Tag including RFID circuit storing data modifiable using a physically alterable medium

• US 7,304,578 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sayers, Craig Peter, Karp, Alan Hersh
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/143,225
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/573.1, 340/505, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/10.42, 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 235/383, 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/572.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs

Abstract

A tag includes an RFID circuit storing bits. One or more of the bits are modified in response to physically altering a portion of a medium that the RFID circuit is affixed thereto. Also, the RFID circuit is activated in response to physically altering a portion of the medium.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating an RFID circuit in response to a first action performed on a user interface for the RFID circuit, wherein the first action includes physically altering a medium that at least a portion of the RFID circuit is affixed;

transmitting information from the RFID circuit; and

modifying at least one bit stored in the RFID circuit in response to another action performed on the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the RFID circuit in response to a second action performed on the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one bit indicates at least one of a triage priority for a victim;

a nature of a victim'"'"'s injury;

an ID for the victim;

the victim'"'"'s medical condition;

the victim'"'"'s initial treatment;

physical characteristics of the victim; and

the location to which the victim was transported or assigned.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action comprises at least one of tearing, puncturing, and breaking the medium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action comprises closing a circuit of the RFID circuit.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising using at least one of conductive ink and graphite to close the circuit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an indication in response to the at least one modified bit read from the RFID circuit, wherein the indication includes at least one of a visual indication on the medium, an audio indication, an olfactory indication, and a tactile indication.

8. A method comprising:

reading information from a plurality of RFID circuits, wherein each of the RFID circuits are operable to modify at least one bit of information stored in the RFID circuit in response to an action including physically altering at least a portion of a medium that at least a portion of the RFID circuit is affixed;

determining a number of RFID circuits storing information representing items having particular characteristics, wherein the at least one modifiable bit in each RFID circuit represents a particular characteristic; and

storing the information read from each RFID circuit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each RFID circuit is operable to be activated in response to another action including physically altering a portion of the medium.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each RFID circuit is operable to be deactivated in response to yet another action including physically altering a portion of the medium.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing location information for the RFID circuits.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein storing location information further comprises:

storing the location information when the RFID circuit is first activated.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein storing location information further comprises:

storing the location information when the RFID circuit is first activated in response to removing the RFID circuits from a container.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the information read from the RFID circuits and the location information to a remote location.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a number of RFID circuits having particular characteristics at a location based on the location information and the information read from the RFID circuits.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

reading the plurality of RFID circuits using a directional antenna to determine a proximate location of each of the plurality of RFID circuits.

17. A system comprising:

a plurality of tags;

a reading device operable to read an RFID circuit for each of the plurality of tags,

wherein each RFID circuit is operable to be activated in response to a first action including physically altering a medium that at least a portion of the RFID circuit is affixed and each RFID circuit is operable to modify at least one bit of information stored in the RFID circuit in response to a second action including physically altering at least a portion of the medium.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reading device comprises:

an RFID tag reader operable to read the RFID circuits;

a controller;

a location sensor operable to determine a location; and

storage for storing data read from the plurality of tags.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the reading device further comprises:

a directional antenna for reading RFID circuits located in a predetermined direction and range from the antenna.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the reading device further comprises:

a display; and

a user interface, wherein the controller is operable display information read from one or more of the plurality of RFID circuits in response to commands received via the use interface.

21. A tag comprising:

an RFID circuit;

a medium, wherein at least a portion of the RFID circuit is affixed to the medium and wherein the RFID circuit is operable to be activated such that the RFID circuit is operable to transmit data in response to physically altering the medium where the at least a portion of the RFID circuit is affixed; and

wherein the RFID circuit is operable to store a plurality of bits, wherein at least one bit of the plurality of bits is modified in response to the medium, where another portion of the RFID circuit is affixed, being physically altered.

22. The tag of claim 21, wherein the RFID circuit is operable to be deactivated such that the RFID circuit is inoperable to transmit stored information in response to physically altering the medium where another portion of the RFID is affixed.

23. The tag of claim 21, wherein the at least a portion of the RFID circuit comprises conductors affixed to portions of the medium operable to be physically altered.

24. The tag of claim 21, wherein the at least a portion of the RFID circuit comprises at least one resistive strip affixed to portions of the medium operable to be physically altered.

25. The tag of claim 21, further comprising:

a visual indicator operable to be activated based on data stored in the RFID circuit.

26. An apparatus comprising:

RFID chip means for storing a plurality of bits;

bit modification circuit means for modifying at least one of the plurality bits in response to physically altering a portion of a medium that the RFID chip means is affixed; and

an activation/deactivation circuit means for activating or deactivating the RFID chip means circuit in response to physically altering another portion of the medium.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

conductor means for carrying a signal to the bit modification circuit means or the activation/deactivation circuit means, wherein the conductor means is affixed to the portion and the another portion of the medium.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

resistive strip means for carrying a signal to the bit modification circuit means or the activation/deactivation circuit means, wherein the resistive strip means is affixed to the portion and the another portion of the medium.

29. An apparatus comprising:

an RFID circuit;

a medium, wherein at least a portion of the RFID circuit is affixed to the medium and wherein the RFID circuit is operable to generate an output on the medium;

wherein the RFID circuit includes a bit modification circuit operable to modify at least one bit stored in the RFID circuit in response to physically altering a portion of the medium;

wherein the RFID circuit comprises an indicator and the output comprises an indication generated by the indicator; and

wherein the indicator comprises at least one of a visual, audio, olfactory, and tactile indicator.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the RFID circuit generates the indication depending on a value of at least one bit stored in the RFID circuit.

31. The apparatus tag of claim 30, wherein a reader is operable to write the at least one bit in the RFID circuit in response to detecting a physical altering of the medium.

32. A tag comprising:

an RFID circuit including a resistive strip; and

a medium, wherein the resistive strip is affixed to the medium and wherein the RFID circuit is operable to change the availability of information stored in the tag in response to physically altering the medium where the resistive strip is affixed by physically modifying at least one bit stored in the RFID circuit,

wherein the RFID circuit is operable to be activated such that the RFID circuit is operable to transmit data in response to physically altering the medium where at least a portion of the RFID circuit is affixed.

33. A method comprising:

detecting a physical action on a medium, wherein at least a portion of an RFID circuit is affixed to the medium, and wherein the physical action is representative of an indication that information in the tag is to be made unreadable;

masking at least one bit stored in the RFID circuit using a bit mask in response to detecting the physical action without changing the at least one bit; and

transmitting the masked at least one bit to a reader.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

setting a value for a lock bit associated with the detected physical action; and

determining the at least one bit from a plurality of bits to selectively mask based on a value for the lock bit.

35. A method comprising:

detecting a physical action on a medium, wherein at least a portion of an RFID circuit is affixed to the medium;

setting a value of a first lock bit associated with the detected physical action;

writing a value for at least one bit of a plurality of bits associated with the first lock bit; and

setting a value of a second lock bit indicating that the value for the at least one bit has been written.

36. A method comprising:

determining regions of memory in an RFID circuit;

associating a physical action with an access control for each region;

detecting one of the physical actions;

changing the access control of the region associated with the detected physical action;

receiving a request for access to the memory; and

providing access to only the regions allowed by the access control for each region.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the access control comprises at least one of granting and denying at least one of read and write access to a region.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein changing the access control further comprises:

denying access to the region associated with the detected physical action.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein providing access to only the regions allowed by the access control further comprises:

masking the region.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein providing access to only the regions allowed by the access control further comprises:

making the region where access is denied invisible to a user or device accessing the memory.