Methods and apparatuses to identify devices

• US 8,742,899 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RUIZHANG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED COMPANY
• Original Assignee: Alien Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, John Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US13/330,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.2, 340/10.1, 340/10.33, 340/10.4, 340/10.5, 340/870.2, 235/385, 235/451, 235/375, 370/312, 370/328, 370/349, 713/202, 455/515
• US Class Current: 340/10.32
• 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: 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 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10059 transponder driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2485 Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags

Abstract

An apparatus and method to identify devices including a first set of commands to identify devices in a first state and a second set of commands to identify devices in a second state, wherein devices identified in the first state are placed in the second state and devices identified in the second state are placed in the first state.

Claims

1. A method of identifying tags, the method comprising:

issuing a first set of commands of a first type in a first inventory process to identify tags in a first group of tags which are in a first state and to place the identified tags in a second group of tags, which are in a second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the first group of tags do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type;

issuing the second set of commands of the second type in a second inventory process to identify tags in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tags in the first group of tags which respond to the first set of commands of the first type and wherein the second group of tags do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process;

issuing a third command in the first set of commands of the first type to address tags in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in a third state; and

issuing a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type to address tags in the second group of tags in the second state, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in the third state.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the third group of tags in the third state are responsive to either the first set of commands of the first type or the second set of commands of the second type, the method further comprising:

issuing the first set of commands of the first type to identify tags in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the second group of tags in the second state; and

issuing the second set of commands of the second type to identify tags in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the first group of tags in the first state.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the third command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags and the fourth command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the first command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the second group of tags and the second command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the first group of tags.

5. A method performed in a tag, the method comprising:

receiving at a tag in a first state a first set of commands of a first type issued in a first inventory process to identify the tag in a first group of tags in the first state and to place the identified tag in the first state in a second state in a second group of tags in the second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the second group of tags in the second state do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type;

receiving at a tag in the second state the second set of commands of the second type issued in a second inventory process to identify the tag in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tag in the second state in the first state in the first group of tags in the first state, which are addressable by the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the first group of tags in the first state do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process;

receiving at the tag in the first state a third command in the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag to be placed in a third state in the third group of tags; and

receiving at the tag in the second state a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the third state in the third group of tags.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving at a tag in the third state the first set of commands of the first type to identify the tag in the third group of tags in the third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag in the third state to be placed in the second state in the second group of tags; and

receiving at the tag in the third state the second set of commands of the second type to identify the tag in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the first state in the first group of tags.

7. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing executable computer programming instructions, which when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method for identifying tags, the method comprising:

issuing a first set of commands of a first type in a first inventory process to identify tags in a first group of tags which are in a first state and to place the identified tags in a second group of tags, which are in a second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the first group of tags do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type;

issuing the second set of commands of the second type in a second inventory process to identify tags in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tags in the first group of tags which respond to the first set of commands of the first type and wherein the second group of tags do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process;

issuing a third command in the first set of commands of the first type to address tags in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in a third state; and

issuing a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type to address tags in the second group of tags in the second state, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in the third state.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, further comprising executable computer programming instructions, which when executed by the data processing system cause the system to perform operations comprising

issuing the first set of commands of the first type to identify tags in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the second group of tags in the second state;

and

issuing the second set of commands of the second type to identify tags in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third group of tags in the third state are responsive to either the first set of commands of the first type or the second set of commands of the second type.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the third command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags and the fourth command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the second group of tags and the second command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the first group of tags.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing executable computer programming instructions, which when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method performed in a tag, the method comprising:

receiving at a tag in a first state a first set of commands of a first type issued in a first inventory process to identify the tag in a first group of tags in the first state and to place the identified tag in the first state in a second state in a second group of tags in the second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the second group of tags in the second state do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type;

receiving at a tag in the second state the second set of commands of the second type issued in a second inventory process to identify the tag in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tag in the second state in the first state in the first group of tags in the first state, which are addressable by the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the first group of tags in the first state do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process;

receiving at the tag in the first state a third command in the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag to be placed in a third state in the third group of tags; and

receiving at the tag in the second state a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the third state in the third group of tags.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11, further comprising executable computer programming instructions, which when executed by the data processing system cause the system to perform operations comprising

receiving at a tag in the third state the first set of commands of the first type to identify the tag in a third group of tags in the third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag in the third state to be placed in the second state in the second group of tags;

and

receiving at the tag in the third state the second set of commands of the second type to identify the tag in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the first state in the first group of tags.

13. An apparatus to identify tags, comprising:

a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to issue a first set of commands of a first type in a first inventory process to identify tags in a first group of tags which are in a first state and to place the identified tags in a second group of tags, which are in a second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the first group of tags do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type;

the processor configured to issue the second set of commands of the second type in a second inventory process to identify tags in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tags in the first group of tags which respond to the first set of commands of the first type and wherein the second group of tags do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process;

the processor configured to issue a third command in the first set of commands of the first type to address tags in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in a third group of tags in the third state; and

the processor configured to issue a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type to address tags in the second group of tags in the second state, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in the third state.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to issue the first set of commands of the first type to identify tags in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the second group of tags in the second state;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to issue the second set of commands of the second type to identify tags in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third group of tags in the third state are responsive to either the first set of commands of the first type or the second set of commands of the second type.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags and the fourth command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the second group of tags and the second command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the first group of tags.

17. A tag comprising:

a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to receive at the tag in a first state a first set of commands of a first type issued in a first inventory process to identify the tag in a first group of tags in the first state and to place the identified tag in the first state in a second state in a second group of tags in the second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the second group of tags in the second state do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type, the processor configured to receive at the tag in the second state the second set of commands of the second type issued in a second inventory process to identify the tag in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tag in the second state in the first state in the first group of tags in the first state, which are addressable by the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the first group of tags in the first state do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process, the processor configured to receive at the tag in the first state a third command in the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag to be placed in a third state in the third group of tags, and the processor configured to receive at the tag in the second state a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the third state in the third group of tags.

18. The tag of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to receive at the tag in a third state the first set of commands of the first type to identify the tag in a third group of tags in the third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag in the third state to be placed in the second state in the second group of tags, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive at the tag in the third state the second set of commands of the second type to identify the tag in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the first state in the first group of tags.

19. An apparatus to identify tags, comprising:

means for issuing a first set of commands of a first type in a first inventory process to identify tags in a first group of tags which are in a first state and to place the identified tags in a second group of tags, which are in a second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the first group of tags do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type;

means for issuing the second set of commands of the second type in a second inventory process to identify tags in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tags in the first group of tags which respond to the first set of commands of the first type and wherein the second group of tags do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process;

means for issuing a third command in the first set of commands of the first type to address tags in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in the third state; and

means for issuing a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type to address tags in the second group of tags in the second state, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in the third state.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising

means for issuing the first set of commands of the first type to identify tags in a third group of tags which are in a third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the second group of tags in the second state;

and

means for issuing the second set of commands of the second type to identify tags in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third group of tags in the third state are responsive to either the first set of commands of the first type or the second set of commands of the second type.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the third command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags and the fourth command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the third group of tags.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the first command in the first set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the first group of tags to be placed in the second group of tags and the second command in the second set of commands causes only a single addressed tag in the second group of tags to be placed in the first group of tags.

23. A tag comprising:

means for receiving at the tag in a first state a first set of commands of a first type issued in a first inventory process to identify the tag in a first group of tags in the first state and to place the identified tag in the first state in a second state in a second group of tags in the second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the second group of tags in the second state do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type;

means for receiving at the tag in the second state the second set of commands of the second type issued in a second inventory process to identify the tag in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tag in the second state in the first state in the first group of tags in the first state, which are addressable by the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the first group of tags in the first state do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process;

means for receiving at the tag in the first state a third command in the first set of commands of the first type, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag to be placed in the third state in the third group of tags; and

means for receiving at the tag in the second state a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the third state in the third group of tags.

24. The tag of claim 23, further comprising

means for receiving at the tag in a third state the first set of commands of the first type to identify the tag in a third group of tags in the third state, wherein the first command in the first set of commands of the first type causes the tag in the third state to be placed in the second state in the second group of tags;

and

means for receiving at the tag in the third state the second set of commands of the second type to identify the tag in the third group of tags which are in the third state, wherein the second command in the second set of commands of the second type causes the tag to be placed in the first state in the first group of tags.