RFID tag facility with access to external devices

• US 8,390,456 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Puleston, David, Hamlin, Robert W., Benoit, Steven, Mats, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAHASE, PAMESHANAND
• Application Number:
  US12/629,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20100134257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 365/225.7
• 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 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: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, where the passive RFID tag contains an RF network node and communication facility. The RF network node includes an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID reader signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RF network node. The communication facility communicates at least in part with an external display facility. The distribution of power to the RF network node functional blocks is controlled using the power management block to select between an extended operational time and an increase in available functionality.

Claims

1. A stand-alone reprogrammable human-readable RFID apparatus, comprising:

a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and a display configured to display human-readable information, the passive RFID tag comprising an RF network node and communication facility, the RF network node comprising

(i) an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal,

(ii) a data processing and controller block for digital information processing,

(iii) a memory store, and

(iv) a power management block for managing power requirements of the human-readable RFID apparatus, and

a serial communications bus linking the display and the passive RFID tag, wherein the data processing and controller block in conjunction with the communication facility controls sending of display data from the passive RFID tag to the display through the serial communications bus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the passive RFID tag having a plurality of RF network nodes each including an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of RF network nodes is a master RF network node.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power management block of the master RF network node manages the power requirements of the human-readable RFID apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the serial communications bus is an I²C bus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate electronics through which the communications facility communicates with the display.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the communications facility interfaces with the intermediate electronics through the serial communications bus.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the intermediate electronics includes at least one of a multiplexer and de-multiplexer through which the intermediate electronics interfaces with the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is an electronic paper display.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the communications facility interfacing with a sensor facility.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display at least in part displays data related to data collected from the sensor facility.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag and the display are interconnected on the apparatus by an interposer arrangement.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interposer arrangement facilitates mechanical assembly.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive RFID tag and the display are mounted on a single substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF network node and the communication facility are integrated onto a single IC chip.