Continuous Data a Provision by Radio Frequency Identification (rfid) Transponders

• US 20080231428A1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kuhl, Carmen
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of short-rage communication systems. In particular, the present invention relates to radio frequency identification transponders with fixed physical memory capacity having however a flexible virtual memory capacity allowing for providing amounts of data by the radio frequency identification transponders extending the fixed physical memory capacity. Accordingly, a method and a radio frequency identification transponder for continuos data provision by a radio frequency identification transponder is provided. A stream of data is received via a data interface for the transponder and the received data is stored in a transponder memory. Then the stored data is read out form the transponder memory and supplied to a radio frequency interface for being communicated therewith. Next, the memory, which is currently used for storing data, which has been read out previously, is provided afterwards for storing data being received subsequently via the data interface.

Claims

1. Method for continuous data provision in a radio frequency identification device, comprising:

receiving a stream of data via a data interface and storing said received data in a transponder memory;

reading out said stored data from said transponder memory and supplying said read-out data to a radio frequency interface for being transmitted, and

using said transponder memory, from which said data has been read-out previously, for storing data which is received subsequently via said data interface.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said storing and said reading out operations substantially are performed simultaneously or in continuously repeated alternation.

3. Method according to claim 1, comprising:

allocating at least partially said memory for storing said data; and

de-allocating at least partially said allocated memory subsequent to reading out said stored data.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said transponder memory is partitioned into at least two memory areas, wherein one memory area is firstly operable with storing said data and another memory area is firstly operable with reading-out said data.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein said transponder memory is operable as a buffer memory.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein said reading out and supplying operations further comprise:

reading out said data stored in an allocated memory in accordance with a reading position;

supplying said read-out data to said radio frequency interface;

de-allocating at least partially said allocated memory; and

updating said reading position.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein said receiving and storing operations further comprises:

receiving said stream of data via said data interface from an electronic device;

allocating at least partially said memory in accordance with a writing position, wherein said allocated memory is previously unallocated;

writing said received data to said allocated memory area; and

updating said writing position,

wherein said reading position and said writing position differs.

8. Method according claim 7, wherein reading and said writing positions are spaced by a predetermined offset.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein said read-out data is supplied to said radio frequency interface in a sequence, in which said data has been received previously.

10. Computer program product for executing a method for continuous data provision by a radio frequency identification transponder, comprising program code sections for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program is run on a controller, processor-based device, a computer, a microprocessor based device, a terminal, a network device, a mobile terminal or a mobile communication enabled terminal.

11. Computer program product for executing a method for continuous data provision by a radio frequency identification transponder, comprising program code sections stored on a machine-readable medium for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program product is run on a controller, processor-based device, a computer, a microprocessor based device, a terminal, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a mobile communication enabled terminal.

12. Software tool for continuous data provision by a radio frequency identification transponder, comprising program portions for carrying out the operations of claim 1, when said program is implemented in a computer program for being executed on a controller, processor-based device, a microprocessor based device, processing device, a terminal device, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a mobile communication enabled terminal.

13. Computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the steps of claim 1 to be carried out.

14. Radio frequency identification device with continuous data provision, comprising:

a data interface operable with an electronic device, wherein said data interface is adapted to receive and provide a stream of data;

a transponder memory adapted to store said received data; and

a transponder logic which is adapted to read out said stored data from said transponder memory;

to supply said read-out data to a radio frequency interface; and

to use said transponder memory, from which said data has been read-out previously, for storing data, which is received subsequently via said data interface;

wherein said radio frequency interface is adapted to receive said supplied data and to transmit said data.

15. Device according to claim 14, wherein said transponder memory is operable as a buffer memory.

16. Device according to claim 14, wherein said transponder memory is partitioned into at least two memory areas, wherein one memory area is first operable with storing said data and another memory area is first operable with reading out said data.

17. Device according to claim 14, wherein said transponder memory is adapted to allocate said memory for storing said data and to de-allocate said allocated memory subsequent to reading out said data stored.

18. Device according to claim 14, wherein said transponder logic is adapted to supply said read-out data in a same sequence to said radio frequency interface, which sequence is observable at the data interface adapted to receive said data.

19. Device according to claim 14, wherein said radio frequency identification device is a radio frequency identification transponder or a radio frequency identification module with radio frequency identification reader functionality as well as radio frequency identification transponder functionality.

20. System comprising a radio frequency identification device and an electronic device,

wherein said radio frequency identification device is a radio frequency identification device according to claim 14,

wherein said electronic device supplied data to said radio frequency identification device and wherein said radio frequency identification device is operable under control of said electronic device.