System and method for implementing virtual RFID tags

• US 20070159330A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: SkyeTek, Inc. (RFID Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chakraborty, Sayan, McKinney, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A method for implementing a virtual tag in an RFID tag reading system. In one embodiment, data is read from the memory of an RFID tag and stored in tag cache memory. Commands intended for the tag are queued in the tag cache, and the commands queued in the tag cache are executed in response to occurrence of an event. A result is provided as if the command had been applied to the tag at the time of an initial request to send commands to the tag.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a virtual tag in an RFID tag reading system comprising:

reading tag data from the memory of an RFID tag and storing the tag data in tag cache memory;

queuing commands, intended for the tag, in the tag cache; and

executing the commands, queued in the tag cache, in response to the occurrence of an event.

2. The system of claim 1, including providing a result as if the commands intended for the tag had been applied to the tag at the time of an initial request to send the commands to the tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing the commands includes sending at least some of the tag data to the tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands that are queued in the tag cache include event-triggered scripting commands.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stored in the tag cache is updated via additional tag reads.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stored in the tag cache is updated via a command script queued in the tag cache.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stored in the tag cache is updated via data sent from a separate tag cache.

8. The method of claim 1, including sending, to the tag, at least one of the commands queued in the tag cache in response to occurrence of an event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the event comprises a tag being detected moving toward a particular tag reader'"'"'s field;

and wherein the cache entry is sent in advance of arrival of the tag within the tag reader'"'"'s field.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands are flagged such that if the command is not executed against the tag within a given period of time, then the command fails.

11. The method of claim 1, including maintaining an entry in the tag cache of all the tags read by a tag reader within a given period of time, including all of the tag data and any pending tag commands;

wherein interaction with the entry takes place using information in the tag cache rather than in the tag itself.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands intended for the tag are queued in a command/script queue until an unavailable tag becomes available.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein data stored in the tag cache has a canonical format that provides a superset of the capabilities of the tags that are read.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the canonical format supports writing an off-tag data storage location to the tag, rather than writing the data itself to the tag.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the off-tag data storage location is denoted by a URL.

16. The method of claim 1, including writing an authentication code and an off-tag data storage location to the tag, wherein the off-tag data storage location is denoted by a URL.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the URL denotes a per-tag web page containing tag-associated data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag cache is used to provide a consistent interface for interacting with a plurality of said tags of differing tag type.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands queued in the tag cache include at least one command selected from the set of commands consisting of (1) a command which interacts with the actual tags to confirm tag state changes, (2) a command which locks all tag interactions to a specific reader, (3) a command which locks all tag interactions to a specific cache, and (4) a command which interacts with a tag at a minimum polling frequency.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein an encrypted copy of the tag data is stored on the tag, and a decrypted copy of the tag data is stored in the tag cache.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein a compressed copy of the tag data is stored on the tag, and a decompressed copy of the tag data is stored in the tag cache.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein nested tag data security and access control is provided by a single encryption key for the tag data, stored in the interrogator, which simulates a tag with granular access control.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag data stored in the tag cache includes data associated with the tag, but not stored thereon.

24. A method for simulating a memory area larger than that physically present on an RFID tag comprising:

generating a virtual tag comprising data read from more than one said tag and

stored in a tag cache memory;

wherein the virtual tag stores a reference to the data on the tag, the data referenced being stored elsewhere.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the reference is a URL.

26. The method of claim 24, including storing an authentication code on the tag;

wherein the reference is a URL.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the reference is an address of a file containing data for the tag.

28. A method for implementing a virtual tag in an RFID tag reading system comprising:

reading data from the memory of an RFID tag and storing the data in tag cache memory;

updating the data stored in the tag cache;

queuing commands intended for the tag, including event-triggered scripting commands, in the tag cache;

executing the commands based on an event;

providing a result as if the commands had been applied at the time of an initial request for execution thereof; and

executing the commands, queued in the tag cache, in response to occurrence of an event.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the data stored in the tag cache is updated via queued cache commands/scripts.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the data stored in the tag cache is updated via external writes to the tag cache.

31. An interrogator for simulating a plurality of RFID tags comprising:

tag cache memory including space allocated for storing tag data read from the tags;

a command/script queue in the tag cache for queuing a plurality of tag commands; and

an entry in the tag cache containing data stored in all of the tags read by the interrogator within a given period of time, and containing any pending tag commands, to facilitate interaction by another interrogator with the entry in the tag cache rather than the tags themselves;

wherein the data in the tag cache is sent to an external device in response to an event.

32. The interrogator of claim 31, including sending a single command to one of the tags that achieves the same final result as the plurality of commands stored in the command/script queue.

33. The interrogator of claim 31, wherein the tags read by the interrogator may be any one of a plurality of tag types.

34. The interrogator of claim 31, wherein the data in the tag cache is updated by a write operation from a device external to the interrogator.

35. The interrogator of claim 31, wherein an encrypted copy of the tag data is stored on one of the tags, and a decrypted copy of the tag data is stored in the tag cache.

36. The interrogator of claim 31, wherein a compressed copy of the tag data is stored on one of the tags, and a decompressed copy of the tag data is stored in the tag cache.

37. The interrogator of claim 31, including an authentication code and an off-tag data storage location stored on the tag, wherein the off-tag data storage location is denoted by a URL denoting a per-tag web page containing tag-associated data.

38. The interrogator of claim 31, wherein nested tag data security and access control is provided by a single encryption key for the tag data, stored in the interrogator, which simulates a tag with granular access control.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the tag data stored in the tag cache includes data associated with the tag, but not stored thereon.

40. A system for integrating multiple RFID tag caches comprising:

a plurality of tag caches including space allocated for storing data read from a plurality of RFID tags;

a transport-independent protocol to control data exchange between the tag caches;

a standardized format for the exchange of entries in the tag caches;

a standardized mechanism for locating a specific tag with respect to an interrogator;

a standardized mechanism for reporting the presence or absence of a tag with respect to the interrogator; and

a standardized mechanism for reporting a state change of a tag with respect to the interrogator.

41. The system of claim 40, including:

a command/script queue in the tag caches for queuing a plurality of tag commands;

a standardized format for the exchange of commands queued in the command/script queue; and

a mechanism for routing user interactions with one of the tags to an appropriate said interrogator.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the tag commands include at least one command selected from the set of commands consisting of (1) a command which interacts with the actual tags to confirm tag state changes, (2) a command which locks all tag interactions to a specific reader (3) a command which locks all tag interactions to a specific cache, and (4) a command which interacts with a tag at a minimum polling frequency.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein an interrogator-to-interrogator exchange of cache entries occurs, including the step of determining that a target tag is moving toward a second interrogator, and sending a tag cache entry to the second interrogator in advance of arrival of the target tag within the field of the second interrogator.

44. An RFID tag reading system for implementing a virtual cache comprising:

tag cache memory for storing tag data read from the memory of an RFID tag; and

a command/script queue, in the tag cache memory, for queuing commands intended for the tag;

wherein the commands, queued in the tag cache, are executed in response to occurrence of an event.

45. The system of claim 44, including means for providing a result as if the command had been applied to the tag at the time of an initial request to send at least one of the commands to the tag.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the commands that are queued in the tag cache include event-triggered scripting commands.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the data stored in the tag cache is updated via additional tag reads.

48. The system of claim 44, including the data stored in the tag cache is updated via a command script queued in the tag cache.

49. The system of claim 44, wherein the data stored in the tag cache is updated via data sent from a separate tag cache.

50. The system of claim 44, including sending, to the tag, at least one of the commands queued in the tag cache in response to occurrence of an event.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the event comprises a tag being detected moving toward a particular tag reader;

and wherein the cache entry is sent in advance of arrival of the tag within the field of the reader.

52. The system of claim 44, wherein the commands are flagged such that if the command is not executed against the tag within a given period of time, then the command fails.

53. The system of claim 44, including an entry in the tag cache of all the tags read by a tag reader within a given period of time, the entry further including all of the tag data and any pending tag commands;

wherein interaction with the entry takes place using information in the tag cache rather than in the tag itself.

54. The system of claim 44, including a command/script queue wherein the commands intended for the tag are queued until an unavailable tag becomes available.

55. The system of claim 44, wherein data stored in the tag cache has a canonical format that provides a superset of the capabilities of the tags that are read;

and

wherein the canonical format supports writing an off-tag data storage location to the tag, rather than writing the data itself to the tag.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the off-tag data storage location is denoted by a URL.

57. The system of claim 44, wherein an authentication code and an off-tag data storage location are stored on the tag, wherein the off-tag data storage location is denoted by a URL.

58. The system of claim 44, wherein the tag cache is used to provide a consistent interface for interacting with a plurality of said tags of differing tag type.

59. The system of claim 44, wherein the commands queued in the tag cache include at least one command selected from the set of commands consisting of (1) a command which interacts with the actual tags to confirm tag state changes, (2) a command which locks all tag interactions to a specific reader (3) a command which locks all tag interactions to a specific cache, and (4) a command which interacts with a tag at a minimum polling frequency.