Using a RFID paging infrastructure

• US 9,007,212 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Amador, Erick S., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Mullins, Philip K., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US11/550,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080094215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,100 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

The “RFID Paging Infrastructure” uses RFID technology to provide a low-cost localized message paging system. When a stationary RFID transceiver detects a programmable RFID tag, the transceiver reads an identifier from the RFID tag. The RFID transceiver causes a computer to determine whether a message stored in a database is intended for the RFID tag, and responsive to a determination that a message is intended for the RFID tag, the RFID transceiver transmits the message to the RFID tag. The message is saved in a memory on the programmable RFID tag. The message in the memory on the RFID tag can be read with a hand-held display device or the RFID tag can be coupled with an integrated display device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented process for transmitting a text message for storage on a RFID tag, the computer implemented process comprising:

providing a plurality of RFID transceivers, a RFID tag database, and a plurality of RFID tags, each RFID tag having a transmitter, a memory, and a receiver, wherein the RFID tag database catalogs all known RFID tag identifiers and all text messages associated with each of the plurality of RFID tags and wherein each of the plurality of RFID tags are attached to a person or an object;

continuously polling, by each RFID transceiver, for RFID tags in range, and responsive to finding a particular RFID tag that is in a range of a particular RFID transceiver at a particular location, determining a location of the one of the person and the object to which the particular RFID tag is attached as the particular location, reading the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, querying the RFID tag database to determine whether a corresponding text message is pending for the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, and when a corresponding text message is pending for the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, sending the corresponding text message to the particular RFID tag having the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier; and

responsive to the location of the one of the person and the object having changed from a first location associated with a first RFID transceiver to the particular location associated with the particular RFID transceiver, changing a content of the corresponding text message to a different message configured for the second location.

2. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the display device is a hand-held RFID tag reader and further comprises a light emitting diode that indicates that the text message has been received and stored by the RFID tag .

3. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the display device is coupled directly with the RFID tag.

4. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is affixed to a particular piece of equipment, wherein one or more text messages are assigned and routed to the RFID tag regarding an assigned location of the particular piece of equipment.

5. The computer implemented process of claim 4 wherein the text message intended for the RFID tag relates to the status of the particular piece of equipment and a maintenance schedule of the particular piece of equipment.

6. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the text message is sent to a plurality of RFID tags, each of the plurality of RFID tags associated with an alias, the alias being a name of a location, an object description, an asset identification number, a person'"'"'s name or a phone number.

7. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the text message intended for the RFID tag is one of a personal and an official communication for-the person carrying the RFID tag, and wherein a constraint associated with the particular location is included with the text message and prevents delivery to the RFID tag when the RFID tag is in the particular location, and wherein the text message is created by a voice recognition software transcription of a telephonic voice message.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

connecting the plurality of RFID transceivers and the RFID tag database to a network;

creating a plurality of text messages by a processor of a computer connected to the network;

including one or more constraints in one or more of the plurality of text messages;

storing the plurality of text messages in the RFID tag database, each of the plurality of text messages associated with an identifier, wherein the identifier is associated with an intended recipient of a particular text message;

using the plurality of RFID transceivers, detecting, by the processor, a RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags and determining, by the processor, a location of the RFID tag;

reading, by the processor, an identifier from the RFID tag;

determining, by the processor, whether the text message is intended for the RFID tag by comparing the RFID'"'"'s tag'"'"'s identifier with one or more stored identifiers associated with text messages in the RFID tag database;

responsive to a determination that a particular text message is associated in the RFID tag database with a stored identifier that is the same as the RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, transmitting the text message associated with the stored identifier to the RFID tag;

storing the text message in a memory on the RFID tag; and

displaying the text message on the RFID tag on an alpha-numeric display device.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

changing a delivery method of the corresponding text message to a different delivery method configured for the second location.

8. An apparatus for transmitting a message, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of RFID transceivers connected to a network;

a plurality of RFID tags, each RFID tag having a storage and display, each RFID tag connected to the network;

a processor connected to the network;

a memory connected to the processor;

a database in the memory, connected to the network, comprising a table with a listing of a plurality of RFID tag identifiers, each RFID tag identifier corresponding to a particular RFID tag and a particular message intended for the particular RFID tag, wherein the database catalogs all known RFID tag identifiers and all text messages associated with each of the plurality of RFID tags, and wherein each particular RFID tag is associated with an intended recipient of each particular text message and wherein each of the plurality of RFID tags are attached to a person or an object;

a paging program in the memory operable to detect one or more of the RFID tags, read an identifier from a detected RFID tag, determine that a text message is intended for the detected RFID tag, responsive to a determination that the text message is intended for the detected RFID tag, transmit the text message to the detected RFID tag, and save the text message in a RFID tag memory on the detected RFID tag;

a display device operable to display the message stored in the RFID memory on the detected RFID tag; and

wherein each RFID transceiver continuously polls for RFID tags in range, and responsive to finding a particular RFID tag that is in a range of a particular RFID transceiver, determines a location of the one of the person and the object to which the particular RFID tag is attached, reading the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, queries the database to determine whether a corresponding text message is pending for the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, and when a corresponding text message is pending for the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, sending the corresponding text message to the particular RFID tag having the particular RFID tag'"'"'s identifier; and

wherein, responsive to the location of the one of the person and the object having changed from a first location associated with a first RFID transceiver to a second location associated with the particular RFID transceiver, changing a content of the corresponding text message to a different message configured for the second location.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the display device is a hand-held RFID tag reader and further comprises a light emitting diode that indicates that the text message has been received and stored by the by the RFID tag.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the display device is coupled directly with the RFID tag.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the RFID tag is affixed to a particular piece of equipment, wherein one or more text messages are assigned and routed to the RFID tag regarding an assigned location of the particular piece of equipment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the text message intended for the RFID tag relates to the status of the particular piece of equipment and a maintenance schedule of the particular piece of equipment.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the message is sent to an RFID tag based on an alias associated with the RFID tag, the alias being a name of a location, an object description, an asset identification number, a person'"'"'s name or a phone number.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the text message intended for the RFID tag is one of a personal and an official communication for the person carrying the RFID tag and wherein a constraint associated with the particular location and with the text message prevents delivery to the RFID tag when the RFID tag is in the particular location, and wherein the text message is created by a voice recognition software transcription of a telephonic voice message.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the paging program is further operable to determine the location of the RFID tag and transmit the text message based on the location of the RFID tag.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the RFID tag is carried by a medical patient.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the text message intended for the RFID tag contains medical records for the medical patient carrying the RFID tag.

18. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the RFID tag is affixed to one or more of the following at a medical facility:

a room, a bed, a hallway, a medical monitor a door, a nurse station telephone, and a computer terminal at a medical facility.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the text message intended for the RFID tag contains information related to the contents and occupants of the room.

20. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the paging program is further operable to identify a critically important text message in the database intended for a first RFID tag, search for the intended first RFID tag and responsive to not locating the first RFID tag, transmitting the text message to a second RFID tag.

23. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

wherein the plurality of RFID transceivers and the RFID tag database are connected to a network;

wherein a plurality of text messages are created by a processor of a computer connected to the network;

wherein one or more constraints are included in one or more of the plurality of text messages;

wherein the plurality of text messages are stored in the RFID tag database, each of the plurality of text messages associated with an identifier, wherein the identifier is associated with an intended recipient of a particular text message;

wherein using the plurality of RFID transceivers, a RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags is detected;

wherein a location of the RFID tag is determined;

wherein an identifier is read from the RFID tag;

wherein whether the text message is intended for the RFID tag is determined by comparing the RFID'"'"'s tag'"'"'s identifier with one or more stored identifiers associated with text messages in the RFID tag database;

wherein responsive to a determination that a particular text message is associated in the RFID tag database with a stored identifier that is the same as the RFID tag'"'"'s identifier, the text message associated with the stored identifier to the RFID tag is transmitted;

wherein the text message is stored in a memory on the RFID tag; and

wherein the text message on the RFID tag is displayed on an alpha-numeric display device.

24. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

wherein a delivery method of the corresponding text message is changed to a different delivery method configured for the second location.