Radio frequency identification tags capable of embedding receiver signal strength indications

• US 20070013517A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Posamentier, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 7,733,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• 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: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0062 in RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] Systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF ID tag capable of reporting receiver signal strength indication, wherein the receiver signal strength may be indicated by an a RSSI byte included with an electronic product code (EPC) data packet. The EPC data packet may be in the standard SGTIN-64 EPC data format. Further, the RF ID tag capable of reporting signal strength may enable power control or beam steering.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an RF ID tag capable of reporting receiver signal strength indication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiver signal strength is indicated by an a RSSI byte included with an electronic product code (EPC) data packet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said EPC data packet is in the standard SGTIN-64 EPC data format.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said RF ID tag capable of reporting signal strength enables power control.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said RF ID tag capable of reporting signal strength enables beam steering.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising adapting said EPC data packet to the standard SGTIN-64 EPC data format.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising controlling the power control of said RF ID tag by reporting signal strength.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising enabling beam steering by reporting signal strength.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein said receiver signal strength is indicated by an a RSSI byte included with an EPC data packet.

6. A method of reporting receiver signal strength indication in an RF ID tag, comprising:

including a RSSI byte with an EPC data packet.

10. An article, comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing platform results in;

an RF ID tag reporting receiver signal strength.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein said EPC data packet is in the standard SGTIN-64 EPC data format.

13. The article of claim 10, wherein said reporting of signal strength enables power control.

14. The article of claim 10, wherein said reporting of signal strength enables beam steering.

16. The RF ID Tag of claim 14, wherein said receiver signal strength is indicated by an a RSSI byte included with an EPC data packet.

15. An RF ID Tag, comprising:

a transponder capable of reporting received signal strength.

17. The RF ID Tag of claim 15, wherein said EPC data packet is in the standard SGTIN-64 EPC data format.

18. The RF ID Tag of claim 15, wherein said transponder capable of reporting signal strength enables power control.

19. The RF ID Tag of claim 15, wherein said transponder capable of reporting signal strength enables beam steering.

20. A tracking system, comprising:

an antenna;

a transceiver connected to said antenna; and

a transponder (RF tag) capable of communication with said transceiver, wherein said transponder is capable of reporting received signal strength.

21. The tracking system of claim 20, wherein said receiver signal strength is indicated by an a RSSI byte included with an EPC data packet.

22. A method of controlling the power in a transceiver in an RF ID Tag system, comprising:

receiving from a transponder capable of reporting received signal strength the strength of the signal received from said transceiver; and

adjusting the transmit power of said transceiver based upon the reported received signal strength and predetermined parameters.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said receiver signal strength is indicated by an a RSSI byte included with an EPC data packet.

24. A method of determining Tag location in an RF ID Tag system, comprising:

receiving from a transponder capable of reporting received signal strength the strength of the signal received from a transceiver in said RFID Tag system; and

beam forming on the basis of the reported received signal strength thereby enabling the determination of a tag in said RFID Tag system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said receiver signal strength is indicated by an a RSSI byte included with an EPC data packet.