THERMAL RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080252455A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McTigue, Ken R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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 19/0723 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: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

An improved solution for radio frequency identification (RFID) systems is provided. In an embodiment of the invention, the RFID tag includes: a power source; a data storage repository; a radio frequency (RF) transmitting element configured to transmit data from the data storage repository, and electrically attached to the power source; and a thermal to electrical energy converter electrically attached to the power source.

Claims

1. An active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a power source;

a data storage repository;

a radio frequency (RF) transmitting element configured to transmit data from the data storage repository, and electrically attached to the power source; and

a thermal to electrical energy converter electrically attached to the power source.

2. The active RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the thermal to electrical energy converter comprises a thermocouple.

3. The active RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the data is at least one selected from a group consisting of:

an owner, a temperature change, a serial number, a time count, a manufacturer, a model, and configuration management data.

4. The active RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising a capacitor electrically connected to one of the power source or the thermal to electrical energy converter.

5. The active RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising a clock device electrically connected to one of the power source or the thermal to electrical energy converter.

6. The active RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the power source is rechargeable from the thermal to electrical energy converter.

7. The active RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the thermal to electrical energy converter is configured to detect a temperature change associated with an asset.

8. The active RFID tag of claim 7, wherein the detected temperature change causes the RF transmitting element to transmit data.

9. A method of managing an asset with an active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

obtaining an active RFID tag comprising;

a power source;

a data storage repository;

a radio frequency (RF) transmitting element configured to transmit data from the data storage repository, and electrically attached to the power source; and

a thermal to electrical energy converter electrically attached to the power source;

placing the active RFID tag in proximity to the asset; and

transmitting data from the RF transmitting element.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting a temperature change associated with the asset using the thermal to electrical energy converter.

11. The method of claim 10, the transmitting conducted upon the detecting.

12. The method of claim 9, the active RFID tag further comprising a capacitor electrically connected to one of the power source or the thermal to electrical energy converter and the transmitting conducted upon the capacitor being recharged to a threshold.

13. A computer program comprising program code stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of managing an asset with an active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, wherein the active RFID tag is placed in proximity to the asset, the method comprising:

receiving data transmitted from the active RFID tag, wherein the data includes a detected temperature change of the asset obtained from the active RFID tag; and

processing the data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing a global positioning system (GPS) computation of the active RFID tag.

15. The method of claim 13, the processing comprising determining if the data includes a beacon signal has ceased being transmitted from the active RFID tag.

16. The method of claim 13, the processing comprising comparing the detected temperature change with a datum temperature change of the asset.

17. A radio frequency (RF) system, the system comprising:

an active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising;

a power source;

a data storage repository;

an RF transmitting element configured to transmit data from the data storage repository, and electrically attached to the power source; and

a thermal to electrical energy converter electrically attached to the power source.

18. The RF system of claim 17, further comprising an RF receiver, configured to receive data from the RF transmitting element.

19. A method of generating a system for managing an asset with an active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the method comprising:

providing a computer system operable to;

receive data transmitted from the active RFID tag, wherein the data includes a detected temperature change of the asset obtained from the active RFID tag; and

process the data.

20. The method of claim 19, the processing comprising determining if the data includes a beacon signal has ceased being transmitted from the active RFID tag.

21. The method of claim 19, the processing comprising comparing the detected temperature change with a datum temperature change of the asset.