Method and system for communicating with identification tags

• US 7,165,722 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thaler, David, Shafer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US10/798,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20050199716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/472.02, 235/487, 235/375, 700/215, 340/5.92
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method, identification tag reader and computer program product for communication with an identification tag are disclosed. To communicate with the tag, identification data may be retrieved from an identification tag. A guest identification, compliant with at least a portion of a standard network protocol address, may be assigned to the identification tag. A message addressed to a tag routing address of the tag may be received, and a response to the message may be sent.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer program instructions stored on the computer readable medium, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed by a reader system, direct the reader system to perform a method for communicating with a radio frequency identification tag, the method comprising:

(a) sending an identification query to a radio frequency identification tag;

(b) assigning a guest identification to the radio frequency identification tag, the guest identification forming at least a portion of a tag routing address;

(c) sending the guest identification and at least a portion of a reader system routing address to a home agent of the radio frequency identification tag;

(d) receiving a message addressed to the tag routing address of the radio frequency identification tag, the tag routing address being compliant with a standard network protocol; and

(e) sending a response to the message.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising sending the message to the radio frequency identification tag.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising transcoding the message before sending the message to the radio frequency identification tag.

4. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising receiving a response from the radio frequency identification tag in reply to the message.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, further comprising transcoding the response before sending the response to the message.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the tag routing address is a care-of-address.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein sending the guest identification includes sending a plurality of guest identifications as a batch to the home agent.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the guest identification is compliant with an interface identification field of an Internet Protocol address.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising receiving identification data from the radio frequency identification tag, wherein the identification data includes a first data element comprising a global routing prefix of an Internet Protocol address and a second data element comprising an asset identifier.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising reading the message addressed to the tag routing address, and performing the instructions contained within the message.

11. A method of asset management comprising:

(a) sending an identification query to an asset identification tag;

(b) receiving identification data from the asset identification tag;

(c) assigning a guest identification to the asset identification tag, the guest identification being compliant with at least a portion of a care-of-address;

(d) based on the identification data, determining a uniform resource locator for an asset lookup service; and

(e) based on the determined uniform resource locator, sending at least a portion of the received identification data to the asset lookup service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the asset identification tag is a passive radio frequency identification tag.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the asset identification tag is an active radio frequency identification tag.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification tag is a magnetic strip card.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification tag is an integrated circuit card.

16. A method of asset management comprising:

(a) sending an identification query to a radio frequency identification tag;

(b) after sending the identification query, receiving identification data from the radio frequency identification tag;

(c) assigning a guest identification to the radio frequency identification tag, the guest identification being compliant with at least a portion of a standard network protocol address; and

(d) concatenating at least a portion of a reader system routing address with the guest identification to form a tag routing address.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the portion of the reader system routing address includes a global routing prefix and a site subnet identifier.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the tag routing address is compliant with a Mobile Internet Protocol.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending the tag routing address to a home agent of the radio frequency identification tag.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein sending the tag routing address includes sending a plurality of tag routing address for a plurality of tags as a batch.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the identification data includes a first data element comprising a global routing prefix of an Internet Protocol address and a second data element comprising an asset identifier.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a message addressed to a tag routing address.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising sending the message to the radio frequency identification tag.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising transcoding the message before sending the message to the radio frequency identification tag.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising reading the message addressed to the tag routing address, and performing the instructions contained within the message.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a response from the radio frequency identification tag in reply to the message.

27. An identification tag reader suitable for use with an identification tag, wherein the identification tag is selected from a group consisting of a passive identification tag and an active identification tag consisting essentially of an integrated chip, a battery and an antenna, the identification tag reader having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving identification data from the identification tag;

(b) concatenating at least a portion of a routing address of the identification tag reader with guest identification to form the tag routing address;

(c) receiving a message addressed to a tag routing address of the identification tag, the tag routing address being compliant with a standard network protocol; and

(d) sending a response to the message.

28. The identification tag reader of claim 27, wherein the identification tag is a passive identification tag.

29. The identification tag reader of claim 27, wherein the identification tag is an active identification tag consisting essentially of an integrated chip, a battery and an antenna.

30. The identification tag reader of claim 27, wherein the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

31. The identification tag reader of claim 27, further comprising sending the message to the identification tag.

32. The identification tag reader of claim 27, further comprising assigning a guest identification to the identification tag, the guest identification forming at least a portion of the tag routing address.

33. The identification tag reader of claim 32, further comprising sending the guest identification to a home agent of the identification tag.

34. The identification tag reader of claim 27, further comprising reading the message addressed to the tag routing address, and performing the instructions contained within the message.

35. The identification tag reader of claim 27, wherein the portion of the routing address of the identification tag reader includes a global routing prefix and a site subnet identifier.

36. The identification tag reader of claim 27, wherein the tag routing address is compliant with a Mobile Internet Protocol.