METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) TAGS

• US 20080122622A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Dias, Francisco A., Archer, Steven T., Pate, Kristopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing network addressable radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. A management agent collects data from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that is assigned a network address for visibility within a data network. The agent generates a management message including the data for transmission over the data network to a manager configured to communicate with the agent using a management protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

collecting data from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that is assigned a network address for visibility within a data network; and

generating, by an agent, a management message including the data for transmission over the data network to a manager configured to communicate with the agent using a management protocol.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query for the data from the manager over the data network, wherein the data is collected in response to the query.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

scanning for the RFID tag to report to the manager whether the RFID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

7. An apparatus comprising:

an agent configured to collect data from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that is assigned a network address for visibility within a data network, and to generate a management message including the data for transmission over the data network to a manager configured to communicate with the agent using a management protocol.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the agent is further configured to receive a query for the data from the manager over the data network, and the data is collected in response to the query.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

circuitry configured to scan for the RFID tag to report to the manager whether the RFID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

12. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

13. A method comprising:

receiving, over a data network, a management message from an agent according to a management protocol, wherein the agent resides within a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader that is configured to obtain data from an RFID tag, the RFID tag being assigned a network address for visibility within the data network.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

generating a query for the data; and

transmitting the query to the agent over the data network, wherein the data is collected in response to the query.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

instructing the agent to initiate scanning of the RFID tag to report to whether the REID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

19. An apparatus comprising:

a manager configured to receive, over a data network, a management message from an agent according to a management protocol, wherein the agent resides within a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader that is configured to obtain data from an RFID tag, the RFID tag being assigned a network address for visibility within the data network.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the manager is further configured to generate a query for the data, the query being transmitted to the agent over the data network, wherein the data is collected in response to the query.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the manager is further configured to instruct the agent to initiate scanning of the RFID tag to report to whether the RFID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

22. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

24. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).