APPLIANCE INCLUDING A RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION OF DYNAMIC DATA BY THE APPLIANCE VIA THE RFID DEVICE

• US 20110241844A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Wolf, Christian
• Application Number:
  US12/749,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241844A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• 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: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

An appliance including a two-way radio frequency identification (RFID) device for dynamic communications, with for example, an RFID reader used by a technician. The RFID device may include an electronic controller structured to control operating functions of the appliance. The RFID device may further include a storage medium structured to store information about the appliance and computer-executable instructions operable to control the operating functions of the appliance. A transmitter may be incorporated allowing the appliance to send and receive dynamic data between the appliance and one or more remote RFID devices using two-way communication protocols at all levels.

Claims

1. A two-way radio frequency identification (RFID) device integrated with an appliance, the two-way RFID device comprising:

an electronic controller structured to control operating functions of the appliance;

a storage medium structured to store information about the appliance and computer-executable instructions operable to control the operating functions of the appliance; and

a transmitter operable to send and receive dynamic data between the appliance and one or more remote RFID devices using two-way communication protocols at all levels.

2. The two-way RFID device of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is operable to recognize when the one or more remote RFID devices is within a communication range.

3. The two-way RFID device of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller includes logic incorporated as firmware operable to enable at least one of static and dynamic communication with the one or more remote RFID devices.

4. The two-way RFID device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic data is a test script, and the electronic controller is operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to run a diagnostics program, dynamically query the one or more remote RFID devices via the transmitter to obtain a test script based on the results of the diagnostics program, and execute the test script.

5. The two-way RFID device of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is operable to dynamically query the one or more remote RFID devices via the transmitter to obtain updates to the computer-executable instructions.

6. The two-way RFID device of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is operable to periodically query the one or more remote RFID devices to obtain the dynamic data.

7. The two-way RFID device of claim 1, wherein the one or more RFID devices is operable to query the one or more remote RFID devices, determine whether the one or more remote RFID devices includes an appropriate set of dynamic data sought by the two-way RFID device, and if not, instruct the appliance to communicate with another communication device to obtain the dynamic data.

8. The two-way RFID device of claim 7, wherein the another communication device is connected to the appliance via an internet protocol.

9. A method of two-way radio frequency identification (RFID) communication between an appliance and one or more remote RFID devices, the method comprising:

sending and receiving dynamic data between the appliance and the one or more remote RFID devices using two-way communication protocols at all levels.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising recognizing when the one or more remote RFID devices is within a communication range, and initiating the two-way communication.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating statically with the one or more remote RFID devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the dynamic data is a test script, and further comprising executing computer-executable instructions to run a diagnostics program, dynamically querying the one or more remote RFID devices to obtain the test script based on the results of the diagnostics program, and executing the test script.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising dynamically querying the one or more remote RFID devices to obtain updates to computer-executable instructions included in a storage medium of the appliance.

14. The method claim 9, further comprising periodically querying the one or more remote RFID devices to obtain the dynamic data.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising querying the one or more remote RFID devices, determining whether the one or more remote RFID devices includes an appropriate set of dynamic data sought by the two-way RFID device, and if not, communicating with another communication device to obtain the dynamic data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the appliance communicates with the another communication device via an internet protocol.

17. An appliance, comprising:

a two-way radio frequency identification (RFID) device, the two-way RFID device comprising;

an electronic controller structured to control operating functions of the appliance;

a storage medium structured to store information about the appliance and computer-executable instructions operable to control the operating functions of the appliance; and

a transmitter operable to send and receive dynamic data between the appliance and one or more remote RFID devices using two-way communication protocols at all levels.

18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the electronic controller is operable to recognize when the one or more remote RFID devices is within a communication range.

19. The appliance claim 17, wherein the electronic controller includes logic incorporated as firmware operable to enable at least one of static and dynamic communication with the one or more remote RFID devices.

20. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the dynamic data is a test script, and the electronic controller is operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to run a diagnostics program, dynamically query the one or more remote RFID devices via the transmitter to obtain a test script based on the results of the diagnostics program, and execute the test script.