Sensor based selection of radio frequency identification tags

• US 20070096882A1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Powell, Kevin, Bandy, William
• Application Number:
  US11/263,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096882A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• 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 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for interacting with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are described. A tag selector stimulates a sensor of a tag to enable a tag. A tag processor interacts with the enabled tag. The tag processor can test, program, kill, and/or otherwise interact with the tag, while enabled. In this manner large numbers of tags can be interacted with in close proximity, such as during their manufacture in a web format, because the tag selector enables a selected tag (or tags) at any one time.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with one or more of a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, wherein each tag includes a sensor, comprising:

stimulating a sensor of a tag to enable a tag function; and

interacting with the enabled function of the tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag function is a tag programming function, wherein said interacting comprises:

programming the tag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said programming comprises:

writing an identification number into the tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said stimulating comprises:

enabling full functionality of the tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said interacting comprises:

testing the tag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, wherein said stimulating comprises:

applying heat to the sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, wherein said stimulating comprises:

applying light to the sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor, wherein said stimulating comprises:

applying a magnetic field to the sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor, wherein said stimulating comprises:

applying pressure to the sensor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a vibration sensor, wherein said stimulating comprises:

applying vibration to the sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, wherein said stimulating comprises:

applying ultrasound to the sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating said stimulating and said interacting for each further tag of the plurality of tags to be tested.

13. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a substrate;

an antenna on the substrate;

an integrated circuit (IC) die mounted to the substrate; and

a sensor that when stimulated enables a function of the tag.

14. The tag of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a vibration sensor.

15. The tag of claim 13, wherein the sensor is mounted to the substrate.

16. The tag of claim 13, wherein the IC die comprises the sensor.

17. The tag of claim 16, wherein the sensor enables a function of the IC die.

18. The tag of claim 13, wherein stimulation of the sensor enables a programming function of the tag.

19. The tag of claim 13, wherein stimulation of the sensor enables the IC die to function.

20. A system for interacting with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a tag selector that stimulates a sensor of a tag to enable a function of the tag; and

a tag processor that interacts with the enabled tag function.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the tag one of a plurality of tags in a web.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the tag selector sequentially stimulates each tag of the web one at a time to sequentially enable a function of each tag of the web, and the tag processor sequentially interacts with each stimulated tag to interact with the tag function while enabled.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, wherein the tag selector comprises a heat source that applies heat to the sensor to stimulate the sensor.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, wherein the tag selector comprises a light source that emits light to the sensor to stimulate the sensor.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor, wherein the tag selector generates a magnetic field received by the sensor to stimulate the sensor.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor, wherein the tag selector applies pressure to the sensor to stimulate the sensor.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor is a vibration sensor, wherein the tag selector vibrates the sensor to stimulate the sensor.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor is an ultrasound sensor, wherein the tag selector applies ultrasound to the sensor to stimulate the sensor.

22. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a computer coupled to the tag selector and tag processor.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer is coupled to a transport system for the web.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer comprises a test module that includes a tag test algorithm.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer comprises a programming module that includes a tag programming algorithm.