RFID readers with run commands

• US 8,830,065 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Stanford, Theron, Diorio, Christopher J., Heinrich, Harley
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US13/164,632
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• 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 7/10118 the sensing being preceded by at least one preliminary step
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers may transmit one or more run commands specifying one or more programs for tag execution prior to tag singulation. A run command may encapsulate the program(s), in which case a tag may store or store and execute the program(s). A run command may alternatively specify programs stored on a tag. The reader may instruct a tag to execute the program(s) upon receipt, upon a trigger event, serially or in parallel, and/or may cause the tag to modify the program(s) by adjusting parameters. The reader may instruct tags to execute the program(s) via the run command or another command, which may be sent prior to tag singulation. A reader may cause a tag to determine whether to participate in a subsequent inventory round, modify a behavior during a subsequent inventory round, or store a result in a tag memory, based on the executed program(s).

Claims

1. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, comprising:

transmitting a run command to a plurality of RFID tags prior to transmitting a singulating command to a tag in the plurality of tags, the run command including a program comprising multiple instructions;

causing the tag to execute the program in response to a trigger event; and

causing the tag to, based on a result of the executed program, at least one of;

determine whether to participate in a subsequent inventory round;

modify a behavior during a subsequent inventory round; and

store the result in a tag memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the run command specifies a plurality of programs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a selection command to the tag;

and wherein causing the tag to determine whether to participate in a subsequent inventory round is further based on a comparison of at least a field of the selection command to the stored result.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the tag to store the program in the tag memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event is selected from:

the tag receiving the run command;

the tag receiving a subsequent command;

a tag power condition;

a tag timer expiration; and

a tag sensor input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the run command specifies a parameter related to the execution of the program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the parameter specifies an order in which to execute the program relative to the execution of another program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the run command is a Select command of the Gen2 Specification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the singulating command is a Query/Query-like command.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is at least one of:

encrypted;

electronically signed;

combined with a message count; and

combined with a message authentication code.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent inventory rounds occur in response to the singulating command.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the tag to set a flag value in response to executing the program; and

the singulating command specifying a population of tags to participate in the subsequent inventory round based on the flag value.

13. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, comprising:

a processing block configured to;

transmit a run command to a plurality of RFID tags prior to transmitting a singulating command to a tag in the plurality of tags, the run command including a program comprising multiple instructions;

cause the tag to execute the program in response to a trigger event; and

cause the tag to, based on a result of the executed program, at least one of;

determine whether to participate in a subsequent inventory round;

modify a behavior during a subsequent inventory round; and

store the result in a tag memory.

14. The reader of claim 13, wherein the processing block is further configured to transmit a selection command to the tag.

15. The reader of claim 14, wherein causing the tag to determine whether to participate in the subsequent inventory round is further based on a comparison of at least a field of the selection command to the stored result.

16. The reader of claim 13, wherein the run command specifies a plurality of programs.

17. The reader of claim 13, wherein the trigger event is selected from:

the tag receiving the run command;

the tag receiving a subsequent command;

a tag power condition;

a tag timer expiration; and

a tag sensor input.

18. The reader of claim 13, wherein the run command specifies a parameter related to the execution of the program, and the parameter specifies an order in which to execute the program relative to the execution of another program.

19. The reader of claim 13, wherein the run command is a Select command of the Gen2 Specification and the singulating command is a Query/Query-like command.

20. The reader of claim 13, wherein the program is at least one of:

encrypted;

electronically signed;

combined with a message count; and

combined with a message authentication code.

21. The reader of claim 13, wherein the subsequent inventory rounds occur in response to the singulating command.