SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING RFID TAGS

• US 20130194074A1
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Brandl, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 9,646,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

A system for managing a population of RFID tags where the system may include: an interrogator configured to transmit a select command to the population of RFID tags, and at least one modified tag in the population of RFID tags. The select command may include information specifying a memory location. The modified tag may include a memory configured with a memory address corresponding to the memory location specified by the select command, and a controller configured to perform at least one action upon the at least one modified tag receiving the select command. The at least one action may be based on the memory location specified by the select command.

Claims

1. A system for managing a population of RFID tags, comprising:

an interrogator configured to transmit a select command to the population of RFID tags, wherein the select command includes information specifying a memory location; and

at least one modified tag in the population of RFID tags, wherein the at least one modified tag comprises;

a memory configured with a memory address corresponding to the memory location specified by the select command; and

a controller configured to perform at least one action upon the at least one modified tag receiving the select command, wherein the at least one action is based on the memory location specified by the select command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the at least one modified tag to modify its backscatter strength.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the at least one modified tag to modify its reply to an ACK command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory location specified by the select command corresponds to a non-existing memory address.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the select command further includes verification information, and wherein the controller is configured to verify the at least one action with the verification information.

6. An RFID tag, comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a select command from an interrogator, wherein the select command includes information specifying a memory location;

a memory configured with a memory address corresponding to the memory location specified by the select command; and

a controller configured to perform at least one action upon the reception of the select command, wherein the at least one action is based on the memory location specified by the select command.

7. The RFID tag of claim 6, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the at least one modified tag to modify its backscatter strength.

8. The RFID tag of claim 6, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the RFID tag to modify its reply to an ACK command.

9. The RFID tag of claim 6, wherein the memory location specified by the select command corresponds to a non-existing memory address.

10. The RFID tag of claim 6, wherein the select command further includes verification information, and wherein the controller is configured to verify the at least one action with the verification information.

11. A method for managing an RFID tag, comprising:

receiving a select command from an interrogator, wherein the select command includes information specifying a memory location;

identifying a memory address of the RFID tag that corresponds to the memory location specified by the select command; and

performing at least one action based on the memory location specified by the select command.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the at least one action comprises:

configuring the RFID tag to modify its backscatter strength.

13. The method of claim 11, performing the at least one action comprises:

configuring the RFID tag to modify its reply to an ACK command.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory location specified by the select command corresponds to a non-existing memory address.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

verifying the at least one action with verification information, wherein the select command further includes the verification information.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a pre-select command from the interrogator prior to receiving the select command, wherein the pre-select command includes information instructing the RFID tag to receive the select command.

17. A method for managing a population of RFID tags, comprising:

transmitting a select command to the population of RFID tags, wherein the select command includes information specifying a memory location;

identifying a memory address of at least one tag in the population of RFID tags that corresponds to the memory location specified by the select command; and

performing at least one action based on the memory location specified by the select command.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the memory location specified by the select command corresponds to a non-existing memory address.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting a pre-select command to the population of RFID tags prior to transmitting the select command, wherein the pre-select command includes information instructing which RFID tags will participate in the select command.