Apparatus and method pertaining to switching RFID transceiver read states

• US 9,773,134 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Nicholaus A., Wilkinson, Bruce W., Rasel, Abu
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Vernal
• Application Number:
  US13/871,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 340 1034, 340 105
• 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

An apparatus (such as but not limited to an RFID tag) includes an RFID transceiver that is configured to automatically switch from a readable state to a quiescent read state upon being read and to remain in the quiescent read state at least while provisioned with reader-based power. The apparatus further includes a read-state changer disposed locally with respect to the RFID transceiver and configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state notwithstanding current availability of the reader-based power.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver configured to automatically switch from a readable state to a quiescent read state upon being read and to remain in the quiescent read state while provisioned with reader-based power but to automatically revert from the quiescent read state to the readable state upon losing reader-based power for at least a particular length of time and then being re-powered with reader-based power;

a read-state changer disposed locally with respect to the RFID transceiver and configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state notwithstanding current availability of the reader-based power, the read-state changer including;

a control circuit configured to switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state; and

a user interface that operably couples to the control circuit, such that the control circuit responds to a user assertion of the user interface by switching the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises an RFID tag.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the RFID transceiver is configured to be read by a reader that uses either of session 2 and session 3 per a standard denoted as EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 1.0.9 (“

the standard”

).

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the read-state changer comprises a portion of the RFID transceiver that is configured to operate as at least one of session 0 and session 1 per the standard as regards persisting the quiescent read state even when the RFID transceiver is read using either of session 2 and session 3 per the standard.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the read-state changer comprises, at least in part, a switch to disconnect rectified power generated from the reader-based power provisioned by the RFID transceiver sufficient to cause the RFID transceiver to assume the readable state upon again be re-powered.

6. A method comprising:

providing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver configured to automatically switch from a readable state to a quiescent read state upon being read and to remain in the quiescent read state while provisioned with reader-based power but to automatically revert from the quiescent read state to the readable state upon losing reader-based power for at least a particular length of time and then being re-powered with reader-based power;

using a control circuit that is local to the RFID transceiver to locally switch the RFID transceiver from the quiescent read state to the readable state upon detecting a user assertion of a user interface that is also local to the RFID transceiver and that operably couples to the control circuit, notwithstanding current availability of the reader-based power.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the RFID transceiver is configured to be read by a reader that uses either of session 2 and session 3 per a standard denoted as EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 11.0.9 (“

the standard”

).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein locally switching the RFID transceiver comprises operating the RFID transceiver as at least one of session 0 and session 1 per the standard as regards persisting the quiescent read state even when the RFID transceiver is read using either of session 2 and session 3 per the standard.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein locally switching the RFID transceiver comprises, at least in part, using a switch to disconnect rectified power generated from the reader-based power provisioned by the RFID transceiver sufficient to cause the RFID transceiver to assume the readable state upon again be re-powered.