Autonomous interrogating transponder for direct communications with other transponders

• US 20060220828A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xlink Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Xlink Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Acosta, David L., Charlot, Lincoln H. Jr., Swindell, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,432,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers
• 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 19/0723 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 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence

Abstract

A group of associated transponders are respectively attached to a plurality of objects, such as sensors or containers. Each transponder includes a memory, a transmitter, a receiver and a controller. The memory stores group data, which includes data related to the respective attached objects. The controller causes the transmitter to autonomously transmit a group interrogation signal and to transmit a response signal in response to receipt of a group interrogation signal from another transponder of the group. The response signal includes at least some of the stored group data. The receiver receives both the group interrogation signals and the response signals from the other transponders of the group. The controller controls the transmitter and receiver and causes the memory to store data related to the respective object to which the transponder is attached and to store the group data included in the received response signals.

Claims

1. A transponder comprising:

a transmitter, a receiver and a controller;

wherein the receiver is adapted for receiving a group interrogation signal; and

wherein the controller is adapted for causing the transmitter to transmit a response signal in response to receipt of said group interrogation signal and for causing the transmitter to autonomously transmit a said group interrogation signal.

2. A group according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is a half-duplex communication device.

3. A transponder according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing data;

wherein the controller is adapted for causing the memory to store data related to an object to which the transponder is attached; and

wherein the response signal includes at least some of the data stored in the memory.

4. A transponder according to claim 3, wherein the receiver is adapted for receiving both said group interrogation signals and signals from other transponders of a group of associated like transponders.

5. A transponder according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further adapted for causing the memory to store the data included in said signals received by the receiver from said other transponders in the group.

6. A transponder according to claim 5, further comprising:

a timer for initiating said autonomous transmission of said group interrogation signals;

wherein the controller is adapted for causing all data currently stored in the memory to be transmitted with said autonomous transmission of a said group interrogation signal.

7. A transponder according to claim 6, wherein the controller is adapted for causing the transmitter to transmit a said response signal in response to a said interrogation signal only when the data transmitted with the group interrogation signal is different than the data that was stored in the memory upon the last previous receipt of a group interrogation signal.

8. A transponder according to claim 7, wherein said transmitted response signal includes only the portion of the currently stored data that is different than the data that was stored in the memory upon the last previous receipt of a group interrogation signal.

9. A transponder according to claim 5, in combination with a high-power transmitter;

wherein the controller is adapted for causing the high-power transmitter to transmit data stored in the memory to a receiver at a remote location.

10. A transponder according to claim 4, wherein the controller is adapted for causing the memory to store contemporary data related to an object to which the transponder is attached.

11. A transponder according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further adapted for causing the current attached-object data stored in the memory to be transmitted by the transmitter whenever the contemporary attached-object data has changed from the previously stored attached-object data.

12. A transponder according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timer for initiating said autonomous transmission of said group interrogation signals;

wherein the controller is adapted for sensing when a signal is being received by the receiver, and for delaying transmission of a said group interrogation signal until after receipt of a said received signal is completed.

13. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is adapted for radio frequency (RF) communications, light-beam communications and/or wired communications of the group interrogation signals and/or the response signals.

14. A group of associated transponders respectively attached to a plurality of objects, wherein each transponder comprises:

a memory for storing group data, wherein the stored group data includes data related to the respective objects to which the transponders of the group are attached;

a transmitter, a receiver and a controller;

wherein the receiver is adapted for receiving a group interrogation signal;

wherein the controller is adapted for causing the transmitter to transmit a response signal in response to receipt of said group interrogation signal, wherein the response signal includes at least some of said stored group data;

wherein the receiver is also adapted for also receiving said response signals from the other transponders of the group; and

wherein the controller is also adapted for causing the memory to store data related to the respective object to which the transponder is attached and to store the group data included in said received response signals; and

wherein the controller is further adapted for causing the transmitter to autonomously transmit a said group interrogation signal.

15. A group according to claim 14, wherein each transponder also includes a timer for initiating said autonomous transmission of said group interrogation signals;

and

wherein the controller is adapted for causing all group data currently stored in the memory to be transmitted with said autonomous transmission of a said group interrogation signal.

16. A group according to claim 15, wherein the controller is adapted for causing the transmitter to transmit a said response signal in response to a said group interrogation signal only when the group data transmitted with the group interrogation signal is different than the group data that was stored in the memory upon the last previous receipt of a group interrogation signal.

17. A group according to claim 16, wherein said transmitted response signal includes only the portion of the currently stored group data that is different than the group data that was stored in the memory upon the last previous receipt of a said group interrogation signal.

18. A group according to claim 14, in combination with means for sensing contemporary data related to the respective object to which each transponder of the group is attached;

wherein the controller is adapted for causing the memory to store said sensed contemporary data.

19. A group according to claim 18, wherein the controller is further adapted for causing the contemporary attached-object data stored in the memory to be transmitted by the transmitter whenever the contemporary attached-object data has changed from the previously stored attached-object data.

20. A group according to claim 14, wherein each transponder also includes a timer for initiating said autonomous transmission of said group interrogation signals;

and

wherein the controller is adapted for sensing when a signal is being received by the receiver, and for delaying transmission of a said group interrogation signal until after receipt of a said received signal is completed.

21. A group according to claim 14, in combination with a plurality cargo containers, wherein said cargo containers are the objects to which the transponders are respectively attached.

22. A group according to claim 14, in combination with a plurality of flood-control-system sensors, wherein said sensors are the objects to which the transponders are respectively attached.

23. A group according to claim 14, in combination with:

an external receiver disposed apart from the group of transponders for receiving the signals transmitted by the transmitter of at least one transponder of the group; and

a high-power transmitter coupled to the separate receiver for transmitting to still another receiver at a remote location the group data in the signals received by the separate receiver.

24. A communication method for a group of transponders that are respectively attached to a plurality of objects, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing group data in each said transponder, wherein the stored group data includes data related to the respective objects to which the transponders of the group are attached;

(b) directly transmitting a group interrogation signal from each transponder of the group to at least one other transponder of the group;

(c) directly transmitting a response signal from at least one transponder of the group to at least one other transponder of the group in response to receipt of a said group interrogation signal by said at least one transponder, wherein the response signal includes said stored group data;

(d) receiving by at least one transponder of the group a said response signal from at least one other transponder of the group; and

(e) causing each transponder of the group to also store the group data included in response signals received directly from at least one other transponder of the group.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein for each transponder of the group the method further comprises the steps of:

(e) utilizing a timer for initiating transmission of said group interrogation signals by said transponder; and

(f) transmitting all group data currently stored in the memory together with said transmission of a said group interrogation signal.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein for each transponder of the group step (c) comprises the step of:

(e) transmitting a said response signal in response to a said group interrogation signal only when the group data transmitted with the group interrogation signal is different than the group data that was stored in the memory upon the last previous receipt of a group interrogation signal.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein for each transponder of the group said transmitted response signal includes only the portion of the currently stored group data that is different than the group data that was stored in the memory upon the last previous receipt of a said group interrogation signal.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein for each transponder of the group the method further comprises the steps of:

(e) sensing contemporary data related to the respective object to which said transponder is attached, and

(f) storing the contemporary data in said transponder.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein for each transponder of the group the method further comprises the step of:

(g) whenever the contemporary data related to the object to which said transponder is attached has changed from the previously stored attached-object data, spontaneously transmitting the contemporary attached-object data directly from said transponder to at least one other transponder of the group.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein for each transponder of the group the method further comprises the steps of:

(e) utilizing a timer for initiating transmission of said group interrogation signals by said transponder;

(f) sensing whether a signal is being received by said transponder; and

(g) delaying transmission of a said group interrogation signal by said transponder until after receipt of a said received signal is completed.

31. A method according to claim 24, wherein the objects to which the transponders are respectively attached are cargo containers.

32. A method according to claim 24, wherein the objects to which the transponders are respectively attached are flood-control-system sensors.