Method for connecting a portable RFID reader to a handheld computing device via an audio connection

摘要

Methods and systems for efficiently communicating information to/from an RFID reader are provided. According to one embodiment, a command is received by a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) reader from a handheld computer via an audio connection of the handheld computer. Responsive to the command, a tag scanning process is initiated by the RFID reader to cause all RFID tags within range of the RFID reader to communicate their unique IDs to the RFID reader. A unique ID of an RFID tag is received by an RFID transceiver of the RFID reader. Responsive to receipt of the unique ID, the RFID reader: (i) assigns a short tag ID to the RFID tag and creates an entry in a table having stored therein the short tag ID and the unique ID; and (ii) reports detection of the RFID tag by transmitting to the handheld computer the short tag ID and the unique ID.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
maintaining, by a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, a table of RFID tags detected by the RFID reader, wherein the table includes for each RFID tag of the RFID tags detected a corresponding unique ID of the RFID tag and a corresponding short tag ID assigned to the RFID tag; receiving, by the RFID reader, a command from a handheld computer via an audio connection of the handheld computer; responsive to the command, the RFID reader initiating a tag scanning process to cause all RFID tags within range of the RFID reader to communicate their unique Identifiers (IDs) to the RFID reader; receiving, by an RFID transceiver of the RFID reader, a unique ID of an RFID tag; responsive to receipt of the unique ID, the RFID reader:
assigning a short tag ID to the RFID tag and creating an entry in the table having stored therein the short tag ID and the unique ID; andreporting detection of the RFID tag by the RFID reader by transmitting to the handheld computer the short tag ID and the unique ID; and when the RFID tag is subsequently detected by the RFID transceiver, compressing, by the RFID reader, information transmitted to the handheld computer by transmitting to the handheld computer the short tag ID without also transmitting the unique ID.