RFIDS, interrogators, indication systems, methods of determining a bi-directional communication range of an interrogator, methods of activating an observable indicator, and methods of indicating bi-directional functionality of a radio connection

• US 20080186178A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R., Tuttle, Mark E.
• Application Number:
  US11/704,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186178A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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

Abstract

Some embodiments includes RFIDs capable of activating an observable indicator upon receiving an indicate signal. Some embodiments includes RFIDs capable of activating an observable indicator based on a position of a manually operated switch. Some embodiments include interrogators capable of verifying a radio connection prior to sending an indicate signal to an RFID. Some embodiments include indication systems. Some embodiments include methods of determining a bi-directional communication range of an interrogator. Some embodiments include re-assessing a bi-directional communication range of an interrogator subsequent to an environment change. Some embodiments include methods of activating an observable indicator based on the position of a manually operated switch. Some embodiments include methods of indicating bi-directional functionality of a radio connection with an observable indicator of an RFID.

Claims

1. A method of indicating bi-direction functionality of a radio connection, comprising:

transmitting an interrogation signal on a forward link of the radio connection;

receiving, from an RFID comprising an observable indicator, a reply signal on a return link of the radio connection responsive to the interrogation signal, the reply signal being configured to identify the RFID; and

sending an indicate signal to the RFID on the forward link responsive to the reply signal, the indicate signal being configured to instruct the RFID to activate the observable indicator effective to indicate bi-directional functionality of the radio connection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a discontinue indicate signal to the RFID on the forward link a predetermined amount of time after sending the indicate signal, the discontinue indicate signal being configured to instruct the RFID to deactivate the observable indicator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal comprises transmitting an interrogation signal comprising a tag identifier exclusively identifying RFID.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal comprises transmitting an interrogation signal comprising a tag identifier identifying a plurality RFIDs, the RFID being one of the plurality.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein sending an indicate signal comprises sending an indicate signal configured to instruct the RFID to activate the observable indicator for a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending an indicate signal comprises sending an indicate signal configured to instruct the RFID to activate the observable indicator for a predetermined period of time specified by a portion of the indicate signal, after which the RFID de-activates the observable indicator.

7. An RFID, comprising:

an observable indicator;

indication circuitry configured to selectively activate the observable indicator; and

communication circuitry configured to;

send a reply signal via a radio connection in response to an interrogation signal received via the radio connection;

receive an indicate signal sent by an interrogation in response to the reply signal; and

enable the indication circuitry to activate the observable indicator after receiving the indicate signal.

8. The RFID of claim 7 wherein the observable indicator comprises a visually observable indicator.

9. The RFID of claim 7 wherein RFID is configured to receive the interrogation signal on a forward link of the radio connection via a continuous wave signal and send the reply signal on a return link of the radio connection by backscatter modulating the continuous wave signal.

10. The RFID of claim 7 wherein the reply signal comprises indicia identifying the RFID.

11. The RFID of claim 7 wherein the RFID is a passive RFID.

12. The RFID of claim 7 wherein the RFID is an active RFID.

13. An interrogator, comprising:

at least one antenna configured to send and receive signals via a radio connection; and

communication circuitry configured to;

transmit an interrogation signal via the radio connection to an RFID, the RFID comprising an observable indicator configured to selectively indicate bi-directional functionality of the radio connection,

receive a reply signal sent by the RFID via the radio connection in response to the interrogation signal; and

send via the radio connection an indicate signal configured to instruct the RFID to activate the observable indicator in response to receiving the reply signal.

14. An indication system, comprising:

an interrogator; and

an RFID configured to;

send a reply signal via a radio connection in response to an interrogation signal received via the radio connection from the interrogator;

receive an indicate signal sent by the interrogator in response to the reply signal; and

activate an observable indicator after receiving the indicate signal.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the RFID comprises a passive RFID.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the RFID comprises an active RFID.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the observable indicator comprises a visually observable indicator.

18. An indication system, comprising:

an RFID configured to selectively indicate bi-directional functionality of a radio connection via an observable indicator; and

an interrogator configured to;

transmit, on the radio connection, and interrogation signal to the RFID;

receive a reply signal sent by the RFID in response to the interrogation signal via the radio connection; and

send an indicate signal configured to instruct the RFID to activate the observable indicator in response to the reply signal.

19. A method of determining a bi-directional communication range of an interrogator, comprising:

providing an RFID comprising an observable indicator;

placing the RFID in a plurality of locations; and

while the RFID is in each location;

transmitting an interrogation signal using the interrogator;

if the interrogator receives a reply signal from the RFID in response to the interrogation signal, sending an indicate signal to the RFID;

activating the observable indicator if the indicate signal is received by the RFID;

classifying the location as within the range if the observable indicator is activated at the location due to the indicate signal; and

classifying the location as outside the range is the observable indicator is not activated at the location.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein providing an RFID comprising an observable indicator comprises providing an RFID comprising an visually observable indicator.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal comprises transmitting an interrogation signal comprising a tag identifier exclusively identifying the RFID.

22. A method of determining a bi-directional communication range of an interrogator, comprising:

providing a plurality of RFIDs, each RFID comprising an observable indicator;

placing each RFID in a different location;

transmitting an interrogation signal using the interrogator;

sending one or more indicate signals to those RFIDs of the plurality from which the interrogator receives a reply signal in response to the interrogation signal;

activating the observable indicators of those RFIDs of the plurality that receive one of the indicate signals; and

classifying the bi-directional communication range by identifying those RFIDs of the plurality with an activated observable indicator as within the bi-directional communication range and those RFIDs of the plurality with a de-activated observable indicator as outside the bi-directional communication range.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein providing a plurality of RFIDs comprises providing a plurality of active RFIDs.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein providing a plurality of RFIDs comprises providing a plurality of passive RFIDs.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal comprises transmitting an interrogation signal comprising a tag identifier identifying the plurality of RFIDs.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein sending one or more indicate signals comprises sending one or more indicate signals, each indicate signal being exclusively addressed to one RFID of the plurality.

27. The method of 22 further comprising:

re-assessing the bi-directional communication range after an environment surrounding the interrogator has changed such that propagation of signals transmitted by the interrogator subsequent to the environment change will be affected by the environment change by;

transmitting an additional interrogation signal using the interrogator;

sending one or more additional indicate signals configured to activate the observable indicators of those RFIDs of the plurality from which the interrogator receives a reply signal in response to the additional interrogation signal; and

re-assessing the bi-directional communication range by identifying those RFIDs of the plurality with an activated observable indicator resulting from the additional indicate signals as within the bi-directional communication range and those RFIDs of the plurality with a de-activated observable indicator resulting from the additional indicate signals as outside the bi-directional communication range.

28. A method of activating an observable indicator, comprising:

providing an RFID comprising the observable indicator and a manually operated switch configured to switch between an enabled position and non-enabled position;

receiving a signal at the RFID, the signal being configured to activate the observable indicator for a period of time; and

activating the observable indicator for portions of the period of time during which the manually operated switch is in the enabled position.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein providing an RFID comprising a manually operated switch comprises providing an RFID comprising one of a manually operated momentary switch, a manually operated push-push switch, and a manually operated toggle switch.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein providing an RFID comprising the observable indicator comprises providing an RFID comprising a visually observable indicator.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein providing an RFID comprises providing a passive RFID.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein providing an RFID comprises providing an active RFID.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein receiving a signal at the RFID comprises receiving an interrogation signal at the RFID.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein receiving a signal at the RFID comprises receiving an interrogation signal addressed exclusively to the RFID at the RFID.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein receiving a signal at the RFID comprises receiving an indicate signal sent in response to a reply received from the RFID, the reply being sent by the RFID in response to an interrogation signal received by the RFID.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein when the manually operated switch is in the non-enabled position, the observable indicator cannot be activated.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein activating the observable indicator comprises powering a light-emitting diode.

38. An RFID, comprising:

an observable indicator;

a manually operated switch configured to switch between an enabled position and a non-enabled position;

communication circuitry configured to receive a signal; and

indication circuitry configured to activate the observable indicator in response to the communication circuitry receiving the signal only if the manually operated switch is in the enabled position.

39. The RFID of claim 38 wherein the observable indicator comprises a visually observable indicator.

40. The RFID of claim 38 wherein the observable indicator comprises a light-emitting diode.

41. The RFID of claim 38 wherein the manually operated switch comprises one of a momentary switch, a push-push switch, and a toggle switch.

42. The RFID of claim 38 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive the signal from an interrogator via a radio connection.

43. The RFID of claim 38 wherein the signal comprises an interrogation signal.

44. The RFID of claim 38 wherein the signal comprises an interrogation signal addressed exclusively to the RFID.

45. An indication system, comprising:

an interrogator configured to send a signal configured to activate an observable indicator for a period of time; and

an RFID comprising a manually operated switch configured to switch between an enabled position and a non-enabled position, the RFID being configured to activate the observable indicator upon receiving the signal from the interrogator for portions of the period of time during which the manually operated switch is in the enabled position.

46. The indication system of claim 45 wherein the interrogator sends the signal via a radio connection.

47. The indication system of claim 45 wherein the signal comprises an interrogation signal.

48. The indication system of claim 45 wherein the signal comprises an indicate signal addressed exclusively to the RFID.

49. The indication system of claim 45 wherein the manually operated switch comprises one of a momentary switch, a push-push switch, and a toggle switch.