Method and apparatus for storing and reading data

• US 6,056,199 A
• Filed: 04/20/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Millet, Edward M., Wiklof, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US09/064,886
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/472.01
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for storing, reading, and updating information abode a plurality of target objects. The apparatus includes a data reader and a plurality of readable and writable tags, each tag including a memory. The reader produces a modulated interrogation signal or beam for activating and writing to the tag. The detector within the tag detects the modulated interrogation signal and, in response thereto, accesses the memory for reading or writing. The tag also includes an emitter so that the tag may be read by the reader. During reading, data is retrieved from the memory and the emitter within the tag is modulated to produce a data signal representing the retrieved data. The tags also include optically readable symbols that supply control information for use by the reader in reading from and writing to the memories of the tags. In one embodiment, the tag takes the form of a photonic tag, the interrogation signal being formed as a modulated optical beam. In another embodiment, the tag is provided in the form of an RF tag, the interrogation signal comprising a modulated RF transmission.

Claims

1. A system for storing and retrieving data, the system comprising:

a memory device including a memory, a detector and an emitter coupled to the memory, and a symbol carried on the memory device, at least a portion of the symbol encoding a key for accessing the memory of the memory device; and

a reader, the reader having a reading portion for reading the symbol, a transmitter for transmitting an interrogation signal to the detector of the memory device based on the key, and a receiver for receiving a data signal from the emitter of the memory device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the symbol is a bar code symbol.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the symbol is printed on an exterior of the memory device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory device is formed as an RF tag, and wherein the detector of the memory device is an RF receiver and the emitter of the memory device is an RF transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter of the reader is an RF transmitter and the receiver of the reader is an RF receiver.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory device is formed as an optical tag, and wherein the detector of the memory device is an optical receiver and the emitter of the memory device is an optical transmitter.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the reading portion of the reader is an optical scanner.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter of the reader is an optical transmitter and the receiver of the reader is an optical receiver.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the reader contains a table mapping a plurality of keys to a code for accessing at least a portion of the memory of the memory device, the key encoded in the symbol being selected from the plurality of keys.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the reader further comprises:

a microprocessor; and

a reader memory, wherein the reader memory, the reading portion and the transmitter of the reader are each coupled to the microprocessor.

11. An article for storing data, the article comprising:

a body;

a memory carried by the body;

a receiver carried by the body and coupled to the memory for activating the memory in response to an access code;

a transmitter carried by the body, the transmitter coupled to the memory for transmitting data stored in the memory; and

a symbol associated with the body, at least a portion of the symbol encoding a key for accessing the memory.

12. The article of claim 11 wherein the symbol is carried by the body.

13. The article of claim 11 wherein the symbol is a bar code symbol.

14. The article of claim 11 wherein the symbol is printed on the body of the article.

15. The article of claim 11 wherein the receiver is an optical receiver and the transmitter is an optical transmitter.

16. The article of claim 11 wherein the receiver is an RF receiver and the transmitter is an RF transmitter.

17. The article of claim 11 wherein receiver is an optical receiver and the transmitter is an RF transmitter.

18. The article of claim 11 wherein the receiver is an RF receiver and the transmitter is an optical transmitter.

19. A method of storing data in a data storing device having a body, a logic, a memory, a detector and an emitter, the method comprising the steps of:

encoding data in a memory of the data storing device;

assigning a code in the logic of the data storage device, the code providing access to at least one portion of the data encoded in the memory of the data storage device; and

encoding a key in a symbol on the body of the data storing device, the key being logically related to the code.

20. The article of claim 19 wherein the step of encoding a key in a symbol includes the step of encoding the key in a bar code symbol.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of providing a security data base, the security data base mapping a plurality of keys to a plurality of codes.

22. A method of retrieving data from a data storing device having a body, a logic, a detector and an emitter, a symbol carried on the body of the data storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring the symbol;

decoding the acquired symbol to acquire a key;

modulating an interrogation signal based on the key;

transmitting the modulated interrogation signal to access the memory of the data storing device; and

receiving a data signal from the data storage device, the data signal encoding the data stored in the memory of the data storage device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of acquiring a code from a security data base, based on the key, the code for inclusion in the interrogation signal.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of acquiring the symbol includes the steps of:

illuminating the symbol with an optical beam; and

acquiring the optical beam reflected from the symbol with an optical receiver.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of modulating an interrogation signal includes the step of modulating an optical beam, and wherein the step of transmitting the modulated interrogation signal includes the step of transmitting the modulated optic beam.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of modulating an interrogation signal includes the step of modulating an RF signal, and wherein the step of transmitting the modulated interrogation signal includes the step of transmitting the modulated RF signal.

27. A method of storing and retrieving data from an RF tag with an RF tag reader, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a key from a symbol carried on the RF tag;

modulating an RF transmission from the RF tag reader based on the acquired key;

receiving the modulated RF transmission from the RF tag reader at the RF tag;

retrieving data stored in a memory of the RF tag in response to the received modulated RF transmission from the RF tag reader;

modulating an RF transmission from the RF tag based on the retrieved data; and

receiving the modulated RF transmission from the RF tag at the RF tag reader.

28. A method of storing and retrieving data from an optical tag with an optical tag reader, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a key from a symbol carried on the optical tag;

modulating an optical transmission from the optical tag reader based on the acquired key;

receiving the modulated optical transmission from the optical tag reader at the optical tag;

retrieving data stored in a memory of the optical tag in response to the received modulated optical transmission from the optical tag reader;

modulating an optical transmission form the optical tag based on the retrieved data; and

receiving the modulated optical transmission from the optical tag at the optical tag reader.

29. A method of taking inventory of a plurality of items, the method comprising the steps of:

physically associating a respective one of a plurality of RF memory devices to each of the plurality of items; and

physically associating at least one symbol with the plurality of items, the symbol encoding at least one key, the key being logically linked to a code for accessing at least one of the plurality of RF memory devices.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the plurality of items are stored in a container, one symbol being carried on an exterior of the container, the symbol encoding a plurality of keys, each of the plurality of keys being logically linked with a respective one of the plurality of RF memory devices.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the plurality of items are stored in a container, one symbol being carried on an exterior of the container for each of the plurality of items stored in the container, each symbol encoding a key, the key being logically linked with a respective one of the plurality of RF memory devices.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

reading the at least one symbol associated with the plurality of items;

for each key encoded in the read symbol, transmitting the code logically linked to the key;

for each code transmitted, receiving a returned signal from the RF memory device accessed by the code; and

for each received return signal, appropriately identifying the item in the inventory.

33. A method of securing information stored in a plurality of memory devices, each of the memory devices including a logic, a memory, and a detector and an emitter coupled to the logic and the memory, the method comprising the steps of:

encoding information into each of the plurality of memory devices;

assigning each of the plurality of devices a respective code selected from a plurality of codes;

associating a symbol with each of the plurality memory devices, the symbol encoding a key logically associated with the respective code assigned to the memory device; and

providing a security database for converting the each of the keys to the respective code.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

checking a security privilege against the database; and

providing the code if the security privilege is adequate.

35. A reader for communicating with a memory device, the memory device carrying a machine readable symbol and an emitter for emitting a data signal, at least a portion of the machine readable symbol encoding data for accessing the memory device, the reader comprising:

a reading portion for reading the symbol;

a transmitter for transmitting an interrogation signal to the detector of the memory device based on the data for accessing the memory device; and

a receiver for receiving, the data signal from the emitter of the memory device.

36. The reader of claim 35 wherein the transmitter of the reader is formed as an RF transmitter.

37. The reader of claim 35 wherein the receiver of the reader is formed as an RF receiver.

38. The reader of claim 35 wherein the reading portion of the reader is formed as optical receiver.

39. The reader of claim 38, further comprising:

a microprocessor; and

a reader memory, wherein the reader memory and the optical receiver are each coupled to the microprocessor.