External access to memory on an RFID tag

• US 9,471,821 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• 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:
  US15/135,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20160239696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 179 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 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:

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 the memory store is accessible to an external computing device through a communications bus, and wherein the RFID tag receives power from the external computing device through a power interface on the RFID tag when the memory store is accessed by the external computing device.

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, wherein the communications bus is a serial communications bus.

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

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

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

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor facility is a temperature sensor facility.

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

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

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

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

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the external computing device, as the bus master, initiates data transfers with the RFID tag.

13. A method, comprising:

providing 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 the memory store is accessed by an external computing device through a communications bus, wherein the RFID tag receives power from the external computing device through a power interface on the RFID tag when the memory store is accessed by the external computing device.

14. A system, comprising:

a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the RFID tag comprising an RFID controller facility, an antenna adapted for RF communications with an RFID interrogator, and a communication facility adapted for communication with an external computing device through a communications bus, wherein the RFID controller facility, antenna, and the communications facility are mounted on a single substrate, wherein the RFID controller facility comprises a memory store that is accessible to an external computing device through a communications bus connected to the communications facility, and wherein the RFID tag receives power from the external computing device through a power interface on the RFID tag when the memory store is accessed by the external computing device.

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. The system of claim 14, wherein the external computing device is a sensor device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sensor device is a temperature sensor device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the RFID controller facility further comprises a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, RF analog circuitry for interfacing with the antenna, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the external computing device provides power to the RFID tag through the power interface when no power is being provided to the RFID tag from an RFID interrogator.

21. A system, comprising:

a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the RFID tag comprising an RFID controller facility and an antenna, wherein the antenna is adapted for RF communications with an RFID interrogator, and the RFID controller facility comprises a communication facility adapted for communication with an external computing device through a communications bus, wherein the RFID controller facility and antenna are mounted on a single substrate, wherein the RFID controller facility further comprises a memory store that is accessible to an external computing device through a communications bus connected to the communications facility, and wherein the RFID tag receives power from the external computing device through a power interface on the RFID tag when the memory store is accessed by the external comuting device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the RFID tag is embedded in the external computing device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the external computing device is at least one of a smart phone, a laptop, and a desktop computer.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the external computing device is a sensor device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the sensor device is a temperature sensor device.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the RFID controller facility further comprises a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, RF analog circuitry for interfacing with the antenna, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the external computing device provides power to the RFID tag through the power interface when no power is being provided to the RFID tag from an RFID interrogator.