External access to memory on an RFID tag

• US 9,117,128 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Mats, Leonid, Puleston, David, Butler, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US14/599,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20150130593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 221 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• 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 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field
• 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 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• 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 an RFID tag comprising a radio frequency (RF) network node and a communication facility, the RF network node comprising a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag, wherein an external computing device accesses the memory store through a communications bus.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a plurality of radio frequency (RF) network nodes mounted on a single RFID substrate and a communication facility, wherein each of the plurality of RF network nodes is interconnected into a network topology with a first communications bus, at least one of the plurality of RF network nodes comprising a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag, wherein the memory store is accessible to an external computing device through a second communications bus, and wherein the external computing device powers the RFID tag through a power interface between the external computing device and the RFID tag when the external computing device accesses the memory store.

2. The system of claim 1, the RF network node further comprising an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal from an RFID interrogator, where data is exchanged between the RFID interrogator and the RFID tag.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the RFID tag having a plurality of RF network nodes each including an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of RF network nodes is a master RF network node.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communications bus is a serial communications bus.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising intermediate electronics through which the communications facility communicates with the external computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of RF network nodes and the communication facility are integrated onto a single IC chip.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the external computing device is a sensor facility.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the external computing device is a display facility.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is embedded in the external computing device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the external computing device is at least one of a smart phone, a laptop, and a desktop computer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the external computing device is a bus master on the second communications bus.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the external computing device, as the bus master, initiates data transfers with the RFID tag.

14. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a plurality of radio frequency (RF) network nodes mounted on a single RFID substrate and a communication facility, wherein each of the plurality of RF network nodes is interconnected into a network topology with a first communications bus, at least one of the plurality of RF network nodes comprising a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal from an RFID interrogator, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag, wherein the memory store is accessible to an external computing device through a second communications bus between the external computing device and the RFID tag while the RFID interrogator provides power to the RFID tag.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the RFID tag is embedded in the external computing device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the external computing device is at least one of a smart phone, a laptop, and a desktop computer.

17. A method, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a plurality of radio frequency (RF) network nodes mounted on a single RFID substrate and a communication facility, wherein each of the plurality of RF network nodes is interconnected into a network topology with a first communications bus, at least one of the plurality of RF network nodes comprising a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag, wherein an external computing device accesses the memory store through a second communications bus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the external computing device powers the RFID tag through a power interface between the external computing device and the RFID tag when the external computing device accesses the memory store.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the RFID interrogator provides power to the RFID tag, and the RFID tag in turn provides power to the external computing device through a power interface between the external computing device and the RFID tag.