Smart tag data encoding method

• US 20030006878A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Original Assignee: Amerasia International Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Chung, Kevin Kwong-Tai
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2471 Antenna signal processing by receiver or emitter
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

A method for storing information in a smart tag comprises providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored; storing application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory; generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number; and storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

Claims

1. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number and one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number;

generating a second relational check number representative of the read one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number;

comparing the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number match.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check number stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

one of modifying and supplementing the application specific information stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

regenerating the relational check number representative of one of (a) the modified and supplemented application specific information and (b) the modified and supplemented application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the regenerated relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating a relational check number comprises generating information representative of the one of:

(a) the application specific information and

(b) the application specific information and the permanent number, in accordance with a predetermined formula, a predetermined algorithm, a parity check, a parity representation, a sum check, and/or a field relationship check.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said generating information includes processing the application specific information and/or the permanent number either on a character by character basis or on the basis of one or more combinations of the characters or values thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating a relational check number includes generating one or more of a code, a numerical representation, an alphabetic representation, an alpha-numeric representation, and a character representation and a symbolic representation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of tracking an article or object, associating an article or object with a recipient or another object, transporting an object and/or person, matching a passenger and baggage, matching a prescription and medicine and/or a medical device, matching an order and apparatus and/or service filling the order, and performing a transaction.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of performing a transaction, performing a credit or debit card transaction, performing an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, performing an electronic transaction, controlling access and/or entrance to and/or egress from a location, voting, voting registration, and registering.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the smart tag is a wireless type smart card and/or a contact type smart card.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said storing application specific information and said storing the relational check number includes an electronic memory operatively associated with an electronic processor included in the smart tag.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating a relational check number is performed by an electronic processor included in the smart tag.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the application specific information includes an identifier of one or more of a computer or processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof, that performs said generating a relational check number, and

wherein the relational check number is further representative of the identifier of one or more of a computer or processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory by the smart tag reader/writer the relational check code and one of (a) the utilization information and (b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier;

generating a second relational check code representative of the read one of (a) the utilization information and (b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier;

comparing the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check code; and

indicating whether the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check code match.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check code stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory by the smart tag reader/writer the relational check code stored therein;

comparing the relational check code read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check code read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

one of modifying and supplementing the utilization information stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

regenerating the relational check code representative of one of (a) the modified and supplemented utilization information and (b) the modified and supplemented utilization information and the unique permanent identifier; and

storing the regenerated relational check code in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said generating a relational check code comprises generating information representative of the one of:

(a) the utilization information and

(b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier, in accordance with a predetermined formula, a predetermined algorithm, a parity check, a parity representation, a sum check, and/or a field relationship check.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the predetermined formula, predetermined algorithm, parity check, parity representation, sum check, and/or field relationship check is stored in the memory of the smart tag.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the smart tag is a wireless type smart card and/or a contact type smart card, and

wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of tracking an article or object, associating an article or object with a recipient or another object, transporting an object and/or person, matching a passenger and baggage, matching a prescription and medicine and/or a medical device, matching an order and apparatus and/or service filling the order, and performing a transaction.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the smart tag is a wireless type smart card and/or a contact type smart card, and

wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of performing a transaction, performing a credit or debit card transaction, performing an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, performing an electronic transaction, controlling access and/or entrance to and/or egress from a location, voting, voting registration, and registering.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the utilization information includes an identifier of one or more of the electronic processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof, that performs said generating a relational check code, and

wherein the relational check code is further representative of the identifier of one or more of the electronic processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof.

14. A method for storing utilization information in a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag being associated with a smart tag reader/writer, said method comprising:

providing a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag memory having a unique permanent identifier stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which utilization information can be stored;

storing utilization information from a smart tag reader/writer in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating by the electronic processor of a relational check code representative of one of (a) the utilization information and (b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier; and

storing the relational check code in the second portion of the smart tag memory.