SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED PROGRAMMING OF RFID TAGS USING MACHINE READABLE INPlCIA

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention generally .relate to radio frequency identification systems, and more particularly systems and methods for automated programming of RFID tags using a bar code reader to obtain tag input information. The systems and method of the various embodiments of the invention may be useful with a variety of different applications in which bar code labels exist or can be easily generated for items to be identified, thereby reducing errors associated with manual data input in programming RFJD transponder tags.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems use an RF field generator (reader) to wirelessly extract identification information (i.e., UPC, product name, etc.) contained in RFID transponder tags that are attached to various products and objects retjuirmg accurate identification, RFID tags are miniature electronic circuits that typically consist of a coil that, acts as an antenna, and a small silicon-based microprocessor with a memory, all encapsulated in a protective material. RFID tags store identification information, usually in the form of an identification number, product name and/or other information that corresponds to an object or item to which the tag is attached. This number may be used to index a database containing price, product name, manufacture and/ or other information. When a transponder tag enters an RF .tieid generated by a reader devi ce, the circuit of the tag becomes energized causing the processor to perform a data operation, usually by emitting a signal containing the processor's stored information. The basic structure and operation of RFiD tags can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,075,632, 4,360,801, 4,390,880, 4,739,328 and 5,030,807, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

RFID tags generally are formed on a substrate, such as, for example, paper, and can include analog RF circuits, digital logic,, and memory circuits. RFED tags also can include a number of discrete components, such, as capacitors, transistors, and diodes.

RFϊD tags are categorized as either active or passive. Active tegs have their own discrete power source such as a battery. When an active tag enters an RF field it is turned on and then emits a signal containing its stored information. Passive tags do not contain a power source. Rather, they become inductively or capacitiveiy charged when they enter an RF field. Once the RF field has activated the passive circuit, the tag emits a signal containing its stored information. Passive RFID tags usually include an analog circuit that detects and decodes the interrogating RF signal and that provides power from the RF field to a digital circuit in the tag. The digital circuit generally executes all of the data functions of the RFlD tag, such as retrieving stored data from memory and causing the analog circuit to modulate to the RF signal to transmit the retrieved data. In addition to retrieving and transmitting data, previously stored in the .memory, both passive and active dynamic RFϊD tags can permit new or additional information to be written to a portion of the RFID tag's memory- or can permit the RFID tag to manipulate data or perform some additional functions.

Though originally invented to track feeding of cattle,. R.FϊD tags are today utilized in a variety of applications including retail security, inventor)' management, and even computerized checkout. With the price of RFID tags now reaching as low as 5 cents per tag, and because of reductions in size due to an overall trend towards miniaturization in circuit design, RFlD tags currently are being applied to many types of products, both at the consumer level as well as in manufacturing processes. RFlD tags enable manufacturers to wireless Iy track products from the manufacturing stage to the point-of-sale. They provide a robust, cost effective, efficient and accurate solution to inventory tracking and management.

RFlD tags are rapidly becoming the preferred method of inventory tracking in retail and distribution applications and will likely surpass bar codes as the preferred point- of-sale checkout identifier. Large retail chains such as WALMART Corporation are already requiring their suppliers to utilize RFlD tags for tracking shipments. RFID tags have significant advantages over bar code labels, For example, bar codes are limited in size by resolution limitations of bar code scanners, and the amount of information that the symbols can contain is limited by the physical space constraints of the label. Therefore, some objects may be unable to accommodate bar code labels because of their size and

physical configuration. In contrast, RFID tags store their information in digital memory. Thus, they can he made much smaller than bar code tags.

Another advantage of RFID tags over bar codes is that bar code readers requires line of sight in order to rea.d the reflection pattern from a bar code. As labels become worn or damaged, they can no longer be read with the bar code scanner. Also, because a person operating the bar code scanner must physically orient either the scanner or the product to achieve line of sight on each item being scanned, items must be scanned one at a time resulting in prolonged scan time. RFDD tags, on the other hand, are read through radio waves, which, do no require line of sight, because they are able to penetrate light impermeable materials. This not only eliminates the line of sight requirement, but also allows rapid identify cation of a batch of tagged products.

Yet another relative advantage of RFID tags over bar code labels is that for dynamic RFlD tags, the information stored in the tag may be updated using a writing device to wirelessly transmit the new information to be stored. Updating information in bar code tags typically requires printing a new tag to replace the old.

As companies migrate from bar code technology to radio frequency identification techniques, they are faced with the problem of how to facilitate this transfer without introducing new human generated errors occurs. Many companies have .large investments in. computer software, bar code hardware and inventory management systems for creating and linking bar code labels. Such systems and well known and widely available in the market place. Many existing inventory management systems use bar code labeled indicia as a means of indexing detailed product information. For example., at the grocery store point of sale terminal a scan of the bar code returns a product price and description. This information, is not stored in the tag, but rather stored in the inventory management system of the retail facility and indexed by the bar-coded UPC number.

Conventional bar code writing devices, that is, the devices used to program information into the memory structures of RFID transponder lags, usually rely on a keyboard device for a user to input information that is to be stored in the tag's memory. This process is not only time consuming but is also prone to introducing errors attributable to incorrect data entry. Alternatively, other conventional systems may allow the user to access a database either in an. RFID reader device or externally accessible by such a device

to select information on a product or other item to be written to tag. This method is also time consuming because the user .must navigate through the available information to find a particular item. This method also requires the user to be familiar with products and their descriptions.

The description herein of various advantages and disadvantages associated with known apparatus, methods, and materials is nol intended to limit the scope of the invention to their exclusion. Indeed, various embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the known apparatus, methods, and materials without suffering from their di sadvantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based on the foregoing, there is a need for systems and methods of programming RFID transponder tags that are efficient, accurate and less reliant on manual data entry. It would be desirable to provide systems and methods for automatically programming RFID tags without reliance on manual data input that overcomes or ameliorates some or all of the shortcomings of conventional RFID tag programming systems and methods. In particular, it would be desirable to provide systems arid methods for programming RFID tags with information obtained through machine reading, or more specifically through bar code reading techniques.

Thus, it is a feature of various embodiments of the invention to provide a method of converting bar coded information to RFID tag information using a dual function bar code reader RFVD reader/writer to facilitate the data conversion.

Another feature of various embodiments of the invention provides a method of automatically programming an RFID tag using a machine readable data code as the data source for the RF[D tag.

To achieve the above-noted features, and in accordance with the purposes as embodied and broadly described herein, one exemplary embodiment provides a method of programming an RFID tag. The method of programming an RFID lag according to this embodiment comprises reading a bar code label with a bar code reader, storing information read from the bar code label in a memory structure of a data processing system, transmitting a radio frequency signal including the stored information to an RFID

tag, and storing the information contained in the radio frequency signal in a memory device in the RFID tag. .

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, a method of automatically programming an RFID fag is provided. The method of automatically programming an RFID tag according to this embodiment comprises scanning a bar code with a computing device to obtain information encoded therein, storing the obtained information in the computing device, transmitting a radio frequency signal from the computing device to an RFID tag that contains the obtained information, and storing the information, received at the RF I ^' D tag in a memory structure io the teg.

In accordance with a further exemplary embodiment, a system for automated programming of RFlD tags is provided. The system for automatic programming of Ri ⁷ ID tags according to this embodiment comprises a dual purpose bar code scanner and RFlD reader/writer device, and a series of computer readable instructions stored in the dual purpose device adapted to cause the device to perform a bar code scan operation of a bar code label i to store information obtained ixo.ni the bar code scan operation, and write the stored information to an RF ID transponder tag.

These and other embodiments and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken m conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DBSCRlPTK)N OP THE DRAWINOS

Purposes and advantages of the embodiments will be apparent Io those of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings in which like reference characters are used to indicate like elements, and in which:

FKJ. l is a perspective view of system for automatically writing data to an RFID tag based on data read from a bar code label in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG, 2 is a flow chart, detailing the steps of a method for programming an RFID tag with data read from a bar code label according to at least one embodiment of die invention;

FIG, 3 is a flow chart detailing the steps of a method for writing data to an RFID tag according to at least one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is block diagram illustrating the modules of a control system for a dual function bar code reader and RFID reader/writer in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is intended to convey a thorough understanding of the embodiments described by providing a number of specific embodiments and details involving systems and methods of programming data to RFID transponder tags based on data read from bar coded labels. It is understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments and details, which are exemplary only. It is further understood that one possessing ordinary skill in the art. m light of known systems and methods, would appreciate the use of the invention for its intended purposes and benefits in any number of alternative embodiments, depending upon specific design and other needs.

As used herein., the expressions "RFID tag" and "RFID transponder tag" will refer to any active or passive type of electronic data storage device, read-only or read and write, that is wirelessly activated in the presence of a radio frequency (RF) field, including any currently avail able inductively coupled RFID tags, capacitively coupled RFjD tags and even future RF-type tags not yet available. This includes tags operating in the 125 kHz, J 3.56 MHz, 868-927 MHz, 2.45 GHz and 5.S GHz frequency bands as well as other suitable frequennn bands. Also, the tag may be a silicon-type IC tag, a printed tag printed with a conductive ink-based printing process or a tag formed by other suitable means.

As used herein, the terms "write" and "program" in the context of storing data to a memory structure contained in an RFID transponder tag circuit will be used synonymously to refer to the process of transmitting a radio frequency signal that has been modulated to contain identification information to be stored in the memory structure. The tag circuit includes an antenna, processor and memory structure. The tag circuit is able to receive the

signal, recover the encoded information and store that information in the non-volatile memory structure so that, it can be wkeJessly accessed hy RFlD reader devices.

Through out this description, the expression "dual mode bar code reader and RFlD reader/writer device" will be given broad meaning including, but not limited to, atiy type of .handheld, portable, or stationary device consisting of a single unitary structure or separate structures in communication with one another, that is capable of reading a bar code label (typically by illuminating the label with a laser or other light source and translating the reflection pattern into a number), at least temporarily storing thai information and transmitting a write signal to an RFϊD transponder tag containing the information so that the information can be stored in a memory structure in the RfID transponder lag.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , a system for automatically writing data to an RFID tag based on data read from a bar code label in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention is depicted. The system comprises a dual purpose bar code reader and RFID reader/writer device 100 having an integral bar code scanner that an operator can use to read a bar code label 50, store the coded information obtained from the bar code read operation, and then "write" that information to a memory structure contained in an RFID tramponder tag 60, Though the device 100 shown in FIG, I is a unitary, hand-held device, it should be appreciated that the device 100 may be part of a distributed system or non-unitary system such as a desktop terminal with a wired or wireless bar code reader and a wired or wireless RFiD reader/writer, both of which are in communication with the desktop terminal . The various embodiments of the invention are not dependent upon a particular configuration, but rather use an integrated control system that uses bar-coded information as the data source for an RFϊD transponder tag, In this way, errors associated with manual data entry may be reduced. In various embodiments, the device 100 may write the information obtained from scanning the bar code label 50 directly to the KFID transponder tag 60. In various embodiments, the device .100 may use the code inform atiori obtained from scanning the bar code label 50 to niάvx, a table and/or database containing more detailed information associated with code information and, write this detailed information as well as the code information to the RFID transponder tag 60. The detailed information may be stored in the device 100 or in an external database that is queried by

the device 100 after performing the bar code scan operation. If the device 100 is stationary device such as stationary bench or work station, the user raay merely move a bar code label 50 past the bar code reader and then place an RFlD transponder tag 60 in a field area of the RFID writer to write the information to the tag. Such a workstation configuration may have particular utility in high throughput environments where RFED transponder tags need to be generated quickly based on bar code labels, such as, for example, in a manufacturing facility.

The device 100 depicted in FIG. 1 has a user interface comprising a screen 102 and keyboard .104 for input and output of operator information. However, it should be appreciated that the interface is exemplary only. Various embodiments, may only have s display screen, may have a, touch enabled display screen, may have only a series of LEDs in lieu of a display screen or mixtures of the above. The various embodiments of the invention are not. dependent upon the particular form of the interface. As discussed above, the form of the interface may be dependent in part of the form of the device itself, i.e., band-held, unitary, multi-part system, desktop,, workstation, etc. In various embodiments, control/operating system for the bar code reader and .RFID reader/writer device will permit the user to configure features such as bar code symbology, type of data, length of bar- coded data, bar code check digit enable/disable, etc. In various embodiments, the control/operating system will allow the user to choose between a batch mode and real time mode of data collection and encoding the collected data to RF.ϊD tags, In various embodiments, the control/operating system will allow the operator Io select a particular type of RFIB tag from a variety of different tag types, En various embodiments, the control/operating system will allow the operator to select and/or configure the memory block scheme of the selected RFID tag, En various embodiments, a user may perform data synchronization between a hand held or portable terminal and a stationary PC or PC network, such as for example, through wireless or wire-based communication links.

Referring to FIO. 2, a flow chart detailing the steps of a method for programming an RFϊD tag with data read from a bar code label according to at least one embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The method begins in step 200 and proceeds to step 210 where the bar code label is scanned. In various embodiments, this may comprise a user depressing a button or other activator to cause a bar code read operation to occur an a bar

code label. Alternatively, this may comprise moving the bar code label into the field of Influence of an always on or motion activated bar code scanning field in a manner analogous to grocery store pomt~of~ssle systems. Next, in step 220, the code information obtained dining the scan step 210 is stored in a .memory in communication with the bar code seamier. Then, in step 230. a database indexed by the code information is queried. As discussed above in the context of FIG. 1, this database may be located in a handheld seamier RFID reader/ writer device, it may be located in a desktop system to which the bar code scanner is tether or remotely coupled to. or the database may even be remotely accessed through a bi-directional wireless or wire-based communication channel, ϊa various embodiments, querying the database will return more detailed information such as item name, manufacturer, price, manufacture date, etc. As noted above, an advantage of RFID technology over bar codes is that the RFID tag may store more information because it is not limited by the same physical constraints as a bar code label. Thus, subsequent reads of the RFID tag may riot require querying a product/inventory database because some or all of the inform ad on in such a database may be stored electronically in the tag itself, hi various embodiments, the data obtained from querying the database is at least temporarily stored in a memory structure in communication with the scanner and RFID reader/writer device.Then in step 240, some or all of this temporarily stored data is written to the RFlD tag, As discussed herein, this is accomplished by modulating an RF signal to transmit the data. The data written to the tag, may in some embodiments, be only the code read from the tag, may in other embodiments be some or all of the detailed information obtained from querying the database, and in. yet other embodiments, may be mixtures of both, In various embodiments the user may specify through an interface which of the available data fields should be written to the RFID tag.

Referring now to FiG. 3, a flow chart detailing the steps of a method for writing data to an RFlD tag according to at least one embodiment of the invention is depicted. The method begins in step 250 and proceeds to step 251 where an RF signal containing the information that is destined for the transponder tag is transmitted -within a physical space containing the tag. This may comprise pointing a reader/writer device at the tag, or moving the fag info an area of RF influence created by the writer device. Then, in step 252, the tag circuit, becomes energized by the RF field. This enables the processor in the

tag circuit to issue a write command thereby storing the information in the tag's integral memory. Next; m step 243, in various embodiments, the system will perform a read operation. A read operation may comprise generating an RF field of sufficient strength and appropriate frequency to again energize the circuit in. the transponder tag and cause it to emit a signal containing the stored information. In step 244, a determination is made whether the write operation was successful . In various embodiments, this may comprise comparing the information obtained from the read operation to the stored information that was written to the tag. If in step 244, it is determined that the data was written successfully, operation may advance to step 245. Otherwise, operation may go to step 246 where a negative indicator is activated. In various embodiments, this may comprise displaying a message, illuminating an LED or other light, outputting an audio message, or combinations of these. The user may be prompted to repeat the write operation causing system operation to go back to step "24 ϊ . Alternatively, the system may automatically go to step 241 one or more times if the data is not written successfully. Returning to step 245 _S if in step 244 it is determined thai the data was written successfully, a positive indicator may be activated. As with the activating the negative indicator in step 246, this may comprise displaying a message, illuminating an LED or other light, outputting an audio message, or combinations of these. Operation stops in step 247.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a block diagram illustrating the modules of a control system for a dual function bar code reader and RFID reader/writer in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The system 110 comprises a plurality of modules including a bar code reader module 1 12. a memory module 1 14, a control module 1 lό, a storage module 120. an RF writer module 122, an RF reader module 124, an indicator module 126, a communication module 128 and a user interface module 130, Each .module may comprise a. separate circuit, routine or application, may be based in hardware, in software, or both, may be firmware, may be discrete components of a modular system or merely subroutines/subcomponents of the same system, such as a single computer program stored ϊn a memory structure of a device, such as a dual mode bar code scanner and RFID reader/writer device.

In various embodiments, a user will interact with the system 110 through the user interface module 130. This module- may include a keyboard, mouse, stylus, biometric

M sensor, display screen or other interface that allows a user to interact with the system such as to input information, issue commands, power the device on an off, perform file management, upgrade software and database information., monitor output, receive feedback and perform other administrative and non-administrative tasks.

In various embodiments when a user issues a command to commence a scan-write operation through the user interface module 130, the control module 116, will cause the bar code reader module .1 12 to activate. The control module 116 may in various embodiments be a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), control system, virtual instrument, program kernel or other suitable command issuing structure, ϊf the user has the bar code reader properly oriented with respect, to a bar code, the bar code reader module 112 wi 1.1 return a code, such as a sequence of numbers, obtained from the reflection pattern generated by illuminating the bar code with the reader. In various embodiment, the bar code reader module 112 will store the code in the memory module 114. The memory module 114 may comprise volatile memory such as random access memory, non-volatile memory such as flash memory, storage such as computer bard drive, holographic storage device or other storage device, or mixtures of any of the above. Ia various embodiments, the control module J.16 will then access the storage module 120 which,, may contain a database of detailed product information tbat is indexed by the code read obtained by the barcode reader module 112. It should be appreciated that in various embodiments, the memory module 1 14 and storage module 120 may be consolidated into a single module. However, in other embodiments, the storage module 120 will be nonvolatile storage and the memory module 114 will be temporary, volatile storage. In still further embodiments, the storage module 120 may be external to the control system 110. In such embodiments, the control module 116 may utilize the communications module 128 to access an external database in the storage module 120 that contains detailed product information, ϊn such embodiments, the communication module 128 will query the remote database using the code stored in the memory module .1.14 that was acquired by the barcode reader module 1 12 and will return the detailed product information associated with that code, ϊn various embodiments, this information will be also be stored in the memory module 1 14 in association with the code.

After the system 1 10 has obtained all available information, or at least the information, fieds selected by the user, the control .module 1 16 may cause the RF writer module 122 to activate. The RF writer module will interrogate the memory module !.14 to obtain the information to be written to the RFT.D transponder tag and transmit a. signal through an antenna that contains the information intended to be programmed into the RFlD transponder tag. In various embodiments, the user may, through the user interface module 130, select a particular operating frequency for the RF writer module 122 to transmit on. In other embodiments, the RF writer module 122 may transmit through a plurality of different frequencies known to be compatible with various different types of RFϊD transponder tags, ϊn still further embodiments, the user may, through the user interface module 130, select a particular brand, type or .model of RFID transponder lag, which, in turn will cause the ^' RF writer module 122 to select a particular frequency for transmitting the signal to the RFlD transponder tag.

After the writer module 12.2 has finished, in various embodiments, the control module .1.16 may cause the RF reader module 124 to perform a read operation by generating an RF field of sufficient strength and appropriate frequency to read tSie data contained in the RFϊD transponder tag. The data obtained by the RF reader module 124 may be temporarily stored in the memoxy module 114. The control module 116 may then compare this information to the information that was written to the tag by the RF writer module 122 to determine whether the write operation was successful. The control module 116 may engage the indicator module 126 based on the results of this determination. For example, if the read and written data in the memory module 1 14 matches, the control module 11.6 may cause the indicator module 126 to Issue a positive indication to the user, such as green light, sound, text, message, voice, or other indication, or combinations of any of the above. Alternatively, if the read and written data in the memory module 1 1.4 is not the same, or if no data was obtained during the read operation, the control module 116 may cause the indicator module 126 to issue a negative indication to the user, such as a red light, sound, voice, text message or other indication, or combinations of any of the above. In various embodiments, if the data in the memory module 114 is not the same, the control module 116 may automatically, that is without user intervention, engage the RF writer module 122 to again write the information stored in the memory module 1 14 to the RFID

tag. Alternatively, the control module i 16 may cause a message to be displayed on the interface module 130 prompting the user to enter a command to re-initiate the write process or completely repeat the process starting with the bar code scan.

The embodiments of the present inventions are not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. For example, although many of the embodiments disclosed, herein have been described with reference to reading bar code labels and then writing information associated with the barcode label to an RFlD transponder tag using a dual bar code reader and RFID reader/writer device, the principles herein are equally applicable to other aspects radio frequency-based identification. Indeed, various modifications of the embodiments of the present inventions, in addition to those described herein, will, be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Thus, such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims. Further, although some of the embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in the context of a particular implementation in a particular environment for a particular purpose, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the embodiments of the present inventions can be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims set .forth below should be construed in view of the full ^" breath and spirit of the embodiments of the present inventions as disclosed herein.