Radio frequency identification (rfid) with sensors
AssigneeRFMicron, Inc.
InventorsShahriar Rokhsaz, Brian David Young, Marwan Hassoun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a power harvesting circuit that operates generate power for the RFID tag from a continuous wave of a radio frequency (RF) signal. The RFID tag further includes a tuning circuit that is tuned based on a capacitance setting, where the capacitance setting is indicative of a power level of the power. The RFID tag further includes a processing module operably coupled to the tuning circuit, where the processing module operates to generate the capacitance setting to obtain a desired power level for the power.
Claims25
An integrated circuit for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the integrated circuit comprises:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to an external antenna;
- an external element port operably coupled to an external sensor that sensing an external condition;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the external element port, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed external condition that is sensed by the external sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generate an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and is further operably coupled to:
- convert the outbound signal into an outbound RF signal;
- and
- transmit, via the external antenna, the outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprises:
- a substrate;
- an external antenna mounted on the substrate;
- an external sensor mounted on the substrate, wherein, when operable, the external sensor senses an external condition;
- and
- an integrated circuit mounted on the substrate, wherein the integrated circuit includes:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to the external antenna;
- an external element port operably coupled to the external sensor;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the external element port, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed external condition that is sensed by the external sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generate an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and is further operably coupled to:
- convert the outbound signal into an outbound RF signal;
- and
- transmit, via the external antenna, the outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
An integrated circuit for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the integrated circuit comprises:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to an external antenna;
- an on-chip sensor operable to sense a condition;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the on-chip sensor, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed condition that is sensed by the on-chip sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generate an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and is further operably coupled to:
- convert the outbound signal into an outbound RF signal;
- and
- transmit, via the external antenna, the outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprises:
- a substrate;
- an external antenna mounted on the substrate;
- an integrated circuit mounted on the substrate, wherein the integrated circuit includes:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to an external antenna;
- an on-chip sensor operable to sense a condition;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the on-chip sensor, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed condition that is sensed by the on-chip sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generate an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and is further operably coupled to:
- convert the outbound signal into an outbound RF signal;
- and
- transmit, via the external antenna, the outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.