Technique And Hardware For Communicating With Backscatter Radio Frequency Identification Readers

• US 20090108992A1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Shafer, Gary Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/667,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20090108992A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for communicating with a radio frequency identification reader are described. The apparatus includes a protocol converter to receive a request for information from an RFID reader, to convert the request for information from the RFID protocol to a device protocol, and to communicate the request for information to an electronic device lacking RFID communication capability according to the device protocol RFD. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a protocol converter to receive a request for information from an RFID reader, said request for information communicated according to an RFID protocol native to said RFID reader, said protocol converter to convert said request for information from said RFID protocol to a device protocol and to communicate said request for information to an electronic device lacking RFID communication capability according to said device protocol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said protocol converter to receive device data from said electronic device according to said device protocol and to transmit said device data to said RFID reader according to said RFID protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, said protocol converter to transmit said device data by backscatter communication.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said RFID protocol comprising at least one of an EPC protocol, an ISO protocol, or proprietary RFID protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said device protocol comprising at least one of a serial protocol, a parallel protocol, and an Ethernet protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, said protocol converter comprising an RF front-end to receive request for information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said RF-front end comprises:

an antenna;

data recovery circuitry; and

a modulator.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said data recovery circuitry comprises:

rectifier circuitry; and

a demodulator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said protocol converter comprises a processor to convert said RFID protocol to said device protocol.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said processor comprises an internal processor of said electronic device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said processor comprises a processor external to said electronic device.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said processor comprises a software driver stored on memory.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, said protocol converter to provide internal RFID communication capability to said electronic device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, said protocol converter to provide add-on RFID communication capability to said electronic device.

15. A system comprising:

an electronic device to communicate device data according to a device protocol, said electronic device lacking RFID communication capability; and

a protocol converter to receive a request for information from an RFID reader, said request for information communicated according to an RFID protocol native to said RFID reader, said protocol converter to convert said request for information from said RFID protocol to said device protocol and to communicate said request for information to said electronic device.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a request for information from an RFID reader, said request for information communicated according to an RFID protocol native to said RFID reader;

converting said request for information from said RFID protocol to a device protocol; and

communicating said request for information to an electronic device lacking RFID communication capability according to said device protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving device data from said electronic device according to said device protocol; and

transmitting said device data to said RFID reader according to said RFID protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting said device data by backscatter communication.

19. The method of claim 16, said RFID protocol comprising at least one of an EPC protocol, an ISO protocol, or proprietary RFID protocol.

20. The method of claim 16, said device protocol comprising at least one of a serial protocol, a parallel protocol, and an Ethernet protocol.