Automatic data collection device, method and article

• US 8,120,461 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Timothy M., Ungs, Kelly J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US11/397,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20070229261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 105, 340/572.7, 340/572.4, 340/522, 343/700, 343/795
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A radio frequency identification system comprises a radio-frequency identification substrate and an interrogator. In one embodiment, the radio-frequency identification substrate comprises a plurality of radio-frequency identification devices. In one embodiment, a first radio-frequency identification device on the substrate monitors an indication of a response of a second radio-frequency identification device on the substrate to an interrogation signal and selectively responds to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the indication.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency identification tag comprising:

a substrate;

a first radio-frequency identification device carried by the substrate and having a first data system, the first radio-frequency identification device being coupled to a first antenna and configured to respond to an interrogation signal; and

a second radio-frequency identification device carried by the substrate and having a second data system separate from the first data system, the second radio-frequency identification device being coupled to a second antenna and configured to;

monitor transmission of a response of the first radio-frequency identification device to the interrogation signal; and

selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring.

2. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to selectively generate control signals to cause the second radio-frequency identification device to respond to the interrogation signal when the monitoring indicates the first radio-frequency identification device failed to respond to the interrogation signal.

3. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device comprises a first integrated circuit carried by the substrate.

4. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 3 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device comprises a second integrated circuit carried by the substrate.

5. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 4 wherein the second integrated circuit is identical to the first integrated circuit.

6. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the monitoring comprises determining whether the first radio-frequency identification device correctly responded to the interrogation signal.

7. An asset comprising:

an antenna system;

a first radio-frequency identification device, having a first data system, electrically coupled to the antenna system and configured to respond to an interrogation signal; and

a second radio-frequency identification device, having a second data system separate from the first data system, electrically coupled to the antenna system and to the first radio-frequency identification device and configured to;

monitor an indication of a response of the first radio-frequency identification device to the interrogation signal; and

selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the indication.

8. The asset of claim 7 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to generate the monitored indication.

9. The asset of claim 7 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device comprises a first integrated circuit.

10. The asset of claim 9 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device comprises a second integrated circuit identical to the first integrated circuit.

11. The asset of claim 7, further comprising:

a third radio-frequency identification device electrically coupled to the antenna system and to the second radio-frequency identification device and configured to;

monitor an indication of a response of the second radio-frequency identification device to the interrogation signal; and

selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the indication of the response of the second radio-frequency identification device.

12. A radio-frequency identification substrate comprising:

an antenna system coupled to the substrate;

a first radio-frequency identification device having a first data system; and

a second radio-frequency identification device having a second data system separate from the first data system, the second radio-frequency identification device being coupled to the first radio-frequency identification device and configured to;

in a first mode of operation, monitor a response of the first radio-frequency identification device to an interrogation signal and selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the response; and

in a second mode of operation, respond to the interrogation signal.

13. The radio frequency identification substrate of claim 12 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device is further configured to selectively disable the first radio-frequency identification device.

14. The radio-frequency identification substrate of claim 13 wherein the disabling of the first radio-frequency identification device is temporary.

15. The radio-frequency identification substrate of claim 12 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device is disabled in a third mode of operation.

16. The radio-frequency identification substrate of claim 12, further comprising a mode controller coupled to the first radio-frequency identification device and configured to generate control signals to control the mode of operation of the second radio-frequency identification device.

17. A radio-frequency identification system comprising:

an interrogator configured to generate a signal; and

an asset comprising;

means for receiving the signal;

first means for selectively responding to the signal having a first data system, and electrically coupled to the means for receiving the signal;

redundant means for selectively responding to the signal having a second data system, and electrically coupled to the means for receiving the signal; and

means for determining whether the first means for selectively responding to the signal responded to the signal electrically coupled to the first means for selectively responding to the signal and to the redundant means for selectively responding to the signal.

18. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 17, further comprising:

a first integrated circuit comprising the first means for selectively responding to the signal; and

a second integrated circuit comprising the redundant means for selectively responding to the signal.

19. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 18, wherein the second integrated circuit further comprises the means for determining whether the first means for selectively responding to the signal responded to the signal.

20. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 17, further comprising:

a substrate coupled to the asset wherein the means for receiving the signal, the first means for selectively responding to the signal, the redundant means for selectively responding to the signal, and the means for determining whether the first means for selectively responding to the signal responded to the signal are carried by the substrate.

21. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 17 further comprising:

second redundant means for selectively responding to the signal coupled to the means for receiving the signal and comprising;

means for processing an indication of a response to the signal by the asset.

22. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 21 wherein the means for processing the indication of the response to the signal by the asset is configured to monitor an indication of a response by the first means for selectively responding to the signal.

23. A method of responding to an interrogation signal, the method being performed by a first radio-frequency identification device having a first data system, the method comprising:

receiving the interrogation signal; and

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a redundant mode of operation,

monitoring an indication of a second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal, the second radio-frequency identification device having a second data system separate from the first data system; and

selectively generating a response to the interrogation signal based on the indication.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein monitoring the indication of the second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal comprises determining whether the second radio-frequency device correctly responded to the interrogation signal.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a time-out mode of operation, disregarding the interrogation signal.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a primary mode of operation, generating the response to the interrogation signal.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing contents that cause a first radio-frequency identification device to process an interrogation signal by performing a method comprising:

receiving the interrogation signal;

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a first mode of operation,

generating a response to the interrogation signal using a data system of the first radio-frequency identification device; and

generating an indication of the response to the interrogation signal by the first radio-frequency identification device;

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a second mode of operation,

monitoring an indication of a second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal, the second radio-frequency identification device being configured to generate a response using a data system of the second radio-frequency identification device; and

selectively generating the response to the interrogation signal based on the indication; and

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a third mode of operation,

disregarding the interrogation signal.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the contents are instructions stored in a memory.