Method and system of utilizing RFID tags for jointly processing task

• US 8,400,275 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Chih-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US12/619,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20100134258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.33, 340/1.1, 340/10.3, 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 700/4, 700/1, 700/2
• US Class Current: 340/10.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• 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

Abstract

A method of utilizing RFID tags for jointly processing a task and an associated system are provided. The method includes causing a plurality of RFID tags to enter a ready state, causing the RFID tags to enter an accessible state in turn, transmitting the task to the RFID tags, utilizing the RFID tags to jointly process the task, and reading a result from the RFID tags having processed the task.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for jointly processing a task, comprising steps of:

a) causing the RFID tags to enter a ready state;

b) causing the RFID tags to enter an accessible state in turn;

c) transmitting the task to the RFID tags;

d) causing the RFID tags to enter a standby state, and jointly processing the task utilizing the RFID tags in the standby state; and

e) reading a result from the RFID tags having processed the task,

wherein step (c) further comprises steps of;

c1) detecting a processing capability of each of the RFID tags, and dividing the task into a plurality of sub-tasks according to the processing capability; and

c2) assigning the sub-tasks to the RFID tags, respectively.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the RFID tags comprises a storage device, and the task is stored in the storage devices, respectively.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the RFID tags comprises a control circuit for processing the task.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, being performed using an RFID reader.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the task is a code or an instruction set.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sub-tasks are processed by the RFID tags respectively to generate a plurality of sub-task results, and obtaining a complete result by integrating the sub-task results.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

reporting capabilities that the RFID tags possess in response to an RFID tag capability inquiry received by the RFID tags.

6. A system of jointly processing a task utilizing RFID tags, comprising:

the RFID tags; and

an RFID reader, for causing the RFID tags to enter an accessible state, transmitting the task to the RFID tags, causing the RFID tags to enter a standby state and processing the task while in the standby state, and reading a result from the RFID tags having processed the task,

wherein the RFID tags have different data processing capabilities, and the RFID reader divides the task into a plurality of sub-tasks according to the data processing capabilities, and assigns the sub-tasks to the RFID tags, respectively.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the RFID tags comprises a storage device, and the task is stored in the storage devices of the RFID tags, respectively.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the RFID tags comprises a control circuit for processing the task.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the task is a code or an instruction set.

10. A system for jointly processing a task utilizing RFID tags, comprising:

the RFID tags, for jointly processing the task; and

an RFID reader, for causing the RFID tags to enter an accessible state, transmitting the task to the RFID tags, and reading a result from the RFID tags having processed the task,

wherein the RFID reader causes the RFID tags to enter a standby state, in which the RFID tags process the task, the RFID tags have different data processing capabilities, and the RFID reader divides the task into a plurality of sub-tasks according to the data processing capabilities, and assigns the sub-tasks to the RFID tags, respectively.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the RFID tags comprises a storage device, and the task is respectively stored in the storage devices of the RFID tags.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the RFID tags comprises a control circuit for processing the task.