Method and apparatus for self-expiration of a passive data tag device

• US 7,932,829 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Steven M., Ryan, Anne I., Hunt, Christian L., Greenlee, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US12/133,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 3405681-5729, 340/309.16, 340/309.3, 340/309.7, 340/309.9, 340 101- 106, 368/89, 368107-109
• US Class Current: 340/572.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• 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

The present invention discloses a data tag device (100) which initially operates in a passive mode where the tag responds to queries (412). While operating passively, an expiration event occurs (512, 514) which causes the tag to disable a battery (110), preventing subsequent operation in the passive mode, resulting in the tag disabling access to the tag data.

Claims

1. A method of initiating self-expiration of a passive data tag device, the passive data tag device including tag circuitry and having tag data stored therein, the method comprising:

providing a battery operably coupled to a battery disable circuit and initially in an enabled state;

operating the passive data tag device in a passive mode while the battery is in the enabled state wherein the passive data tag device responds to reader queries in the passive mode with energy acquired from the queries;

detecting an occurrence of an expiration event while operating in the passive mode;

disabling the battery to a disabled state responsive to detecting the expiration event and while operating in the passive mode;

disabling access to at least a portion of the tag data responsive to disabling the battery and while operating in the passive mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the occurrence of the expiration event comprises receiving a kill command from an external source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the occurrence of the expiration event comprises detecting a clock in the passive data tag device reaching an expiration value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the clock is a counter.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the clock is a time of day clock.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the battery comprises draining the battery.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein draining the battery comprises connecting a shunt load in parallel with the battery.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein disabling the battery comprises disabling an electrical connection between the battery and at least a portion of circuitry of the passive data tag device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein disabling the electrical connection comprises overloading a fusible link between the battery and the portion of circuitry.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling access to the portion of tag data comprises receiving reader queries, determining that the battery is in a disabled state, and not responding to the reader queries responsive to determining that the battery is in the disable state.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling access to at least a portion of tag data comprises erasing the portion of tag data while leaving some tag data remaining, the method further comprising:

receiving a query subsequent to erasing the portion of the tag data; and

responding to the query with the remaining tag data.

12. A passive data tag device, comprising:

tag circuitry including;

a machine readable memory having tag data stored therein;

a communication interface configured to facilitate communication of the tag data;

a controller operably coupled to the communication interface and the machine readable memory;

a battery; and

a battery disabling circuit coupled to the battery and responsive to an expiration event while the passive data tag device operates in a passive mode, the battery disabling circuit configured to disable the battery upon occurrence of the expiration event thereby changing the battery from an enabled state to a disabled state;

wherein the tag circuitry operates in a passive mode both while the battery is in the enabled state and the disabled state, the tag circuitry allowing access to the tag data when the battery is in the enabled state, and disabling access to at least a portion of the tag data when the battery is in the disabled state.

13. A passive data tag device as defined in claim 12, wherein the battery disabling circuit comprises a shunt battery elimination circuit configured to deplete the battery of charge upon occurrence of the expiration event.

14. A passive data tag device as defined in claim 12, wherein the battery disabling circuit comprises a disconnect circuit configured to disconnect the battery from the tag circuitry upon occurrence of the expiration event.

15. A passive data tag device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a clock circuit configured to maintain a clock value with time, wherein the expiration event occurs upon the clock value reaching a termination value.

16. A passive data tag device as defined in claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the expiration event upon the passive data tag device receiving a kill command from an external source, the kill command being received by the communication interface from the external source.

17. A data tag device as defined in claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to disable access to at least a portion of the tag data when the battery is in the disabled state by erasing the portion of tag data upon the occurrence of the expiration event, and leaving some of the tag data remaining, wherein subsequent to erasing the portion of the tag data the passive data tag device responds to queries with the remaining tag data.

18. A computer program product having machine readable code stored thereon, the machine readable code causing a passive data tag device including a power source to:

operate the passive data tag device in a passive mode when the power source is in an enabled state wherein the passive data tag device provides access to tag data only in response to a query received via a query signal from a tag reader and wherein the passive data tag device responds to the query with energy acquired from the query signal;

detect an occurrence of an expiration event while operating the data tag device in the passive mode;

disable the power source of the passive data tag device upon detecting the expiration event;

disable access to at least a portion of the tag data responsive to disabling the power source; and

operate the passive data tag device in one of either a disabled passive mode or a fully disabled mode responsive to disabling the power source.

19. A computer program product as defined in claim 18, wherein disabling access to the portion of tag data comprises ceasing to respond to queries.

20. A method of operating a passive data tag device with tag data stored in the passive data tag device, comprising:

while operating the passive data tag device in a passive mode;

receiving a query from a tag reader via a query signal;

checking a state of a battery associated with the passive data tag device responsive to receiving the query;

responding to the query with all the tag data only if the battery is in an enabled state; and

when the battery is in a disabled state either responding to the query with tag data that is less than all of the tag data, or not responding to the query;

wherein responding to the query is performed with energy acquired from the query signal.