Electronically Switchable RFID Tags

• US 20070109101A1
• Filed: 07/19/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mynette Technolgies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Steven Colby
• Inventors: Colby, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.400
• 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

Abstract

Various switchable RFID devices are disclosed. These switchable RFID devices may include one or more RFID tags and one or more switches. Some of these one or more switches are optionally wireless. In various embodiments, the switchable RFID devices include identity devices, financial devices, remote controls, and the like. In some embodiments, switches are configured to enter data into a switchable RFID device, for example to select a financial account.

Claims

10. A RFID tag comprising:

a mechanical switch;

an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal; and

integrated circuitry including

an input configured to receive data from the antenna,

an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,

a state memory configured to store an state of the RFID tag, and

a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, and to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the state stored in the state memory or the mechanical switch.

1. A RFID tag comprising:

an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal, the transmission of the second RF signal being powered by the energy received from the first RF signal; and

integrated circuitry including

an input configured to receive data from the antenna and to receive power resulting from the energy received from the antenna,

an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,

a state memory configured to store an ON/OFF state of the RFID tag,

a key memory configured for storing a key for changing the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory, and

a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, to read the key from the key memory, to compare the received data with the read key, and to change the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory responsive to this comparison, the switch logic being further configured to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the state memory is further configured to store two or more ON states, and the switch logic is responsive to the two or more ON states.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the ON/OFF state of the RFID tag is OFF by default and temporally ON.

4. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the ON/OFF state of the RFID tag is stored in static memory.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is not remotely detectable using an RF signal when the ON/OFF state is OFF.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the state memory or switch logic are shared by several RFID tags.

7. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the antenna is shared by several RFID tags.

8. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is disposed within a passport or cellular phone.

9. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the ON/OFF state is responsive to timing using a resister-capacitor circuit.

12. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the input is further configured to receive power resulting from the first RF signal and to power the integrated circuitry using the power.

13. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the mechanical switch is configured for selecting between two or more ON states of the RFID tag.

14. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the mechanical switch must be activated and the state stored in the state memory must be an ON state before the second RF signal is transmitted.

15. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the mechanical switch is configured to set the state stored in the state memory.

16. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the state of the RFID tag can include a plurality of alternative ON states, and the mechanical switch is configured for switching the RFID tag from an OFF state to one of the plurality of alternative ON states.

17. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the mechanical switch is responsive to a state of a mechanical security device.

18. The RFID tag of claim 10, further including a key memory configured for storing a key for changing the state stored in the state memory, the switch logic being further configured to read the key from the key memory, to compare the received data with the read key, and to change the state stored in the state memory responsive to the comparison between the received data with the read key.

19. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the RFID tag is disposed within a cellular telephone.

22. The method of claim 18, further including determining a state of a mechanical switch in the RFID tag, and only changing the RFID tag from the first state to the second state if the mechanical switch is activated.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein a mechanical switch included in the RFID tag must be activated to accomplish one or more of the steps in claim 18.

12-1. The RFID tag of claim 10, wherein the mechanical switch is configured for authorizing a transaction.

20. A method of changing a state of an RFID Tag, the method comprising:

receiving energy sufficient to power the RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;

receiving first data through the RF antenna;

reading a key from a key memory;

using an integrated circuit to compare the first data received through the RF antenna with the key read from the key memory, the integrated circuit powered by the received energy; and

writing data to state memory responsive to the comparison, the data written to the state memory being configured to change the RFID tag from a first state to a second state.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first state is a state in which the RFID tag will not transmit an RF signal.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the first state and the second state are alternative ON states.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the state memory is non-volatile memory.

26. The method of claim 20, where writing data to state memory is performed only when the first data matches the key data.

27. The method of claim 20, further including automatically returning to the OFF state.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein a content of data in the RF response is responsive to the read state.

29. The method of claim 20, further sending a response signal using the RF antenna if the second state is an ON state.

30. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal at an RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;

reading a state from a state memory, the state memory being configured to alternatively store an OFF state, a first ON state and a second ON state; and

sending a response signal using the RF antenna if the state is the first ON state or the second ON state, the response signal being a response to the first signal.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the RFID tag is disposed within a cellular phone.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein contents of the response signal are responsive to whether the state is the first ON state or the second ON state.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein sending the response signal is further responsive to a mechanical switch.

34. The method of claim 31, changing the state in the state memory responsive to an RF signal.