OPTICAL CONTROL OF RFID CHIPS

• US 20100156640A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07318 by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing jamming of communication, counter-measures H04K3/00; secret communication H04K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) system includes an RFID chip and a photo-active material disposed in proximity to the RFID chip. The photo-active material provides energy—in the form of optical frequency radiation—to the RFID chip that affects (e.g., enhances or inhibits) the performance of the RFID chip and its sensitivity to a reader signal. An infrared (IR) light illuminating a polished backside of an RFID chip enhances or inhibits a read rate of the RFID chip according to an intensity of the IR light. A method for controlling operation of RFID devices includes illuminating a number of RFID devices by a radio frequency (RF) reader field, the reader field being below an operational threshold of the RFID devices, and optically illuminating a selected one of the RFID devices so that the selected RFID device becomes operational and communicates to the RFID reader.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:

an RFID chip; and

a photo-active material disposed in proximity to the RFID chip, wherein the photo-active material provides energy in the form of optical frequency radiation to the RFID chip that affects the sensitivity of the RFID chip to a reader signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the photo-active material enhances the sensitivity of the RFID chip.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the photo-active material inhibits the sensitivity of the RFID chip.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the photo-active material is disposed on a backside of the RFID chip.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the photo-active material is a fluorescent material that emits light energy in response to exposure to light.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the photo-active material is a chemo-luminescent material that emits light energy as the result of a chemical reaction.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the photo-active material is a material that emits light energy in response to a presence of a fluid in contact with the material.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the photo-active material is a material that has a variable optical absorption affected by an environmental factor; and

a difference in RFID chip performance between being read without external optical illumination and being read with external optical illumination represents a sensed value of the environmental factor by the system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the RFID chip has a backside that is polished; and

the photo-active material is coated on the polished backside of the RFID chip.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web carrier, wherein:

the RFID chip is included in a wet inlay of the web carrier, the wet inlay comprising an adhesive;

the inlay adhesive comprises the photo-active material; and

the inlay adhesive includes a specific organic chemical to absorb a wavelength of light to which the RFID chip is sensitive in terms of inhibiting RFID chip response to being read.

11. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:

an RFID chip wherein a backside of the RFID chip is polished; and

an infrared (IR) light configured to illuminate the polished backside to enhance or inhibit a read rate of the RFID chip according to an intensity of the IR light.

12. The RFID system of claim 11 wherein, to enhance response of the RFID chip, the IR light radiates from an LED operating below a predetermined level of current at a wavelength that enhances a read rate from of the RFID chip from that with no IR illumination.

13. The RFID system of claim 12, wherein the LED operates at a current level below approximately 10 mA and at a wavelength of approximately 950 nm.

14. The RFID system of claim 11, wherein a light-dark pattern is used to control the intensity of the IR light illuminating the RFID chip.

15. The RFID system of claim 11, wherein a scanning optical pattern illuminator is used to find a pre-selected RFID tag.

16. A method for controlling operation of RFID devices, comprising:

illuminating a plurality of RFID devices by a radio frequency (RF) reader field, the reader field being below an operational threshold of the RFID devices ; and

optically illuminating a selected one of the plurality of RFID devices so that the selected RFID device becomes operational and communicates to the reader.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

optically illuminating comprises providing a constant level of illumination that supplies a first partial energy to the selected RFID device; and

transmitting the RF reader field comprises transmitting a modulated RF reader field that provides commands and supplies a second partial energy to the selected RFID device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

optically illuminating comprises providing a constant level of illumination that supplies energy to the selected RFID device; and

transmitting the RF reader field comprises transmitting a modulated RF reader field that provides commands to the selected RFID device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

optically illuminating comprises providing a modulated optical illumination that provides commands and supplies a first partial energy to the selected RFID device; and

transmitting the RF reader field comprises transmitting a constant RF reader field that supplies a second partial energy to the selected RFID device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

optically illuminating comprises providing a modulated optical illumination that provides commands to the selected RFID device; and

transmitting the RF reader field comprises transmitting a constant RF reader field that supplies energy to the selected RFID device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein:

optically illuminating comprises providing a modulated optical illumination to all of the plurality of RFID devices except the selected RFID device, the optical illumination providing a specific signal to all of the illuminated RFID devices; and

transmitting the RF reader field comprises transmitting a modulated RF reader field that provides commands and supplies energy to all of the plurality of RFID devices, wherein the specific signal of the optical illumination inhibits response to the modulated RF reader field for all of the plurality of RFID devices except the selected RFID device.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein optically illuminating comprises providing optical energy from a scanning apparatus, and further comprising:

attempting, each time the scanner locates one of the plurality of RFID devices, to read the located RFID device; and

selecting the located RFID device which responds to the read attempt when located.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein:

optically illuminating comprises providing optical energy from a photo-active material disposed on each of the plurality of RFID devices.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein:

optically illuminating comprises providing optical energy from a photo-active material disposed on each of the plurality of RFID devices; and

the selected RFID device is selected by illuminating the photo-active material to activate it.

25. A method for radio frequency identification (RFID), comprising:

generating optical energy at a wavelength affecting operation of an RFID device via a photo-active material in proximity to an RFID chip of the RFID device; and

reading the RFID chip under conditions produced by the photo-active material by transmitting an RF signal to the RFID device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the photo-active material is a fluorescent material that stores energy from ambient lighting;

the photo-active material provides optical energy to the RFID chip for a period of time during which the RFID device is obscured from ambient lighting so that the RFID device has a higher sensitivity to being read during the period of time.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the photo-active material is a material that has a variable optical absorption affected by an environmental factor;

and further comprising;

reading the RFID chip without infrared illumination of the photo-active material;

reading the RFID chip with infrared illumination of the photo-active material; and

correlating a difference in performance of reading the RFID chip with and without infrared illumination to a sensed value of the environmental factor.