RFID tag chips and tags with alternative behaviors and methods

• US 8,665,074 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Diorio, Christopher J., Stanford, Theron, Cooper, Scott A., Lindhorst, Chad A., Kavounas, Gregory T., Rahimi, Kambiz, Heinrich, Harley K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US13/528,653
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• 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

Abstract

RFID tags, ICs for RFID tags, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, an RFID tag includes a memory with multiple sections, and a processing block. The processing block may map one of these sections, or another of these sections, for purposes of responding to a first command from an RFID reader. As such, an RFID tag can operate according to the data stored in the section mapped at the time. In some embodiments, a tag can even transition from mapping one of the sections to mapping another of the sections. This can amount to the tag exhibiting alternative behaviors, and permits hiding data on the tag.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a memory storing an identifier; and

a processing block configurable to;

operate in a first behavior state;

in response to receiving a first behavior-change command with a power level exceeding a threshold, transition from the first behavior state to a second behavior state, and not transition if the power level does not exceed the threshold; and

when operating in the second behavior state be configurable to subsequently transition back to the first behavior state;

wherein

the first behavior state is one of a public behavior state exposing only a portion of the identifier and a private behavior state exposing the entire identifier; and

the second behavior state is the other one of the public behavior state exposing only a portion of the identifier and the private behavior state exposing the entire identifier.

2. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to transition from the second behavior state back to the first behavior state upon receiving a second behavior-change command.

3. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to modify the threshold in response to receiving a first command.

4. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to temporarily transition from the first behavior state to the second behavior state, and to transition back upon losing power.

5. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to only transition from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command is received from an authorized reader.

6. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to only transition from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command meets a preset condition about a password.

7. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to only transition from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command is received in a secured protocol state.

8. The RFID tag IC of claim 7, wherein the processing block is further configured to reach the secured protocol state in response to meeting a preset condition about a password.

9. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to receive at least a portion of its operating power from a battery.

10. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to, in response to receiving the first behavior-change command, at least one of:

report its current behavior state;

expose a selected portion of the memory; and

revert back to the other behavior state upon losing power.

11. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, further comprising a behavior indicator.

12. The RFID tag IC of claim 11, wherein the behavior indicator indicates which of the portion of the identifier and the entire identifier is mapped by the processing block.

13. The RFID tag IC of claim 1, further electrically coupled to a dipole antenna.

14. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a memory storing an identifier; and

a processing block configurable to;

operate in a first behavior state;

in response to receiving a first behavior-change command that meets a preset condition about a password, transition from the first behavior state to a second behavior state, and not transition if the first behavior-change command does not meet the preset condition about the password; and

when operating in the second behavior state be configurable to subsequently transition back to the first behavior state;

wherein

the first behavior state is one of a public behavior state exposing only a portion of the identifier and a private behavior state exposing the entire identifier; and

the second behavior state is the other one of the public behavior state exposing only a portion of the identifier and the private behavior state exposing the entire identifier.

15. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, wherein the processing block is further configured to transition from the second behavior state back to the first behavior state upon receiving a second behavior-change command.

16. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, wherein the processing block is further configured to only transition from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command is received in a secured protocol state.

17. The RFID tag IC of claim 16, wherein the processing block is further configured to reach the secured protocol state in response to receiving the password.

18. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, wherein the processing block is further configured to temporarily transition from the first behavior state to the second behavior state, and to transition back upon losing power.

19. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, wherein the processing block is further configured to only transition from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command is received from an authorized reader.

20. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, wherein the processing block is further configured to receive at least a portion of its operating power from a battery.

21. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, wherein the processing block is further configured to, in response to receiving the first behavior-change command, at least one of:

report its current behavior state;

expose a selected portion of the memory; and

revert back to the other behavior state upon losing power.

22. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, further comprising a behavior indicator.

23. The RFID tag IC of claim 22, wherein the behavior indicator indicates which of the portion of the identifier and the entire identifier is mapped by the processing block.

24. The RFID tag IC of claim 14, further electrically coupled to a dipole antenna.

25. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

operating in a first behavior state;

in response to receiving a first behavior-change command with a power level exceeding a threshold, transitioning from the first behavior state to a second behavior state, and not transitioning if the power level does not exceed the threshold; and

when operating in the second behavior state, subsequently transitioning back to the first behavior state;

wherein

the first behavior state is one of a public behavior state exposing only a portion of a tag identifier and a private behavior state exposing the entire tag identifier; and

the second behavior state is the other one of the public behavior state exposing only a portion of the tag identifier and the private behavior state exposing the entire tag identifier.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising transitioning from the second behavior state to the first behavior state upon receiving a second behavior-change command.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising modifying the threshold in response to receiving a first command.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising temporarily transitioning from the first behavior state to the second behavior state, and transitioning back upon losing power.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising only transitioning from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command is received from an authorized reader.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising only transitioning from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command meets a preset condition about a password.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising only transitioning from the first behavior state to the second behavior state if the first behavior-change command is received in a secured protocol state.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising reaching the secured protocol state in response to meeting a preset condition about a password.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving at least a portion of an operating power from a battery.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising, in response to receiving the first behavior-change command, at least one of:

reporting a current behavior state;

exposing a selected portion of the memory; and

reverting back to another behavior state upon losing power.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising a behavior indicator indicating which of the portion of the identifier and the entire identifier is mapped by the processing block.

36. The method of claim 25, further comprising electrically coupling to a dipole antenna.