Methods and devices for assigning RFID device personality
First Claim
1. A method for uniquely provisioning a radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) device, the method comprising;
receiving a provisioning request on a network;
automatically identifying an RFID device according to a media access control (“
MAC”
) address and an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) included in the provisioning request;
automatically locating the RFID device according to location information included in the provisioning request; and
automatically providing the RFID device with a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for identifying, locating and provisioning individual RFID devices in a network with “personalities” that are appropriate for the roles of the RFID devices. According to some implementations of the invention, a combination of EPC code information and existing networking standards form the basis of identifying and provisioning methods. For example, MAC address information and EPC information can be combined to identify a particular device and its location in a network. For implementations using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“DHCP”), DHCP Options may be used to pass provisioning information. Some implementations employ Domain Name Service (“DNS”) and dynamic DNS (“DDNS”) to allow easy identification of RFID devices.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method for uniquely provisioning a radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) device, the method comprising;receiving a provisioning request on a network; automatically identifying an RFID device according to a media access control (“
MAC”
) address and an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) included in the provisioning request;automatically locating the RFID device according to location information included in the provisioning request; and automatically providing the RFID device with a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- RFID”
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13. A method for uniquely provisioning a radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) device, the method comprising;forming a DHCPDISCOVER request that includes an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) of an RFID device and location information indicating a location of the RFID device;sending the DHCPDISCOVER request to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“
DHCP”
) server; andreceiving provisioning information from the DHCP server that is specifically intended for the RFID device, the provisioning information enabling a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- RFID”
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20. A radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) network, comprising;means for forming a DHCPDISCOVER request that includes an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) of an RFID device and location information indicating a location of the RFID device;means for sending the DHCPDISCOVER request to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“
DHCP”
) server and for receiving provisioning information from the DHCP server that enables a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
- RFID”
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23. A network device, comprising:
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means for receiving a provisioning request on a network; and means for automatically identifying an RFID device according to a media access control (“
MAC”
) address and an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) included in the provisioning request and for locating the RFID device according to location information included in the provisioning request; andmeans for providing the RFID device with a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer program embodied in a machine-readable medium, the computer program including instructions for controlling one or more elements of a radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) network to perform the following steps;form a DHCPDISCOVER request that includes an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) of an RFID device and location information indicating a location of the RFID device;send the DHCPDISCOVER request to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“
DHCP”
) server; andreceive provisioning information from the DHCP server that enables a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
- RFID”
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36. A computer program embodied in a machine-readable medium, the computer program including instructions for controlling a network device to perform the following steps:
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receive a provisioning request on a network; identify an RFID device according to a media access control (“
MAC”
) address and an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) included in the provisioning request;locate the RFID device according to location information included in the provisioning request; and provide the RFID device with a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for deploying a uniquely-provisioned radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) device in a network, the method comprising;forming a DHCPDISCOVER request that includes an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) of an RFID reader and location information indicating that the RFID reader is positioned at an exit door of a retail store;sending the DHCPDISCOVER request to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“
DHCP”
) server;receiving provisioning information from the DHCP server that enables a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID reader; and provisioning the RFID reader according to the provisioning information, thereby enabling the RFID reader to read RFID tags passing through the exit door and to transmit RFID tag information to an RFID network. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
- RFID”
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54. A radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) network, comprising;a plurality of RFID devices; a plurality of switches connecting the RFID devices to the RFID network; and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“
DHCP”
) server, wherein at least some of the plurality of RFID devices comprise;means for forming a DHCPDISCOVER request tat includes an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) of an RFID device and current personality information that indicates a current functionality of the RFID device; andmeans for sending the DHCPDISCOVER request to the DHCP server via a switch and for receiving provisioning information from the DHCP server that is specifically tailored for the RFID device;
wherein the switch comprises means for including location information in the DHCPDISCOVER request indicating a location of the RFID device; and
wherein the DHCP server comprises;means for receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request; and means for automatically identifying an RFID device according to a media access control (“
MAC”
) address and an EPC included in the DHCPDISCOVER request and for locating the RFID device according to the location information included in the DHCPDISCOVER request; andmeans for providing the RFID device with a desired functionality according to a device location and identity.
- RFID”
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55. A method for uniquely provisioning a radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) device, the method comprising;receiving a provisioning request on a network; automatically identifying an RFID device, the RFID device comprising an RFID reader or printer, according to a media access control (“
MAC”
) address and an electronic product code (“
EPC”
) included in the provisioning request;automatically locating the RFID device according to location information included in the provisioning request; and automatically providing the RFID device with a desired functionality according to an identity and a location of the RFID device.
- RFID”
Specification