RFID integrated in electronic assets

Details RFID integrated in electronic assets RFID integrated in electronic assets

1998-11-04

2001-06-19

Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2736)

Communications: electrical

Condition responsive indicating system

Specific condition

C340S572500, C340S572800

Reexamination Certificate

active

06249227

ABSTRACT:

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The following U.S. Patents and Patent Applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
U.S. Pat. Nos.
U.S. Pat. No.
Issue Date
Filing Date
Attorney Docket No.
5,521,601
05/28/96
04/21/95
YO995-0088
5,528,222
06/18/96
09/09/94
YO994-180
5,538,803
07/23/96
11/23/94
YO994-0073
5,550,547
08/27/96
09/12/94
YO994-185
5,552,778
09/03/96
11/23/94
YO994-0232
5,554,974
09/10/96
11/23/94
YO994-0071
5,563,583
10/08/96
11/23/94
YO994-070
5,565,847
10/15/96
11/23/94
YO994-0072
5,606,323
02/25/97
08/31/95
YO995-157
5,635,693
06/03/97
02/02/95
YO994-0215
5,673,037
09/30/97
09/09/94
YO994-184
5,680,106
10/21/97
10/27/95
YO995-0219
5,682,143
10/28/97
09/09/94
YO994-170
5,729,201
03/17/98
06/29/95
YO995-109
5,729,697
03/17/98
04/24/95
YO995-076
5,736,929
04/07/98
06/07/96
YO996-085
5,777,561
07/07/98
09/30/96
YO996-178
U.S. Nonprovisional patent applications Ser. Nos.
Application Ser. No.
Filing Date
Attorney Docket No.
08/681,741
07/29/96
YO996-037
08/660,249
06/07/96
YO996-084
(allowed 4-28-98)
08/621,784
03/25/96
YO996-031
08/626,820
04/03/96
YO995-158
08/646,539
05/08/96
YO996-068
08/681,741
07/29/96
YO996-037
08/694,606
08/09/96
YO995-218
08/790,639
01/29/97
YO997-024
08/790,640
01/29/97
YO997-023
08/733,684
10/17/96
YO996-195
08/862,149
05/23/97
YO997-116
08/862,912
05/23/97
YO997-115
08/862,913
05/23/97
YO997-114
08/909,719
08/12/97
YO995-109B
(allowed)
08/935,989
10/23/97
YO997-310
U.S. Provisional patent applications Ser. Nos.
Application Ser. No.
Filing Date
Attorney Docket No.
60/073,102
01/30/98
YO897-0028P1
60/074,605
02/13/98
YO897-0259P1
60/077,879
03/13/98
YO997-0038P1
60/078,287
03/17/98
YO897-0661P1
60/078,304
03/17/98
YO897-0662P1
60/091,350
07/01/98
YO897-0259P2
60/093,088
07/16/98
38384P1
The following further documents are also incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin: Vol. 38 No. 08, August 1995, page 17, “Multifunction Credit Card Package,” by Brady, Moskowitz, and Murphy (published anonymously).
Literature Reference
D. Friedman, H. Heinrich, D. Duan, “A low-power CMOS integrated circuit for field-powered radio frequency identification (RFID) tags,” 1997 Digest of Technical Papers of the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), San Francisco, Calif., February 1997.
PCT Published International applications Ser. Nos.
Application Ser. No.
Filing Date
Attorney Docket No.
PCT/GB96/00061
01/15/96
UK 9-94-066 PCT
PCT/EP95/03703
10/20/95
YO994-242 PCT
UK Published Application Ser. No.
Application Ser. No.
Filing Date
Attorney Docket No.
9710025.9
05/19/97
YO9-96-084
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, and more specifically to RFID tags integrated into electronic assets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is becoming an important identification technology in applications such as inventory management, security access, personnel identification, factory automation, automotive toll debiting, and vehicle identification to name just a few. RFID systems utilize an RFID transmitter-receiver unit (usually referred to as a base station or interrogator) to query an RFID transponder or tag which may be located at a distance from the transmitter-receiver unit. The RFID tag detects the interrogating signal and transmits a response signal containing encoded data back to the receiver.
RFID systems provide identification functions not found in identification technologies such as optical indicia (e.g., bar code) recognition systems. For example, RFID systems may employ RFID tags containing read/write memory of several kilobytes or more. The RFID tags may be readable at a distance and do not require direct line-of-sight view by the reading apparatus (e.g., base station or interrogator). Further, several such RFID tags may be read by the RFID system at one time.
Manufacturers and users of assets such as electronic components, devices, and systems have a need for an efficient means of tracking information about these assets in order to, for example, verify ownership, provide warranty information, prevent counterfeiting of parts, and provide theft recovery. Presently, such information is tracked by placing a serial number on the asset and storing this serial number along with information about the asset in a large, centralized database, typically the database of the manufacturing entity. However, due to the often large size of such a database or a use's inability to efficiently access the database, essential information such as identification (i.e., serial number) for inventory tracking or theft recovery, servicing information (i.e., time of assembly and/or sale, date of last service, date when next service is due, etc) and the like may be difficult to access and track.
Consequently, it would be desirable to apply RFID technology to electronically store information about an asset such as an electronic component, device, or system within the asset in order to provide functions such as, for example, assuring security of the assets, inventory tracking of the assets, identification of the assets, and short distance communication between the assets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention employs RFID technology to store and provide information about assets such as electronic components, devices, and systems in order to provide functions such as, for example, assuring security of the assets, inventory tracking of the assets, identification of the assets, and short distance communication between the assets. The present invention may be applied at the component level (i.e., circuit chip, circuit board, drive, motherboard, etc.), the device level (i.e., box, computer, monitor, server, etc.), or the system level (i.e., network system, computer system, etc.).
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, RFID technology is applied at the chip level. An electronic component such as a packaged integrated circuit (IC) includes an integrated RF transponder for communicating information about the component to an RFID system. The packaged IC comprises a package having a plurality of external leads or pins electrically coupled to one or more integrated circuits contained therein. One or more host or primary integrated circuit chips are housed within the package and electrically coupled to the leads as necessary. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFID IC) comprising memory for storing information about the electronic component and an RF transmitter and receiver section for communicating the information to the RFID system is housed within the package. The RF transmitter and receiver section may operate by modulating a reflected RF signal. The RFID IC may be a separate chip housed within the package and electrically coupled to at least one of the leads (for connection of an antenna) of the package, or alternatively, may be integrated monolithically with the primary IC.
The present invention may similarly be applied at the circuit board level. An electronic component comprising a circuit board may include an integrated RF transponder for communicating information about the component to an RFID system. The circuit board comprises a substrate having mounted thereon one or more packaged IC's operable to provide the functions of the component. An RF transponder circuit is mounted to the substrate. The RF transponder circuit includes memory for storing information about the electronic component and an RF transmitter and receiver section for communicating the information to the RFID system. The RF transponder circuit may be a packaged IC mounted to the substrate and coupled to an antenna formed on the substrate, or to an externally supplied antenna, pluggable antenna, detachable antenna, etc. via a connector. Alternatively, one or more of the IC's mounted to the substrate may include an integrated RFID IC. Each of these RFID IC's may be coupled to a separate antenna or may be coupled to and share a common antenna vi

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