Data communication with sensors using a radio frequency identification (RFID) protocol

• US 20080030324A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bekritsky, Benjamin, Duron, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/495,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030324A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for wireless communication using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) protocol are described. The system includes a sensor for sensing a condition and converting it into electrical signals. The sensor is coupled to a near field transceiver. The near field transceiver formats the data collected by the sensor and transmits it wirelessly using an RFID protocol to a tag. A reader uses the RFID protocol to wirelessly read the data from the tag.

Claims

1. A system to collect and transfer data wirelessly using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication protocol, comprising:

a sensor and near field transceiver circuit, including;

a data measurement module;

a near field transceiver module; and

an antenna;

at least one tag; and

a RFID reader;

wherein said data measurement module is configured to periodically sense a condition, generate data based on the condition and transfer the generated data to the near field reader module;

wherein said near field transceiver module is configured to format said generated data according to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) protocol and transmit said formatted data to at least one tag via said antenna according to the RFID protocol; and

wherein said reader is configured to read said formatted data from said at least one tag according to the RFID protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor and near field transceiver circuit further comprises a transducer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor and near field transceiver circuit further comprises a memory.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor and near field transceiver circuit is configured to use a “

Write”

or “

BlockWrite”

command of Electronic Product Code (EPC) Gen 2 protocol to transmit said formatted data to at least one tag.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said reader is configured to use a “

Read”

command of Electronic Product Code (EPC) Gen 2 protocol to obtain said formatted data from at least one tag.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one tag includes memory.

7. A system to collect and transmit data using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication protocol, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a condition and generate data based on the condition; and

a near field transceiver coupled to said sensor and configured to receive the generated data;

wherein said near field transceiver is configured to transmit said data received from said sensor to a tag according to the RFID protocol.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the tag is identified via a tag identification number.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), wherein said sensor and said near field transceiver are mounted on said PCB.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising an Integrated Circuit (IC), wherein said sensor and said near field transceiver are part of said IC.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a flexible substrate, wherein said sensor and near field transceiver are on said flexible substrate.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said sensor further comprises a detection circuit, a transducer and a memory.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein said near field transceiver further comprises a near field antenna.

14. A method of wireless communication using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication protocol, comprising:

sensing a physical condition;

collecting data for the sensed physical condition; and

transmitting said collected data via the RFID protocol to a tag, using a near field communication signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising reading said collected data from said tag via the RFID protocol, using a far field communication signal.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, prior to said transmitting step, formatting said collected data according to the RFID protocol.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said collecting step further comprises transducing said sensed physical condition into electrical signals suitable for storage.

18. A method of wireless communication using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication protocol, comprising:

receiving sensed data; and

transmitting the received data to a tag located in a near field range, according to the RFID communication protocol.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmitting step further comprises contacting said tag with a transmitting antenna that transmits the sensed data.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising positioning a transmitting antenna within a near field range of the tag, wherein the transmitting antenna transmits the sensed data.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising sending a storage command to the tag.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising, prior to said transmitting step, formatting said received data according to the RFID protocol.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting said received data periodically or intermittently.

24. A method of wireless communication in a tag, comprising:

receiving sensed data in a near field communication signal according to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication protocol;

receiving an RFID interrogation signal; and

transmitting the received data in response to the RFID interrogation signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said receiving sensed data step further comprises contacting said tag with a transmitting antenna that transmits the sensed data.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said receiving sensed data step further comprises receiving the near field communication signal from a transmitting antenna that transmits the sensed data within a near field range of the tag.