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US 7,924,156 B2Granted
Electronically switchable RFID tags
OwnerSteven M. Colbyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various switchable RFID devices are disclosed. These switchable RFID devices may include one or more RFID tags and one or more switches. Some of these one or more switches are optionally wireless. In various embodiments, the switchable RFID devices include identity devices, financial devices, remote controls, and the like. In some embodiments, switches are configured to enter data into a switchable RFID device, for example to select a financial account.
Claims60
A RFID tag comprising:
- an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal, the transmission of the second RF signal being powered by the energy received from the first RF signal;
- and
- integrated circuitry including
- an input configured to receive data from the antenna and to receive power resulting from the energy received from the antenna,
- an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,
- a state memory configured to store an ON/OFF state including two or more ON states of the RFID tag;
- a key memory configured for storing a key for changing the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory, and
- a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, to read the key from the key memory, to compare the received data with the read key, and to change the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory responsive to this comparison, the switch logic being further configured to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory.
5 more elements
A RFID tag comprising:
- an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal, the transmission of the second RF signal being powered by the energy received from the first RF signal;
- and
- integrated circuitry including
- an input configured to receive data from the antenna and to receive power resulting from the energy received from the antenna,
- an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,
- a state memory configured to store an ON/OFF state of the RFID tag,
- a key memory configured for storing a key for changing the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory, and
- a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, to read the key from the key memory, to compare the received data with the read key, and to change the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory responsive to this comparison, the switch logic being further configured to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory, wherein the state memory or switch logic are shared by two or more RFID tags.
5 more elements
A RFID tag comprising:
- an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal, the transmission of the second RF signal being powered by the energy received from the first RF signal;
- and
- integrated circuitry including
- an input configured to receive data from the antenna and to receive power resulting from the energy received from the antenna,
- an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,
- a state memory configured to store an ON/OFF state of the RFID tag, the ON/OFF state being responsive to timing using a resister-capacitor circuit;
- a key memory configured for storing a key for changing the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory, and
- a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, to read the key from the key memory, to compare the received data with the read key, and to change the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory responsive to this comparison, the switch logic being further configured to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the ON/OFF state stored in the state memory.
5 more elements
A RFID tag comprising:
- a mechanical switch configured for selecting between two or more ON states of the RFID tag;
- an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal;
- and
- integrated circuitry including
- an input configured to receive data from the antenna,
- an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,
- a state memory configured to store a state of the RFID tag, and
- a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, and to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the state stored in the state memory or the mechanical switch.
5 more elements
A RFID tag comprising:
- a mechanical switch configured to set a state of the RFID tag stored in a state memory;
- an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal;
- integrated circuitry including
- an input configured to receive data from the antenna,
- an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,
- the state memory configured to store the state of the RFID tag, and
- a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, and to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the state stored in the state memory or the mechanical switch.
4 more elements
A RFID tag comprising:
- a mechanical switch;
- an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal;
- and
- integrated circuitry including
- an input configured to receive data from the antenna,
- an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,
- a state memory configured to store a state of the RFID tag, and
- a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, and to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the state stored in the state memory or the mechanical switch, the state logic being further configured to store a plurality of alternative ON states, the mechanical switch being configured for switching the RFID tag from an OFF state to one of the plurality of alternative ON states.
5 more elements
A RFID tag comprising:
- a mechanical switch responsive to a state of a mechanical security device;
- an antenna configured to receive data in a first RF signal, to receive energy from the first RF signal, and to transmit data in a second RF signal;
- and
- integrated circuitry including
- an input configured to receive data from the antenna,
- an output configured to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission,
- a state memory configured to store a state of the RFID tag, and
- a switch logic configured to receive data from the input, and to determine whether or not to provide the second RF signal to the antenna for transmission, the determination being responsive to the state stored in the state memory or the mechanical switch.
5 more elements
A method of changing a state of an RFID Tag, the method comprising:
- receiving energy sufficient to power the RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;
- receiving first data through the RF antenna;
- reading a key from a key memory;
- using an integrated circuit to compare the first data received through the RF antenna with the key read from the key memory, the integrated circuit powered by the received energy;
- determining a state of a mechanical switch in the RFID tag;
- and
- writing data to state memory responsive to the comparison only if the mechanical switch is activated, the data written to the state memory being configured to change the RFID tag from a first state to a second state.
4 more elements
A method of changing a state of an RFID Tag, the method comprising:
- receiving energy sufficient to power the RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;
- receiving first data through the RF antenna;
- reading a key from a key memory;
- using an integrated circuit to compare the first data received through the RF antenna with the key read from the key memory, the integrated circuit powered by the received energy;
- and
- writing data to state memory responsive to the comparison, the data written to the state memory being configured to change the RFID tag from a first state to a second state, wherein the first state and the second state are alternative ON states.
3 more elements
A method of changing a state of an RFID Tag, the method comprising:
- receiving energy sufficient to power the RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;
- receiving first data through the RF antenna;
- reading a key from a key memory;
- using an integrated circuit to compare the first data received through the RF antenna with the key read from the key memory, the integrated circuit powered by the received energy;
- writing data to state memory responsive to the comparison, the data written to the state memory being configured to change the RFID tag from a first state to a second state;
- and
- providing an RF response, a content of data in the RF response being responsive to the comparison.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving a first signal at an RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;
- reading a state from a state memory, the state memory being configured to alternatively store an OFF state, a first ON state and a second ON state;
- and
- sending a response signal using the RF antenna if the state is the first ON state or the second ON state, the response signal being a response to the first signal, wherein contents of the response signal are responsive to whether the state is the first ON state or the second ON state.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- receiving a first signal at an RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;
- reading a state from a state memory, the state memory being configured to alternatively store an OFF state, a first ON state and a second ON state;
- and
- sending a response signal using the RF antenna if the state is the first ON state or the second ON state, the response signal being a response to the first signal, wherein sending the response signal is responsive to a mechanical switch.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- receiving a first signal at an RFID Tag through an RF antenna included in the RFID tag;
- reading a state from a state memory, the state memory being configured to alternatively store an OFF state, a first ON state and a second ON state;
- sending a response signal using the RF antenna if the state is the first ON state or the second ON state, the response signal being a response to the first signal;
- and
- changing the state in the state memory responsive to an RF signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.