RFID device with multiple passive operation modes

• US 7,786,868 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/954,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• 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 radio frequency identification (RFID) device is capable of operating in multiple passive modes, in either a fully passive mode or a boosted passive mode. The device includes an RFID chip that is suitable for operation of passive RFID devices. An antenna is coupled to the chip for receiving radio frequency signals, such as those sent by a reader/detector device. In addition, the RFID device has an energy booster which may be used to boost the energy of signals received by the device, in order to enable operation at a reduced level of RF signal. The energy boost may be selectively applied in order to transform the passive RFID device into operating in a boosted passive mode. The energy booster may include a one-port transistor and an energy source that is used to power the transistor. The energy source may be a rechargeable energy source.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

a passive RFID chip configured to communicate with a reader by backscatter modulation, without transmitting its own signal;

an antenna operatively coupled to the passive RFID chip; and

an energy booster operatively coupled to the antenna and the chip, wherein the energy booster is configured to selectively amplify incoming energy received by the antenna and sent to the passive RFID chip;

logic that controls the energy booster with the logic of the RFID device controlling a gain of the energy booster;

wherein the RFID device operates in a fully passive mode, communicating by backscatter modulation and relying upon incident incoming energy from the antenna to provide substantially all the power for operation of the chip, when the energy booster is not amplifying the incoming energy; and

wherein the RFID device operates in a boosted passive mode when the energy boosters is boosting the incoming energy.

2. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the energy booster includes a one-port amplifier.

3. The RFID device of claim 2, wherein the energy booster also includes an energy source coupled to the amplifier, to power the amplifier.

4. The RFID device of claim 3, wherein the energy source includes a battery.

5. The RFID device of claim 4, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.

6. The RFID device of claim 3, wherein the energy source includes a capacitor.

7. The RFID device of claim 3, wherein the energy source includes a supercapacitor.

8. The RFID device of claim 3,

wherein the energy source is a rechargeable energy source;

and

wherein the booster includes a recharger for recharging the rechargeable energy source.

9. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the logic includes logic that amplifies the incoming energy only when the incoming energy exceeds a boost threshold.

10. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the logic includes logic that selects an amount of gain as a function of an energy level of the incoming energy.

11. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the energy booster includes a transistor biased as a negative resistor.

12. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the energy booster includes a Gunn diode.

13. A method of communicating using a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, the method comprising:

receiving energy at an antenna of the RFID device;

boosting the received energy from the antenna using an energy booster of the RFID device wherein the boosting is a variable boosting, with logic of the RFID device controlling a gain of the boosting;

forwarding the boosted energy to an RFID chip of the RFID device; and

using the RFID chip to communicate using backscattering, with the RFID chip powered with the boosted energy.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the logic performs the boosting only when an energy level of the received energy exceeds a threshold.

15. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

an RFID chip configured to communicate with a reader by backscatter modulation, without transmitting its own signal;

an antenna operatively coupled to the RFID chip; and

an energy booster operatively coupled to the antenna and the chip, wherein the energy booster is configured to selectively amplify incoming energy received by the antenna and sent to the RFID chip;

logic that controls the energy booster with the logic of the RFID device controlling a gain of the energy booster;

wherein the energy booster enables the RFID device to communicate in multiple passive communication modes.

16. The RFID device of claim 15, wherein the energy booster also includes an energy source coupled to an amplifier, to power the amplifier.

17. The RFID device of claim 16, wherein the energy source includes one of a capacitor, a supercapacitor, a battery or a rechargeable battery.

18. The RFID device of claim 15, wherein the energy booster includes a transistor biased as a negative resistor.