Methods and apparatuses for identification

• US 20070013484A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RUIZHANG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED COMPANY
• Original Assignee: RUIZHANG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED COMPANY
• Inventors: Rolin, John, Carrender, Curt, Stewart, Roger, Price, John, Nylander, Frederick
• Application Number:
  US11/521,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013484A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.400
• 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 7/10049 binary tree
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An identification system includes a reader and one or more tags. The reader identifies tags such as radio frequency (RF) tags. The system divides a number space into n bins, wherein each bin is associated with m unique bits of the number space, and the number space contains the identification codes of the tags. A command is issued to test v bits of the number space. A response is received from a tag, wherein the response occurs when a first portion of an identification code of the tag matches the v bits of the number space, a timing of the response corresponds to a particular bin and m unique bits associated with the particular bin correspond to a second portion of the identification code.

Claims

1. A method to identify a tag of a plurality of tags, each tag having an identification code stored in a memory, said method comprising:

broadcasting a command having a first data; and

receiving a response to said command from a tag;

wherein said response is associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, said bin corresponding to a value of a selected set of bits of information stored in said tag, the selected set of bits being a function of said first data.

2. A method performed by a tag of a plurality of tags, each tag of the plurality of tags having an identification code stored in a memory of said tag, said method comprising:

receiving a first data from a reader;

correlating said first data with a selected set of bits of information stored in the memory of said tag, the selected set of bits being a function of said first data; and

transmitting a response to said reader if said first data correlates with said set of bits, the response being associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, wherein the bin of said response corresponds to a value of the selected set of bits.

3. A method performed by a reader to identify a tag of a plurality of tags, each tag of the plurality of tags having an identification code and a memory, said method comprising:

dividing a number space into n bins, wherein each bin is associated with a different value defined by m bits of said number space, and said number space being associated with information stored in the memories of said plurality of tags, n being an integer greater than two;

issuing a command to test a value defined by v bits of said number space; and

receiving a response from a tag of the plurality of tags, wherein said response occurs when a set of v bits of said information stored in said tag matches said value of v bits of said command, a timing of said response corresponding to a bin of said n bins, the value of the m bits associated with said bin matching a value of m selected bits of said selected information.

4. A method performed by a reader, said method comprising:

issuing a command to a tag; and

receiving a response from said tag, wherein said response includes an identification code of said tag and said receiving and said issuing do not occur concurrently.

5. A method to identify a tag of a plurality of tags, each tag of the plurality of tags having an identification code and a memory, said method comprising:

receiving, by a tag of the plurality of tags, a command from a reader to test v bits of a number space, said number space corresponding to information stored by said tag; and

issuing a response to said reader if a value of said received v bits match a value of v corresponding bits of said information, wherein a timing of said response corresponds to a value of m bits of said stored information.

6. A method performed by a tag to identify a tag of the plurality of tags, each tag of the plurality of tags having an identification code, said method comprising:

receiving a command from a reader to test v bits of a number space; and

issuing a response to said reader if a value of said v bits of the received command match a value of a first portion of said tag'"'"'s identification code, wherein said response includes said identification code.

7. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions, which when executed by a machine cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

broadcasting a command having a first data; and

receiving a response to said command from a tag;

wherein the response is associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, the bin corresponding to a value of a selected set of bits of information stored in said tag, the selected set of bits being a function of said first data.

8. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions that when executed by a machine cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a command broadcast by a reader, the command having a first data;

correlating said first data with a selected set of bits of information stored in a memory of said machine, the selected set of bits being a function of said first data; and

transmitting a response to said reader if said first data correlates with said set of bits, the response being associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, wherein the bin of said response corresponds to a value of the selected set of bits.

9. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions that when executed by a machine cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

issuing a command to test a value defined by v bits of a number space, the number space having n bins, wherein each bin is associated with a different value defined by m bits of said number space, and said number space being associated with information stored in memories of a plurality of tags, n being an integer greater than two; and

receiving a response from a tag of the plurality of tags, wherein said response occurs when a set of v bits of said information stored in said tag matches said value of v bits of said command, a timing of said response corresponding to a bin of said n bins, the value of the m bits associated with said bin matching a value of m selected bits of said selected information.

10. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions that when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

issuing a command to a tag of a plurality of tags; and

receiving a response from said tag, wherein said response includes an identification code of said tag and said receiving and said issuing do not occur concurrently.

11. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions that when executed by a machine cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a command from a reader to test v bits of a number space, said number space corresponding to information stored by said machine; and

issuing a response to said reader if a value of said received v bits match a value of v corresponding bits of said information, wherein a timing of said response corresponds to a value of m bits of said stored information.

12. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions that when executed by a machine cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a command from a reader to test v bits of a number space; and

issuing a response to said reader if a value of said v bits of the received command match a value of a first portion of said machine'"'"'s identification code.

13. An apparatus to identify tags, each tag having an identification code, said apparatus comprising:

a processor to provide a first data;

a transmitter to transmit said first data to a plurality of tags; and

a receiver to receive a response to said first data and provide received data to said processor, said response sent from a tag, wherein said response is associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, said bin corresponding to a value of a selected set of bits of information stored in said tag, the selected set of bits being a function of said first data.

14. A tag comprising:

a receiver to receive a first data from a reader;

a control unit to correlate said first data with a portion of information stored in said tag; and

a transmitter to transmit a response from said control unit to said reader if said first data matches said portion of said information, the response being associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, wherein the bin of said response corresponds to a value of a selected set of bits of said information, the selected set of bits being a function of the first data.

15. An apparatus to identify tags, each tag having an identification code, said apparatus comprising:

a processor to send at least one command, wherein a number space is divided into n bins, wherein each bin is associated with m bits of said number space, and said number space containing said identification codes of said tags;

a transmitter to transmit said at least one command to test v bits of said number space; and

a receiver to receive a response from a tag and provide data from said response to the processor, wherein said response occurs when a first portion of an identification code of said tag matches a value of said v bits, a timing of said response corresponding to a particular bin, said particular bin being associated with a particular value of m bits of a second portion of said identification code.

16. A tag of a plurality of tag each having an identification code, said tag comprising:

a receiver to receive a command from a reader, the command including v bits of a number space;

a processor to compare said received v bits with a first portion of said tag'"'"'s identification code; and

a transmitter to issue a response from said processor to said reader if said received v bits match said first portion of said identification code, wherein a timing of said response corresponds to a second portion of said identification code.

17. A reader to identify a tag of a plurality of tags, each tag having an identification code stored in a memory, said reader comprising:

means for broadcasting a command having a first data; and

means for receiving a response to said command from a tag;

wherein said response is associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, said bin corresponding to a value of a selected set of bits of information stored in said tag, the selected set of bits being a function of said first data.

18. A tag of a plurality of tags each having an identification code, said tag comprising:

means for receiving a first data from a reader;

means for correlating said first data with a selected set of bits of information stored in said tag, the selected set of bits being a function of said first data; and

means for transmitting a response to said reader if said first data correlates with said set of bits, the response being associated with a bin of a plurality of bins, wherein the bin of said response corresponds to a value of the selected set of bits.

19. A reader to identify a tag of a plurality of tags, each tag of the plurality of tags having an identification code, said reader comprising:

means for issuing a command to having a value defined by v bits of a number space, said number space having n bins, wherein each bin is associated with a different value defined by m bits of said number space, said number space being associated with information stored in said plurality of tags, n being an integer greater than two; and

means for receiving a response from a tag of the plurality of tags, wherein said response occurs when a set of v bits of said information stored in said tag matches said value of said v bits of said command, a timing of said response corresponding to a bin of said n bins, the value of the m bits associated with said bin matching a value of m selected bits of said selected information.

20. A tag of a plurality of tags each having an identification code, said tag comprising:

means for receiving a command from a reader to test v bits of a number space, said number space corresponding to information stored by said plurality of tags; and

means for issuing a response to said reader if a value of said received v bits match a value of v corresponding bits of said information, wherein a timing of said response corresponds to a value of m bits of said stored information.

21. A tag of the plurality of tags each having an identification code, said tag comprising:

means for receiving a command from a reader to test v bits of a number space; and

means for issuing a response to said reader if a value of said v bits of the received command match a value of a first portion of said tag'"'"'s identification code, the response including said tag'"'"'s identification code.

22. An apparatus to identify tags, each tag having an identification code, said apparatus comprising:

a processor to send at least one command to a tag of a plurality of tags;

a transmitter to transmit said at least one command; and

a receiver to receive a response from said tag and provide data from said response to the processor, wherein said response includes a full identification code of said tag, said receiving and said issuing do not occur concurrently, and said tag being a passive backscatter tag powered by only the reader.

23. A tag of a plurality of tags each having an identification code, said tag comprising:

a receiver to receive a command from a reader, the command including v bits of a number space;

a processor to compare said received v bits with a first portion of said tag'"'"'s identification code; and

a transmitter to issue a response from said processor to said reader if said received v bits match said first portion of said identification code, wherein said response including said tag'"'"'s full identification code.