Method and apparatus for detecting the activation of a call button using radio frequency identification
AssigneeSymbol Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRobert E. Beach, Michael J. Koch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A call button attached to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag may be activated to send an alert to appropriate personnel. Direct current voltage is received at an input of a RFID tag. Responsive to a query of an RFID reader, the RFID tag detects a state of the call button based on a level of the direct current voltage present at the input of the RFID tag. The RFID tag sends the detected state of the call button to the reader. A signal is sent from a server based on a reported state of the call button.
Claims18
A method in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag of detecting activation of a call button, the method comprising:
- receiving a direct current voltage at an input of the RFID tag;
- responsive to a query of an RFID reader, detecting a state of the call button based on a level of the direct current voltage present at the input of the RFID tag;
- and
- sending the detected state of the call button to the RFID reader, wherein a signal is sent based on a reported state of the call button.
A method in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag of detecting activation of a call button, the method comprising:
- responsive to a query of an RFID reader, detecting a state of the call button based on a state obtained from at least one bi-stable circuit connected to the RFID tag, wherein when the call button is activated the state of a bi-stable circuit associated with the call button is updated to reflect that the call button has been activated;
- and
- sending the detected state of the call button to the RFID reader, wherein a signal is sent based on a reported state of the call button.
A system for detecting activation of a call button attached to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, the system comprises:
- an energy harvest circuit energized from ambient radio frequency energy, wherein the energy harvest circuit is configured to feed a direct current voltage from the ambient radio frequency energy to an input of the RFID tag;
- the call button configured to change voltage present at the input of the RFID tag when the call button is activated;
- and
- the RFID tag configured to detect, in response to a query from a reader, a state of the call button based on a level of the direct current voltage present at the input of the RFID tag and to send the detected state of the call button to the reader, wherein a signal is sent based on a reported state of the call button.
A system for detecting activation of a call button attached to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, the system comprises:
- a bi-stable circuit configured to store a current state of the call button;
- and
- the RFID tag configured to detect, in response to a query from a reader, the current state of the call button based on a state value obtained from the bi-stable circuit, wherein when the call button is activated, the state value obtained from the bi-stable circuit is updated to reflect that the call button has been activated, wherein the RFID tag is configured to send the detected state of the call button to the reader, and wherein a signal is sent based on a reported state of the call button.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.