RFID tag with reconfigurable properties and/or reconfiguring capability

• US 10,430,622 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec Inc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec Inc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Nikitin, Pavel, Martinez, Rene, Kelly, Stephen J., Ramamurthy, Shashidhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Savusdiphol, Paultep
• Application Number:
  US15/637,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20190005283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 235451, 235492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0709 the source being an interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10227 loading programming parameters or programs into the interrogator, e.g. for configuring the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

A method for reconfiguring an RFID tag or RFID reader is disclosed. The method may include receiving a wireless signal from an RFID reader; processing, by an RFID circuit, the wireless signal received from the antenna; determining if a first sensor or switch that is connected to the RFID circuit is engaged or activated; outputting a first signal to the RFID circuit when the first sensor or switch is engaged or activated; and changing by the RFID circuit, at least one operating parameter of the RFID tag when the RFID circuit receives the first signal.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a wireless signal from an RFID reader;

an RFID circuit comprising a controller configured to process the wireless signal received from the antenna; and

a first sensor or switch that is connected to the RFID circuit and that outputs a first signal to the RFID circuit when the first sensor or switch is engaged or activated but outputs a second signal when the first sensor or switch is not engaged or activated, wherein the controller is configured to change at least one protocol of the RFID tag when the RFID circuit receives the first signal and when the RFID circuit receives the second signal.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag such that the RFID tag further comprises a power harvester configured to obtain power from the wireless signal.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to change data used for responding to the wireless signal, an output frequency, or an antenna of the RFID tag, when the controller receives the first signal or the second signal.

4. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the first sensor or switch is activated by a user touching the first sensor or changing a state of the switch.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the first sensor or switch comprises a capacitive touch sensor which is activated by a user touching the capacitive touch sensor.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor or switch that is configured to change the protocol of the RFID tag when the second sensor or switch is activated.

7. The RFID tag of claim 6, wherein the first sensor or switch is connected in parallel to the second sensor or switch.

8. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is configured to work as a garage door opener, whereby the first sensor or switch is configured to send the first signal to the RFID circuit when the first sensor or switch is engaged or activated, wherein the garage door opener has an RFID reader transmitting an interrogation signal to the RFID tag;

and

wherein the RFID circuit is configured to transmit a command to the RFID reader in response to receipt of the interrogation signal and the first signal, wherein the garage door opens in response to a receipt of the command from the RFID tag.

9. An RFID reader comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a response signal from an RFID tag in response to an interrogation signal received at the RFID tag, the response signal comprising a unique identification (ID) of the RFID tag and a command; and

a circuit configured to change at least one parameter of the RFID reader in response to receiving the unique ID and the command, the circuit then outputting signal using the changed parameter.

10. The RFID reader of claim 9, wherein the command includes information related to changing of the at least one parameter of the RFID reader, and

wherein the command is generated by the RFID tag in response to receiving a first signal from a first sensor or switch when the first switch or sensor is engaged or activated.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by an RFID tag, a wireless signal from an RFID reader;

processing, by an RFID circuit in the RFID tag, the wireless signal received from an antenna;

outputting, by a first sensor or switch in the RFID tag, a first signal to the RFID circuit when the first sensor or switch is engaged or activated;

outputting, by the first sensor or switch in the RFID tag, a second signal to the RFID circuit when the first sensor or switch is not engaged or activated;

changing, by the RFID circuit, a protocol of the RFID tag when the RFID circuit receives the first signal and when the RFID circuit receives the second signal,

modifying, by a controller in the RFID circuit of the RFID tag, data to be transmitted to the RFID reader in accordance with the changed protocol; and

transmitting, by the RFID circuit, the modified data to the RFID reader.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the RFID tag transmits first data to the RFID reader based on the receipt of the first signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the RFID tag transmits second data to the RFID reader in response to receipt of the second signal, wherein the first data is different from the second data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the RFID circuit is configured to transmit a command to the RFID reader in addition to the first data, wherein the RFID reader is configured to change at least one parameter associated with the RFID reader based on the received command.