METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PLACING A RFID TAG IN A CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION MODE

• US 20080280560A1
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: TUTTLE, JOHN R.
• Application Number:
  US11/746,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20080280560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

Method and system of placing a RFID tag in a continuous transmission mode. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods comprising sending a command from a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to a first RFID tag, and then transmitting continuously by the first RFID tag based on the command. Other illustrative embodiments are RFID tags comprising a tag antenna, and a RFID circuit coupled to the tag antenna. The RFID circuit is configured to, responsive to a first command from a RFID reader, repeatedly transmit a message to the RFID reader.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending a command from a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to a first RFID tag; and

then

transmitting continuously by the first RFID tag based on the command.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting by the first RFID tag for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein sending the command further comprises sending the command comprising a value indicative of the predetermined period of time.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting further comprises repetitively transmitting a predetermined number of data value bursts by the first RFID tag.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein sending the command further comprises sending the command comprising a value indicative of the predetermined number of bursts.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprises transmitting one or more selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic product code stored in the first RFID tag;

a random number; and

a value from memory of the first RFID tag.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein sending the command further comprises sending the command comprising a value identifying the first RFID tag.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising causing a second RFID tag to be in a non-communicative state.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising sending a command to silence a second RFID tag.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the command by a second RFID tag;

decoding the command to determine whether to command is directed to the second RFID tag.

11. A system comprising:

a reading antenna;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader coupled to the reading antenna;

wherein the RFID reader is configured send a command to a first RFID tag, the command places the first RFID tag in a repeating transmission mode.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein when the RFID reader sends the command the RFID reader is further configured to send a value indicative of a length of time which the first RFID tag remains in the repeating transmission mode.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein when the RFID reader sends the command the RFID reader is further configured to send a value indicative of a number of times the first RFID tag should repeat transmission.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein, prior to sending the command, the RFID reader is configured to determine identity of the first RFID tag.

15. The system according to claim 11 wherein the RFID reader is configured to send the command comprising tag identifier that identifies the first RFID tag.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein the RFID reader is further configured to communicatively isolate the first RFID tag from among a plurality of RFID tags.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the RFID reader is further configured to force a slot counter of other RFID tags to a non-zero value.

18. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:

a tag antenna;

a RFID circuit coupled to the tag antenna;

wherein the RFID circuit is configured to, responsive to a first command from a RFID reader, repeatedly transmit a message to the RFID reader.

19. The RFID tag according to claim 18 wherein the RFID tag is further configured to repeatedly transmit the message for a predetermined period of time.

20. The RFID tag according to claim 18 wherein the RFID tag is further configured to repeatedly transmit the message for period of time indicated by the command.

21. The RFID tag according to claim 18 wherein the RFID tag is further configured to transmit the message a predetermined number of times.

22. The RFID tag according to claim 18 wherein the RFID tag is further configured to transmit the message a predetermined number of times indicated by the command.

23. The RFID tag according to claim 18 wherein the RFID tag is configured to repeatedly transmit the message being one or more selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic product code stored in the RFID tag;

a random number; and

a value from memory of the RFID tag.

24. The RFID tag according to claim 18 wherein the RFID tag is further configured to, responsive to a second command from a RFID reader, refrain from transmitting.