RFID vehicle tag with manually adjustable data fields

• US 8,344,886 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gravelle, Kelly, Johnson, Charles A., Burnett, Matthew K., Scott, Dale L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/533,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/928, 235/384
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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 7/10227 loading programming parameters or programs into the interrogator, e.g. for configuring the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• 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

An RFID tag for use in a vehicle for use in an electronic toll collecting system. The tag is capable of transmitting data to a tag interrogator indicating the occupancy status of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the tag has a user input and a visual and audible tag status indicator. The user input is used to change the occupancy status of the tag, wherein the occupancy status is a portion of a message sent by radio frequency to the interrogator when the vehicle passes through a toll area.

Claims

1. An RFID tag comprising

a manual user input and

a visual tag status indicator

wherein said user input is adapted to change status of the tag and said status is indicated by the tag status indicator, said status being a portion of a data signal sent to a tag interrogator when said tag is interrogated

wherein said visual tag status indicator indicates a second tag attribute in addition to tag status, said second tag attribute being indicated in response to a stimulus other than said user input.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the tag is a vehicle tag adapted for electronic toll collection.

3. The RFID tag of claim 2, wherein the tag status comprises a plurality of states related to the occupancy level of the vehicle.

4. The RFID tag of claim 3 wherein the tag status cycles through said plurality of states, one at a time, each time said user input is actuated.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said visual tag status indicator is an LED.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising an audible tag status indicator.

7. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said tag status is stored in an EEROM.

8. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said tag is a multi-protocol RFID tag.

9. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said second tag attribute is indicated when the tag is interrogated.

10. The RFID tag of claim 5, wherein said LED blinks on and off a plurality of times within a predetermined time to indicate tag status.

11. The RFID tag of claim 5, wherein said LED is one of a plurality of LEDs wherein tag status is indicated by illuminating one or more of said plurality of LEDs.

12. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein upon a first actuation of said manual user input a current tag status is displayed on said status indicator and upon a second actuation of said manual user input within a predetermined time from said first actuation, tag status is changed.

18. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said second tag attribute is selected from the group consisting of:

tag validity, low balance, lost tag and stolen tag.

19. The RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising:

a tag memory storing a private key and a tag identification ID for use in a tag authentication process.

20. the RFID tag of claim 18, further comprising:

a tag authentication code generator which generates a reader authentication code based on said private key, a first random number generated by the tag and a second random number generated by a tag reader, wherein the tag authenticates the reader by comparing said reader authentication code with an authentication code received from the reader.

13. A method of operating an RFID tag comprising:

providing the tag with a manual user input and a visual tag status indicator;

actuating said manual user input;

changing tag status in response to said actuating;

indicating tag status in response to said changed tag status for a limited time period after said actuating; and

indicating a second tag attribute in addition to tag status in response to a stimulus other than said manual user input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said tag has a fixed number of status states from state 1 through state n;

and

changing a current status state to a next status state upon each actuation of said manual user input; and

cycling back to state 1 after state n.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein upon a first actuation of said manual user input a current tag status is displayed on said status indicator and upon a second actuation of said manual user input within a predetermined time from said first actuation, tag status is changed.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the tag is a vehicle tag adapted for electronic toll collection.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tag status comprises a plurality of states related to the occupancy level of the vehicle.

21. An RFID tag comprising

a manual user input having a maximum of two states and

a visual tag status indicator

wherein actuating said manual user input changes status of the tag and said status is indicated by the tag status indicator, said status being a portion of a data signal sent to a tag interrogator when said tag is interrogated and wherein the tag status cycles through at least three states, one at a time, each time said user input is actuated.