Information RFID tagging facilities

• US 9,542,577 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Butler, Timothy P., Mats, Leonid, Puleston, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US14/870,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/380, 235/375, 235/487
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers
• 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: 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: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a system of information RFID tagging facilities comprising a first radio frequency (RF) tag, a second RF tag, and a third RF tag, wherein the first RF tag, the second RF tag, and the third RF tag are adapted to at least in part operate using energy received from an RF signal, wherein: (i) at least one of the first RF tag and the second RF tag receives an RF signal from an RF device, (ii) the first RF tag transmits data to the second RF tag, and (iii) the second RF tag stores the transmitted data from the first RF tag in a memory on the second RF tag, wherein the third RF tag is out of range of the RF signal from the RF device, and the data transferred from the first RF tag to the second RF tag is subsequently relayed from the second RF tag to the third RF tag.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) tag;

a second RF tag, wherein the first RF tag and the second RF tag are adapted to at least in part operate using energy received from an RF signal,

wherein;

(i) at least one of the first RF tag and the second RF tag receives an RF signal from an RF device,

(ii) the first RF tag transmits data to the second RF tag, and

(iii) the second RF tag stores the transmitted data from the first RF tag in a memory on the second RF tag, and

a third RF tag adapted to operate at least in part using energy received from an RF signal, wherein the third RF tag is out of range of the RF signal from the RF device, and the data transferred from the first RF tag to the second RF tag is subsequently relayed from the second RF tag to the third RF tag.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the third RF tag operates using energy received from an RF signal from the second RF tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF device is a fourth RF tag that is powered by an external energy source.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the external energy source is a battery.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the external energy source is solar energy.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein second RF tag is out of range of the RF signal from the RF device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second RF tag operates at least in part from energy received from the first RFID tag.

8. A system, comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) tag and a second RF tag, wherein the first RF tag and the second RF tag are adapted to at least in part operate using energy received from an RF signal,

wherein;

(i) at least one of the first RF tag and the second RF tag receives an RF signal from an RF device,

(ii) the first RF tag transmits data to the second RF tag, and

(iii) the second RF tag stores the transmitted data from the first RF tag in a memory on the second RF tag; and

a third RF tag adapted to operate using energy received from an RF signal, wherein the first RF tag, the second RF tag, and the third RF tag are adapted to exchange data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the exchange of data is through a network protocol.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the exchange of data is only data transferred between the first RF tag, the second RF tag, and the third RF tag.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the exchange of data comprises transfer of data between the RF device and at least one of the first RF tag, the second RF tag, and the third RF tag.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the RF device is a fourth RF tag that is powered by an external energy source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the external energy source is a battery.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the external energy source is solar energy.