Switch status and RFID tag

• US 7,411,505 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Joshua R., Lamarca, Anthony, Philipose, Matthai
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/351,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20060139180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/572.5, 340/572.6, 340/572.7, 340/539.13, 340/545.5, 340/571, 340/505, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 235/472.01, 235/472.02
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches

Abstract

One or more switches may be coupled to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, so that the response of the RFID tag indicates the state of the switch(es). The RFID tag and the switch(es) may be coupled together in various ways so that the state of the switches affects the response of the RFID tag to an RFID reader.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

performing an operation based on a response to a poll by a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader;

wherein the response indicates a state of an electrical switch coupled to an RFID tag; and

wherein said performing comprises performing the operation if the response was received by the RFID reader within a designated time, and not performing the operation if the response was not received by the RFID reader within the designated time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing the operation comprises performing a first operation if contents of the response indicate the switch is in a first state and performing a second operation if the contents of the response indicate the switch is in a second state.

3. An article comprising

a tangible machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause said one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

performing an operation based on a response to a poll by a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader;

wherein the response indicates a state of an electrical switch coupled to an RFID tag; and

wherein said performing comprises performing the operation if the response was received by the RFID reader within a designated time, and not performing the operation if the response was not received by the RFID reader within the designated time.

4. The article of claim 3, wherein said performing the operation comprises performing a first operation if contents of the response indicate the switch is in a first state and performing a second operation if the contents of the response indicate the switch is in a second state.