RFID tag

• US 20070222610A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tagato, Hiroki
• Application Number:
  US11/723,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222610A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.700
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07336 Active means, e.g. jamming or scrambling of the electromagnetic field

Abstract

An RFID tag includes an external power input unit, first antenna unit, first power supply unit, memory unit, and control unit. The external power input unit inputs external power. The first antenna unit receives power from a communication device. The first power supply unit extracts power from the radio wave received by the first antenna unit. The control unit operates upon receiving power from the first power supply unit and controls permission and inhibition of access from the communication device to the memory unit in accordance with presence/absence of input of power from the external power input unit.

Claims

1. An RFID tag characterized by comprising:

an external power input unit which inputs external power;

a first antenna unit which receives power from a communication device;

a first power supply unit which extracts power from the radio wave received by said first antenna unit;

a memory unit; and

a control unit which operates upon receiving power from said first power supply unit and controls permission and inhibition of access from the communication device to said memory unit in accordance with presence/absence of input of power from said external power input unit.

2. A tag according to claim 1, wherein said external power input unit inputs external power from a short distance shorter than a radio wave communicable distance of said first antenna unit.

3. A tag according to claim 1, wherein said

external power input unit comprises

a second antenna unit which has radio wave reception sensitivity lower than that of said first antenna unit, and

a second power supply unit which extracts power from the radio wave received by the second antenna unit.

4. A tag according to claim 3, wherein said

control unit comprises

an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to said memory unit through said first antenna unit if no power is received from the second power supply unit, and

an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to said memory unit through said first antenna unit if power is received from the second power supply unit.

5. A tag according to claim 3, wherein

said memory unit comprises a protected memory unit which stores data needing protection, and an unprotected memory unit which stores data needing no protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to the protected memory unit if no power is received from the second power supply unit, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to the protected memory unit through said first antenna unit if power is received from the second power supply unit.

6. A tag according to claim 3, wherein

said memory unit comprises a data memory unit which stores data, and a flag memory unit which stores a flag value indicating whether data stored at the addresses in the data memory unit need protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to a data storage area in the data memory unit which is in protected state by a flag value in the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if no power is received from the second power supply unit, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to a data storage area in the data memory unit which is in protected state by a flag value in the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if power is received from the second power supply unit.

7. A tag according to claim 3, wherein

said memory unit comprises a data memory unit which stores data, and a flag memory unit which stores a flag value indicating whether data stored at the addresses in the data memory unit need protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if no power is received from the second power supply unit, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to the flag memory unit through said antenna unit if power is received from the second power supply unit.

8. A tag according to claim 3, wherein

said memory unit comprises a protected memory unit which stores data needing protection, and an unprotected memory unit which stores data needing no protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to the protected memory unit through said first antenna unit if no power is received from the second power supply unit, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to the protected memory unit through the second antenna unit if power is received from the second power supply unit.

9. A tag according to claim 3, wherein

said memory unit comprises a data memory unit which stores data, and a flag memory unit which stores a flag value indicating whether data stored at the addresses in the data memory unit need protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to a data storage area in the data memory unit which is in protected state by a flag value in the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if no power is received from the second power supply unit, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to a data storage area in the data memory unit which is in protected state by a flag value in the flag memory unit through the second antenna unit.

10. A tag according to claim 3, wherein said first

antenna unit and the second antenna unit use different frequency bands for communication.

11. A tag according to claim 10, wherein the second antenna unit receives a radio wave from a radio wave source different from the communication device.

12. A tag according to claim 1, wherein the

external power input unit comprises a connection terminal to an external power supply.

13. A tag according to claim 12, wherein said

control unit comprises

an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to said memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply does not connect to the connection terminal, and

an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to said memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply connects to the connection terminal.

14. A tag according to claim 12, wherein

said memory unit comprises a protected memory unit which stores data needing protection, and an unprotected memory unit which stores data needing no protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to the protected memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply does not connect to the connection terminal, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to the protected memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply connects to the connection terminal.

15. A tag according to claim 12, wherein

said memory unit comprises a data memory unit which stores data, and a flag memory unit which stores a flag value indicating whether data stored at the addresses in the data memory unit need protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to a data storage area in the data memory unit which is in protected state by a flag value in the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply does not connect to the connection terminal, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to a data storage area in the data memory unit which is in protected state by a flag value in the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply connects to the connection terminal.

16. A tag according to claim 12, wherein

said memory unit comprises a data memory unit which stores data, and a flag memory unit which stores a flag value indicating whether data stored at the addresses in the data memory unit need protection, and

said control unit comprises an access inhibition unit which inhibits access from the communication device to the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply does not connect to the connection terminal, and an access permission unit which permits access from the communication device to the flag memory unit through said first antenna unit if the external power supply connects to the connection terminal.