Method and apparatus for managing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags

• US 8,552,839 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Archer, Steven T., Dias, Francisco A., Pate, Kristopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US11/564,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20080122622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,505 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.42, 340/10.1, 340/5.91, 340/5.92, 340/572.1, 340/10.3, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.26, 235/385, 235/435, 382/195, 700/215, 370/349, 370/389, 370/392, 370/393, 370/466, 370/471, 709/217, 709/226, 709/245, 709/249
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing network addressable radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. A management agent collects data from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that is assigned a network address for visibility within a data network. The agent generates a management message including the data for transmission over the data network to a manager configured to communicate with the agent using a management protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

mapping, via a virtual address network, a network address of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to an asset for visibility of the RFID tag within a data network;

receiving a query, from a management manager, to retrieve data about the asset, the data residing within the RFID tag; and

generating, by an agent in response to the query, a management message including the data for transmission over the data network to the manager configured to communicate with the agent using a management protocol,

wherein the network address includes a medium access control (MAC) header including identification of the RFID tag and an internet protocol (IP) header including an IP address of the RFID tag, and

the network address is stored in one field of a network address table of the virtual address network.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

scanning for the RFID tag to report to the manager whether the RFID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the IP header includes a version number, a traffic priority class, a flow label, a payload length, a next header, a hop limit, or a combination thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting by the agent an asynchronous notification indicating insertion or deletion of the RFID tag,

wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the MAC header includes an Ethernet header.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network address of the RFID tag is mapped to the RFID tag via the network address table.

8. An apparatus comprising:

an agent configured to map, via a virtual address network, a network address of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to an asset for visibility of the RFID tag within a data network, to receive a query, from a management manager, to retrieve data about the asset, the data residing within the RFID tag, and to generate a management message including the data for transmission in response to the query over the data network to the manager configured to communicate with the agent using a management protocol,

wherein the network address includes a medium access control (MAC) header including identification of the RFID tag and an internet protocol (IP) header including an IP address of the RFID tag, and the network address is stored in one field of a network address table of the virtual address network.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

circuitry configured to scan for the RFID tag to report to the manager whether the RFID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the IP header includes a version number, a traffic priority class, a flow label, a payload length, a next header, a hop limit, or a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

circuitry configured to transmit an asynchronous notification indicating insertion or deletion of the RFID tag,

wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

13. A method comprising:

mapping, via a virtual address network, a network address of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to an asset for visibility of the RFID tag within a data network;

generating and transmitting a query to retrieve data about the asset, the data residing within the RFID tag;

receiving, over the data network, a management message from an agent according to a management protocol in response to the query, wherein the RFID tag is assigned a network address for visibility within the data network, and the data resides within the RFID tag,

wherein the network address includes a medium access control (MAC) header including identification of the RFID tag and an internet protocol (IP) header including an IP address of the RFID tag, and

the network address is stored in one field of a network address table of the virtual address network.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

instructing the agent to initiate scanning of the RFID tag to report to whether the RFID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the agent resides within an RFID reader.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the IP header includes a version number, a traffic priority class, a flow label, a payload length, a next header, a hop limit, or a combination thereof.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

receiving from the agent an asynchronous notification indicating insertion or deletion of the RFID tag,

wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

19. An apparatus comprising:

a manager configured to map, via a virtual address network, a network address of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to an asset for visibility of the RFID tag within a data network;

to generate and transmit a query to retrieve data about the asset, the data residing within the RFID tag;

to receive, over the data network, a management message from an agent according to a management protocol in response to the query, wherein the RFID tag is assigned a network address for visibility within the data network, and wherein the data resides within the RFID tag,

wherein the network address includes a medium access control (MAC) header including identification of the RFID tag and an internet protocol (IP) header including an IP address of the RFID tag, and

the network address is stored in one field of a network address table of the virtual address network.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the manager is further configured to instruct the agent to initiate scanning of the RFID tag to report to whether the RFID tag is within a predetermined scanning radius for determination of location of an asset affixed to the RFID tag.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the agent resides within an RFID reader.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the IP header includes a version number, a traffic priority class, a flow label, a payload length, a next header, a hop limit, or a combination thereof.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the IP address includes an IPv6 address.

24. An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive form the agent an asynchronous notification indicating insertion or deletion of the RFID tag,

wherein the management protocol includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).