ULTRA WIDEBAND RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUES

• US 20070069861A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jukka Reunamaki
• Original Assignee: Jukka Reunamaki
• Inventors: Reunamaki, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,733,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• 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 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 7/10306 ultra wide band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio

Abstract

Ultra wideband (UWB) techniques are applied to radio frequency identification (RFID). For instance, a reader generates a UWB IR interrogation signal, and receives a UWB IR reply signal from an RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal. In addition, the reader may generate from the UWB IR reply signal a baseband response sequence. This sequence includes at least a tag identifier. A reader may store at least a tag identifier. Upon receipt of a UWB IR interrogation signal, the tag obtains a plurality of clock pulses from the UWB IR interrogation signal. Based on the plurality of clock pulses, the reader transmits at least the tag identifier in a UWB IR response signal.

Claims

1. A method in a radio frequency identification (RFID) equipped communications device, comprising:

(a) generating an interrogation signal for communicating with a radio frequency identification RFID tag using an RFID interrogation module;

(b) generating a radio signal for powering the RFID tag for communication, wherein the radio signal is generated by a radio module different from the RFID interrogation module; and

(c) receiving a reply signal from an RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal.

2. An apparatus, comprising:

a first portion configured to generate an interrogation signal for communicating with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the RFID receiving operational power from a radio signal that is different from the interrogation signal; and

a second portion configured to receive a reply signal from the RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal.

3. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system, the computer program logic comprising:

program code for enabling the processor to cause generation of an interrogation signal for communicating with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the RFID tag receiving operational power from a radio signal that is different from the interrogation signal; and

program code for enabling the processor to cause reception of a reply signal from the RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal.

4. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogation module configured to generate an interrogation signal for communicating with an RFID tag; and

a radio module different from the RFID interrogation module, the radio module configured to generate a radio signal for powering the RFID tag for communication.

5. A method in a radio frequency identification (RFID) communications tag device, comprising:

(a) storing information in the RFID communications tag device;

(b) receiving an interrogation signal from a reading source;

(c) obtaining operational power for powering the RFID communications tag device from a radio signal other than the interrogation signal; and

(d) transmitting at least a portion of the stored information in a response signal.

6. A radio frequency identification (RFID) communications tag device, comprising:

a memory configured to store information;

a module configured to receive an interrogation signal from a reading source, and to transmit at least a portion of the stored information in a response signal; and

a power module configured to obtain operational power for powering the RFID communications tag device from a radio signal other than the interrogation signal;

7. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in an RFID communications tag device to process interrogation signals, the computer program logic comprising:

program code for enabling the processor to store information in the RFID communications tag device;

program code for enabling the processor to receive an interrogation signal from a reading source;

program code for enabling the processor to cause obtaining operational power for powering the RFID communications tag device from a radio signal other than the interrogation signal; and

program code for enabling the processor to cause transmission of at least a portion of the stored information in a response signal.