Method of annotating an item with electronic data and apparatus therefor

• US 20070164864A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Waters, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,535,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/072 the record carrier comprising a plurality of integrated circuit chips
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07775 the antenna being on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• 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

Abstract

A method of annotating an item with electronic data is described which comprises securing a memory tag to the item, the memory tag having a memory and a transponder to enable wireless communication with the memory tag, and having an external dimension D. The memory tag is adapted for wireless communication only with a transceiver located within a distance of 10D of the memory tag. Also described is apparatus for annotating an item with electronic data wherein the apparatus comprises a memory tag which in use is secured to the item, and a transceiver for wireless communication with the memory tag. The memory tag includes a memory and a transponder, and has an external dimension D. The memory tag and transceiver are adapted for wireless communication therebetween only when the transceiver is located within a distance of 10D of the memory tag.

Claims

1. A method for communicating wirelessly with a memory tag:

comprising;

using a device to read data from and/or write data to a memory of the memory tag, wherein

a rate of tag data transfer to and/or from the memory is such that the device can be held over the memory tag for a very short period of time in order to effect a data read and/or write operation.

2. A method for wireless communication with a memory tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rate of tag data transfer is not less than 10 Mbits per second.

3. A method for wireless communication with a memory tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the very short period of time is not more than 2 seconds.

4. An apparatus for annotating an item with electronic data, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a memory tag secured to the item; and

a device for wireless communication with the memory tag, wherein a rate of data transfer to and/or from the memory tag is such that the device can be held over the memory tag for a very short period of time in order to effect a data read and/or write operation.

5. An apparatus for annotating an item with electronic data according to claim 4, wherein the rate of tag data transfer is not less than 10 Mbits per second.

6. An apparatus for annotating an item with electronic data according to claim 4, wherein the very short period of time is not more than 2 seconds.

7. An item annotated with electronic data stored on a memory tag secured to the item, wherein the memory tag comprises a memory and a transponder to enable wireless communication between the memory tag and a device, wherein a rate of data transfer to and/or from the memory tag is such that the device can be held over the tag for a very short period of time in order to effect a data read and/or write operation.

8. An item annotated with electronic data stored on a memory tag secured to the item as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rate of tag data transfer is not less than 10 Mbits per second.

9. An item annotated with electronic data stored on a memory tag secured to the item as claimed in claim 7, wherein the very short period of time is not more than 2 seconds.

10. A memory tag comprising a memory and a transponder to enable wireless communication with the memory tag, wherein the tag is inductively powered by way of an antenna coil external to the tag, the antenna coil further operative to effect the reading of data from and/or writing of data to the memory using the transponder.

11. A memory tag as claimed in claim 10, wherein the antenna coil comprises at least one loop.