System and method for managing RFID tags

• US 9,646,185 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Brandl, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/360,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20130194074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• 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 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

A system for managing a population of RFID tags where the system may include: an interrogator configured to transmit a select command to the population of RFID tags, and at least one modified tag in the population of RFID tags. The select command may include information specifying a memory location. The modified tag may include a memory configured with a memory address corresponding to the memory location specified by the select command, and a controller configured to perform at least one action upon the at least one modified tag receiving the select command. The at least one action may be based on the memory location specified by the select command.

Claims

1. A system for managing a population of RFID tags comprising both modified tags and unmodified tags, comprising:

an interrogator configured to transmit a select command to the population of RFID tags, wherein the select command includes information specifying a special memory location having specific bit addresses being assigned with respective meanings to specific actions; and

at least one modified tag in the population of RFID tags, wherein the at least one modified tag comprises a memory configured with a memory address corresponding to the special memory location, and a controller configured to perform at least one action upon the at least one modified tag receiving the select command with the information specifying the special memory location using the assigned meaning to the at least one action corresponding to said memory address, wherein the special memory location does not correspond to an existing memory address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the at least one modified tag to modify its backscatter strength.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the at least one modified tag to modify its reply to an ACK command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the select command further includes verification information, and the controller is configured to verify the at least one action with the verification information.

5. A modified RFID tag, comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a select command from an interrogator, wherein the select command includes information specifying a special memory location having specific bit addresses being assigned with respective meanings to specific actions;

a memory configured with a memory address corresponding to the special memory location; and

a controller configured to perform at least one action upon the reception of the select command with the information specifying the special memory location using the assigned meaning to the at least one action corresponding to said memory address, wherein the special memory location does not correspond to an existing memory address.

6. The modified RFID tag of claim 5, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the at least one modified tag to modify its backscatter strength.

7. The modified RFID tag of claim 5, wherein the at least one action performed by the controller is configuring the RFID tag to modify its reply to an ACK command.

8. The modified RFID tag of claim 6, wherein the select command further includes verification information, and the controller is configured to verify the at least one action with the verification information.

9. A method for managing a modified RFID tag, comprising:

receiving a select command from an interrogator, wherein the select command includes information specifying a special memory location having specific bit addresses being assigned with respective meanings to specific actions;

identifying a memory address of the modified RFID tag that corresponds to the special memory location; and

performing at least one action upon reception of the select command with information specifying the special memory location using the assigned meaning to at least one action corresponding to said memory address, wherein the special memory location does not correspond to an existing memory address.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

configuring the modified RFID tag to modify its backscatter strength.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

configuring the modified RFID tag to modify its reply to an ACK command.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

configuring the modified RFID tag to verify the at least one action with verification information, wherein the select command further includes the verification information.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a pre-select command from the interrogator prior to receiving the select command, wherein the pre-select command includes information instructing the modified RFID tag to receive the select command.

14. A method for managing a population of RFID tags comprising both modified tags and unmodified tags, comprising:

transmitting a select command to the population of RFID tags, wherein the select command includes information specifying a special memory location having specific bit addresses being assigned with respective meanings to specific actions;

identifying a memory address of at least one modified tag in the population of RFID tags that corresponds to the special memory location; and

performing at least one action upon reception of the select command with information specifying the special memory location using the assigned meaning to at least one action corresponding to said memory address, wherein the special memory location does not correspond to an existing memory address.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a pre-select command to the population of RFID tags prior to transmitting the select command, wherein the pre-select command includes information instructing which modified RFID tags will participate in the select command.