Radio frequency identification devices, remote communication devices, identification systems, communication methods, and identification methods

A remote communication device comprising:

• a housing;
• communication circuitry supported by the housing and including a data port, the communication circuitry being configured to receive a wireless signal including an identifier and data, to process the identifier, and to write the data to the data port responsive to the processing of the identifier;
• and
• indication circuitry coupled with the data port and configured to receive the data and to indicate presence of the remote communication device responsive to the data.

A remote communication device comprising:

• a housing;
• communication circuitry supported by the housing and including a data port, the communication circuitry being configured to receive a wireless signal including an identifier and data, to process the identifier, and to write the data to the data port responsive to the processing of the identifier;
• and
• indication circuitry including:
• a latch coupled with the data port and configured to receive the data;
• and
• an indicator coupled with the latch and configured to output a signal to indicate presence of the remote communication device responsive to the data received within the latch.

A radio frequency identification device comprising:

• communication circuitry configured to receive a wireless signal including an identifier, to process the identifier of the wireless signal and to output a control signal responsive to the processing of the identifier;
• indication circuitry coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to receive the control signal and to output a human perceptible signal to indicate presence of the radio frequency identification device responsive to the control signal;
• and
• wherein the communication circuitry is configured to output another wireless signal comprising an identifier of the radio frequency identification device.

An identification system comprising:

• an interrogator configured to output a wireless signal to identify at least one of a plurality of radio frequency identification devices;
• plural radio frequency identification devices individually configured to receive the wireless signal and individually comprising radio frequency identification device communication circuitry configured to control emission of a human perceptible signal to indicate presence of the respective radio frequency identification device within a communications range of the interrogator and to backscatter electromagnetic energy to output another wireless signal responsive to the received wireless signal;
• and
• wherein only the at least one radio frequency identification device identified by the wireless signal is configured to output the human perceptible signal responsive to receiving the wireless signal.

An identification system comprising:

• an interrogator configured to output a wireless signal including an identifier and data;
• and
• a plurality of remote communication devices configured to communicate with the interrogator and individually including:
• communication circuitry including a data port and the communication circuitry being configured to receive the wireless signal, to process the identifier, and to selectively write the data to the data port responsive to the processing of the identifier;
• and
• indication circuitry coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to receive the data and to indicate presence of the respective remote communication device responsive to the data.

An identification system comprising:

• an interrogator configured to output plural forward link radio frequency signals individually including a command, data, and an identifier to identify at least one of a plurality of radio frequency identification devices;
• a plurality of radio frequency identification devices configured to communicate with the interrogator and individually including:
• a substrate;
• communication circuitry coupled with the substrate and including a data port, the communication circuitry being configured to receive the wireless signal, to process the identifier, to selectively process the command responsive to the processing of the identifier, and to selectively write the data to the data port responsive to the processing of the command;
• indication circuitry coupled with the data port and configured to receive the data and to output a human visible signal to indicate presence of the radio frequency identification device responsive to the data;
• and
• a battery coupled with the substrate and configured to supply power to the communication circuitry and the indication circuitry;
• and
• wherein only the at least one radio frequency identification device which is identified by the identifier of the wireless signal emits the human visible signal to indicate presence.

A communication method comprising:

• providing a radio frequency identification device;
• receiving a wireless signal including an identifier within the radio frequency identification device;
• processing the identifier;
• generating a control signal after the processing;
• indicating presence of the radio frequency identification device using indication circuitry of the radio frequency identification device responsive to the control signal;
• and
• outputting another wireless signal comprising backscattering electromagnetic energy using the radio frequency identification device responsive to the processing.

A communication method comprising:

• providing a remote communication device;
• receiving a wireless signal including an identifier and data within the remote communication device;
• processing the identifier;
• selectively outputting the data to indication circuitry of the remote communication device after the processing;
• and
• emitting a human perceptible signal using the indication circuitry after the outputting the data.

An identification method comprising:

• providing a plurality of remote communication devices comprising radio frequency identification devices individually including indication circuitry;
• associating the remote communication devices with respective plural objects;
• outputting a wireless signal to identify at least one object;
• receiving the wireless signal within the remote communication devices;
• and
• indicating presence of the at least one selected object using the indication circuitry of the remote communication device associated with the at least one selected object;
• and
• outputting another wireless signal responsive to the receiving using the remote communication device associated with the at least one selected object.

An identification method comprising:

• providing a plurality of radio frequency identification devices individually including indication circuitry;
• outputting a wireless signal to identify at least one of the radio frequency identification devices;
• receiving the wireless signal within the radio frequency identification devices;
• emitting a human perceptible signal after the receiving using the indication circuitry of the at least one identified radio frequency identification device;
• and
• emitting another wireless signal using radio frequency identification device communication circuitry of the at least one identified radio frequency identification device, wherein the another wireless signal identifies the at least one identified radio frequency identification device.

An identification method comprising:

• providing a plurality of remote communication devices individually including indication circuitry;
• associating the remote communication devices with respective plural objects;
• outputting a wireless signal to identify at least one object and including data;
• receiving the wireless signal within the remote communication devices;
• extracting the data;
• indicating presence of the at least one selected object using the indication circuitry of the remote communication device associated with the at least one selected object responsive to the extracting;
• and
• outputting another wireless signal responsive to the receiving using the remote communication device associated with the at least one selected object.