PROGRAMMATIC CONTROL OF RFID TAGS

• US 20170076193A1
• Filed: 07/19/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Piersol, Kurt, Gudan, Ken
• Application Number:
  US15/214,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076193A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07381 with deactivation or otherwise incapacitation of at least a part of the circuit upon detected tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0739 the incapacitated circuit being part of an antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field

Abstract

Techniques that enable a device to advertise its mode of operation using an RFID tag attached to the device. Techniques are provided for programmatically controlling an RFID tag. An RFID tag attached to a device is programmatically enabled or disabled depending upon the mode(s) of operation of the device. The RFID tag is able to transmit a signal when enabled and not able to transmit a signal when disabled. Using such a controllable RFID tag, a device can efficiently indicate or advertise its mode of operation to an RFID reader or sensor.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method, comprising:

determining a change in an operating mode of a device from a first mode to a second mode; and

upon determining the change, changing a state of an antenna of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the device from a first state to a second state;

wherein the RFID tag is enabled to receive an interrogation signal from an RFID reader when the antenna is in the first state; and

wherein the RFID tag is disabled when the antenna is in the second state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag is unable to receive the interrogation signal from the RFID reader when the antenna is in the second state.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag is unable to harvest energy from the RFID reader when the antenna is in the second state.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein changing the state of the antenna from the first state to the second state comprises clamping a pole of the antenna.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pole of the antenna is not clamped when the antenna is in the first state.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein clamping the pole of the antenna comprises clamping the pole by actuating a relay coupled to the pole of the antenna.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein actuating the relay comprises changing a state of the relay from an open state to a closed state.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag comprises the antenna and an RFID chip and wherein when the RFID tag is enabled or disabled, the state of the antenna is changed without changing a state of the RFID chip.

10. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including an antenna;

a controller coupled to the RFID tag, the controller configured to;

determine a change in an operating mode of a device associated with the RFID tag from a first mode to a second mode; and

upon determining the change, changing a state of the antenna from a first state to a second state;

wherein the RFID tag is enabled to receive an interrogation signal from an RFID reader when the antenna is in the first state; and

wherein the RFID tag is disabled when the antenna is in the second state.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the RFID tag is unable to receive the interrogation signal from the RFID reader when the antenna is in the second state.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the RFID tag is unable to harvest energy from the RFID reader when the antenna is in the second state.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein changing the state of the antenna from the first state to the second state comprises clamping a pole of the antenna.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the pole of the antenna is not clamped when the antenna is in the first state.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a relay coupled to the pole of the antenna, wherein clamping the pole of the antenna comprises actuating the relay.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein actuating the relay comprises changing a state of the relay from an open state to a closed state.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the RFID tag comprises the antenna and an RFID chip and wherein when the RFID tag is enabled or disabled, the state of the antenna is changed without changing a state of the RFID chip.

18. A system, comprising:

means for determining a change in an operating mode of a device from a first mode to a second mode; and

means for, upon determining the change, changing a state of an antenna of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the device from a first state to a second state,

wherein the RFID tag is enabled to receive an interrogation signal from an RFID reader when the antenna is in the first state; and

wherein the RFID tag is disabled when the antenna is in the second state.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the RFID tag is unable to receive the interrogation signal from the RFID reader when the antenna is in the second state.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the RFID tag is unable to harvest energy from the RFID reader when the antenna is in the second state.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein changing the state of the antenna from the first state to the second state comprises clamping a pole of the antenna.