Smart radio-frequency identification (RFID) infrastructure and method

• US 7,659,821 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Moon J., Yee, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/531,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/568, 340/539.12, 340/539.26, 700/214, 700/215, 700/225, 235/385, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a smart RFID infrastructure and method. Specifically, under the present invention, the infrastructure includes a set (e.g., one or more) of smart RFID tags adapted to communicate with one another, wherein each operating smart RFID tag is adapted to create an individual table of information pertaining to operation of other smart RFID tags. In addition, the infrastructure includes a set of writeable RFID tags adapted to communicate with and receive the individual table of information from each operating smart RFID tag, wherein each of the set of writeable RFID tags is further adapted to create a master table of information based on the individual table of information received from each operating smart RFID tag.

Claims

1. A smart Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) infrastructure, comprising:

a set of smart RFID tags adapted to communicate with one another, wherein each smart RFID tag that is operating is adapted to create and store an individual table of information pertaining to operation of other smart RFID tags, each operating smart RFID tag ensuring that its individual table of information contains information regarding all operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags by periodically cross-checking its individual table of information against the individual tables of information of adjacent operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags; and

a set of writeable RFID tags adapted to communicate with and receive the individual table of information from each operating smart RFID tag, wherein each of the set of writeable RFID tags is further adapted to create a master table of information based on the individual table of information received from each operating smart RFID tag.

2. The smart RFID infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the set of smart RFID tags and the set of writeable RFID tags are passive RFID tags.

3. The smart RFID infrastructure of claim 1, further comprising:

a RFID reader adapted to communicate with and receive the master table of information from each of the set of writeable RFID tags; and

a server adapted to communicate with and receive the master table of information from the RFID reader.

4. The smart RFID infrastructure of claim 3, wherein the set of smart RFID tags are activated with a low RF frequency and communicate with one another using a high RF frequency.

5. The smart RFID infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the set of smart RFID tags comprises a plurality of smart RFID tags positioned on a plurality of adjacent objects.

6. The smart RFID infrastructure of claim 1, wherein each of the set of smart RFID tags are adapted to communicate with adjacent smart RFID tags.

7. A smart Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) method, comprising:

providing a set of smart RFID tags adapted to communicate with one another, wherein each smart RFID tag that is operating is adapted to create and store an individual table of information pertaining to operation of other smart RFID tags, each operating smart RFID tag ensuring that its individual table of information contains information regarding all operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags by periodically cross-checking its individual table of information against the individual tables of information of adjacent operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags; and

providing a set of writeable RFID tags adapted to communicate with and receive the individual table of information from each operating smart RFID tag, wherein each of the set of writeable RFID tags is further adapted to create a master table of information based on the individual table of information received from each operating smart RFID tag.

8. The smart RFID method of claim 7, wherein the set of smart RFID tags and the set of writeable RFID tags are passive RFID tags.

9. The smart RFID method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a RFID reader adapted to communicate with and receive the master table of information from each of the set of writeable RFID tags; and

providing a server adapted to communicate with and receive the master table of information from the RFID reader.

10. The smart RFID method of claim 9, further comprising activating the set of smart RFID tags with a low RF frequency.

11. The smart RFID method of claim 7, wherein the providing the set of smart RFID tags comprises positioning a plurality of smart RFID tags on a plurality of adjacent objects.

12. The smart RFID method of claim 7, wherein each of the set of smart RFID tags are adapted to communicate with adjacent smart RFID tags.

13. A smart Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) method, comprising:

a set of smart RFID tags, positioned about a set of adjacent objects, communicating with one another to determine a functionality of each of the set of smart RFID tags;

each smart RFID tag that is operating in the set of smart RFID tags creating and storing an individual table of information pertaining to the set of smart RFID tags, each operating smart RFID tag ensuring that its table of information contains information regarding all operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags by periodically cross-checking its individual table of information against the individual tables of information of adjacent operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags;

a writeable RFID tag communicating with the set of smart RFID tags and receiving the individual table of information from each operating smart RFID tag in the set of smart RFID tags; and

the writeable RFID tag creating a master table of information based on the individual table of information received from each of the operating smart RFID tags.

14. The smart RFID method of claim 13, further comprising:

a RFID reader receiving the master table of information from the writeable RFID tag; and

a server receiving the master table of information from the RFID reader.

15. The smart RFID method of claim 13, further comprising activating the set of smart RFID tags with a low RF frequency.

16. The smart RFID method of claim 13, wherein the set of smart RFID tags comprises a plurality of smart RFID tags, and wherein the set of adjacent objects comprises a plurality of adjacent objects.

17. The smart RFID method of claim 13, wherein each of the set of smart RFID tags communicates with adjacent smart RFID tags.

18. A method for deploying a smart Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) infrastructure, comprising:

providing a set of smart RFID tags adapted to communicate with one another, wherein each smart RFID tag that is operating is adapted to create and store an individual table of information pertaining to operation of other smart RFID tags, each operating smart RFID tag ensuring that its table of information contains information regarding all operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags by periodically cross-checking its individual table of information against the individual tables of information of adjacent operating smart RFID tags in the set of smart RFID tags; and

providing a set of writeable RFID tags adapted to communicate with and receive the individual table of information from each operating smart RFID tag, wherein each of the set of writeable RFID tags is further adapted to create a master table of information based on the individual table of information received from each operating smart RFID tag.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of smart RFID tags and the set of writeable RFID tags are passive RFID tags.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a RFID reader adapted to communicate with and receive the master table of information from each of the set of writeable RFID tags; and

providing a server adapted to communicate with and receive the master table of information from the RFID reader.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising activating the set of smart RFID tags with a low RF frequency.