RFID tag including ROM, method of impeding an RFID tag from being killed, and method of manufacturing an RFID tag

• US 20080129463A1
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R.
• Application Number:
  US11/607,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07318 by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing jamming of communication, counter-measures H04K3/00; secret communication H04K1/00

Abstract

An RFID tag includes read-only memory obtaining a kill password that cannot be changed, wherein it is not possible for a reader to kill a RFID tag by sending a kill command. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag and a method of impeding an RFID tag from being killed by a kill command are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver coupled to the processor, the RFID tag being configured to respond to commands issued by a reader and received by the transceiver; and

read-only memory coupled to the processor, the read-only memory containing a kill password that cannot be changed, the kill password being set at a value selected such that it is not possible for a reader to kill a RFID tag by sending a kill command.

2. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 1 wherein the read-only memory is a contact ROM.

3. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 1 wherein the read-only memory is mask programmable.

4. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 1 wherein the read-only memory has a kill password of zero.

5. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 1 wherein the read-only memory has an unalterable kill password of 0000H.

6. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 1 and comprising memory including TID information for the reader to use to be able to identify custom commands that the tag supports.

7. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 1 and comprising a reserved memory block that contains the kill password.

8. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 1 and comprising a reserved memory block containing the kill password and also containing an access password, and wherein the tag includes memory containing an EPC memory block, and memory containing a TID memory block.

9. An RFID tag comprising:

read-only memory containing a kill password that cannot be changed, wherein it is not possible for a reader to kill a RFID tag by sending a kill command.

10. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 9 wherein the read-only memory has a kill password of zero.

11. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 9 and comprising memory including TID information for the reader to use to be able to identify custom commands that the tag supports.

12. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 9 and comprising a reserved memory block that contains the kill password.

13. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 9 and comprising a reserved memory block containing the kill password and also containing an access password, and wherein the tag includes memory containing an EPC memory block, and memory containing a TID memory block.

14. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag, the method comprising:

coupling a transceiver to a processor, and configuring the tag to respond to commands issued by a reader and received by the transceiver;

coupling read-only memory to the processor, and

storing in the read-only memory a kill password that cannot be changed, the kill password being set at a value selected to render it impossible for a reader to kill the RFID tag by sending a kill command.

15. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag in accordance with claim 14 and comprising using contact ROM for the read-only memory.

16. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag in accordance with claim 14 and comprising mask programming the read-only memory.

17. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag in accordance with claim 14 and comprising storing a kill password of zero in the read-only memory.

18. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag in accordance with claim 14 and comprising storing an unalterable kill password of 0000H in the read-only memory.

19. A method of impeding an RFID tag from being killed by a kill command, the method comprising:

using a non-volatile memory to store a kill password; and

setting the stored kill password at zero.

20. A method of impeding an RFID tag from being killed by a kill command in accordance with claim 19, the method comprising manufacturing the RFID tag to comply with the EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 standard except for the use of use of non-volatile memory.

21. A system comprising:

an RFID reader; and

a plurality of RFID tags, at least one of the RFID tags including;

a processor;

a transceiver coupled to the processor, the RFID tag being configured to respond to commands issued by the reader and received by the transceiver; and

read-only memory coupled to the processor, the read-only memory containing a kill password that cannot be changed, the kill password being a value selected to render it impossible for a reader to kill the RFID tag by sending a kill command, the read-only memory further including an electronic product code.

22. A system in accordance with claim 21 wherein the RFID tag that has the read-only memory comprises memory including TID information for the reader to be able to identify custom commands that the RFID tag having the read-only memory supports.

23. A system in accordance with claim 21 wherein the RFID tag that has the read-only memory includes a reserved memory block that contains the kill password.

24. A system in accordance with claim 21 wherein the read-only memory includes a reserved memory block containing the kill password and also containing an access password, and wherein the RFID tag includes memory containing an EPC memory block, and a TID memory block.

25. A system in accordance with claim 21 and further comprising RFID tags that comply with the EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 standard.

26. A system in accordance with claim 21 wherein the RFID tag that has the read-only memory complies with the EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 standard except to the extent that read-only memory does not comply.

27. A method comprising:

providing an RFID tag, the providing including coupling a transceiver to a processor, and configuring the RFID tag to respond to commands issued by a reader and received by the transceiver; and

coupling read-only memory to the processor;

storing in the read-only memory a kill password that cannot be changed, wherein it is not possible for a reader to kill the RFID tag by sending a kill command; and

storing in the read-only memory an electronic product code.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27 and further comprising storing in the RFID tag TID information for the reader to use to be able to identify custom commands that the RFID tag having the read-only memory supports.

29. A method in accordance with claim 27 wherein the read-only memory includes a reserved memory block and wherein the storing the kill password comprises storing the kill password in the reserved memory block.

30. A method in accordance with claim 27 wherein the read-only memory includes a reserved memory block, wherein the storing the kill password comprises storing the kill password in the reserved memory block, and wherein the RFID tag further includes an EPC memory block, and a TID memory block.

31. A method in accordance with claim 27 wherein the RFID tag is manufactured to comply with the EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 standard except to the extent that the read-only memory does not comply.

32. An RFID tag comprising:

processor means;

means for receiving and responding to commands from a reader; and

means for resisting attempts to kill the RFID tag.

33. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 32 and comprising non-volatile memory storing a kill password that cannot be changed, the kill password having a value selected such that it is not possible for a reader to kill the RFID tag by sending a kill command.

34. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 33 wherein the read-only memory is a contact ROM.

35. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 33 wherein the read-only memory is mask programmable.

36. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 33 wherein the read-only memory has a kill password of zero.

37. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 33 wherein the read-only memory has an unalterable kill password of 0000H.

38. An RFID tag comprising:

means for storing a kill password that cannot be changed, and setting the password at a value rendering it impossible for a reader to kill a RFID tag by sending a kill command.

39. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 38 wherein the storing means has a kill password of zero.

40. A system comprising:

an RFID reader; and

a plurality of RFID tags, at least one of the RFID tags including;

means for processing commands received from the reader;

means for receiving commands from the reader and for transmitting replies to the reader; and

means for storing a kill password that cannot be changed, wherein it is not possible for the reader to kill the RFID tag by sending a kill command, the storing means further including an electronic product code.

41. A system in accordance with claim 40 wherein at least one of the RFID tags comprises means for storing TID information for the reader to use to be able to identify custom commands that the RFID tag having the read-only memory supports.

42. A system in accordance with claim 40 wherein the RFID tag that has the storing means includes a reserved memory block that contains the kill password.

43. A system in accordance with claim 40 wherein the storing means includes a reserved memory block containing the kill password, and wherein the RFID tag that has the storing means includes means for providing an EPC memory block, and means for providing a TID memory block.

44. A system in accordance with claim 40 and further comprising RFID tags that comply with the EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 standard.

45. A system in accordance with claim 40 wherein the RFID tag that has the storing means complies with the EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 standard except to the extent that the storing means does not comply.

46. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver coupled to the processor, the RFID tag being configured to respond to commands issued by a reader and received by the transceiver; and

memory configured to store electronic product code data, and wherein the processor is configured to ignore a kill command received from a reader.

47. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 46 and comprising memory including TID information for the reader to use to be able to identify custom commands that the tag supports.

48. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 46 and comprising a reserved memory block that contains a kill password.

49. An RFID tag in accordance with claim 48 and comprising a reserved memory block containing the kill password and also containing an access password, and wherein the tag includes memory containing a TID memory block.

50. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver coupled to the processor, the RFID tag being configured to respond to commands issued by a reader and received by the transceiver; and

memory configured to store data identifying the object to which the RFID tag is intended to be affixed, and wherein the RFID tag is configured to selectively return a message to a reader indicating that the RFID tag cannot be killed.

51. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) in accordance with claim 50 wherein the RFID tag is configured to return the message in response to receiving a kill command from a reader.

52. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver coupled to the processor, the RFID tag being configured to respond to commands issued by a reader and received by the transceiver; and

memory configured to store data identifying the object to which the RFID tag is intended to be affixed, and wherein the RFID tag is configured to not perform a kill function responsive to receiving a command from a reader to kill the tag.