Distributed antenna array with centralized data hub for determining presence and location of RF tags

摘要

A distributed antenna array with a centralized data hub for determining the presence and location of RF tags has been disclosed. This antenna array centralizes electronics and distributes the RF to zones in a facility to greatly reduce the expense of recurring components for monitoring RF tags. A single BRT/hub with multiple antennas attached to transmit and receive ports is used to cover an entire facility. Large facilities are covered by a small number of the BRT/hub combinations. The BRT/hub has transmit antennas coupled thereto, preferably by co-axial cable, that transmit signals to a portion or all of the RF tags and all or a portion of them modulate and reflect the RF signal to a particular receiving antenna. The receiving antenna then returns the RF signal with tag data to the BRT/hub, preferably by co-axial cable. Also disclosed is an RF backscatter tag that cleanly switches a resonant aperture antenna on and off, thereby greatly increasing the mark-to-space ratio of the backscatter data. This enables tags to be detected by the BRT at much greater distances.