RF SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING VISUAL, TACTILE, AND ELECTRONIC INDICATORS OF AN ALARM CONDITION

• US 20070285229A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zest Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelleflex Corporation
• Inventors: Batra, Naresh, Schlicht, Lauren Marie
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.260
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/14 Details; Accessories therefor A61J7/00 takes precedence; openers B65D, B67B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2457 Lending systems using EAS tags wherein the tags are reusable, e.g. they can be activated and deactivated more than once, e.g. for a library
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag according to one embodiment includes a controller for setting one or more alarm states upon occurrence of one or more alarm conditions, and a visual display device under control of the controller, the visual display device providing a visual, audible, and/or tactile indicator of an alarm condition when an alarm state is set. The visual, audible, and/or tactile indicator of the alarm condition optionally can only be reset by an authorized entity, or cannot be reset.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a controller for setting an alarm state upon occurrence of an alarm condition;

a visual display device under control of the controller, the visual display device providing a visual indicator of the alarm condition when the alarm state is set,

wherein the visual indicator of the alarm condition can only be reset by an authorized entity.

2. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting an environmental condition, the controller setting the alarm state based on an output of the sensor.

3. An RFID tag as recited in claim 2, wherein the environmental condition is selected from a group consisting of temperature, humidity, Ph, sunlight, ultraviolet light, chemicals, radioactivity, pathogens, presence of bacteria, presence of viruses, presence of prions, carbon dioxide level, and combinations thereof.

4. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting a condition of an object to which attached, the controller setting the alarm state based on an output of the sensor.

5. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein setting the alarm state includes setting an alarm flag, wherein the alarm flag is one or more bits.

6. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual indicator remains displayed by the visual display device in the absence of power to the visual display device.

7. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein the alarm condition is an exception.

8. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual display device is an electronic display device.

9. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual display device is a mechanical display device.

10. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual display device is also a tactile display device.

11. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein the alarm condition is based on an unauthorized presence of the RFID tag in a restricted area.

12. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, wherein multiple alarm states are set upon detecting multiple alarm conditions.

13. An RFID tag as recited in claim 1, further comprising a sensor and non-volatile memory, wherein the non-volatile memory has sufficient capacity to store several sensor readings.

14. An RFID tag as recited in claim 13, wherein the non-volatile memory also has sufficient capacity to be used in processing functions of the controller.

15. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags as recited in claim 1; and

an RFID interrogator in communication with the RFID tags.

16. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a controller for setting an alarm state upon occurrence of an alarm condition;

a visual display device under control of the controller, the visual display device providing a visual indicator of the alarm condition when the alarm state is set,

wherein the visual indicator of the alarm condition cannot be reset.

17. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, further comprising a sensor for detecting an environmental condition, the controller setting the alarm state based on an output of the sensor.

18. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein the environmental condition is selected from a group consisting of temperature, humidity, Ph, sunlight, ultraviolet light, chemicals, radioactivity, pathogens, presence of bacteria, presence of viruses, presence of prions, carbon dioxide level, and combinations thereof.

19. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, further comprising a sensor for detecting a condition of an object to which attached, the controller setting the alarm state based on an output of the sensor.

20. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein setting the alarm state includes setting an alarm flag, wherein the alarm flag is one or more bits.

21. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein the visual indicator remains displayed by the visual display device in the absence of power to the visual display device.

22. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein the alarm condition is an exception.

23. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein the visual display device is an electronic display device.

24. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein the visual display device is a mechanical display device.

25. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein the visual display device is also a tactile display device.

26. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein the alarm condition is based on an unauthorized presence of the RFID tag in a restricted area.

27. An RFID tag as recited in claim 16, wherein multiple alarm states are set upon detecting multiple alarm conditions.

28. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags as recited in claim 16; and

an RFID interrogator in communication with the RFID tags.

29. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a controller for setting an alarm state upon occurrence of an alarm condition;

a tactile indicator under control of the controller, the tactile indicator providing a tactile indicator of the alarm condition when the alarm state is set.

30. An RFID tag as recited in claim 29, wherein the tactile indicator of the alarm condition can only be reset by an authorized entity.

31. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags as recited in claim 29; and

an RFID interrogator in communication with the RFID tags.

32. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a controller for setting an alarm state upon occurrence of an alarm condition;

an audible output device under control of the controller, the audible output device providing an audible indicator of the alarm condition when the alarm state is set,

wherein the audible indicator of the alarm condition can only be reset by an authorized entity.

33. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a controller for setting an alarm state upon occurrence of an alarm condition;

an audible output device under control of the controller, the audible output device providing an audible indicator of the alarm condition when the alarm state is set,

wherein the audible indicator of the alarm condition cannot be reset.

34. A method for visually and electronically indicating occurrence of an alarm condition, the method comprising:

detecting an alarm condition;

setting an alarm state upon detecting the alarm condition;

generating a visual indicator of the alarm condition;

receiving an electronic query from an RFID interrogator;

transmitting an electronic indication of the alarm condition to the interrogator,

wherein the visual indicator of the alarm condition can only be reset by an authorized entity.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising detection an environmental condition, and setting the alarm state based on an output of the sensor.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein the environmental condition is selected from a group consisting of temperature, humidity, Ph, sunlight, ultraviolet light, chemicals, radioactivity, pathogens, presence of bacteria, presence of viruses, presence of prions, carbon dioxide level, and combinations thereof.

37. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising detecting a condition of an object to which attached, and setting the alarm state based on an output of the sensor.

38. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein setting the alarm state includes setting an alarm flag, wherein the alarm flag is one or more bits.

39. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the visual indicator remains displayed in the absence of power to a visual display device displaying the visual indicator.

40. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the alarm condition is an exception.

41. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the visual indicator is displayed by a mechanical display device.

42. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the alarm condition is based on an unauthorized presence of the RFID tag in a restricted area.

43. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the interrogator detects the alarm condition and instructs an RFID tag to set the alarm state.

44. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein multiple alarm states are set upon detecting multiple alarm conditions.

45. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags, each tag performing the method of claim 34; and

a RFID interrogator in communication with the RFID tags.

46. A method for activating an RFID tag on occurrence of an alarm condition, the method comprising:

detecting an alarm condition;

setting an alarm state upon detecting the alarm condition;

transmitting an electronic indication of the alarm condition to the RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag begins monitoring for a second alarm condition.

47. A method as recited in claim 46, wherein the RFID tag wakes from a hibernate state upon receiving the electronic indication of the alarm condition.

48. A method for activating an RFID tag on occurrence of an alarm condition, the method comprising:

detecting an alarm condition;

setting an alarm state upon detecting the alarm condition;

transmitting an electronic indication of the alarm condition to an interrogator, wherein the interrogator instructs the RFID tag to begin monitoring for a second alarm condition.

49. A method as recited in claim 48, wherein the RFID tag wakes from a hibernate state upon receiving the electronic indication of the alarm condition.