Methods and apparatus for tag activation

• US 20070152828A1
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mohalik, Swarup
• Application Number:
  US11/492,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152828A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches

Abstract

An identification tag comprising a memory configured to store an identification code, a radio communication portion configured to transmit the identification code stored in the memory when receiving a predetermined signal and a switch configured to be user-operable to enable the radio communication portion. The tag may correspond to a RFID tag where the switch is pressure actuated or similar.

Claims

1. A tag comprising:

a memory configured to store an identification code;

a radio communication portion configured to transmit the identification code stored in the memory when receiving a predetermined signal; and

a switch configured to be user-operable to enable the radio communication portion.

2. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch is directly or indirectly user-operable to cause a variation in electrical characteristics of said switch so as to enable the radio communication portion when operated by a user.

3. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch operates to enable the radio communication portion when contact or pressure is applied to said switch.

4. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch is a pressure switch, capacitative switch, resistive switch, hall effect switch, magnetoresistive switch, reed switch, inductive proximity switch or similar.

5. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch is operated by the output of a sensor.

6. A tag as claimed in claim 5 wherein the sensor operates so as to close the switch on the basis of it passing a predetermined threshold measurement.

7. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch is a pressure switch in the form of a membrane switch.

8. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tag has a planar form-factor and the switch is a membrane switch.

9. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch is configured to provide tactile feedback to a user on actuation.

10. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tag is an RFID tag.

11. A sheet incorporating a plurality of tags as claimed in claim 1.

12. A keyboard incorporating a plurality of tags as claimed in claim 1, configured so that at least one key is associated with a corresponding tag wherein when the key is pressed, the tag is enabled.

13. A keyboard as claimed in claim 12 in the form of a plurality of membrane switches, each comprising a tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A tag reader adapted to have one or more of its internal functions activated on receipt of a predetermined signal emitted by a tag as claimed in claim 1.