Tracking Variable Conditions Using Radio Frequency Identification

• US 20100097194A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rice, Christopher, Killian, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,106,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method and system for tracking variable conditions using radio frequency identification (RFID) are disclosed. In embodiments of the present invention, an RFID sensor tag is used to measure a condition. The condition can be any measurable condition such as location, temperature, humidity, pressure, time, date, inertial measurements, etc. Variable data representing the measured condition is read from the RFID sensor tag in order to track the measured condition. The variable data can be read from RFID sensor tags in addition to reading tag identification data from RFID tags, so that the variable data can be associated with tag identification data.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method for obtaining and processing information from an RFID tag, the method comprising:

transmitting a radio frequency signal;

receiving a backscattered radio frequency signal in response to the radio frequency signal, the backscattered radio frequency signal including data identifying an RFID tag, variable data representing a measurement taken by the RFID tag, and non-variable data identifying the variable data as measured data; and

storing, in a database, the variable data in association with the data identifying the RFID tag.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the non-variable data identifies a type of measurement represented by the non-variable data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the variable data comprises temperature data.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the non-variable data and the variable data are combined in a format conventionally used for tag identification data.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting the radio frequency signal continuously.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting the radio frequency signal intermittently.

32. An RFID reader device comprising:

at least one memory configured to;

store data;

at least one transceiver configured to;

transmit a radio frequency signal;

receive a backscattered radio frequency signal in response to the radio frequency signal, the backscattered radio frequency signal including data identifying an RFID tag, variable data representing a measurement taken by the RFID tag, and non-variable data identifying the variable data as measured data; and

at least one processor configured to;

store, in a database, the variable data in association with the data identifying the RFID tag.

33. The RFID reader device of claim 32, wherein said non-variable data identifies a type of measurement represented by the non-variable data.

34. The RFID reader device of claim 33, wherein said variable data comprises temperature data.

35. The RFID reader device of claim 32, wherein the non-variable data and the variable data are combined in a format conventionally used for tag identification data.

36. The RFID reader device of claim 32, wherein the at least one transceiver is further configured to:

transmit the radio frequency signal continuously.

37. The RFID reader device of claim 32, wherein the at least one transceiver is further configured to:

transmit the radio frequency signal intermittently.

38. An apparatus for obtaining and processing information from an RFID tag comprising:

means for transmitting a radio frequency signal;

means for receiving a backscattered radio frequency signal in response to the radio frequency signal, the backscattered radio frequency signal including data identifying an RFID tag, variable data representing a measurement taken by the RFID tag, and non-variable data identifying the variable data as measured data; and

means for storing, in a database, the variable data in association with the data identifying the RFID tag.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said non-variable data identifies a type of measurement represented by the non-variable data.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said variable data comprises temperature data.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the non-variable data and the variable data are combined in a format conventionally used for tag identification data.

42. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for transmitting the radio frequency signal continuously.

43. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for transmitting the radio frequency signal intermittently.