transferring a token, represented by a signal. Possession of the token enables the reader to access a RF communications medium. Readers can be arranged in a ring configuration, and interconnected via wired links. A secondary token may circulate in the ring in addition to the primary token, to ensure redundancy in the system. A reader waits for a predetermined time interval before accessing the RF communications medium.