Active/passive RFID transponder control function

• US 8,421,601 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Greenlee, Kenneth L., Hunt, Christian Lee, Miller, Steven Michael, Ryan, Anne Irene
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMSON, SARA B
• Application Number:
  US12/408,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20100238002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,486 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.52, 340/10.51, 340/1.1, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• 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: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• 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

Devices, systems, processes, and articles of manufacture are provided herein. These may include an RFID transponder having a microprocessor, nonvolatile memory, a battery, and an antenna, wherein the microprocessor is configured to operate in a passive mode and a battery operated mode, and wherein, when in the passive mode only a portion of the microprocessor may be powered by energy received from an RFID reader interrogating the RFID transponder. The RFID transponder may further include MEMS sensors coupled to the microprocessor and the microprocessor may be further configured to add physical data, instructions, or a unique identifier of the RFID transponder to the nonvolatile memory.

Claims

1. An RFID transponder comprising:

a transponder substrate;

a microprocessor associated with the substrate;

an antenna associated with the substrate;

nonvolatile memory associated with the microprocessor,

wherein the nonvolatile memory stores an identity of the RFID transponder; and

a battery associated with the substrate;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to operate in a passive mode and in a battery powered mode, the passive mode involving microprocessor operations where portions of the microprocessor remain in a quiescent low power state to reduce the amount of energy needed to power the microprocessor,

wherein, when in the passive mode, the microprocessor is configured to write instructions to nonvolatile memory for operating the RFID transponder in battery powered mode,

wherein power for the microprocessor in the passive mode is received through the antenna and

wherein power for the microprocessor in the battery powered mode is received from a battery.

2. The RFID transponder of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile memory retains the identity of the transponder and the microprocessor uses the same identity when the microprocessor is functioning in the battery powered mode and in the passive mode.

3. The RFID transponder of claim 1 further comprising:

a micro-electro-mechanical system sensor coupled to the substrate.

4. The RFID transponder of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured to write to nonvolatile memory when operating in the passive mode.

5. The RFID transponder of claim 4 wherein, when writing to nonvolatile memory, the microprocessor is configured to add physical data to the nonvolatile memory, the physical data provided by instructions received from an RFID reader, the physical data reflecting contents of a container to which the transponder is associated.

6. The RFID transponder of claim 4 wherein the microprocessor is configured to modify functionality of the transponder when the transponder is in the battery powered mode.

7. The RFID transponder of claim 6 wherein information written to nonvolatile memory includes information associated with the identity of the transponder.

8. The RFID transponder of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured to access and modify an EPC code of the transponder, the EPC code used to identify the transponder when the transponder is in a battery powered mode or in a passive mode.

9. The RFID transponder of claim 6 wherein the functionality of the transponder includes one or more of:

the beaconing cycle time of the transponder, the signal strength of the transponder, or the duration of a quiescent cycle of the transponder.

10. The RFID transponder of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile memory further stores attributes of self-expiration of the transponder or instructions specific to a certain weight of a package to which the transponder is affixed.

11. The RFID transponder of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile memory is partitioned with memory designated for active mode control and memory designated for passive mode control.

12. A method for controlling an RFID transponder, the method comprising:

receiving an interrogation radio frequency signal at an antenna of an RFID transponder;

activating a portion of a microprocessor using power from the interrogation radio frequency signal, with one or more other portions of the microprocessor remaining in a quiescent low power state to reduce the amount of energy needed to power the microprocessor;

receiving information to be written to a nonvolatile memory of the RFID transponder; and

writing the information to the nonvolatile memory of the RFID transponder,

wherein the information written includes data, which when read, provides instructions for operating the RFID transponder in a battery powered mode,

wherein power is received from a battery for one or more portions of the microprocessor remaining in a quiescent low power state.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the information written also includes data identifying the contents of a container linked to the RFID transponder.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the data also includes instructions for changing the frequency on which the RFID transponder will communicate when the RFID transponder is in a battery powered mode.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the data also includes instructions for the amount of power of transmission of the RFID transponder when the RFID transponder is in a battery powered mode.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the data also includes instructions for a start time to activate the RFID transponder in a battery powered mode.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the data, which when read, provides instructions for operating the RFID transponder in a passive mode.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the data also includes instructions for the self-expiration of the RFID transponder or instructions specific to a certain weight of a package to which the transponder is affixed.

19. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-volatile computer readable storage medium,

the storage medium containing instructions, which when executed, cause a microprocessor of an RFID transponder, when receiving data from an RFID reader/writer, to operate in a passive mode or in a battery powered mode, the passive mode and the battery powered mode each providing that portions of the microprocessor remain in a quiescent low power state to reduce the amount of energy needed to power the microprocessor,

the passive mode being used to write instructions in nonvolatile memory of the RFID transponder that control functions of the RFID transponder when the RFID transponder is operating in battery powered mode,

wherein power for the microprocessor in the passive mode is received through an antenna, and

wherein power for the microprocessor in the battery powered mode is received from a battery.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 wherein the functions include the duration of a quiescent period of the RFID transponder.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19 wherein the functions include a transmission power setting of the RFID transponder.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19 wherein the instructions, which when executed further cause the microprocessor of the RFID transponder to receive data and write the data to nonvolatile memory of the RFID transponder.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the data is a unique identifier of the RFID transponder.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the instructions, which when executed further cause the self-expiration of the RFID transponder or the activation of the transponder when the weight of a package to which the transponder is affixed is below a specified weight.