MULTIPLE RADIO FREQUENCY NETWORK NODE RFID TAG

• US 20070210923A1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Berrios, Javier, Butler, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/609,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20070210923A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.800
• 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 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tag that contains multiple Radio Frequency (RF) network nodes that provide enhanced memory capabilities, redundant functionality, and multiple frequency capabilities to the RFID tag using an inter-RF network node communication connection. The inter-RF network node communication may allow the coordination of RFID tag memory and functionality.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag substrate;

mounting a plurality of RF network nodes on the RFID tag substrate; and

coordinating functionality among the plurality of RF network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag substrate is associated with an object that is to be identified by the RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag substrate is part of an object that is to be identified by the RFID tag.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein coordination includes accessing combined memory.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein coordination facilitates redundancy among RF network nodes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein coordination facilitates data encryption.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein coordination is according to a network topology among the RF network nodes.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinated functionality is communicated by at least one RF network node.

3. -9. (canceled)

11. -12. (canceled)

17. -26. (canceled)

28. -46. (canceled)

47. A method of providing distributed memory, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the RFID tag containing a plurality of RF network nodes, each node having memory associated therewith; and

coordinating the memory of a plurality of the RF network nodes to form a coordinated storage facility.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the coordinated storage facility contains publicly accessible memory.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the coordinated storage facility contains conditionally accessible memory.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the coordinated storage facility includes an encryption facility.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein the coordinated storage facility contains memory that is accessible by a specified entity.

62. The method of claim 47, wherein the memory is coordinated using a master RF network node.

68. The method of claim 47, wherein the memory is coordinated using at least one RF network node.

51. (canceled)

53. -61. (canceled)

63. -67. (canceled)

69. -225. (canceled)

226. A method of connecting an antenna to an RFID tag, comprising:

providing an RFID antenna;

providing an RFID tag containing a plurality of RF network nodes; and

connecting the RFID antenna to at least one of the RF network nodes.

227. The method of claim 226, wherein at least one of the RF network nodes transmits using the antenna.

228. The method of claim 227, wherein the RFID tag determines the RF network node that transmits.

229. The method of claim 226, wherein all of the RF network nodes transmits using the antenna.

230. The method of claim 229, wherein the RFID tag determines when the RF network nodes transmit.

231. -3466. (canceled)