Multiple radio frequency network node RFID tag

• US 8,284,055 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Original Assignee: TEGO LLC
• Inventors: Butler, Timothy P., Berrios, Javier
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US11/877,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 235/451, 235/488, 235/492, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/572.3, 340/5.61, 340/5.2
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tag that contains multiple Radio Frequency (RF) network nodes that provide enhanced memory capabilities, redundant functionality, and multiple frequency capabilities to the RFID tag using an inter-RF network node communication connection. The inter-RF network node communication may allow the coordination of RFID tag memory and functionality.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a single radio frequency identification (RFID) tag substrate;

mounting a plurality of RF network nodes on the single RFID tag substrate wherein each of the plurality of RF network nodes has an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting an RFID reader signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, at least one memory location, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RF network node;

interconnecting the plurality of RF network nodes into a network topology with a communication bus for coordinating data communication among the plurality of RF network nodes to provide a coordinated storage facility from the at least one memory location of each of the plurality of RF network nodes wherein the coordinated storage facility responds with coordinated data to an interrogation by an RFID reader; and

coordinating the operation of the plurality of RF network nodes with a master RF network node coupled to the communication bus.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated data includes information stored in the at least one memory location of two or more of the plurality of RF network nodes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated data includes information stored across the at least one memory location of all the plurality of RF network nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated storage facility includes expanded memory.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated storage facility includes redundant memory.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated storage facility includes distributed memory.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated storage facility includes public memory.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated storage facility includes private memory.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinated storage facility includes encrypted memory.

2. A method, comprising:

responding to an RFID reader interrogation signal received by an RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag includes a plurality of RF network nodes having an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting the RFID reader interrogation signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RF network node;

interconnecting the plurality of RF network nodes into a network topology with a communication bus to provide a coordinated storage facility formed from the memory of each of the plurality of RF network nodes, wherein the plurality of RF network nodes of the RFID tag coordinate data retrieval activities from the coordinated storage facility of the plurality of RF network nodes and communicate information retrieved from the

coordinated storage facility of the RFID tag to the RFID reader; and

coordinating the operation of the plurality of RF network nodes with a master RF network node coupled to the communication bus.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein the communicated information retrieved from the RFID tag includes information stored in the memory of two or more of the plurality of RF network nodes.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the communicated information retrieved from the RFID tag includes information stored across the memory of all the plurality of RF network nodes.

3. A method, comprising:

responding to an RFID reader interrogation signal received by an RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag includes a plurality of RF network nodes having an RF and analog block for receiving and transmitting the RFID reader interrogation signal, a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RF network node;

interconnecting the plurality of RF network nodes into a network topology with a communication bus to provide a coordinated storage facility formed from the memory of each of the plurality of RF network nodes, wherein the plurality of RF network nodes of the RFID tag retrieve data from the coordinated storage facility of the plurality of RF network nodes and formats the data into a single response to be communicated from the RFID tag to the RFID reader; and

coordinating the operation of the plurality of RF network nodes with a master RF network node coupled to the communication bus.

14. The method of claim 3 wherein the data communicated from the RFID tag includes information stored in memory of two or more of the plurality of RF network nodes.

15. The method of claim 3 wherein the data communicated from the RFID tag includes information stored across the memory of all the plurality of RF network nodes.