Control of programmable modules

• US 20050258962A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bell, Scott J., Rommelmann, Heiko, Rodriguez, Alberto, Phipps, William H., Boucher, Ronald P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,106,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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

Abstract

A portable programming device for electronically programming an electronic tag associated with a module includes a hand-held data receiver containing a communication element adapted to receive data from an electronic tag associated with a module and a data processor having programmed processing instructions. The data processor analyzes data received at the communication element in accordance with programmed processing instructions to produce a processor result based on the received data. The portable programming device also includes a hand-held tag writer comprising a communication element for writing tag content information to a tag memory segment of the electronic tag in response to the processor result.

Claims

1. A portable programming device for electronically programming an electronic tag associated with a module, the programming device comprising:

a hand-held data receiver comprising a communication element adapted to receive data from an electronic tag associated with a module;

a data processor;

wherein the data processor is adapted to analyze data received at the communication element in accordance with programmed processing instructions and to produce a processor result; and

wherein the processor result is based on the received data; and

a hand-held tag writer comprising a communication element for writing tag content information to a tag memory segment of the electronic tag in response to the processor result.

2. The portable programming device of claim 1, wherein the data processor includes a memory for storing programmed processing instructions for the data processor.

3. The portable programming device of claim 1, wherein:

the hand-held data receiver is adapted to receive tag identification information from the electronic tag;

the processor is adapted to verify whether the tag identification information matches predetermined tag identification criteria; and

the hand-held tag writer is adapted to write the tag content information to the tag memory segment only if the tag identification information matches the predetermined tag identification criteria.

4. The portable programming device of claim 3, wherein:

the portable programming device additionally comprises a user input element;

the data receiver is adapted to receive user input from the user input element;

the data processor is adapted to determine whether the data receiver has received a first user input or a second user input from the user input element;

the hand-held tag writer is adapted to write first tag content information if the data receiver receives a first user input;

the hand-held tag writer is adapted to write second tag content information if the data receiver receives a second user input; and

the second tag content information is different than the first tag content information.

5. The portable programming device of claim 1, wherein:

the data processor is adapted to determine whether the tag identification information matches first predetermined tag identification criteria or second predetermined tag identification criteria; and

the hand-held tag writer is adapted to write first tag content information if the tag identification information matches the first predetermined tag identification criteria or to write second tag content information if the tag identification information matches the second predetermined tag identification criteria.

6. The portable programming device of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined tag identification criteria and the second predetermined tag identification criteria are mutually exclusive.

7. The portable programming device of claim 1, wherein:

the hand-held data receiver is adapted to receive diagnosis data from the electronic tag; and

the data processor is adapted to analyze the diagnosis data to produce diagnosis information as the processor result.

8. The portable programming device of claim 7, wherein:

the data processor is adapted to produce a processor result comprising correcting tag content information; and

the hand-held tag writer is adapted to write the correcting tag content information to the tag memory segment of the electronic tag.

9. The portable programming device of claim 1, wherein:

the communication element of the hand-held data receiver is a wireless communication element; and

the communication element of the hand-held tag writer is a wireless communication element.

10. The portable programming device of claim 9, wherein the communication element of the hand-held data receiver and the communication element of the hand-held tag writer are the same communication element.

11. A portable processing device for processing an electronic tag associated with a module, the processing device comprising:

a hand-held data receiver comprising a communication element for receiving data from an electronic tag associated with a module;

a processor for analyzing data received at the communication element in accordance with programmed instructions to produce a processor result, wherein the processor result is based on the received data; and

a transmitter for transmitting the processor result.

12. The portable processing device of claim 11, wherein:

the hand-held data receiver is adapted to receive diagnostic data from the electronic tag; and

the processor is adapted to analyze the diagnostic data to produce diagnosis information.

13. The portable programming device of claim 12, wherein:

the processor is adapted to produce correcting tag content information as part of the diagnosis information; and

the transmitter is adapted to write the correcting tag content information to the tag.

14. The portable programming device of claim 13, wherein the transmitter is adapted to write the correcting tag content information to a tag memory segment of the electronic tag.

15. The portable processing device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter comprises a signaling device for transmitting a signal to a human user.

16. The portable processing device of claim 15, wherein the signaling device transmits a visual signal.

17. The portable processing device of claim 15, wherein the signaling device transmits an audible signal.

18. The portable processing device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter transmits the processor results in such a manner that at least a portion of the processor results can cause information to be stored in a memory segment of the electronic tag.

19. The portable processing device of claim 18, wherein:

the communication element is adapted to receive authentication data from the electronic tag;

the processor is adapted to analyze the received authentication data to determine if the received authentication data matches predetermined authentication criteria to produce a ‘

tag authenticated’

signal if the received authentication data matches the authentication criteria; and

the processor is further adapted to generate a processor result comprising tag programming information only if the processor produces the ‘

tag authenticated’

signal.

20. The portable processing device of claim 19, additionally comprising a user input element, wherein:

the processor is adapted to generate a first processor result if both the user input element receives a first instruction and the processor produces the ‘

tag authenticated’

signal;

the processor is adapted to generate a second processor result if both the user input element receives a second instruction and the processor produces the ‘

tag authenticated’

signal;

the transmitter is adapted to transmit first tag programming information if the processor produces the first processor result; and

the transmitter is adapted to transmit second tag programming information if the processor produces the second processor result.

21. The portable processing device of claim 18, wherein:

the communication element is adapted to receive authentication data from the electronic tag;

the processor is adapted to analyze the received authentication data to determine if the received authentication data matches first predetermined authentication criteria, or if the received authentication data matches second predetermined authentication criteria;

the portable processing device additionally comprises a user input element for receiving user instructions;

the processor is adapted to generate a first processor result if the received authentication data matches first predetermined authentication criteria and the user input element receives a first user instruction;

the processor is adapted to generate a second processor result if the received authentication data matches second predetermined authentication criteria and the user input element receives the first user instruction;

the transmitter is adapted to transmit first tag programming information if the processor produces the first processor result; and

the transmitter is adapted to transmit second tag programming information if the processor produces the second processor result.

22. The portable processing device of claim 11, wherein:

the processor is adapted to analyze the data received at the communication element to determine if the received data matches first predetermined category criteria or if the received data matches second predetermined category criteria;

the processor is adapted to generate a first processor result if the received data matches the first predetermined category criteria; and

the processor is adapted to generate a second processor result if the received data matches second predetermined category criteria.

23. The portable processing device of claim 22, additionally comprising a results communication element in communication with the processor and adapted to communicate the first or second processor result.

24. The portable processing device of claim 23, wherein the results communication element comprises a graphical user interface.

25. A method of processing an electronic tag associated with a module, the method comprising:

bringing a portable electronic reader device into proximity with an electronic tag associated with a module;

causing the portable electronic reader device to read tag data from the electronic tag;

electronically processing the tag data in the portable electronic reader device in accordance with programmed instructions stored in the portable electronic reader device to produce a processor result, wherein the processor result is based on the tag data;

transmitting the processor result outside the portable electronic reader device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

electronically processing the tag data comprises determining whether the tag data matches predetermined tag criteria;

transmitting the processor result comprises programming a memory segment of the tag with module operating information; and

transmitting the processor result comprises programming the memory segment of the tag with the module operating information only if the tag data matches the predetermined tag criteria.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein

electronically processing the tag data comprises determining whether the tag data matches first predetermined tag criteria or second predetermined tag criteria;

if the tag data matches the first predetermined tag criteria transmitting the processor result comprises programming the memory segment of the tag with first module operating information; and

if the tag data matches the second predetermined tag criteria transmitting the processor result comprises programming the memory segment of the tag with the second module operating information.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein:

electronically processing the tag data comprises determining whether the tag data matches predetermined tag criteria;

the method additionally comprises receiving either a first user programming instruction or a second user instruction;

if the user input element receives the first user programming instruction and the tag data matches predetermined tag criteria, Transmitting the processor result comprises programming the memory segment of the tag with first module operating information; and

if the user input element receives the second user programming instruction and the tag data matches predetermined tag criteria, Transmitting the processor result comprises programming the memory segment of the tag with the second module operating information.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein:

causing the portable electronic reader device to read tag data from the electronic tag comprises transmitting an identification request to the electronic tag;

causing the electronic tag to perform a tag identification calculation to generate the tag identification data

reading the tag identification information; and

electronically processing the tag data comprises verifying that the tag identification information matches predetermined identification criteria.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein:

causing the portable electronic reader device to read tag data from the electronic tag comprises causing the portable electronic reader device to read tag diagnostic data pertaining to operation of the electronic tag;

electronically processing the tag data comprises analyzing the tag diagnostic data to generate diagnosis information; and

transmitting the processor result comprises transmitting the diagnosis information.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein transmitting the diagnosis information comprises displaying the diagnosis information on a graphical user interface of the portable electronic reader device.