Acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device and method

• US 8,723,646 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cho, Choongyeun, Ferri, Richard, Kim, Daeik, Kim, Jonghae, Kim, Moon Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): OTT, FREDERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/210,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/13.37, 340/2.1, 340/3.1, 367/140, 367/178, 367/180
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An identification method and identification device are presented employing radio frequency and acoustic wave communication modes. The identification method includes: receiving at an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device an acoustic wave signal of a first frequency and a radio frequency signal of a second frequency, where the acoustic wave signal and the radio frequency signal are received from an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader, and the first frequency and the second frequency are different frequencies; and responding to the receiving by transmitting at least one of an acoustic wave identification (AWID) or a radio frequency identification (RFID) from the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device.

Claims

1. A wireless identification method comprising:

receiving at an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device an acoustic wave signal of a first frequency and a radio frequency signal of a second frequency, wherein the acoustic wave signal and the radio frequency signal are received from an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader, and the first frequency and the second frequency are different frequencies;

providing the received acoustic wave signal to an acoustic wave to DC electrical energy converter for conversion of the received acoustic wave signal into electrical energy at a level commensurate with a strength of the received acoustic wave signal;

providing the received radio frequency signal to a radio frequency to DC rectifier, separate from the acoustic wave to DC electrical energy converter, for conversion of the received radio frequency signal into electrical energy at a level commensurate with a strength of the received RF signal;

providing the electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal and the electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal to a controller and identification information circuit;

measuring, by the controller and identification information circuit, a level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal;

measuring, by the controller and identification information circuit, a level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal;

selecting, by the controller and identification information circuit, at least one communications mode of the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device with which to respond to the receiving, wherein the selecting comprises;

comparing the measured level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal to the measured level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal; and

selecting at least one of an acoustic wave communications mode or a radio frequency communications mode as the at least one communications mode with which to respond to the receiving; and

responding to the receiving by the controller and identification information circuit, via the selected at least one communications mode, by transmitting at least one of an acoustic wave identification or a radio frequency identification from the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is a lower frequency than the second frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises concurrently receiving at the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device the acoustic wave signal and the radio frequency signal from the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one of the acoustic wave communications mode or the radio frequency communications mode includes:

the acoustic wave communications mode, if the level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal is greater than the level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal;

or

the radio frequency communications mode, if the level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal is less than the level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the responding comprises:

concentrating power at the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device on a radio frequency modulator for outputting, via a radio frequency antenna, the radio frequency identification when the level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal is greater than the level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal;

or

concentrating power at the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device on an acoustic wave modulator for outputting, via an acoustic wave resonator, the acoustic wave identification when the level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal is greater than the level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic wave signal is received and the acoustic wave identification is sent via the acoustic wave communications mode, and the radio frequency signal is received and the radio frequency identification is sent via the radio frequency communications mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are selected based on acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device performance at the first frequency and the second frequency, and further based on channel media characteristics of the acoustic wave communications mode and the radio frequency communications mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal comprises DC power, and wherein the electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal power comprises DC power.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining selects only one of the acoustic wave communications mode or the radio frequency communications mode with which to respond, and wherein the responding comprises turning on a modulator of the selected one of the acoustic wave communications mode or the radio frequency communications mode, and turning off a modulator of the other of the acoustic wave communications mode or the radio frequency communications mode, to facilitate concentration of power on the modulator of the selected one of the acoustic wave communications mode or the radio frequency communications mode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one communications mode is selected from at least two communications modes employing disparate energy signals.

11. A method of facilitating wireless identification, the method comprising:

outputting from an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader an acoustic wave signal of a first frequency and a radio frequency signal of a second frequency, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different frequencies; and

wherein an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device receiving the acoustic wave signal of the first frequency and the radio frequency signal of the second frequency responds thereto by;

providing the received acoustic wave signal to an acoustic wave to DC electrical energy converter for conversion of the received acoustic wave signal into electrical energy at a level commensurate with a strength of the received acoustic wave signal;

providing the received radio frequency signal to a radio frequency to DC rectifier, separate from the acoustic wave to DC electrical energy converter, for conversion of the received radio frequency signal into electrical energy at a level commensurate with a strength of the received RF signal;

providing the electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal and the electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal to a controller and identification information circuit;

measuring, by the controller and identification information circuit, a level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic signal;

measuring, by the controller and identification information circuit, a level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal;

selecting, by the controller and identification information circuit, at least one communications mode of the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device with which to respond to the receiving, wherein the selecting comprises;

comparing the measured level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal to the measured level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal; and

selecting at least one of an acoustic wave communications mode or a radio frequency communications mode as the at least one communications mode with which to respond to the receiving; and

responding to the receiving by the controller and identification information circuit, via the selected at least one communications mode, by transmitting at least one of an acoustic wave identification or the radio frequency identification.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader outputs the acoustic wave signal and the radio frequency signal at a common energy level, and wherein the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device is configured to:

select the acoustic wave communications mode and output the acoustic wave identification, if the level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal is greater than the level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal;

or

select the radio frequency communications mode and output the radio frequency identification, if the level of electrical energy converted from the received acoustic wave signal is less than the level of electrical energy converted from the received radio frequency signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frequency is a lower frequency than the second frequency.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the acoustic wave signal is received and the acoustic wave identification is sent via the acoustic wave communications mode, and the radio frequency signal is received and the radio frequency identification is sent via the radio frequency communications mode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are selected based on acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device performance at the first frequency and the second frequency, and further based on channel media characteristics of the acoustic wave communications mode and the radio frequency communications mode.

16. An acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device comprising:

an acoustic wave resonator for receiving at the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device an acoustic wave signal from an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader;

a radio frequency antenna for receiving at the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device a radio frequency signal from the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader, wherein the acoustic wave signal and the radio frequency signal are at different frequencies;

an acoustic wave to DC electrical energy converter configured to convert the received acoustic wave signal to electrical energy commensurate with a strength of the received acoustic wave signal;

a radio frequency to DC rectifier, separate from the acoustic wave to DC electrical energy converter, configured to convert the received radio frequency signal to electrical energy at a level commensurate with a strength of the received acoustic wave signal, wherein the converted electrical energies are DC power; and

a controller and identification information circuit comprising an integrated circuit electrically coupled to the acoustic wave to DC electrical energy converter, the radio frequency to DC rectifier, and to the acoustic wave resonator and radio frequency antenna, the controller and identification information circuit being configured to;

receive the DC power converted from the received acoustic wave signal and the DC power converted from the received radio frequency signal;

measure a level of the DC power converted from the received acoustic wave signal, and measure a level of the DC power converted from the received radio frequency signal;

select at least one communications mode of the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device with which to respond to the receiving, wherein the selecting comprises;

comparing the measured level of the DC power converted from the received acoustic wave signal to the measured level of the DC power converted from the received radio frequency signal; and

select at least one of an acoustic wave communications mode or a radio frequency communications mode as the at least one communications mode with which to respond to the receiving; and

respond to at least one of the received acoustic wave signal or the received radio frequency signal via the selected at least one communications mode, by transmitting at least one of an acoustic wave identification or a radio frequency identification from the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device.

17. The acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device of claim 16, wherein the received acoustic wave signal is at a first frequency and the received radio frequency signal is at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is a lower frequency than the second frequency.

18. The acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device of claim 16, wherein the acoustic wave signal is received and the acoustic wave identification is sent via the acoustic wave communications mode, and the radio frequency signal is received and the radio frequency identification is sent via the radio frequency communications mode.

19. The acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device of claim 16, wherein the selected at least one of the acoustic wave communications mode or the radio frequency communications mode includes:

the acoustic wave communications mode, if the level of the DC power converted from the received acoustic wave signal is greater than the level of the DC power converted from the received radio frequency signal;

or

the radio frequency communications mode, if the level of the DC power converted from the received acoustic wave signal is less than the level of the DC power converted from the received radio frequency signal.

20. The acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device of claim 19, wherein the controller and identification information circuit:

concentrates power on a radio frequency modulator of the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device for outputting, via the radio frequency antenna, the radio frequency identification when the level of the DC power converted from the received radio frequency signal is greater than the level of the DC power converted from the received acoustic wave signal;

or

concentrates power on an acoustic wave modulator of the identification device for outputting, via the acoustic wave resonator, the acoustic wave identification when the level of the DC power converted from the received acoustic wave signal is greater than the level of the DC power converted from the received radio frequency signal.

21. The acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device of claim 16, further in combination with the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader, the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader being configured to concurrently output the acoustic wave signal and the radio frequency signal for detection by the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device.