Apparatus and Method Pertaining to Switching RFID Transceiver Read States

• US 20140320271A1
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Nicholaus A., Wilkinson, Bruce W., Rasel, Abu
• Granted Patent: US 9,773,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.34
• 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

An apparatus (such as but not limited to an RFID tag) includes an RFID transceiver that is configured to automatically switch from a readable state to a quiescent read state upon being read and to remain in the quiescent read state at least while provisioned with reader-based power. The apparatus further includes a read-state changer disposed locally with respect to the RFID transceiver and configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state notwithstanding current availability of the reader-based power.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver configured to automatically switch from a readable state to a quiescent read state upon being read and to remain in the quiescent read state at least while provisioned with reader-based power;

a read-state changer disposed locally with respect to the RFID transceiver and configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state notwithstanding current availability of the reader-based power.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises an RFID tag.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the RFID transceiver is configured to be read by a reader that uses either of session 2 and session 3 per a standard denoted as EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 1.0.9 (“

the standard”

).

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the read-state changer comprises a portion of the RFID transceiver that is configured to operate as at least one of session 0 and session 1 per the standard as regards persisting the quiescent read state even when the RFID transceiver is read using either of session 2 and session 3 per the standard.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the read-state changer comprises a control circuit configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the control circuit is configured to switch the RFID transceiver to the readable state as a function, at least in part, of time.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein read-state changer further comprises a user interface that operably couples to the control circuit, such that the control circuit responds to a user assertion of the user interface by switching the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the read-state changer comprises a near-field transmitter configured to transmit an instruction to the RFID transceiver to cause the RFID transceiver to switch from the quiescent read state to the readable state.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the near-field transmitter is configured to automatically and repeatedly transmit the instruction.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the read-state changer comprises, at least in part, a switch to disconnect rectified power generated from the reader-based power provisioned by the RFID transceiver sufficient to cause the RFID transceiver to assume the readable state upon again be re-powered.

11. A method comprising:

providing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver configured to automatically switch from a readable state to a quiescent read state upon being read and to remain in the quiescent read state at least while provisioned with reader-based power;

locally switching the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state notwithstanding current availability of the reader-based power.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the RFID transceiver is configured to be read by a reader that uses either of session 2 and session 3 per a standard denoted as EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 11.0.9 (“

the standard”

).

13. The method of claim 12 wherein locally switching the RFID transceiver comprises operating the RFID transceiver as at least one of session 0 and session 1 per the standard as regards persisting the quiescent read state even when the RFID transceiver is read using either of session 2 and session 3 per the standard.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein locally switching the RFID transceiver comprises using a control circuit to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the control circuit is configured to switch the RFID transceiver to the readable state as a function, at least in part, of time.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein locally switching the RFID transceiver further comprises detecting a user assertion of a user interface that operably couples to the control circuit, and responding to the user assertion of the user interface by switching the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein locally switching the RFID transceiver comprises using a locally-disposed near-field transmitter to transmit an instruction to the RFID transceiver to cause the RFID transceiver to switch from the quiescent read state to the readable state.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein using the locally-disposed near-field transmitter to transmit the instruction comprises using the locally-disposed near-field transmitter to automatically and repeatedly transmit the instruction.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein locally switching the RFID transceiver comprises, at least in part, using a switch to disconnect rectified power generated from the reader-based power provisioned by the RFID transceiver sufficient to cause the RFID transceiver to assume the readable state upon again be re-powered.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver configured to automatically switch from a readable state to a quiescent read state upon being read and to remain in the quiescent read state at least while provisioned with reader-based power;

a read-state changer disposed locally with respect to the RFID transceiver and configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state notwithstanding current availability of the reader-based power, wherein the read-state changer comprises at least one of;

a portion of the RFID transceiver that is configured to operate as at least one of session 0 and session 1 per the standard as regards persisting the quiescent read state even when the RFID transceiver is read using either of session 2 and session 3 per the standard;

a control circuit configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state;

a near-field transmitter configured to transmit an instruction to the RFID transceiver to cause the RFID transceiver to switch from the quiescent read state to the readable state; and

a switch to disconnect rectified power generated from the reader-based power provisioned by the RFID transceiver sufficient to cause the RFID transceiver to assume the readable state upon again be re-powered.