RFID device with wide area connectivity

• US 9,197,984 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaufman, Jeffrey R., Durand, Julian, Obodovski, Daniel, Akiki, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/090,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to a radio frequency identification device (RFID) with wide-area connectivity are provided. In an example, a real-time location (RTL) monitoring device is provided. The RTL monitoring device includes a first radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID interrogator configured to interrogate the first RFID tag and a second RFID tag. A long-range wireless transceiver is coupled to the RFID interrogator, and configured to communicate RFID data. The first RFID tag, the RFID interrogator, and the long-range wireless transceiver can be collocated in an enclosure separate from the second RFID tag. The RTL monitoring device is configured to aggregate a plurality of responses from the first and second RFID tags, and to communicate the aggregated RFID data with a second device, such as a satellite, a base station, and/or an eNodeB device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an internal radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogator configured to interrogate at least one external RFID tag and to aggregate one or more responses from the at least one external RFID tag to form aggregated RFID data;

an internal RFID tag configured to send the aggregated RFID data to an external interrogator;

a sensor port configured to receive sensor data; and

a long-range wireless transceiver coupled to the sensor port and to the internal RFID interrogator and configured to;

send the aggregated RFID data and the sensor data via a network;

send an alert to the second device in response to the sensor data satisfying a threshold; and

receive write data, wherein the internal RFID tag is configured to store the write data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aggregated RFID data is aggregated in a data packet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is configured to send the aggregated RFID data via a radio access network to a core network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second device is a satellite.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second device is an eNodeB device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal RFID tag, the internal RFID interrogator, and the long-range wireless transceiver are collocated in an enclosure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a low-rate wireless personal network transceiver coupled to the long-range wireless transceiver, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is configured to communicate network data from the low-rate wireless personal network transceiver to the second device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to the long-range wireless transceiver, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is configured to communicate global positioning data from the GPS receiver to the second device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes temperature data, wherein the temperature data indicates a temperature value, and wherein the sensor data satisfies the threshold if the temperature value is equal to or greater than the threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a temperature sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic field strength sensor, an electric field strength sensor, a light sensor, a position sensor, a humidity sensor, a radiation sensor, an ionizing radiation sensor, or an accelerometer coupled to the sensor port.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal RFID interrogator is configured to modify at least one response of the one or more responses with at least one of a time stamp, a date stamp, a location stamp, or sensor data.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is configured to communicate using at least one of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) multiplexing;

a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) communication system;

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communication system;

a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) communication system;

a Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM) communication system;

an Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) communication system;

a CDMA2000 communication system;

or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a device, selected from the group consisting of a set top box, music player, video player, entertainment unit, navigation device, communications device, personal digital assistant (PDA), fixed location data unit, and a computer, into which the internal RFID interrogator and the long-range wireless transceiver are integrated.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the apparatus is integrated in a semiconductor die.

50. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal RFID interrogator is coupled to the internal RFID tag via a wire.

51. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal RFID interrogator is configured to interrogate the internal RFID tag via a wire.

52. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes temperature data.

53. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal RFID interrogator is further configured to send the write data to the at least one external RFID tag.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogator of a device, first data from a first RFID tag of a plurality of RFID tags external to the device;

receiving second data from a second RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags;

aggregating the first data and the second data into aggregated RFID data;

receiving sensor data from a sensor port of the device;

transmitting, using a long-range wireless transceiver internal to the device, the aggregated RFID data to a communication device;

transmitting, via the long-range wireless transceiver, the sensor data to the communication device;

transmitting, via the long-range wireless transceiver, an alert to the communication device in response to the sensor data satisfying a threshold;

transmitting, using an RFID tag internal to the device, the aggregated RFID data to a second RFID interrogator external to the device;

receiving write data at the long-range wireless transceiver; and

storing the write data at the RFID tag internal to the device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the aggregated RFID data is aggregated in a data packet.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is a radio access network device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is a satellite.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is an eNodeB device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is coupled to a low-rate wireless personal network transceiver, and further comprising:

receiving personal network data from the low-rate wireless personal network transceiver; and

transmitting the personal network data to the communication device with the long-range wireless transceiver.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is coupled to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and further comprising:

receiving global positioning data from the GPS receiver; and

transmitting the global positioning data to the communication device with the long-range wireless transceiver.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising associating the sensor data with the first data.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is coupled to least one of a temperature sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic field strength sensor, an electric field strength sensor, a light sensor, a position sensor, a humidity sensor, a radiation sensor, an ionizing radiation sensor, or an accelerometer to provide the sensor data via the sensor port.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising modifying at least one of the first and second data with at least one of a time stamp, a date stamp, a location stamp, or sensor data.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is configured to communicate using at least one of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) multiplexing;

a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) communication system;

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communication system;

a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) communication system;

a Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM) communication system;

an Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) communication system;

a CDMA2000 communication system;

or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving first data from a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of a plurality of external RFID tags;

means for receiving second data from a second RFID tag of the plurality of external RFID tags;

means for aggregating the first data and the second data into aggregated RFID data;

means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to an external RFID interrogator;

means for receiving sensor data from a sensor port;

means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to a communication device, for transmitting the sensor data to the communication device, and for transmitting an alert to the communication device in response to the sensor data satisfying a threshold; and

means for receiving write data, wherein the write data is stored at the means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to the external RFID interrogator.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the aggregated RFID data is aggregated in a data packet.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the communication device is a radio access network device.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the communication device is a satellite.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the communication device is an eNodeB device.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to the communication device is a long-range wireless transmitter coupled to a low-rate wireless network transceiver comprising:

means for receiving personal network data from the low-rate wireless network transceiver; and

means for transmitting the personal network data to the communication device with the long-range wireless transmitter.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to the communication device is coupled to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and is configured to:

receive global positioning data from the GPS receiver; and

transmit the global positioning data to the communication device.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for associating the sensor data with the first data.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the sensor port is coupled to at least one of a temperature sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic field strength sensor, an electric field strength sensor, a light sensor, a position sensor, a humidity sensor, a radiation sensor, an ionizing radiation sensor, or an accelerometer to provide the sensor data via the sensor port.

35. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for modifying at least one of the first or second data with at least one of a time stamp, a date stamp, a location stamp, or sensor data.

36. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to the communication device is configured to communicate using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) multiplexing.

37. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to the communication device is configured to communicate via at least one of a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) communication system;

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communication system;

a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) communication system;

a Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM) communication system;

an Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) communication system;

a CDMA2000 communication system;

or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system.

38. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a device, selected from the group consisting of a set top box, music player, video player, entertainment unit, navigation device, communications device, personal digital assistant (PDA), fixed location data unit, and a computer, into which the means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to the external RFID interrogator and the means for transmitting the aggregated RFID data to the communication device via a network are integrated.

39. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a part of the apparatus is integrated in a semiconductor die.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

controlling reception of first data from a first radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag of a plurality of external RFID tags using an internal RFID interrogator;

controlling reception of second data from a second RFID tag of the plurality of external RFID tags using the internal RFID interrogator;

controlling aggregation of the first data and the second data into aggregated RFID data;

controlling transmission of the aggregated RFID data to an external RFID interrogator using an internal RFID tag;

controlling reception of sensor data from a sensor port;

initiating transmission, to a communication device using a long-range wireless transceiver, of the aggregated RFID data, of the sensor data, and of an alert, wherein the transmission of the alert is in response to the sensor data satisfying a threshold;

controlling reception of write data using the long-range wireless transceiver; and

controlling storage of the write data at the internal RFID tag.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the aggregated RFID data is aggregated in a data packet.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the communication device is a radio access network device.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the communication device is a satellite.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the communication device is an eNodeB device.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is coupled to a low-rate wireless network transceiver, the operations further comprising:

controlling reception of network data from the low-rate wireless network transceiver; and

controlling transmission of the network data to the communication device with the long-range wireless transceiver.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is coupled to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the operations further comprising:

controlling reception of global positioning data from the GPS receiver; and

controlling transmission of the global positioning data to the communication device with the long-range wireless transceiver.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the operations further comprise controlling association of the sensor data with the first data.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the long-range wireless transceiver is coupled to at least one of a temperature sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic field strength sensor, an electric field strength sensor, a light sensor, a position sensor, a humidity sensor, a radiation sensor, an ionizing radiation sensor, or an accelerometer to provide the sensor data via the sensor port.

49. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the operations further comprise controlling modification of at least the first data or the second data with at least one of a time stamp, a date stamp, a location stamp, or sensor data.