Wireless personal information carrier having logic for connecting a battery only during data transfers

• US 20080191876A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Mission Systems LLC (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
• Inventors: Jannson, Tomasz, Kostrzewski, Andrew, Tahim, Raghbir, Ro, Sookwang, McMahon, Shean T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms

Abstract

An information carrier in a preferred embodiment is worn like a dog-tag and carries data such as medical information. The tag operates wirelessly, communicating with a nearby reader which interrogates the tag with a selected combination of RF signal frequencies. Extremely long term battery usage is achieved by connecting the battery in the tag only when the proper combination of RF signals, each at least at a minimum threshold power level, is received at the tag to produce a trigger voltage in activation logic to close a solid state switch. After a sequence of communications between the reader and the tag is then completed to transfer selected data from the memory, the battery is again disconnected to preserve battery energy for very long periods of time. The battery may be slowly recharged by ambient energy using a scavenging antenna array.

Claims

1. A device for storing information in portable electronic memory, the information being retrievable by a reader in proximity to the device by wireless communication between the device and the reader;

the device comprising;

an electronic memory having said information stored therein;

a transceiver and associated antenna for receiving RF signals from said reader and transmitting RF signals to said reader;

a battery for powering said device;

a logic circuit connected between said electronic memory, said transceiver and said battery and responsive only to a selected combination of RF signals received at said antenna for connecting said battery into said device and for normally disconnecting said battery from said device.

2. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said selected combination of RF signals is based on at least two different RF frequencies.

3. The device recited in claim 2 wherein said combination of RF signals are received simultaneously at said antenna.

4. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic memory has a storage capacity of at least 500 megabytes.

5. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic memory has a storage capacity of at least 4 gigabytes.

6. The device recited in claim 1 further comprising an electronic connector for receiving data signals having information to be stored in said electronic memory.

7. The device recited in claim 6 wherein said electronic connector comprises a universal serial bus connector.

8. The device recited in claim 1 further comprising a housing having outer dimensions not greater than about 4 cm by 2 cm by 4 mm.

9. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said stored information comprises medical data.

10. The device recited in claim 1 further comprising electromagnetic energy scavenging electronics for charging said battery.

11. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said device is configured for a selected deployment taken from the group consisting of being worn;

being carried;

being implanted under the skin;

being dropped from aircraft; and

being deployed as part of a sensor array.

12. A system for storing and retrieving information from an electronic memory device carried on a person, the information being retrieved by a portable reader in proximity to the device by wireless transmission between the device and the reader;

the system comprising;

an electronic memory having said information stored therein;

a transceiver and associated antenna for receiving from said reader and transmitting to said reader;

a rechargeable energy collector for powering said device;

a logic circuit connected between said electronic memory, said transceiver and said battery and responsive only to a selected combination of RF signals received at said antenna for connecting said battery into said device and for normally disconnecting said energy collector from said device; and

a reader having a transceiver and associated antenna for retrieving selected information from said device.

13. The system recited in claim 12 wherein said selected combination of RF signals is based on at least two different RF frequencies.

14. The system recited in claim 13 wherein said combination of RF signals are received simultaneously at said antenna and wherein said antenna comprises a coil patch configured for receiving both of said RF frequencies.

15. The system recited in claim 14 wherein said logic circuit comprises a rectifier for each said RF frequency and a multiple input logic gate receiving an input from each said rectifier and generating a trigger voltage only when each said RF frequency is received simultaneously at said antenna.

16. The system recited in claim 15 said logic circuit further comprising a voltage comparator between each said rectifier and said logic gate, said voltage comparator forming a threshold voltage component assuring that a corresponding received RF signal exceeds a selected minimum power level.

17. The system recited in claim 12 further comprising an electronic connector for receiving data signals having information to be stored in said electronic memory.

18. The system recited in claim 17 wherein said electronic connector comprises a universal serial bus connector.

19. The system recited in claim 12 further comprising a housing having outer dimensions not greater than about 4 cm by 2 cm by 4 mm.

20. The system recited in claim 12 wherein said stored information comprises medical data.

21. The system recited in claim 12 further comprising electromagnetic energy scavenging electronics for collecting ambient energy.

22. The system recited in claim 12 wherein said reader comprises a display for displaying said retrieved information from said device.

23. The system recited in claim 12 wherein said rechargeable energy collector is a battery.

24. A method of storing and retrieving information from a portable electronic memory device, the information being retrievable by a portable reader in proximity to the device by wireless transmission between the device and the reader;

the method comprising the steps of;

a) providing an electronic memory for storing said information;

b) connecting said memory to a transceiver having an antenna for receiving and transmitting RF signals between said device and said reader;

c) using a battery for powering said device;

d) interposing a logic circuit before said battery;

e) making said logic circuit responsive to a selected combination of RF signals received at said antenna for connecting said battery into said device and for normally disconnecting said battery from said device; and

f) employing a reader having a transceiver for retrieving said information from said memory in said device.

25. The method recited in claim 24 further comprising the step of using said reader to transmit said selected combination of RF signals to said device for connecting said battery into said device.

26. The method recited in claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

having said device transmit a service request to said reader when said battery is connected into said device;

transmitting an indexing signal from said reader to said device in response to said service request;

transmitting data corresponding to said indexing signal from said device to said reader;

transmitting an acknowledge signal from said reader to said device in response to said data being received at said reader; and

disconnecting said battery from said device in response to said acknowledge signal being received at said device.

27. The method recited in claim 24 further comprising the step of charging said battery with electromagnetic energy scavenged by said device from its environment.

28. The method recited in claim 27 further comprising the step of providing a broadband antenna array for scavenging electromagnetic energy.

29. A method for extending the period of time between battery recharge or replacement in a wireless information storage device infrequently interrogated using an RF signal by a proximate reader;

the method comprising the steps of;

interposing a solid state switch between said battery and circuits operating said storage device; and

providing a logic device responsive only to at least one selected RF signal frequency at a minimum level of RF signal power to close said solid state switch for a limited period of time to enable an information wireless transfer from said storage device to said reader.

30. The method recited in claim 29 wherein said logic device providing step comprises the step of making said logic device responsive only to a combination of at least two selected RF signals.

31. The method recited in claim 30 wherein at least one of said at least two selected RF signals is a bit code modulated RF signal.

32. The method recited in claim 30 wherein said at least two selected RF signals are at different RF frequencies.