US-20260129420-A1 - ENERGIZING AND SCANNING PATTERNS FOR ENERGIZING RF BATTERY-LESS TAGS

US20260129420A1US 20260129420 A1US20260129420 A1US 20260129420A1US-20260129420-A1

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for determining and implementing energizing and scanning patterns for energizing radio frequency (RF) battery-less tags. A method performed by a device configured to operate in one or more energizing and scanning (ES) states includes determining an ES state, from the one or more ES states, in which to operate the device. When the determined ES state is an energizing ES state, the method further includes transmitting an energizing signal to RF tags located in proximity to the device. When the determined ES state is a scanning ES state, the method further includes receiving signals from the RF tags.

Inventors

Vishnu Vardhan Ratnam
Boon Loong Ng
Abhishek Sehgal

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251105

Claims (20)

1 . A method performed by a device configured to operate in one or more energizing and scanning (ES) states, the method comprising: determining an ES state, from the one or more ES states, in which to operate the device, wherein when the determined ES state is an energizing ES state, the method further comprises transmitting an energizing signal to radio frequency (RF) tags located in proximity to the device, and wherein when the determined ES state is a scanning ES state, the method further comprises receiving signals from the RF tags.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more ES states comprises ES parameters that define: an energizing power, start time, duration, interval, and operating frequency for transmitting the energizing signal to the RF tags, wherein the energizing power, start time, duration, and interval is represented by energizing windows; and a scanning start time, duration, interval, and operating frequency for receiving the signals from the RF tags, wherein the scanning start time, duration, and interval is represented by scanning windows.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the determined ES state is an energizing and scanning ES state, the method further comprises simultaneously transmitting the energizing signal to the RF tags and receiving the signals from the RF tags, wherein transmitting the energizing signal to the RF tags and receiving the signals from the RF tags for the energizing and scanning ES state are configured to operate among different frequencies to allow for simultaneously transmitting and receiving.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the energizing windows and the scanning windows are configured to reduce interference between the energizing signal and the signals from the RF tags and increase reception of the signals from the RF tags.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the energizing windows, the scanning windows, or both are configured to be synchronized with energizing windows, scanning windows, or both of a second device based on an internal clock of the device, the second device, or an access point (AP) to which the device and second device are connected.
6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising: monitoring context information for the device, the context information comprising at least one selected from the group of location data, proximity data, application signaling data, battery data, reception data from the RF tags, and ES state operating time data; and detecting whether at least one trigger condition has occurred, wherein the at least one trigger condition occurs when there is a material change in the context information, wherein determining the ES state is based on the monitored context information and the at least one trigger condition detected.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: detecting that the at least one trigger condition has occurred when an application is launched on the device or the device is moved into a predetermined area, wherein determining the ES state comprises determining the ES state of the device to be the energizing ES state, the scanning ES state, or the energizing and scanning ES state.
8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprises: detecting that the at least one trigger condition has occurred when an application is closed on the device, the device is moved out of a predetermined area, or the device receives no data packets from the RF tags, wherein determining the ES state comprises determining the ES state of the device to be a non-energizing and non-scanning ES state, wherein no energizing signal to the RF tags is transmitted and no signals from the RF tags are received.
9 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: detecting that the at least one trigger condition has occurred when the device receives at least some data packets from the RF tags at a rate below a predetermined data packet rate threshold, wherein determining the ES state comprises determining the ES state of the device to be the energizing and scanning ES state.
10 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: detecting that the at least one trigger condition has occurred when a battery level of the device falls below a predetermined battery level threshold and the device receives at least some data packets from the RF tags at a rate above a predetermined data packet rate threshold, wherein determining the ES state comprises determining the ES state of the device to be a scanning ES state.
11 . A device configured to operate in one or more energizing and scanning (ES) states, the device comprising: a transceiver; and a processor operably coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to determine an ES state, from the one or more ES states, in which to operate the device, wherein when the determined ES state is an energizing ES state, the transceiver is configured to transmit an energizing signal to radio frequency (RF) tags located in proximity to the device, and wherein when the determined ES state is a scanning ES state, the transceiver is configured to receive signals from the RF tags.
12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein each of the one or more ES states comprises ES parameters that define: an energizing power, start time, duration, interval, and operating frequency by which to transmit the energizing signal to the RF tags, wherein the energizing power, start time, duration, and interval is represented by energizing windows; and a scanning start time, duration, interval, and operating frequency by which to receive the signals from the RF tags, wherein the scanning start time, duration, and interval is represented by scanning windows.
13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein when the determined ES state is an energizing and scanning ES state, the transceiver is configured to simultaneously transmit the energizing signal to the RF tags and receive the signals from the RF tags, wherein transmission of the energizing signal to the RF tags and reception of the signals from the RF tags for the energizing and scanning ES state are configured to operate among different frequencies to allow the device to simultaneously transmit and receive.
14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the energizing windows and the scanning windows are configured to reduce interference between the energizing signal and the signals from the RF tags and increase reception of the signals from the RF tags.
15 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the energizing windows, the scanning windows, or both are configured to be synchronized with energizing windows, scanning windows, or both of a second device based on an internal clock of the device, the second device, or an access point (AP) to which the device and second device are connected.
16 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to: monitor context information for the device, the context information comprising at least one selected from the group of location data, proximity data, application signaling data, battery data, reception data from the RF tags, and ES state operating time data; and detect whether at least one trigger condition has occurred, wherein the at least one trigger condition occurs when there is a material change in the context information, wherein the determined ES state is based on the monitored context information and the at least one trigger condition detected.
17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the processor: detects the at least one trigger condition when an application is launched on the device or the device is moved into a predetermined area; and determines the ES state of the device to be the energizing ES state, the scanning ES state, or the energizing and scanning ES state.
18 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the processor: detects the at least one trigger condition when an application is closed on the device, the device is moved out of a predetermined area, or the device receives no data packets from the RF tags; and determines the ES state of the device to be a non-energizing and non-scanning ES state, wherein the transceiver is configured not to transmit the energizing signal to the RF tags or receive the signals from the RF tags.
19 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the processor: detects the at least one trigger condition when the device receives at least some data packets from the RF tags at a rate below a predetermined data packet rate threshold; and determines the ES state of the device to be the energizing and scanning ES state.
20 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the processor: detects the at least one trigger condition when a battery level of the device falls below a predetermined battery level threshold and the device receives at least some data packets from the RF tags at a rate above a predetermined data packet rate threshold; and determines the ES state of the device to be the scanning ES state.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/717,141 filed on Nov. 6, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication systems and, more specifically, the present disclosure is related to methods and apparatuses for determining and implementing energizing and scanning patterns for energizing radio frequency (RF) battery-less tags. BACKGROUND Short-range wireless communication using battery-less RF devices (referred to as tags) is becoming increasingly prevalent among a wide range of industries. Due to their low-cost, easy deployment, and battery-less nature, these tags are useful for, among other things, RF-based positioning, proximity detection, asset tracking, and environment monitoring. These cheap battery-less tags may be capable of harvesting RF energy from the environment and transmitting data packets once the harvested energy reaches a critical threshold. The energizing signal for these tags may be from ambient RF transmissions or from dedicated energizing transmission by a device present in the vicinity. Further, the reception of the transmission from these tags may be by the same or different device present in the vicinity and configured for reception. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for determining and implementing energizing and scanning patterns for energizing RF battery-less tags. In one embodiment, a method performed by a device configured to operate in one or more energizing and scanning (ES) states is provided. The method includes determining an ES state, from the one or more ES states, in which to operate the device. When the determined ES state is an energizing ES state, the method further includes transmitting an energizing signal to RF tags located in proximity to the device. When the determined ES state is a scanning ES state, the method further includes receiving signals from the RF tags. In another embodiment, a device configured to operate in one or more energizing and scanning (ES) states is provided. The device includes a transceiver and a processor operably coupled to the transceiver. The processor configured to determine an ES state, from the one or more ES states, in which to operate the device. When the determined ES state is an energizing ES state, the transceiver is configured to transmit an energizing signal to radio frequency (RF) tags located in proximity to the device. When the determined ES state is a scanning ES state, the transceiver is configured to receive signals from the RF tags. Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims. Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, means to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The term “controller” means any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and/or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C. Moreover, various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed from computer readable program code and embodied in a computer readable medium. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computer readable program code. The p