RFID tag facility with access to a sensor

• US 9,424,447 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Puleston, David, Hamlin, Robert W., Benoit, Steven, Mats, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US14/223,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3225 of memory devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• 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 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• 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 a stand-alone RFID sensor apparatus comprising a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to read sensor information from a sensor, the passive RFID tag comprising an RF network node and a communication facility, the RF network node comprising (i) an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal, (ii) a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, (iii) a memory store, and (iv) a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID sensor apparatus, and the communications facility linking the sensor and the passive RFID tag, wherein the data processing and controller block manages communication of the sensor information through the communications facility.

Claims

1. A stand-alone RFID sensor apparatus, comprising:

a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to read sensor information from a sensor, the passive RFID tag comprising an RF network node and a communication facility mounted on a common substrate and operable thereon, the RF network node comprising (i) an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal, (ii) a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, (iii) a memory store, and (iv) a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID sensor apparatus, and a communication bus linking the sensor and the passive RFID tag, wherein the data processing and controller block in conjunction with the communication facility controls communication of the sensor information through the communication bus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the passive 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.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of RF network nodes is a master RF network node.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power management block of the master RF network node manages the power requirements of the RFID sensor apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication bus is a serial communication bus.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the serial communication bus is an I.sup.2C serial communication bus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising intermediate electronics through which the communication facility communicates with the sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the intermediate electronics include at least one of a multiplexer and de-multiplexer through which the intermediate electronics interface with the sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the communication facility interfacing with a display.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display is an electronic paper display.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display at least in part displays data related to data collected from the sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive RFID tag and the sensor are mounted on a single substrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF network node and the communication facility are integrated onto a single IC chip.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an acceleration sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the senor is at least one of a gas level sensor, smoke sensor, and heat sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the RFID tag configured to act as a bus master on the communication bus to transmit data with the sensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a bus master on the communications bus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sensor, as the bus master, initiates data transfers with the RFID tag.

21. A method, comprising:

providing a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to read sensor information from a sensor, the passive RFID tag comprising an RF network node and a communication facility mounted on a common substrate and operable thereon, the RF network node comprising (i) an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID interrogation signal, (ii) a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, (iii) a memory store, and (iv) a power management block for managing power requirements of the passive RFID tag, a communication bus linking the sensor and the passive RFID tag; and

controlling sensor information through the communication bus with the data processing and controller block in conjunction with the communication facility.