Self-adjusting portals with movable data tag readers for improved reading of data tags

Abstract

Moving data tag readers in a portal responsive to a moving article to improve reading of a data tag on the article. Position sensors determine position information for the moving article. A controller module translates a positioning device having a data tag reader mounted thereon responsive to the determined position information. Moving the data tag reader provides improved reading of the data tag on the moving article.

1 . A system for reading a data tag on an article as the article is moving relative to a base, said system comprising: 
 a positioning device movably mounted on said base; and    a data tag reader mounted on said positioning device, said data tag reader being adapted to read a data tag mounted on the moving article, said positioning device with the data tag reader mounted thereon being configured to move relative to the base and responsive to position information of the article relative to the data tag reader for improved reading of the data tag by the data tag reader.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a means for generating the position information, and a means for moving the article relative to the base.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the means for moving the article relative to the base comprises one or more of the following: a forklift, a shopping cart, a motor vehicle, an automatically guided vehicle, a pallet, a case, a human being, a train car, a subway vehicle, a carrier belt, pneumatic tubes, and continuous webs.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises an arm, wherein the arm is configured to pivot the positioning device responsive to the position information, wherein the positioning device comprises a carriage, and wherein the carriage is configured to move relative to the base responsive to the position information.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the position information comprises one or more of the following: a material characteristic of the article, a dimension of the article, a location of the data tag on the article, and a desired location of the positioning device relative to the base.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller for receiving the position information and moving the positioning device responsive to the received position information.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning device is responsive to the position information to increase reception of a signal emitted by the data tag or to increase the response of the data tag.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a processor configured for determining, responsive to article data, a desired movement of the data tag reader relative to the data tag;    an interface for receiving data describing the desired movement determined by the processor; and    a carriage connected to the interface, said data tag reader being mounted on said carriage, said carriage being capable of the desired movement.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a controller for moving the carriage, wherein the controller comprises an actuator or a motor for moving the carriage via a worm gear.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a sensor for determining a location of the article, said article data comprising the determined location, and wherein the sensor comprises one or more of the following: a position sensing element, a position sensor, a motion sensor, a video camera, a radar device, a metal detector, an eddy current detector, a pressure sensor embedded in a floor or mat, and an infrared sensor.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the article data comprises a location of the data tag relative to the article.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the carriage moves the data tag reader relative to the data tag to increase reception of a signal emitted by the data tag or to increase the response of the data tag.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an interface for receiving article data;    a processor configured for determining, responsive to the article data received by the interface, a desired movement of the data tag reader relative to the data tag; and    a carriage, said data tag reader being mounted on said carriage, said carriage being capable of the desired movement determined by the processor.    
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components for improving the readability of the data tag on the article, said components comprising: 
 a sensor module for determining the position information; and    a controller module for moving the data tag reader responsive to the position information determined by the sensor module to improve reading by the data tag reader of the data tag on the moving article.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor module receives the position information from a process control system.  
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method for adjusting the position of a data tag reader relative to a data tag to improve the readability of the data tag by the data tag reader, said computer-implemented method comprising: 
 determining position information for the article relative to the data tag reader; and    moving the data tag reader responsive to the determined position information to improve reading by the data tag reader of the data tag on the moving article.    
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein determining the position information comprises receiving the position information from one or more of the following: a sensor and a process control system.  
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein determining the position information comprises determining the position information for the data tag on the article relative to the data tag reader.  
     
     
         19 . In a manufacturing system, a self-adjusting radio frequency identification portal for improving the readability of a radio frequency identification tag on an article moving relative to the portal, said portal comprising: 
 telescoping carriage assemblies, each of said telescoping carriage assemblies being adapted to hold a radio frequency identification reader;    translator elements, each of said telescoping carriage assemblies being movably mounted on at least one of the translator elements;    a position sensing element for determining positional data of the article relative to the radio frequency identification reader; and    actuators for translating, along the translator elements, the telescoping carriage assemblies movably mounted thereon responsive to the positional data determined by the position sensing element to read the radio frequency identification tag associated with the moving article, said actuators being connected to the position sensing element.    
     
     
         20 . The portal of  claim 19 , wherein the translator elements comprise one or more of the following: worm gears arranged to create a frame, belts, pulleys, chains, and cables.