RFID system with packetized data storage in a mobile environment: methods, systems and program products

• US 20040264441A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Jalkanen, Janne, Perttila, Marko
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An RFID system includes transponders transmitting or receiving packetized data in standard form in lieu of custom format for applications executable in a mobile device or network. Tag data may be packetized in any of several standard formats. Each format includes a layer to identify packet format. In one embodiment, a tag contains a standard UDP header with a checksum and payload data. The application opens a socket to listen to UDP connections. The device transmits a RF signal activating tags which transmit UDP packets to a RFID reader in the device. The packets are passed to an IP stack which strips away the UDP header and validity of the checksum verified. If verified, the device transmits the payload to an application running in the device or a network, otherwise, the IP stack notifies the tag the transmission failed and requests re-transmissions which are repeated until a successful transmission occurs.

Claims

1. A transponder for an RFID system, comprising:

a) a substrate including RF receiving and transmitting means;

b) data storage means storing packetized data in data formats transportable in the Internet; and

c) identifying code in the format identifying the data format.

2. The transponder of claim 1 further comprising:

d) signal means responsive to an activation signal for transmitting or receiving and storing packetized data.

3. The transponder of claim 2 wherein the data formats are UDP and IP, alone or in combination.

4. The transponder of claim 2 wherein the packetized data is at least partly compressed.

5. A mobile device in a RFID system, comprising:

a) signal apparatus transmitting activation signals and sending/receiving packetized datagrams transportable in the Internet to/from at least one transponder;

b) a communication protocol stack processing and routing packetized datagrams within the device or to a network;

c) stored programs operating the device in the RFID system and implementing communications with a network; and

d) reading apparatus processing packetized datagrams from a transponder.

6. The mobile device of claim 5 further comprising:

e) at least one application stored in the device and responsive to the packetized data.

7. The mobile device of claim 5 wherein the packetized datagram is in UDP or IP or combined UDP/IP format including a header with at least partly compressed or shortened or omitted fields.

8. The mobile device of claim 6 further comprising:

f) header processing means decompressing or expanding or providing omitted fields in the datagram.

9. The mobile device of claim 8 further comprising:

g) parsing means processing datagrams for transmission to the network.

10. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the packetized datagrams are at least partly compressed.

11. A RFID system, comprising:

a) a transponder containing packetized datagrams in data formats transportable in the network and responsive to activation signal;

b) a mobile terminal generating the activation signals and sending/receiving the packetized datagrams to/from the transponder;

c) a communication protocol stack stored in the mobile terminal processing and routing the datagrams;

d) a network linked to the terminal receiving and transmitting the packetized datagrams; and

e) a reader in the terminal processing the packetized datagrams transmitted from the transponder.

12. The RFID system of claim 11 wherein the reader is located in the network.

13. The RFID system of claim 11 wherein the communication protocol stack checks a checksum in the packetized datagram against the packet contents and notifies the reader the transmission has failed if the checksum is not valid.

14. The RFID system of claim 13 wherein the communication protocol stack requests a re-transmission from the transponder if the checksum is not valid.

15. The RFID system of claim 13 wherein the communication protocol stack drops the packetized datagram or notifies an application running in the terminal if the re-transmission is unsuccessful.

16. The RFID system of claim 13 wherein the communication protocol stack transmits the packetized datagram to an application running in the terminal or to an application running in the network.

17. The RFID system of claim 13 wherein the communication protocol stack parses a header in the packetized datagram and routes the packetized datagram to a destination identified in the header if a checksum in the packetized datagram is valid.

18. The RFID system of claim 13, wherein the packetized datagrams are at least partly compressed.

19. A method for routing packetized data between a data carrier and destination address comprising:

a) receiving and sending a data packet from and to the data carrier;

b) identifying a format of the data packet;

c) processing the data packet according to the identified format; and

d) routing the processed data packet to a destination address.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the data packet comprises an identification data, a header data and a payload data.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein the data packet without identification data is transportable in the Internet.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the data carrier is an RFID tag.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the destination address is an internet address (IP address) or an IP protocol port or both.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the header data is UDP header data.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the header data is at least partly in compressed form.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the processing comprises decompressing the received header data.

27. The method according to claim 20 wherein the payload data is at least partly in compressed form.

28. The method according to claim 20 wherein the payload data is in uncompressed form.

29. The method according to claim 20 wherein the header data is standard IP protocol packet header data.

30. The method according to claim 19 wherein the routed packets can be directed to a network or an application within the device.

31. The method according to claim 19, wherein the network can be an external network (e.g. the Internet) or a local network (such as a personal area network, or a local area network).

32. A method for writing a packetized data to a data carrier, where the data carrier is an RFID tag.

33. A system for routing packetized data comprising:

a) at least one data carrier having at least one data packet embedded therein;

b) a data receiving (reading) device or data sending (writing) device for receiving or sending the at least one embedded data packet from the said at least one data carrier;

c) a data routing device connectable to the data receiving device for routing the received data packet to a destination address;

An application receiving the routed data packet.

34. A system of claim 33, wherein the at least one data packet is at least partly compressed.

35. A system of claim 33, wherein the at least one data packet is transportable in the Internet.

36. A medium, executable in a computer system, for routing packetized data between a data carrier and destination address, the medium comprising:

a) program code for receiving and sending a data packet from and to the data carrier;

b) program code for identifying a format of the data packet;

c) program code for processing the data packet according to the identified format; and

d) program code for routing the processed data packet to a destination address.