Patent ID: 8198985
Filing Date: 2012-06-12
Classification: G06K,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A method for an RFID transponder to communicate with a first interrogator operating with a first interrogator communication protocol and with a second interrogator operating with a second interrogator communication protocol, wherein said first interrogator communication protocol is a read only protocol consisting of a read mode and wherein said second interrogator communication protocol is a read/write protocol consisting of a read mode and a write mode, wherein the transponder responds to one of said first and second interrogator communication protocols as a dominant protocol and the other of said protocols as interrogator communication a recessive protocol, said method comprising: transmitting a first interrogation signal according to the interrogator communication protocol of the first interrogator or the second interrogator; detecting said first interrogation signal by the transponder; if the transponder detects said recessive protocol, switching automatically to said recessive protocol according to a reluctance rule based on the dominant protocol of the transponder and a first set of signal characteristics associated with said first interrogation signal detected by the transponder; detecting a second interrogation signal by the transponder that is of a different protocol than said first interrogation signal; if the transponder detects said dominant protocol, reverting automatically to the dominant protocol according to an acceptance rule based on the dominant protocol of the transponder and on a second set of signal characteristics associated with the second interrogation signal detected by the transponder; wherein a first set of reluctance and acceptance rules for the first interrogator communication protocol and a second set of reluctance and acceptance rules for the second interrogator communication protocol are programmed into the transponder's hardware, the transponder responding according to said first set of reluctance and acceptance rules based on a programmed bit designating the first interrogator communication protocol as the dominant protocol or the transponder responding according to said second set of reluctance and acceptance rules based on said programmed bit designating the second interrogator communication protocol as the dominant protocol.