Automatic data collection device, method and article

• US 20070229261A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ungs, Kelly, Zimmerman, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0062 in RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] Systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/02 using transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A radio frequency identification system comprises a radio-frequency identification substrate and an interrogator. In one embodiment, the radio-frequency identification substrate comprises a plurality of radio-frequency identification devices. In one embodiment, a first radio-frequency identification device on the substrate monitors an indication of a response of a second radio-frequency identification device on the substrate to an interrogation signal and selectively responds to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the indication.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency identification tag comprising:

a substrate;

a first radio-frequency identification device carried by the substrate and configured to respond to an interrogation signal; and

a second radio-frequency identification device carried by the substrate and electrically coupled to the first radio-frequency identification device, and configured to;

monitor an indication of a response of the first radio-frequency identification device to the interrogation signal; and

selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the indication.

2. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to selectively generate control signals to cause the second radio-frequency identification device to respond to the interrogation signal when the monitoring indicates the first radio-frequency identification device failed to respond to the interrogation signal.

3. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to generate the monitored indication.

4. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device comprises a first integrated circuit carried by the substrate.

5. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 4 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device comprises a second integrated circuit carried by the substrate.

6. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 5 wherein the second integrated circuit is identical to the first integrated circuit.

7. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the indication of the response is an indication that the first radio-frequency identification device executed a time-out in response to the interrogation signal.

8. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the indication of the response is an indication that the interrogation signal was not directed to the radio-frequency identification tag.

9. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the indication of the response is an indication that the first radio-frequency identification device initialized in response to the interrogation signal.

10. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the monitoring comprises determining whether the first radio-frequency identification device correctly responded to the interrogation signal.

11. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna system electrically coupled to the first and second radio-frequency identification devices.

12. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 11 wherein the antenna system comprises:

a first antenna electrically coupled to the first radio-frequency identification device; and

a second antenna electrically coupled to the second radio-frequency identification device.

13. The radio-frequency identification tag of claim 1 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device comprises an antenna system.

14. An asset comprising:

an antenna system;

a first radio-frequency identification device electrically coupled to the antenna system and configured to respond to an interrogation signal; and

a second radio-frequency identification device electrically coupled to the antenna system and to the first radio-frequency identification device and configured to;

monitor an indication of a response of the first radio-frequency identification device to the interrogation signal; and

selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the indication.

15. The asset of claim 14 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to generate the monitored indication.

16. The asset of claim 14 wherein the first radio-frequency identification device comprises a first integrated circuit.

17. The asset of claim 16 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device comprises a second integrated circuit identical to the first integrated circuit.

18. The asset of claim 14, further comprising:

a third radio-frequency identification device electrically coupled to the antenna system and to the second radio-frequency identification device and configured to;

monitor an indication of a response of the second radio-frequency identification device to the interrogation signal; and

selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the indication of the response of the second radio-frequency identification device.

19. A radio-frequency identification substrate comprising:

an antenna system coupled to the substrate;

a first radio-frequency identification device; and

a second radio-frequency identification device coupled to the first radio-frequency identification device and configured to;

in a first mode of operation, monitor a response of the first radio-frequency identification device to an interrogation signal and selectively respond to the interrogation signal based on the monitoring of the response; and

in a second mode of operation, respond to the interrogation signal.

20. The radio frequency identification substrate of claim 19 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device is further configured to selectively disable the first radio-frequency identification device.

21. The radio-frequency identification substrate of claim 20 wherein the disabling of the first radio-frequency identification device is temporary.

22. The radio-frequency identification substrate of claim 19 wherein the second radio-frequency identification device is disabled in a third mode of operation.

23. The radio-frequency identification substrate of claim 19, further comprising a mode controller coupled to the first radio-frequency identification device and configured to generate control signals to control the mode of operation of the second radio-frequency identification device.

24. A radio-frequency identification system comprising:

an interrogator configured to generate a signal; and

an asset comprising;

means for receiving the signal;

first means for selectively responding to the signal electrically coupled to the means for receiving the signal;

redundant means for selectively responding to the signal electrically coupled to the means for receiving the signal; and

means for determining whether the first means for selectively responding to the signal responded to the signal electrically coupled to the first means for selectively responding to the signal and to the redundant means for selectively responding to the signal.

25. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 24, further comprising:

a first integrated circuit comprising the first means for selectively responding to the signal; and

a second integrated circuit comprising the redundant means for selectively responding to the signal.

26. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 25, wherein the second integrated circuit further comprises the means for determining whether the first means for selectively responding to the signal responded to the signal.

27. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 24, further comprising:

a substrate coupled to the asset wherein the means for receiving the signal, the first means for selectively responding to the signal, the redundant means for selectively responding to the signal, and the means for determining whether the first means for selectively responding to the signal responded to the signal are carried by the substrate.

28. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 24 further comprising:

second redundant means for selectively responding to the signal coupled to the means for receiving the signal and comprising;

means for processing an indication of a response to the signal by the asset.

29. The radio-frequency identification system of claim 28 wherein the means for processing the indication of the response to the signal by the asset is configured to monitor an indication of a response by the first means for selectively responding to the signal.

30. An integrated circuit, comprising:

means for receiving a radio-frequency interrogation signal;

means for selectively responding to the received radio-frequency interrogation signal electrically coupled to the means for receiving the radio-frequency interrogation signal; and

means for receiving a control signal to control the means for selectively responding to the received radio-frequency interrogation signal, wherein the means for receiving the control signal is separate from the means for receiving a radio-frequency interrogation signal.

31. The integrated circuit of claim 30, further comprising:

means for generating a signal indicative of a response to the interrogation signal by the means for selectively responding to the received interrogation signal.

32. The integrated circuit of claim 30 wherein the means for receiving a radio-frequency interrogation signal comprises a first pin on the integrated circuit.

33. The integrated circuit of claim 32 wherein the means for receiving a control signal comprises a second pin on the integrated circuit.

34. A method of responding to an interrogation signal, the method being performed by a first radio-frequency identification device and comprising:

receiving the interrogation signal; and

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a first mode of operation,

generating a response to the interrogation signal; and

generating an indication of the response to the interrogation signal by the first radio-frequency identification device.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a second mode of operation,

monitoring an indication of a second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal; and

selectively generating the response to the interrogation signal based on the indication.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein monitoring the indication of the second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal comprises determining whether the second radio-frequency device correctly responded to the interrogation signal.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a third mode of operation, disregarding the interrogation signal.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein generating the response to the interrogation signal comprises executing a time-out in response to the interrogation signal.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein generating the indication of the response to the interrogation signal by the first radio-frequency identification device comprises generating an indication that the radio-frequency identification signal was not directed to the first radio-frequency identification device.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein generating the indication of the response to the interrogation signal by the first radio-frequency identification device comprises generating an indication that the first radio-frequency identification device initialized in response to the interrogation signal.

41. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

determining whether the interrogation signal was directed to the first radio-frequency communication device.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein determining whether the interrogation signal was directed to the first radio-frequency identification device comprises extracting a code from the interrogation signal.

43. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

generating a signal to disable a second radio-frequency identification device.

44. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

authenticating the interrogation signal.

45. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

maintaining a state table.

46. A method of responding to an interrogation signal, the method being performed by a first radio-frequency identification device and comprising:

receiving the interrogation signal; and

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a redundant mode of operation,

monitoring an indication of a second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal; and

selectively generating a response to the interrogation signal based on the indication.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein monitoring the indication of the second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal comprises determining whether the second radio-frequency device correctly responded to the interrogation signal.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a time-out mode of operation, disregarding the interrogation signal.

49. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a primary mode of operation, generating the response to the interrogation signal.

50. A computer-readable medium containing contents that cause a first radio-frequency identification device to process an interrogation signal by performing a method comprising:

receiving the interrogation signal;

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a first mode of operation,

generating a response to the interrogation signal; and

generating an indication of the response to the interrogation signal by the first radio-frequency identification device;

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a second mode of operation,

monitoring an indication of a second radio-frequency identification device responding to the interrogation signal; and

selectively generating the response to the interrogation signal based on the indication; and

when the first radio-frequency identification device is configured to operate in a third mode of operation,

disregarding the interrogation signal.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50 wherein the contents are instructions stored in a memory.

52. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first external interface to receive a radio-frequency interrogation signal;

a second external interface configured to electrically couple the integrated circuit to another integrated circuit; and

a data system coupled to the first external interface and to the second external interface, and configurable to selectively respond to the received radio-frequency interrogation signal.

53. The integrated circuit of claim 52 wherein the data system is further configurable to generate a control signal and the second external interface is configurable to output the control signal.

54. The integrated circuit of claim 52 wherein the second external interface is configurable to receive a control signal and the data system is configurable to selectively respond to the received radio-frequency interrogation signal based on the received control signal.

55. The integrated circuit of claim 52 wherein the first external interface comprises a first pin on the integrated circuit.

56. The integrated circuit of claim 55 wherein the second external interface comprises a second pin on the integrated circuit.

57. The integrated circuit of claim 52 wherein the data system comprises a mode controller.