Tracking variable conditions using radio frequency identification

• US 8,106,778 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Killian, Thomas, Rice, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/643,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20100097194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.4, 340/572.1, 340/10.41, 340/539.1, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 700/215, 700/225
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method and system for tracking variable conditions using radio frequency identification (RFID) are disclosed. In embodiments of the present invention, an RFID sensor tag is used to measure a condition. The condition can be any measurable condition such as location, temperature, humidity, pressure, time, date, inertial measurements, etc. Variable data representing the measured condition is read from the RFID sensor tag in order to track the measured condition. The variable data can be read from RFID sensor tags in addition to reading tag identification data from RFID tags, so that the variable data can be associated with tag identification data.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining and processing information from a radio frequency identification tag, the method comprising:

transmitting a radio frequency signal;

receiving a backscattered radio frequency signal in response to the radio frequency signal, the backscattered radio frequency signal including data identifying the radio frequency identification tag, variable data representing a measurement taken by the radio frequency identification tag, and non-variable data identifying the variable data as measured data; and

storing, in a database, the variable data in association with the data identifying the radio frequency identification tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-variable data identifies a type of measurement represented by the variable data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the variable data comprises temperature data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-variable data and the variable data are combined in a format used for tag identification data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the radio frequency signal continuously.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the radio frequency signal intermittently.

7. A radio frequency identification reader device comprising:

a memory configured to;

store data;

a transceiver configured to;

transmit a radio frequency signal;

receive a backscattered radio frequency signal in response to the radio frequency signal, the backscattered radio frequency signal including data identifying a radio frequency identification tag, variable data representing a measurement taken by the radio frequency identification tag, and non-variable data identifying the variable data as measured data; and

a processor configured to;

store, in a database, the variable data in association with the data identifying the radio frequency identification tag.

8. The radio frequency identification reader device of claim 7, wherein the non-variable data identifies a type of measurement represented by the variable data.

9. The radio frequency identification reader device of claim 8, wherein the variable data comprises temperature data.

10. The radio frequency identification reader device of claim 7, wherein the non-variable data and the variable data are combined in a format used for tag identification data.

11. The radio frequency identification reader device of claim 7, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

transmit the radio frequency signal continuously.

12. The radio frequency identification reader device of claim 7, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

transmit the radio frequency signal intermittently.

13. An apparatus for obtaining and processing information from a radio frequency identification tag comprising:

means for transmitting a radio frequency signal;

means for receiving a backscattered radio frequency signal in response to the radio frequency signal, the backscattered radio frequency signal including data identifying the radio frequency identification tag, variable data representing a measurement taken by the radio frequency identification tag, and non-variable data identifying the variable data as measured data; and

means for storing, in a database, the variable data in association with the data identifying the radio frequency identification tag.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the non-variable data identifies a type of measurement represented by the variable data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the variable data comprises temperature data.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the non-variable data and the variable data are combined in a format used for tag identification data.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for transmitting transmits the radio frequency signal continuously.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for transmitting transmits the radio frequency signal intermittently.