Smart tag data encoding method

• US 6,961,000 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Original Assignee: Amerasia International Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Chung, Kevin Kwong-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/171,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/825.44, 340/10.42, 340/10.33, 340/10.51, 340/573.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.52, 235/375, 714/701, 714/722, 714/808, 714/715, 705/67, 713/168, 713/200
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2471 Antenna signal processing by receiver or emitter
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

A method for storing information in a smart tag comprises providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored; storing application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory; generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number; and storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

Claims

1. A method for staring information In a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the permanent number and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reading from of the smart tag memory the relational check number and one of (a) the permanent number and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number;

generating a second relational check number representative of the read one of (a) the permanent number and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number;

comparing the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number match.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check number stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational cheek number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

one of modifying and supplementing the application specific information stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

a relational check number representative of the modified and supplemented application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the generated rational check number representative of the modified and supplemented application specific information and the permanent number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating a relational check number comprises generating information representative of the one of;

(a) the permanent number and

(b) the application specific information and the permanent number, in accordance with a predetermined formula, a predetermined algorithm, a parity check, a parity representation, a sum check, and/or a field relationship check.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said generating information includes processing the application specific information and/or the permanent number either on a character by character basis or on the basis of one or more combinations of the characters or values thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating a relational check number includes generating one or more of a code, a numerical representation, an alphabetic representations an alpha-numeric representation, and a character representation and a symbolic representation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of tracking an article or object, associating an article or object with a recipient or another object, transporting an object and/or person, matching a passenger and baggage, matching a prescription and medicine and/or a medical device, matching an order and apparatus and/or service tilling the order, and performing a transaction.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of performing a transaction, performing a credit or debit card transaction, performing an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, performing an electronic transaction, controlling access and/or entrance to and/or egress from a location, voting, voting registration, and registering.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the smart tag is a wireless type smart card and/or a contact type smart card.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said storing application specific information and said storing the relational chock number includes an electronic memory operatively associated with an electronic processor included in the smart tag.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating a relational check number is performed by an electronic processor included in the smart tag.

13. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the permanent number and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory,

wherein the application specific information includes an identifier of one or more of a computer or processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof, that performs said generating a relational check number, and/or

wherein the relational check number is further representative of the identifier of one or more of a computer or processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof.

14. A method for storing utilization information in a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag being associated with a smart tag reader/writer, said method comprising:

providing a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag memory having a unique permanent identifier stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which utilization information can be stored;

storing utilization information from a smart tag reader/writer in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating by the electronic processor of a relational check code representative of one of (a) the unique permanent identifier and (b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier; and

storing the relational check code in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory by the smart tag reader/writer the relational check code and one of (a) the unique permanent identifier and (b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier;

generating a second relational check code representative of the read one of (a) the utilization information and (b) the unique permanent identifier and the unique permanent identifier;

comparing the relational check code reed from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check code; and

indicating whether the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check code match.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check code stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory by the smart tag reader/writer the relational check code stored therein;

comparing the relational check code read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check code read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

one of modifying and supplementing the utilization information stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check code representative of the modified and supplemented utilization information and the unique permanent identifier; and

storing the generated relational check code representative of the modified and supplemented utilization information and the unique permanent identifier in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said generating a relational check code comprises generating information representative of the one of:

(a) the unique permanent identifier, and

(b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier, in accordance with a predetermined formula, a predetermined algorithm, a parity check, a parity representation, a sum check, and/or a field relationship check.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the predetermined formula, predetermined algorithm, parity check, parity representation, sum check, and/or field relationship check is stored in the memory of the smart tag.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the smart tag is a wireless type smart card and/or a contact type smart card, and

wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of tracking an article or object, associating an article or object with a recipient or another object, transporting an object and/or person, matching a passenger and baggage, matching a prescription and medicine and/or a medical device, matching an order and apparatus and/or service filling the order, and performing a transaction.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the smart tag is a wireless type smart card and/or a contact type smart card, and

wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of performing a transaction, performing a credit or debit card transaction, performing an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, performing an electronic transaction, controlling access and/or entrance to and/or egress from a location, voting, voting registration, and registering.

22. A method for storing utilization information in a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag being associated with a smart tag reader/writer, said method comprising:

providing a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag memory having a unique permanent identifier stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which utilization information can be stored;

storing utilization information from a smart tag reader/writer in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating by the electronic processor of a relational check code representative of one of (a) the unique permanent identifier and (b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier; and

storing the relational check code in the second portion of the smart tag memory,

wherein the utilization information includes an identifier of one or more of the electronic processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof, that performs said generating a relational check code, and/or

wherein the relational check code is further representative of the identifier of one or more of the electronic processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof.

23. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information including an identifier of an encoder of the application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the permanent number and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the encoder includes one or more of an electronic processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check number stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

26. A method for storing utilization information in a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag being associated with a smart tag reader/writer, said method comprising:

providing a smart tag including an electronic processor and memory, the smart tag memory having a unique permanent identifier stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which utilization information can be stored;

storing utilization information from a smart tag reader/writer in the second portion of the smart tag memory, wherein the utilization information includes an identifier of the smart tag reader/writer;

generating by the electronic processor a relational check code representative of one of (a) the unique permanent identifier and (b) the utilization information and the unique permanent identifier; and

storing the relational check code in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check code stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check code stored therein;

comparing the relational check code read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational cheek code read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check code read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

28. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the permanent number and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number;

storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

storing at least the application specific information and the relational check number in a database that is independent of the smart tag and that may be accessed from a remote location via a communication device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the communication device includes wire, cable, optical fiber, LAN, WAN, optical or radio frequency transmission, and/or the Internet.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the database independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the database independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

31. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information and an identifier of an encoder of the application specific information in the portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of the application specific information and the identifier of the encoder thereof; and

storing the relational check number in the portion of the smart tag memory.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the encoder includes one or more of a smart tag reader/writer and/or an electronic processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check number stored in the portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational cheek number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the portion of the smart tag memory match.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

storing at least the relational check number in a database that is independent of the smart tag and that may be accessed from a remote location via a communication device;

wherein the communication device includes wire, cable, optical fiber, LAN, WAN, optical or radio frequency transmission, and/or the Internet.

35. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory having a portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information in the portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of the application specific information and a unique permanent identifier;

storing the relational check number in the portion of the smart tag memory; and

storing the relational check number in a database that is independent of the smart tag for comparison with the relational check number stored in the smart tag memory and that may be accessed from a remote location via a communication device.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the communication device includes wire, cable, optical fiber, LAN, WAN, optical or radio frequency transmission, and/or the Internet.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

thereafter, reading from the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the database independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the database independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the smart tag memory match.

38. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a portion that cannot be changed in which is stored a unique permanent identifier, the smart tag memory further having a first portion in which application specific information can be stored;

storing application specific information in the first portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of the application specific information and the unique permanent identifier; and

storing the relational check number in a second portion of the smart tag memory.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

reading from the first and second portions of the smart tag memory the application specific information and the relational check number;

generating a second relational check number representative of the read application specific information and the unique identifier;

comparing the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number match.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check number stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart rag memory match.

41. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

one of modifying and supplementing the application specific information stored in the fist portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of the modified and supplemented application specific information and the unique identifier; and

storing the generated relational check number representative of the modified and supplemented application specific information and the unique identifier in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein said generating a relational check number comprises generating information representative of the application specific information in accordance with a predetermined formula, a predetermined algorithm, a parity check, a parity representation, a sum check, and/or a field relationship check.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said generating information includes processing the application specific information either on a character by character basis or on the basis of one or more combinations of the characters or values thereof.

44. The method of claim 38 wherein said generating a relational check number includes generating one or more of a code, a numerical representation, an alphabetic representation, an alpha-numeric representation, and a character representation and a symbolic representation.

45. The method of claim 38 wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of tracking an article or object, associating an article or object with a recipient or another object, transporting an object and/or person, matching a passenger and baggage, matching a prescription and medicine and/or a medical device, matching an order and apparatus and/or service filling the order, and performing a transaction.

46. The method of claim 38 wherein the smart tag is employed for one or more of performing a transaction, performing a credit or debit card transaction, performing an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, performing an electronic transaction, controlling access and/or entrance to and/or egress from a location, voting, voting registration, and registering.

47. The method of claim 38 wherein the smart tag is a wireless type smart card and/or a contact type smart card.

48. The method of claim 38 wherein said storing application specific information and said staring the relational check number includes an electronic memory operatively associated with an electronic processor included in the smart tag.

49. The method of claim 38 wherein said generating a relational cheek number is performed by ma electronic processor included in the smart tag.

50. The method of claim 38 wherein the application specific information includes an identifier of one or more of a computer or processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof, that performs said generating a relational check number, and/or

wherein the relational check number is further representative of the identifier of one or more of a computer or processor, and/or of a processor, hard drive and/or network card thereof.

51. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

storing the application specific information and the relational check number in a database independent of the smart tag and that may be accessed from a remote location via a communication device,

whereby the most recent application specific information and/or a history of the application specific information is available in the independent database.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the communication device includes wire, cable, optical fiber, LAN. WAN, optical or radio frequency transmission, and/or the Internet.

53. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

staring the relational check number in a database independent of the smart tag and that may be accessed from remote location via a communication device;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the database independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the database independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.