Tag-to-tag communication using RFID readers

• US 10,043,046 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Robshaw, Matthew, Wu, Tan Mau
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/636,636
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721, 340 101, 340 1034
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10257 arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks computer security in general G06F21/00; jamming of communication, countermeasures H04K3/00; secret communication H04K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

Messages may be passed between Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags using RFID readers. A first tag with a message intended for a second tag sends the message to an RFID reader. The reader then determines that the destination of the message is the second tag and sends the message to the second tag. The second tag may confirm receipt of the message by sending a receipt confirmation message to the reader for forwarding to the first tag, and/or the reader may itself confirm that the message was sent to the second tag by sending a transmit confirmation message to the first tag.

Claims

1. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) to transmit data to a first tag, the method comprising:

determining, at the IC, that data is to be transmitted to the first tag;

determining, at the IC, at least a portion of an identifier for the first tag; and

transmitting the data and the at least a portion of the identifier to a reader for subsequent transmission to the first tag.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data and the portion of the identifier in a single message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a flag at the IC to indicate to the reader that the IC has data intended for the first tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the data is to be transmitted to the first tag comprises:

receiving sensor data from a sensor; and

determining, based on the sensor data, that the data is to be transmitted to the first tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes at least one of a TID, an EPC, and an SGTIN.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier portion identifies the first tag and at least one other tag, and includes at least one of:

a global trade item number (GTIN),

a non-serialized portion of the identifier,

a manufacturer identifier,

a customer identifier,

a feature identifier, and

a location identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of encrypting and electronically signing the data before transmitting the data to the reader.

8. An RFID IC configured to transmit data to a plurality of other tags, comprising:

an antenna port configured to couple to an antenna; and

a processor block coupled to the antenna port and configured to;

determine that data is to be transmitted to a first tag;

determine at least a portion of an identifier for the first tag; and

transmit, via the antenna port, the data and the portion of the identifier to a reader for subsequent transmission to the first tag.

9. The RFID IC of claim 8, wherein the processor block is further configured to transmit the data and the portion of the identifier in a single message.

10. The RFID IC of claim 8, wherein the processor block is further configured to set a flag to indicate to the reader that the IC has data intended for the first tag.

11. The RFID IC of claim 8, wherein the processor block is configured to determine that the data is to be transmitted to the first tag by:

receiving sensor data from a sensor; and

determining, based on the sensor data, that the data is to be transmitted to the first tag.

12. The RFID IC of claim 8, wherein the identifier includes at least one of a TID, an EPC, and an SGTIN.

13. The RFID IC of claim 8, wherein the identifier portion identifies the first tag and at least one other tag, and includes at least one of:

a global trade item number (GTIN),

a non-serialized portion of the identifier,

a manufacturer identifier,

a customer identifier,

a feature identifier, and

a location identifier.

14. The RFID IC of claim 8, wherein the processor block is further configured to at least one of encrypt and electronically sign the data before transmitting the data to the reader.

15. A method for an RFID IC to transmit data to a plurality of other tags, the method comprising:

determining, at the IC, that data is to be transmitted to a first tag and a second tag;

determining, at the IC, an identifier identifying both the first and second tags; and

transmitting the data and the identifier to a reader for subsequent transmission to the first and second tags.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the data and the identifier in a single message.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising setting a flag at the IC to indicate to the reader that the IC has data intended for the first and second tags.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the data is to be transmitted to the first and second tags comprises:

receiving sensor data from a sensor; and

determining, based on the sensor data, that the data is to be transmitted to the first and second tags.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the identifier includes at least one of:

a global trade item number (GTIN),

a non-serialized portion of an identifier for the first tag,

a manufacturer identifier,

a customer identifier,

a feature identifier, and

a location identifier.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one of encrypting and electronically signing the data before transmitting the data to the reader.