RFID tags with port-dependent functionality

• US 10,650,201 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2019
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael, Oliver, Ronald A., Diorio, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US16/270,619
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• 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 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/095 User access; PIN code

Abstract

An Integrated Circuit (IC) for an RFID tag includes at least two antenna ports for coupling to at least two antennas. The IC may be configured to determine the port from which it receives an input signal, and provide a first functionality if it receives the input from a first port and a second functionality if it receives the input from a second port. The IC may be configured to determine and/or offer a functionality based on the receiving port.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a first antenna port configured to be coupled to a long-range antenna;

a second antenna port configured to be coupled to a short-range antenna, wherein the first antenna port is electrically isolated from the second antenna port such that the antenna ports do not share a reference potential; and

a processing block configured to;

receive an input from the first antenna port and the second antenna port concurrently, wherein the input includes a request having an allowable range of either a short range or a long range;

determine, based on RF powers measured at the first and second antenna ports, a signal range of the input by;

comparing a first RF power measured at the first antenna port to a second RF power measured at the second antenna port;

if the first RF power is greater than the second RF power, then determine that the input is a long-range signal; and

if the first RF power is less than the second RF power, then determine that the input is a short-range signal; and

if the determined signal range matches the allowable range, then grant the request else deny the request.

2. The IC of claim 1, wherein the first antenna port is configured to be coupled to a far-field antenna and the second antenna port is configured to be coupled to a near-field antenna.

3. The IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is further configured to:

determine that the input is the long-range signal if the first RF power is greater than the second RF power and a difference between the first and second RF powers is greater than a first threshold; and

determine that the input is the short-range signal if the first RF power is less than the second RF power and a difference between the first and second RF powers is greater than a second threshold.

4. The IC of claim 1, wherein the request is a request to access at least one of:

a portion of IC memory;

a sensor;

an external power source;

an external power sink;

an external data connection to a processing block of an item associated with the IC;

a portion of a memory of the item; and

a functionality of the item.

5. The IC of claim 1, wherein the processing block is configured to deny the request by not sending a response to the request.

6. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a first antenna port configured to be coupled to a first antenna;

a second antenna port configured to be coupled to a second antenna functionally distinct from the first antenna, wherein the first antenna port is electrically isolated from the second antenna port such that the antenna ports do not share a reference potential; and

a processing block configured to;

receive an input from the first antenna port and the second antenna port concurrently;

determine, based on RF powers measured at the first and second antenna ports, whether the input is a short-range signal or a long-range signal by;

comparing a first RF power measured at the first antenna port to a second RF power measured at the second antenna port;

if the first RF power is greater than the RF second power, then determine that the input is the long-range signal; and

if the first RF power is less than the second RF power, then determine that the input is the short-range signal;

if the input is the short-range signal, then operate with a first IC functionality; and

if the input is the long-range signal, then operate with a second IC functionality different from the first IC functionality.

7. The IC of claim 6, wherein the first antenna is configured to couple with short-range signals and the second antenna is configured to couple with long-range signals.

8. The IC of claim 6, wherein the processing block is configured to determine whether the input is a short-range signal or a long-range signal by:

comparing a first power received at the first antenna port with a second power received at the second antenna port;

determining a difference between the first power and the second power; and

comparing at least one of the first power, the second power, and the difference to a threshold.

9. The IC of claim 6, wherein the first IC functionality includes at least one of:

using a first frequency for communicating with a reader;

using a first protocol for communicating with the reader;

using a first security suite;

performing an authentication;

using a first password;

using a first cryptographic key;

using a first random number generator;

enabling at least one of the antenna ports;

disabling at least one of the antenna ports;

providing a first random number to the reader;

providing one of a first code and a second code to the reader;

determining whether to reply to the reader; and

determining which of the antenna ports to use for replying to the reader.

10. The IC of claim 9, wherein the second IC functionality includes at least one of:

using a second frequency different from the first for communicating with a reader;

using a second protocol different from the first for communicating with the reader;

using a second security suite different from the first;

using a second password different from the first;

using a second cryptographic key different from the first; and

using a second random number generator different from the first.

11. The IC of claim 6, wherein the second IC functionality includes at least one of ignoring and not sending a response to the long-range signal.

12. The IC of claim 6, wherein the processing block is further configured to modify access, based on the input, to at least one of:

a portion of memory of the IC;

at least one of the antenna ports;

a sensor;

an external power source;

an external power sink;

an external data connection to a processing block of an item associated with the IC;

a portion of memory of the item; and

a functionality of the item.

13. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) having a first antenna port and a second antenna port, wherein the first antenna port is configured to be coupled to a first antenna, the second antenna port is configured to be coupled to a second antenna functionally distinct from the first antenna, and the first antenna port is electrically isolated from the second antenna port such that the antenna ports do not share a reference potential, the method comprising:

receiving an input from the first antenna port and the second antenna port concurrently;

determine determining, based on RF powers measured at the first and second antenna ports, whether the input is a long-range signal or a short-range signal by;

comparing a first RF power measured at the first antenna port to a second RF power measured at the second antenna port;

if the first RF power is greater than the RF second power, then determine that the input is the long-range signal; and

if the first RF power is less than the second RF power, then determine that the input is the short-range signal;

if the input is the long-range signal, then operate with a first IC functionality; and

if the input is the short-range signal, then operate with a second IC functionality different from the first IC functionality.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first antenna is configured to couple with short-range signals and the second antenna is configured to couple with long-range signals.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the input is a short-range signal or a long-range signal comprises:

comparing a first power received at the first antenna port with a second power received at the second antenna port;

determining a difference between the first power and the second power; and

comparing at least one of the first power, the second power, and the difference to a threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first IC functionality includes at least one of:

using a first frequency for communicating with a reader;

using a first protocol for communicating with the reader;

using a first security suite;

performing an authentication;

using a first password;

using a first cryptographic key;

using a first random number generator;

enabling at least one of the antenna ports;

disabling at least one of the antenna ports;

providing a first random number to the reader;

providing one of a first code and a second code to the reader;

determining whether to reply to the reader; and

determining which of the antenna ports to use for replying to the reader.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second IC functionality includes at least one of:

using a second frequency different from the first for communicating with a reader;

using a second protocol different from the first for communicating with the reader;

using a second security suite different from the first;

using a second password different from the first;

using a second cryptographic key different from the first; and

using a second random number generator different from the first.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the second IC functionality includes at least one of ignoring and not sending a response to the long-range signal.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising modifying access, based on the input, to at least one of:

a portion of memory of the IC;

at least one of the antenna ports;

a sensor;

an external power source;

an external power sink;

an external data connection to a processing block of an item associated with the IC;

a portion of memory of the item; and

a functionality of the item.