IMAGING-BASED RADIO-FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TRANSPONDER

• US 20120127289A1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bonwoong Koo, Moon J. Kim
• Original Assignee: Bonwoong Koo, Moon J. Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Moon J., Koo, Bonwoong
• Granted Patent: US 8,847,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

The present invention relates to an imaging-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder. Specifically, the transponder includes a photo-responsive cell for capturing an image; and an analysis component. The photo-responsive cell captures images of objects. Once captured, the analysis component is configured to: determine whether the RFID transponder has sufficient power to analyze the image; analyze the image on the RFID transponder if sufficient power exists; and/or transmit data corresponding to the image to an RFID reader for analysis in the event the RFID transponder has insufficient power to analyze the image. Where quality of the image and/or performance of the transponder are less than desirous, any number of corrective approaches can be taken. For example, the setup of the transponder can be adjusted, the range readout can be reduced, the integration time per pixel of the image can be increased, etc. Moreover, the range of the RFID transponder can be increased using any of the approaches discussed in the above-incorporated patent applications.

Claims

1. An imaging-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder, comprising:

a photo-responsive cell for capturing an image; and

an analysis component for analyzing the image on the RFID transponder based on an available power in the RFID transponder.

2. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 1, further comprising a light source for improving a quality of the image when captured by the photo-responsive cell.

3. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 1, the analysis component being further configured to transmit data corresponding to the image to an RFID reader for analysis in the event the RFID transponder has insufficient power to analyze the image.

4. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 1, the RFID reader being configured to adjust a quality with which the RFID transponder operates.

5. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 4, the quality being adjusted by adjusting a setup of the RFID transponder.

6. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 4, the quality being adjusted by reducing a readout range of the RFID transponder.

7. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 4, the quality being adjusted by increasing an integration time per pixel of the image.

8. An imaging-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder, comprising:

a photo-responsive cell for capturing an image; and

an analysis component being configured to;

determine whether the RFID transponder has sufficient power to analyze the image;

analyze the image on the RFID transponder if sufficient power exists; and

transmit data corresponding to the image to an RFID reader for analysis in the event the RFID transponder has insufficient power to analyze the image.

9. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 8, further comprising a light source for improving a quality of the image when captured by the photo-responsive cell.

10. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 8, the RFID reader being configured to adjust a quality with which the RFID transponder operates.

11. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 10, the quality being adjusted by adjusting a setup of the RFID transponder.

12. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 10, the quality being adjusted by reducing a readout range of the RFID transponder.

13. The imaging-based RFID transponder of claim 10, the quality being adjusted by increasing an integration time per pixel of the image.

14. A method for capturing an image using a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder, comprising:

capturing an image using a photo-responsive cell integrated with the RFID transponder;

determining whether the RFID transponder has sufficient power to analyze the image;

analyzing the image on the RFID transponder if sufficient power exists; and

transmitting data corresponding to the image to an RFID reader for analysis if the RFID transponder has insufficient power to analyze the image.

15. The method of claim 14, the determining comprising comparing a current power level of the RFID transponder to a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being a minimum amount of power needed to analyze the image on the RFID transponder.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising illuminating an object from which the image is taken using a light source integrated with the RFID transponder.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting a quality with which the RFID transponder operates using the RFID reader.

18. The method of claim 17, the adjusting comprising adjusting a setup of the RFID transponder.

19. The method of claim 17, the adjusting comprising reducing a readout range of the RFID transponder.

20. The method of claim 17, the adjusting comprising increasing an integration time per pixel of the image.