RFID tag chips and tags complying with only a limited number of remaining commands and methods

• US 8,354,917 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Diorio, Christopher J., Khwaja, Omar, Hagen, Casey M
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US12/035,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.4, 340/10.51, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

RFID tags and chips for RFID tags are capable of complying with only a limited number of remaining commands, and methods. In a number of embodiments, a counter is adjusted in association with receiving a command and complying with it. The tag complies until the counter reaches a limit, and then it can stop complying. Non-compliance can be by the tag becoming quiet, or performing other activities, or performing nothing at all, or performing only selected activities, and so on. In some embodiments non-compliance is permanent, while in others it is temporary and/or restorable.

Claims

1. An Integrated Circuit (IC) for use with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a processing block operable to;

receive a first command;

if a counter has not yet reached a predefined limit then;

comply with the first command, and

adjust the counter by a first adjustment amount;

if the counter has reached the predefined limit, then;

not comply with the first command, and

backscatter an Out_Of_Cycles reply;

receive a second command;

if the counter has not yet reached the predefined limit then;

comply with the second command, and

adjust the counter by a second adjustment amount, wherein the second adjustment amount is different from the first adjustment amount;

if the counter has reached the predefined limit, then;

not comply with the second command, and

backscatter an Out_Of_Cycles reply; and

disable the counter in response to receiving a Disable command.

2. The IC of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second amounts is an increment.

3. The IC of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second amounts is a decrement.

4. The IC of claim 1, wherein the predefined count limit is zero.

5. The IC of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second amounts is zero.

6. The IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to the counter reaching the predefined count limit, not comply with a predefined number of subsequent commands, and

comply with a later command following the predefined number of subsequent commands.

7. The IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to the counter reaching the predefined count limit, not comply with a subsequent command, and

backscatter an Out₁₃ Of_Cycles reply in response to the subsequent command.

8. The IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to receiving a Restore command, set the counter to a preset count value.

9. The IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to receiving a Reset command, at least one of;

set the counter to a preset count value, and

modify at least one of the first amount and the second amount.

10. An Integrated Circuit (IC) for use with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a counter configured to adjust its count value in response to reader commands; and

a processing block operable to;

receive an Enable command;

in response to the Enable command, enable the counter to start counting;

receive a first command;

if the counter has not yet reached a predefined limit then;

comply with the first command, and

adjust the counter by a first adjustment amount;

if the counter has reached the predefined limit, then;

not comply with the first command, and

backscatter an Out_Of_Cycles reply;

receive a second command;

if the counter has not yet reached the predefined limit then;

comply with the second command, and

adjust the counter by a second adjustment amount, wherein the second adjustment amount is different from the first adjustment amount;

if the counter has reached the predefined limit, then;

not comply with the second command, and

backscatter an Out_Of_Cycles reply; and

disable the counter in response to receiving a Disable command.

11. The IC of claim 10, wherein the adjustment is one of an increment and a decrement.

12. The IC of claim 10, wherein the predefined count limit is zero.

13. The IC of claim 10, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to the counter reaching the predefined count limit, not comply with a predefined number of subsequent commands, and

comply with a later command following the predefined number of subsequent commands.

14. The IC of claim 10, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to the counter reaching the predefined count limit, not comply with a subsequent command, and

backscatter an Out_Of_Cycles reply in response to the subsequent command.

15. The IC of claim 10, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to receiving a Restore command, set the counter to a preset count value.

16. The IC of claim 10, wherein the processing block is further operable to:

in response to receiving a Reset command, at least one of;

set the counter to a preset count value, and

modify at least one of the first amount and the second amount.

17. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

receiving a first command;

if a counter has not yet reached a predefined limit then;

complying with the first command, and

adjusting the counter by a first adjustment amount;

if the counter has reached the predefined limit, then;

not complying with the first command, and

backscattering an Out_Of_Cycles reply;

receiving a second command;

if the counter has not yet reached the predefined limit then;

complying with the second command, and

adjusting the counter by a second adjustment amount, wherein the second adjustment amount is different from the first adjustment amount;

if the counter has reached the predefined limit, then;

not complying with the second command, and

backscattering an Out_Of_Cycles reply;

disabling the counter in response to receiving a Disable command, and

setting the counter to a preset count value in response to receiving a Restore command.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the first and second amounts is zero.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to the counter reaching the predefined count limit, not complying with a predefined number of subsequent commands, and

complying with a later command following the predefined number of subsequent commands.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to the counter reaching the predefined count limit, not complying with a subsequent command, and

backscattering an Out_Of_Cycles reply in response to the subsequent command.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to receiving a Reset command, at least one of;

setting the counter to a preset count value, and

modifying at least one of the first amount and the second amount.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an Enable command prior to receiving the one of the first and the second command; and

in response to the Enable command, enabling the counter to count commands.