Method and system for RFID communication

• US 7,944,339 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Psion PLC (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Psion Teklogix (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US11/466,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20080061936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/10.42, 340/825, 340/3.51, 340/505, 340/572.1, 340/10.5, 340/572.7
• US Class Current: 340/10.5
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

A method and system for RFID communication is provided. The system includes a first RFID reader and an RFID read-write tag uniquely assigned to the first RFID reader. The RFID read-write tag receives information from RFID readers other than the first RFID reader and provides the information to the first RFID reader.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader including a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB comprising:

a built-in RFID read-write tag uniquely assigned to the RFID reader and integrated into the RFID reader, the built-in RFID read-write tag including RFID tag circuitry having a memory and first RF communication circuitry for communicating with an external RFID reader;

a reader circuitry for reading from or writing information on RFID tags including the built-in RFID read-write tag and an external tag;

a second RF communication circuitry coupled to the reader circuitry for communicating with the external RFID tag; and

a circuit link for coupling the RFID tag circuitry to the reader circuitry, the built-in RFID read-write tag communicating with the reader circuitry via the circuit link and communicating with the external RFID reader via the first RF communication circuitry.

2. A RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reader circuitry cooperates with the built-in RFID read-write tag to read the information from the memory.

3. A RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RFID reader and the external RFID reader communicate with the built-in RFID read-write tag in dependence upon an identification uniquely assigned to the built-in RFID read-write tag.

4. A RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the built-in RFID read-write tag is configured to receive from the external RFID reader the information for a time dependent application or a control decision.

5. A RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the built-in RFID read-write tag is configured to receive from the external RFID reader the information on configuration of an external device, and wherein the RFID reader comprises an interface for communication with the external device such that the information on configuration of the external device is provided from the RFID reader to the external device via the interface.

6. A RFID reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RFID reader includes a power supply for providing power to the reader circuitry and the built-in RFID read-write tag.

7. A method for RFID communication with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader including a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB comprising a built-in RFID read-write tag uniquely assigned to the RFID reader and integrated into the RFID reader, the built-in RFID read-write tag including RFID tag circuitry having a memory and first RF communication circuitry for communicating with an external RFID reader, the RFID reader further comprising a reader circuitry for reading from or writing tag information on RFID tags including the built-in RFID read-write tag and an external tag, a second RF communication circuitry coupled to the reader circuitry for communicating with the external RFID tag, a circuit link for coupling the RFID tag circuitry to the reader circuitry, and an interface for communication with an external device, the method comprising:

transferring an identification of the built-in RFID read-write tag to the external RFID reader via the first RF communication circuitry of the built-in RFID read-write tag;

receiving, in the first RF communication circuitry of the built-in RFID read-write tag, information from the external RFID reader;

indicating to the RFID reader via the circuit link that the built-in RFID read-write tag has received the information; and

providing the information received from the external RFID reader to the RFID reader via the circuit link, the information provided from the external RFID reader including information on configuration of the external device;

transferring to the external device the information on configuration of the external device, from the RFID reader via the interface;

receiving, in the external device, the information on configuration of the external device from the RFID reader; and

implementing, in the external device, the configuration based on the configuration information transferred from the RFID reader.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

in the built-in RFID read-write tag, receiving a ping from the external RFID reader, the step of transferring an identification being executed after the ping from the external RFID reader is received.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

in the built-in RFID read-write tag, receiving a ping from the RFID reader via the circuit link, the step of indicating being executed after the ping from the RFID reader is received.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

in the device, processing the information read from the built-in RFID read-write tag for a time dependent application or a control decision.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information transferred from the external RFID reader through the built-in RFID read-write tag includes information on configuration of the RFID reader.