Methods For Remotely Logging Temperatures Of Perishable Articles

• US 20080030353A1
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Rotzoll, Robert, O'Toole, James, Higgins, Brian, Lowrey, Tyler, Tuttle, Mark, Pax, George, Yu, Shu-Sun, Ovard, David, Devereaux, Kevin, Tuttle, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,786,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/584
• 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 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• 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 19/0726 the arrangement including a circuit for tuning the resonance frequency of an antenna on the record carrier
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• 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: G06K 7/10059 transponder driven
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0995 the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/148 said digital means comprising a counter or a divider

Abstract

A radio frequency identification device includes an integrated circuit including a receiver, a transmitter, and a microprocessor. The receiver and transmitter together define an active transponder. The integrated circuit is preferably a monolithic single die integrated circuit including the receiver, the transmitter, and the microprocessor. Because the device includes an active transponder, instead of a transponder which relies on magnetic coupling for power, the device has a much greater range.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. :

A method for remotely logging temperature of a perishable article, comprising;

providing an RFID tag affixed to the perishable article, the RFID tag comprising a flexible substrate of less than ten mils thick, one or more antennas disposed on the substrate, a monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit coupled to at least one of the antennas and disposed adjacent the substrate comprising a radio frequency receiver for receiving spread spectrum radio frequency signals, a transmitter for communicating signals by backscatter reflection, control logic, a memory for persistent storage of data, and a random number generator, a flexible battery of less than 30 mils thick coupled to supply power to the monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit, and a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature;

transmitting from a radio frequency interrogator in remote proximity to the perishable article an interrogatory message requesting a response from the RFID tag; and

receiving at the radio frequency interrogator a response signal from the RFID tag, the response signal including data indicative of the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

3. :

The method of claim 2 and further comprising;

transmitting from a radio frequency interrogator in remote proximity to the perishable article a command requesting the RFID tag to periodically store data in the memory that is indicative of sensed temperature;

sensing temperature within the RFID tag;

providing data indicative of the sensed temperature to the monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit;

configuring the memory to store the sensed temperature data; and

receiving at a radio frequency interrogator in remote proximity to the perishable article signals comprising the sensed temperature data.

4. :

The method of claim 3 and further comprising;

transmitting from a radio frequency interrogator in remote proximity to the perishable article a command requesting the RFID tag to store data in the memory that is indicative of sensed temperature that exceeds a predetermined threshold;

sensing temperature within the RFID tag;

providing data indicative of the sensed temperature exceeding the threshold to the monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit;

configuring the memory to store the sensed temperature data; and

receiving at a radio frequency interrogator in remote proximity to the perishable article signals comprising the data indicating whether the temperature exceeded the threshold.

5. :

The method of claim 2 wherein providing the RFID tag further comprises providing a monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit with the control logic selected from the group of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, and combinations thereof.

6. :

The method of claim 2 wherein providing the RFID tag further comprises providing a monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit with the random number generator further comprising a linear feedback shift register.

7. :

The method of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag temperature sensor is formed within the monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit.

8. :

The method of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag further comprises a monolithic radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit having an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the temperature sensor and providing a digital signal indicative of the sensed temperature.