Methods and apparatus for providing a radio frequency identification system

• US 7,398,932 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ashili, Krishna, Idsinga, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US11/101,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20060226213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/375, 340/10.1, 340/10.51, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems and methods are described herein that may allow RFID reader devices to automatically initiate an autonomous reader script in order to excute reader operations independent of a host computer and/or RFID tags. The initialization of the autonomous reader script may be based on a triggering event such as a predefined time period or in response to detecting a signal received from the host computer having a signal strength that is below a threshold level.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating an autonomous reader script at a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader of an RFID system having a host computer and one or more RFID tags communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, the host computer configured to provide read commands to the RFID reader to cause the RFID reader to perform various read operations, the initiating being performed automatically at the RFID reader independent of the host computer and the one or more RFID tags, and the initiating being in response to detecting a signal received from the host computer having a signal strength that is below a threshold level; and

executing a reader operation at the RFID reader based on the autonomous reader script.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein initiating the autonomous reader script at the RFID reader comprises initiating a script having configuration information associated with operating the RFID reader independent of a reader command from the host computer, the one or more RFID tags, or a server.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein executing a reader operation at the RFID reader based on the autonomous reader script comprises executing one of a reading operation, a writing operation, a disabling operation, a storing operation, or a filtering operation based on the autonomous reader script.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein executing a reader operation at the RFID reader based on the autonomous reader script comprises independently retrieving data from the one or more RFID tags at the RFID reader.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising transmitting data associated with the one or more RFID tags to one of the host computer or a server.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising retrieving the autonomous reader script from one of the host computer or a server.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising storing the autonomous reader script at a memory of the RFID reader.

8. An article of manufacture including content, which when accessed, causes a machine to:

initiate an autonomous reader script at a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader of an RFID system having a host computer and one or more RFID tags communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, the host computer configured to provide read commands to the RFID reader to cause the RFID reader to perform various read operations, the initiation to be performed automatically at the RFID reader independent of the host computer and the one or more RFID tags, and the initiation to be in response to detecting a signal received from the host computer having a signal strength that is below a threshold level; and

execute a reader operation at the RFID reader based on the autonomous reader script.

9. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 8, wherein the content, when accessed, causes the machine to initiate the autonomous reader script at the RFID reader by initiating a script having configuration information associated with operating the RFID reader independent of a reader command from the host computer, the one or more RFID tags, or a server.

10. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 8, wherein the content, when accessed, causes the machine to execute the reader operation at the RFID reader based on the autonomous reader script by executing one of a reading operation, a writing operation, a disabling operation, a storing operation, or a filtering operation based on the autonomous reader script.

11. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 8, wherein the content, when accessed, causes the machine to execute the reader operation at the RFID reader based on the autonomous reader script by independently retrieving data from the one or more RFID tags at the RFID reader.

12. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 8, wherein the content, when accessed, causes the machine to transmit data associated with the one or more RFID tags to one of the host computer or a server.

13. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 8, wherein the content, when accessed, causes the machine to retrieve the autonomous reader script from one of the host computer or a server.

14. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 8, wherein the content, when accessed, causes the machine to store the autonomous reader script at a memory of the RFID reader.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface communicatively coupled to one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and a host computer of an RFID system, the host computer configured to provide read commands to an RFID reader of the RFID system to cause the RFID reader to perform various read operations;

a memory to store an autonomous reader script; and

a controller coupled to the communication interface and the memory to initialize automatically the autonomous configuration script at the RFID reader and to execute an operation associated with the RFID reader, the initialization to be performed automatically at the RFID reader independent of the host computer and the one or more RFID tags, and the initialization to be in response to detecting a signal received from the host computer having a signal strength that is below a threshold level.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the autonomous reader script comprises a script having configuration information associated with operating the RFID reader independent of a reader command from the host computer, the one or more RFID tags, or a server.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the operation associated with the RFID reader comprises one of a reading operation, a writing operation, a disabling operation, a storing operation, or a filtering operation.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to retrieve independently data from the one or more RFID tags.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the memory is configured to store data associated with the one or more RFID tags.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit data associated with the one or more RFID tags to one of the host computer or a server.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to retrieve the autonomous reader script from one of the host computer or a server.

22. A system comprising:

a flash memory; and

a processor coupled to the flash memory to initiate an autonomous reader script at a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader of an RFID system having a host computer and one or more RFID tags communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, and to execute a reader operation at the RFID reader based on the autonomous reader script, the host computer being configured to provide read commands to the RFID reader to cause the RFID reader to perform various read operations, the automatically initiate being independent of the host computer and the one or more RFID tags, and in response to detecting a signal received from the host computer having a signal strength that is below a threshold level.

23. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the autonomous reader script comprises a script having configuration information associated with operating the RFID reader independent of a reader command from the host computer, the one or more RFID tags, or a server.

24. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to execute one of a reading operation, a writing operation, a disabling operation, a storing operation, or a filtering operation.

25. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to retrieve independently data from the one or more RFID tags.

26. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the flash memory is configured to store data associated with the one or more RFID tags.

27. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to transmit data associated with the one or more RFID tags to one of the host computer or a server.

28. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to retrieve the autonomous reader script from one of the host computer or a server.

29. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the system comprises one of a laptop computer, a handheld computer, or a tablet computer.