Radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, portable terminal, and server for RFID tag

• US 20060145817A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukushima, Shinichiro, Moritani, Masumi, Aikawa, Makoto, Takami, Yutaka, Kazunori, Hashimoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,737,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

A hierarchical structure is established among a plurality of RFID tags, such that ID numbers can be read only from RFID tags which belong to a particular layer. RFID tag can control whether permission should be given to read its ID number therefrom to protect the ID number. Data held in the RFID tag can be read from the outside. RFID tag comprises a memory circuit having a function of holding data, and a logic circuit having a function of processing a control command received from outside. Memory circuit stores an own ID nmber for identifying the RFID tag itself, and a parent ID number for identifying a second RFID tag. When RFID tag receives an ID number read command which contains first data as a parameter from outside, the logic circuit outputs the own ID number to outside only when the first data matches the parent ID number.

Claims

1. An RFID tag which hold data that can be read therefrom from outside over the air, said RFID tag co rising:

a memory circuit for holding data; and

a logic circuit for processing a control command received from outside over the air,

wherein said memory circuit stores an own ID number for identifying said RFID tag itself, and one or more parent ID numbers for identifying other RFID tags, and

when said REID tag receives an ID number read command which contains first data as a parameter from outside, said logic circuit outputs the own ID number to outside over the air only when the first data matches the parent ID number.

2. A mobile terminal capable of reading and writing data held by an RFID tag over the air, comprising:

an RFID tag communication unit for communicating with said RFID tag over the air;

an information storage unit for storing data and a control program;

an radio communication unit having a function of communicating with a wide area communication network over the air; and

an information processing unit for controlling said mobile terminal in accordance with the control program,

wherein said control program causes said RFID tag communication unit to transmit an ID number read command which contains an ID number of a known RFID tag as a parameter, and causes said RFID tag communication unit to receive an ID number of an unknown RFID tag as a response to the ID number read command.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein said control program disables said RFID tag communication unit to make a communication over the air while said radio communication unit is communicating with said wide area communication network over the air, and enables said RFID tag communication unit to make a communication over the air when said radio communication unit is not making a communication over the air.

4. An RFID tag system comprising a first RFID tag attached to a first product, a second RFID tag attached to a second product, and a mobile terminal for reading over the air data stored in said first RFID tag and said second RFID tag, wherein:

said first RFID tag includes a memory circuit for holding a first own ID number for identifying said first RFID tag, and a first parent ID number for identifying another RFID tag,

said second RFID tag includes a memory circuit for holding a second own ID number for identifying said second RFID tag, and a second parent ID number for identifying another RFID tag, and

said first parent ID number has the same value as the second own ID number, and said second parent ID number has the same value as an ID number for identifying a third RFID tag.

5. The RFID tag system according to claim 4, wherein:

when said first RFID tag receives an ID number read command from the outside, said ID number read command containing first data as a parameter of a parent ID number, said firth RFID tag outputs the first own ID number to outside over the air only when the first data matches the first parent ID number, and

when said second RFID tag receives an ID number read command from outside, said ID number read command containing second data as a parameter of a parent ID number, said second RFID tag outputs the second own ID number to outside over the air only when the second data matches the second parent ID number.

6. The RFID tag system according to claim 4, wherein:

said mobile terminal comprises an RFID tag communication unit for communicating with said first RFID tag and said second RFID tag over the air, an information storage unit for storing data and a control program, an radio communication unit for communicating with a wide area communication network over the air, and an information processing unit for controlling said mobile terminal in accordance with said control program, and

said control program causes said RFID tag communication unit to transmit an ID number read command which contains the ID number of said third RFID tag as a parameter to acquire the ID number of said second RFID tag, and subsequently causes said RFID tag communication unit to transmit an ID number read command which contains the ID number of said second RFID tag as a parameter to acquire the ID number of said first RFID tag.

7. An RFID tag which hold data that can be read therefrom from outside over the air, said RFID tag comprising:

a memory circuit for holding data; and

a logic circuit for processing a control command received from outside over the air,

wherein said memory circuit stores an own ID number for identifying said RFID tag itself, and one or more parent ID numbers for identifying other RFID tags, and

when said RFID tag receives an ID number read command which contains first data as a parameter from outside, said logic circuit outputs the own ID number to outside over the air only when the first data matches the parent ID number.

8. An RFID tag server connected to a mobile terminal through a network for searching for information on an RFID tag which holds data that can be read by said mobile terminal from outside over the air, wherein:

said RFID tag stores an own ID number for identifying said RFID tag itself, and one or more parent ID numbers for identifying other RFID tags in a memory circuit, and upon receipt of an ID number read command from said mobile terminal, said ID number read command containing first data as a parameter, outputs the own ID number to outside over the air only when the first data matches the parent ID number, and

said RFID tag server comprises a database for storing information associated with said tag ID, and searches said database for information associated with the tag ID upon receipt of the tag ID read from said RFID tag by said mobile terminal through said network.

9. The RFID tag server according to claim 8, wherein:

said RFID tag is attached to a product, and

said database has a tag ID solution table which includes the tag ID and an address of another database which stores information on the product to which said RFID tag is attached.