Commercial product activation and monitoring using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology
First Claim
1. A method for activating an object upon a transfer of the object, comprising the steps of:
- i. providing an object in a deactivated state, said object having an RFID-based communication system operatively connected thereto, said RFID-based system comprising an antenna operatively connected to an RFID chip having a memory;
ii. providing an RFID interrogator configured to communicate with said RFID-based communication system;
iii. accepting a payment for a purchase or lease of said deactivated object; and
iv. communicating between said RFID-based communication system operatively connected to said deactivated object and said RFID interrogator to provide at least one bit of digital data to said deactivated object whereby said deactivated object is made ready for normal use.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provide retailers, distributors, purchasers, end-users and others in a commercial product'"'"'s distribution chain with systems and methods for product activation at a specific point in the distribution chain (such as at the point of retail sale), for product validation and/or product maintenance (for example when the product is brought in for service or maintenance) and for product authentication (for example upon resale of the product). These capabilities, when added to the basic capability of an RFID-based system to provide an identity and a location for a tag attached to an object, endow commercial products with functionalities such as theft deterrence, product tracking and inventory management, inventory control and perimeter security, product maintenance and recordkeeping of service, and for high-end commercial products, a method of easily identifying a genuine item from a counterfeit.
103 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for activating an object upon a transfer of the object, comprising the steps of:
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i. providing an object in a deactivated state, said object having an RFID-based communication system operatively connected thereto, said RFID-based system comprising an antenna operatively connected to an RFID chip having a memory;
ii. providing an RFID interrogator configured to communicate with said RFID-based communication system;
iii. accepting a payment for a purchase or lease of said deactivated object; and
iv. communicating between said RFID-based communication system operatively connected to said deactivated object and said RFID interrogator to provide at least one bit of digital data to said deactivated object whereby said deactivated object is made ready for normal use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for authenticating an object, comprising the steps of:
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i. providing an object having an RFID-based communication system operatively connected thereto, said RFID-based system comprising an antenna operatively connected to an RFID chip having a memory;
ii. providing an RFID interrogator configured to communicate with said RFID-based communication system;
iii. providing a database of information containing at least one datum unique to each object represented in said database, said database and said RFID interrogator in operative communication;
iv. communicating between said RFID-based communication system operatively connected to said object and said RFID interrogator to retrieve from said object at least one bit of digital data;
v. comparing said at least one datum unique to said object represented in said database with said at least one bit of digital data retrieved from said RFID-based communication system to determine whether said object is authentic; and
vi. providing an indication as to whether said object is authentic or is not authentic. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for activating a deactivated object upon completion of a transaction relating to the object, comprising:
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i. an object in an initial deactivated state, said object having an RFID-based communication system operatively connected thereto, said RFID-based system comprising an antenna operatively connected to an RFID chip having a memory;
ii. an RFID interrogator configured to communicate with said RFID-based communication system; and
iii. a transaction station configured to accept a payment for completion of a transaction relating to said initially deactivated object;
whereby, upon the acceptance of the payment for completion of the transaction, a communication between said RFID-based communication system operatively connected to said deactivated object and said RFID interrogator provides at least one bit of digital data to said deactivated object whereby said deactivated object is made ready for normal use. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for authenticating an object, comprising
i. an object to be authenticated, said object having an RFID-based communication system operatively connected thereto, said RFID-based system comprising an antenna operatively connected to an RFID chip having a memory; -
ii. an RFID interrogator configured to communicate with said RFID-based communication system;
iii. a database of information containing at least one datum unique to each object represented in said database, said database and said RFID interrogator in operative communication;
whereby a) communicating between said RFID-based communication system operatively connected to said object to be authenticated and said RFID interrogator to retrieve from said object to be authenticated at least one bit of digital data, and b) comparing said at least one datum unique to said object represented in said database with said at least one bit of digital data retrieved from said RFID-based communication system provides an indication as to whether said object is authentic or is not authentic. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification