Methods and systems of a radio frequency network node RFID tag with hardened memory system

• US 8,941,470 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Beckhardt, Steve, Hamlin, Robert W., Moore, Larry, Puleston, David, Butler, Timothy P., Berrios, Javier, Mats, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US14/272,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• Field of Search: 365/145
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0722 comprising an arrangement for testing the record carrier
• 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 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• 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 7/10198 setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a Radio Frequency identification (RFID) tag that includes an OTP-based hardened memory system for the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a memory, the memory comprising a plurality of one time programmable (OTP) non-volatile memory locations configured to emulate at least one multiple time programmable (MTP) memory location for storing data, wherein the plurality of OTP non-volatile memory locations resist effects of environmental changes to the RFID tag, enabling the emulated at least one MTP memory location to emulate a hardened memory;

receiving, at the RFID tag, an interrogation signal from an RFID interrogator comprising a command to store data to the RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag stores the data to a first OTP non-volatile memory location and a second OTP non-volatile memory location where the data stored to the second OTP non-volatile memory location is redundant with the data stored to the first OTP non-volatile memory location;

receiving, at the RFID tag, an interrogation signal from the RFID interrogator comprising a command to read the data from the RFID tag;

running a memory test to determine if the first OTP non-volatile memory location has been damaged; and

reading and transmitting the data from the second OTP non-volatile memory location if the first OTP non-volatile memory location is damaged.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is an increase in mechanical vibration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is a change in temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is a change in humidity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is an increase ionizing radiation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the environmental change is mechanical shock.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations are operable through exposure to the environmental changes to the RFID tag.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations comprise at least one of fuse and anti-fuse OTP memory.

9. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a memory, the memory comprising a plurality of one time programmable (OTP) non-volatile memory locations configured to emulate at least one multiple time programmable (MTP) memory location for storing data, wherein the plurality of OTP non-volatile memory locations resist effects of environmental changes to the RFID tag, enabling the emulated at least one MTP memory location to emulate a hardened memory.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of environmental changes is an increase in mechanical vibration.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of environmental changes is a change in temperature.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of environmental changes is a change in humidity.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of environmental changes is an increase ionizing radiation.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of environmental changes is mechanical shock.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein upon receiving an interrogation signal from an RFID interrogator runs a startup memory test to determine if any of the OTP non-volatile memory locations have been damaged due to an environmental change.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein if damage to any of the OTP non-volatile memory locations is determined, the damaged OTP non-volatile memory locations are marked to not receive data.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein if damage to any of the OTP non-volatile memory locations is determined, and if data had previously been written to the damaged location, the RFID tag accesses the data in a redundant memory location that was redundantly written to when the data was previously written to the RFID tag.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations are operable through exposure to the environmental changes to the RFID tag.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations comprise at least one of fuse and anti-fuse OTP memory.

20. A method, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the passive RFID tag comprising a plurality of RF network nodes mounted on a single RFID substrate, wherein each of the plurality of RF network nodes is interconnected into a network topology with a communication bus, at least one of the plurality of RF network nodes comprising a memory, the memory comprising a plurality of one time programmable (OTP) non-volatile memory locations configured to emulate at least one multiple time programmable (MTP) memory location for storing data, wherein the plurality of OTP non-volatile memory locations resist effects of environmental changes to the RFID tag, enabling the emulated at least one MTP memory location to emulate a hardened memory;

receiving, at the RFID tag, an interrogation signal from an RFID interrogator comprising a command to store data to the RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag stores the data to a first OTP non-volatile memory location and a second OTP non-volatile memory location where the data stored to the second OTP non-volatile memory location is redundant with the data stored to the first OTP non-volatile memory location;

receiving, at the RFID tag, an interrogation signal from the RFID interrogator comprising a command to read the data from the RFID tag;

running a memory test to determine if the first OTP non-volatile memory location has been damaged; and

reading and transmitting the data from the second OTP non-volatile memory location if the first OTP non-volatile memory location is damaged.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is an increase in mechanical vibration.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is a change in temperature.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is a change in humidity.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is an increase ionizing radiation.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is mechanical shock.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one of the plurality of RF network nodes comprises each of the plurality of RF network nodes, wherein said each of the plurality of RF network nodes comprise an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID reader signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, at least one memory location, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RF network node.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations are operable through exposure to the environmental changes to the RFID tag.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations comprise at least one of fuse and anti-fuse OTP memory.

29. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the passive RFID tag comprising a plurality of RF network nodes mounted on a single RFID substrate, wherein each of the plurality of RF network nodes is interconnected into a network topology with a communication bus, at least one of the plurality of RF network nodes comprising a memory, the memory comprising a plurality of one time programmable (OTP) non-volatile memory locations configured to emulate at least one multiple time programmable (MTP) memory location for storing data, wherein the plurality of OTP non-volatile memory locations resist effects of environmental changes to the RFID tag, enabling the emulated at least one MTP memory location to emulate a hardened memory.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is an increase in mechanical vibration.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is a change in temperature.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is a change in humidity.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is an increase ionizing radiation.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the environmental changes is mechanical shock.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein upon receiving an interrogation signal from an RFID interrogator runs a startup memory test to determine if any of the OTP non-volatile memory locations have been damaged due to an environmental change.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein if damage to any of the OTP non-volatile memory locations is determined, the damaged OTP non-volatile memory locations are marked to not receive data.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein if damage to any of the OTP non-volatile memory locations is determined, and if data had previously been written to the damaged location, the RFID tag accesses the data in a redundant memory location that was redundantly written to when the data was previously written to the RFID tag.

38. The system as in any one of claims 29-34, wherein said at least one of the plurality of RF network nodes comprises each of the plurality of RF network nodes, wherein said each of the plurality of RF network nodes comprise an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID reader signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, at least one memory location, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RF network node.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations are operable through exposure to the environmental changes to the RFID tag.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the OTP non-volatile memory locations comprise at least one of fuse and anti-fuse OTP memory.