Zero-Power Wireless Device Programming

• US 20150363614A1
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Otis, Brian, Pletcher, Nathan, Yeager, Daniel James
• Granted Patent: US 9,818,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for loading program data on to an unpowered electronic device, such as an RFID tag that includes volatile memory. Initially, the tag is unpowered. Thus, the volatile memory in the tag will not have any stored data. In order to load data into the memory of the tag, a reader can power the tag wirelessly. The reader includes an antenna configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation and receive backscatter electromagnetic radiation. The reader also includes a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to analyze the backscatter electromagnetic radiation. The processing unit may analyze the backscatter radiation to determine a supply voltage induced in the tag. In response to the induced voltage being greater than a threshold, the processing unit may alter the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to communicate tag data.

Claims

1. A reader apparatus comprising:

an antenna configured to;

transmit electromagnetic radiation, and

receive backscatter electromagnetic radiation; and

a processing unit configured to;

analyze the backscatter electromagnetic radiation to determine a supply voltage; and

in response to the supply voltage being greater than a threshold, alter the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to communicate tag data.

2. The reader apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to encrypt the tag data.

3. The reader apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the backscatter radiation comprises a data stream.

4. The reader apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit is further configured to decrypt the data stream.

5. The reader apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit is configured to verify a correct data write based on the data stream.

6. The reader apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted electromagnetic radiation is configured to provide power.

7. The reader apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to analyze the backscatter electromagnetic radiation to determine a tag has no stored program instructions;

and

to alter the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to communicate tag data in response to both;

the supply voltage being greater than the threshold; and

determining the tag has no stored program instructions.

8. A body-mountable device comprising:

an antenna configured to;

receive first electromagnetic radiation during a first period of time,

receive second electromagnetic radiation during a second period of time,

wherein the received second electromagnetic radiation communicates data, and output a first signal based on the received first electromagnetic radiation;

a rectification circuit configured to rectify at least the first signal to generate a supply voltage; and

a volatile memory, wherein the volatile memory is powered by the supply voltage and configured to store the data communicated via the second electromagnetic radiation.

9. The body-mountable device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a nonvolatile memory configured to store a cryptographic key; and

a processing unit configured to authenticate the data communicated via the electromagnetic radiation.

10. The body-mountable device according to claim 9, wherein the antenna, rectification circuit, volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, and processing unit are contained within a contact lens.

11. The body-mountable device according to claim 9, where the processing unit is further configured to decrypt the data.

12. The body-mountable device according to claim 8, wherein the rectification circuit is further configured to rectify at least a portion of the second signal to generate the supply voltage.

13. The body-mountable device according to claim 12, wherein the rectification circuit is further configured to charge an energy storage device.

14. A method comprising:

transmitting electromagnetic radiation,

receiving backscatter electromagnetic radiation;

analyzing the backscatter electromagnetic radiation to determine a supply voltage; and

in response to the supply voltage being greater than a threshold, altering the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to communicate tag data.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising encrypting the tag data.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the backscatter radiation comprises a data stream.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising decrypting the data stream.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising verifying a correct data write based on the data stream.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transmitted electromagnetic radiation is configured to provide power.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the altering the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to communicate tag data is performed in response to both:

the supply voltage being greater than the threshold; and

analyzing the backscatter electromagnetic radiation to determine a tag has no stored program instructions.