System and method for saving battery power prior to deploying an asset tag

• US 20070159331A1
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Zegelin, Chris
• Application Number:
  US11/324,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159331A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0705 the battery being connected to a power saving arrangement
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for locating assets within an area, each asset having a wireless circuit configured for low power consumption, the method comprising. The method including the steps of providing power to an RFID tag portion of the wireless circuit, and supplying power to a high power portion of the wireless circuit after a triggering event, for example: the purchase of the asset. The high power portion of the wireless circuit is prevented from accessing power from the battery prior to the triggering event.

Claims

1. A method for locating assets within an area, each asset having a wireless circuit configured for low power consumption, the method comprising:

providing power to an RFID tag portion of the wireless circuit; and

supplying power to a high power portion of the wireless circuit after a triggering event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is the purchase of the asset.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the high power portion of the wireless circuit is prevented from accessing power prior to the triggering event.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless circuit is provided with power from at least one of a battery and a rechargeable battery.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a reed switch is configured to selectively disable the high power portion of the wireless circuit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reed switch is a hall effect sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless circuit is incorporated into one of a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit and a programmable logic device.

8. A system for locating an asset within an area, the system comprising:

wireless circuit configured for low power consumption, the wireless circuit including a powered RFID tag portion and a high power portion, wherein the high power portion is provided with power after a triggering event.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the triggering event is the purchase of the asset.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the high power portion of the wireless circuit is prevented from accessing power prior to the triggering event.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the wireless circuit is provided with power from at least one of a battery and a rechargeable battery.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising a reed switch, which is operatively connected to the RFID tag portion and the high power portion of the wireless circuit and is configured to selectively disable the high power portion of the wireless circuit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the reed switch is a hall effect sensor.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the wireless circuit is incorporated into one of a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit and a programmable logic device.