Method and apparatus for tunneling information in RFID communications

• US 8,587,431 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Schnell, Richard L., Koons, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/789,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5728, 340/539.13, 340/539.26, 340/545.6, 340 101- 104, 235/375, 235/382, 235/385, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus involve a radio frequency identification tag that receives a wireless signal containing a message type conforming to an extension of a standard communication protocol and having an extended services segment, the tag then transmitting the extended services segment through an extended services interface. According to a different aspect, a method and apparatus involve a radio frequency identification tag that stores data which includes respective information regarding each of multiple extended services, and that responds to receipt of a wireless signal which is an extension to a standard protocol by transmitting a further wireless signal which is an extension to the protocol and contains at least part of the data. According to yet another aspect, a method and apparatus involve a radio frequency identification tag that responds to receipt of one wireless signal by transmitting a further wireless signal containing information regarding multiple sensors.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification tag apparatus comprising a main section providing basic radio frequency identification functionality, the main section having an extended services interface, the extended services interface receiving wireless signals containing a message type which includes an extended services segment and which is an extension to an industry-standard communication protocol, said main section responding to receipt of a wireless signal containing a message conforming to said message type by transmitting said extended services segment thereof through said extended services interface, wherein said extended services segment is an extension to an industry-standard further communication protocol that is different from said communication protocol for said wireless signals.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication protocol is the ISO 18000-7 communication protocol.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said tag includes a further section that includes a sensor and that receives said extended services segment from said main section through said extended services interface, said further communication protocol being one of the IEEE 1451.7 communication protocol and the ISO 21451.7 communication protocol.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, including a further section that provides extended services functionality different from said basic functionality, and that receives said extended services segment from said main section through said extended services interface.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said further section is part of said tag.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said further section is physically separate from said tag.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said extended services functionality includes provision of security for said tag.

8. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said further section includes one of a sensor, a receiver circuit that receives wireless satellite signals containing positioning information, and a real time locating circuit.

9. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said further section includes a plurality of sensors, and a single instantiation of an application that interfaces each of said sensors to said extended services interface, and that is compatible with and also implements an extension to one of IEEE 1451.7 and ISO 21451.7.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main section responds to receipt through said extended services interface of a further segment by transmitting a further wireless signal that conforms to said communications protocol and that contains said further segment.

11. A radio frequency identification tag, comprising:

a transceiver operable to wirelessly interface via wireless signals with a corresponding transceiver of an interrogator over an industry-standard communications protocol, the industry-standard communications protocol comprising an extension having an extended services segment;

a processor comprising a main program operable to interface with a plurality of extended services application modules via information of said extended services segment, each of said extended services application modules providing one or more processing capabilities for a sensor corresponding thereto, each said sensor operable to perform any one of;

receiving a sensory stimulus from an environment external to the radio frequency identification tag and transmitting a corresponding signal thereto to the processor; and

receiving a signal from the processor and transmitting a corresponding sensory stimulus thereto to the external environment, wherein said extended services segment is an extension to an industry-standard further communication protocol that is different from said communication protocol for said wireless signals.

12. A radio frequency identification tag, comprising:

a transceiver operable to wirelessly interface with a corresponding transceiver of an interrogator over an industry-standard communications protocol, the industry-standard communications protocol comprising an extension comprising an extended services segment;

a processor operable to interface with the transceiver;

a main program operable to execute in relation to one or more instructions from the processor;

a plurality of sensors each operable to perform any one of;

receive a sensory stimulus from an environment external to the radio frequency identification tag and transmit a corresponding signal thereto to the processor; and

receive a signal from the processor and transmit a corresponding sensory stimulus thereto to the external environment; and

a plurality of extended services application modules operable to interface with the main program via one or more data of said extended services segment, each of said extended services application modules providing one or more processing capabilities for a said sensor corresponding thereto.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the industry-standard communications protocol is the ISO 18000-7 communication protocol.