Abstract:
A system comprises an electronic device for providing a particular electronic function, an radio frequency identification (RFID) tag connecting to an antenna, and an interface for connecting the primary module and the RFID tag. The RFID tag is capable of having wireless communicating through the antenna. The electronic device and the RFID tag are capable of communicating with each other through the interface.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention generally relates to radio frequency identification (RFID) systems and, more particularly, to RFID systems for electronic devices. 
         [0003]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0004]    Wireless communications are becoming more and more pervasive in our modem lives. Among emerging wireless communication technologies, RFID is one wireless identification and tracking technology that may be applied for various applications, such as inventory management, personnel identification, and automotive toll debiting. The use of RFID systems may allow devices with RFID tags to provide information to a system without complicated process or circuitry. 
         [0005]    As an example of their applications, RFID systems are popular in identification and tracking applications because RFID tags may be very small, light, and inexpensive. In addition, passive RFID tags receive power from the signals provided by interrogators, and thus, require no internal power supply. Further, RFID systems may offer customized solutions for various applications and provide relatively high speed data transfer between tags and interrogators. 
         [0006]    Manufacturers and users of electronic devices may have a need for access to information about the devices in order to verify manufacturing data (i.e., time of assembly), parts information, and servicing data (e.g., time of sale, date of last service, date when next service is due) for inventory or repair purposes. In general, such information may be tracked by placing serial numbers on electronic devices and storing these serial numbers along with the corresponding product information in a large centralized database. That may result in requiring a large size of a database to store product serial numbers and related information. In addition, the database does not necessarily contain updated or most-recent information about the devices. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    One example consistent with the invention provides a system which comprises an electronic device for providing a particular electronic function, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag connecting to an antenna, and an interface for connecting the primary module and the RFID tag. The RFID tag is capable of having wireless communicating through the antenna. The electronic device and the RFID tag are capable of communicating with each other through the interface. 
         [0008]    Another example consistent with the invention provides a method of operating a tracking system. The steps comprise providing a requesting signal to request communication with an electronic device, transmitting data from the electronic device to the interface, converting the data from the electronic device into radio frequency identification (RFID) signals, and transmitting the RFID signals from the interface to an RFID tag. 
         [0009]    In another example, the invention provides an interface for providing communication between an electronic device and an RFID tag which comprising an microcontroller which provides control of communication between the electronic device and an RFID tag, and an interface circuit for converting data from the electronic device into a RFID signal. 
         [0010]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended, exemplary drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0012]    In the drawings: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary communication system in examples consistent with the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary electronic device  100  in examples consistent with the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary RFID interrogator in examples consistent with the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary RFID tag in examples consistent with the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary interface in examples consistent with the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  illustrates portions of the communication system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart of communication between an RFID tag and an electronic device in examples consistent with the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart of communication between an RFID tag and an electronic device in examples consistent with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary communication system  10  in examples consistent with the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the system  10  may include an electronic device  100 , a radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising an RFID interrogator  200  and an RFID tag  300 , and an interface  400  connecting between the RFID tag  300  and the electronic device  100 . 
         [0022]    The electronic device  100  may be any devices used in daily life. Examples of the electronic device  100  may include PDAs (personal digital assistants), cellular phones, digital refrigerators, digital air conditioning systems, digital dehumidifiers, digital network connectors, digital televisions, digital communication systems, digital security systems, vehicle computer systems, calculators, digital home appliances, and digital surveillance systems. In some examples, the RFID tag  300  and other RFID tags may locate remotely or at a distance from the RFID interrogator  200  and each coupled to a device to be monitored. The RFID interrogator  200  may recover information stored in the RFID tag  300  by sending an interrogating signal to query the RFID tag  300 . In response, the RFID tag  300  may transmit a responding signal, which may contain information in an encoded format, back to the RFID interrogator  200 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a simplified block diagram of an exemplary electronic device  100  in examples consistent with the present invention. The electronic device  100  may include a processor  110 , a data memory  120 , a program memory  130 , a logic unit  140  and a power source  150 . The electronic device  100  may also include a memory  112  for storing important or real-time data regarding, for example, the operation of the electronic device  100 . The data in the memory  112  may include a basic input-output system (BIOS), operation parameters such as temperature, moisture and pressure, and electrical parameters such as voltage and current levels, depending on the functions of the electronic device  100 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the electronic device  100  may be configured to perform a particular electronic function, and the processor  110  and the program memory  130  within the electronic device  160  are adapted for the particular electronic function. Thus, if the electronic device  100  is a cellular phone, the program memory  130  may store the necessary programs for operation of the cellular phone and the data memory  120  may store relevant phone data, such as an automatic dialing directory or identification of phone numbers which placed an unanswered call to the cellular phone. In one example, the electronic device  100  may include a personal computer and the memory  112  may store a BIOS. The BIOS may store a set of instructions on a ROM chip which are run at the startup of the electronic device  100 . The set of instructions controls the most basic operations of the device  100  and is capable of initializing the device hardware. The logic unit  140  may include components, devices or circuits required for performing the functions of the electronic device  100 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary RFID interrogator in examples consistent with the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the RFID interrogator  200  may include a transmitter/receiver module  210 , a digital control circuit  220 , a baseband module  230 , and a power module  240 . The RFID interrogator  200  may be connected to antennas  250  either directly or through cables. The transmitter/receiver module  210  may further comprise a baseband filter  212 , a circulator  214 , a mixer  216 , a modulator  218  and a synthesizer  219 . With respect to the receiving operation of the RFID interrogator  200 , the antennas  250  may detect an RF carrier at a frequency of approximately 125 KHz, 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz or 2450 MHz, and pass it through a bandpass filter  212  to a circulator  214 . The circulator  214  may provide the signal received from an RFID tag through a mixer  216  to the baseband module  230  for demodulation. As a result, the baseband module  230  may provide a baseband data signal to the digital control circuit  220 . With respect to the transmitting operation, the digital control circuit  220  may provide digital data signals to a synthesizer  219 . The synthesizer  219  may prevent frequency pulling and provide a stable signal to modulator  218  for modulation onto the selected RF carrier. The modulated signal from the modulator  218  is then provided through the circulator  214  to the filter  212 . The filter  212  may attenuate the modulated signal that has high offset frequencies relative to the carrier before transmitting the signal through the antennas  250  to a corresponding RFID tag. The power for the transmitter/receiver module  210 , digital control circuit  220  and the baseband module  230  of the RFID interrogator  200  may come from the power module  240  such as a battery. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary RFID tag in examples consistent with the present invention. The RFID tag  300  may include a demodulator  310 , a power generation circuit  320 , a modulator  330 , and a digital control logic  340  with a memory  342 . The RFID tag  300  may be connected to antennas  350  either directly or through cables. With respect to the receiving operation of the RFID tag  300 , the antennas  350  may detect an RF carrier in a frequency of or approximately at 125 KHz, 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz or 2450 MHz, and pass it to a demodulator  310  for demodulation. The received RF carrier may be also provided to the power generation circuit  320  which may convert the RF power to DC power and provide the DC power supply for internal circuit of the RFID tag  300 . The demodulated signal from the demodulator  310  may be provided to the digital control logic  340  for control of the RFID tag  300 . With respect to the transmitting operation, the digital control logic  340  in response to the demodulated signal from the demodulator  310  may retrieve data stored in the memory  342  and provide it to the modulator  330 . The modulator  330  may modulate the data from the memory  342  and then transmit the modulated data through antennas  350  to a corresponding RFID interrogator. The power for the demodulator  310 , the modulator  330  and the digital control logic  340  of the RFID tag  300  may come from the power generation circuit  320 . The RFID tag  300  may use at least two different frequencies for communication. The RFID tag  300  may be external to the electronic device  100 , or alternatively, the RFID tag  300  may be integrated into the electronic  100 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is an exemplary interface in examples consistent with the present invention. The interface  400  may include a microcontroller  410 , an interface circuit  420  and an interface connector  430 . The microcontroller  410  is a processor, which may provide control of communication between the RFID tag  300  and the electronic device  100 . The interface circuit  420  may convert data from the electronic device  100  into RFID data. For example, the interface circuit  420  may be an UART interface which may translate data between parallel and serial interfaces by converting bytes of data to and from asynchronous start-stop bit streams represented as binary electrical impulses. When the interface circuit  420  is an UART interface, the interface connector  430  is an RS232 or serial connector to connect to a connection port of an electronic device for transmission of data from the UART interface to the electronic device. In another example, the interface circuit  420  may be an USB interface. The USB interface  420  may provide an external peripheral interface for communication between an electronic device (e.g., a computer) and external peripherals over a cable using bit-serial transmission. When the interface circuit  420  is an USB interface, the interface connector  430  then may be an USB connector to connect to a USB port of an electronic device for transmission of data from the USB interface to the electronic device. In the case where the RFID tag  300  is integrated into the electronic device  100 , the interface  400  may include a microcontroller  410  and an interface circuit  420 . The interface  400  is connected to the electronic device  100  through pin connection or soldering points. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  illustrates portions of the communication system  10  with regard to communication between the RFID tag  300  and the electronic device  100 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , the RFID tag  300  is connected to the electronic device  100  through the interface  400 .  FIG. 7  shows a flow chart of communication between the RFID tag  300  and the electronic device  100 . In step  710 , the microcontroller  410  of the interface  400  sends a requesting signal in every pre-determined period of time for requesting to read data in the memory  112  of the electronic device  100 . An interface application module  500 , which may be installed in the electronic device  100 , may be provided to facilitate data transmission between the microcontroller  410  and the memory  112 . The interface application module may also facilitate a user of the electronic device  100  to view the important or real-time data on a display of the electronic device  100 . Upon detecting the requesting signal, the interface application module  500  directs data transmission from the memory  112  to the microcontroller  410  in step  720  through the interface connector  430  and the interface circuit  420 . In one example, the interface application module  500  may direct a BIOS in the memory  112  to transmit the BIOS information to the microcontroller  410 . In step  730 , the microcontroller  410  may perform further processing on the data and may write the processed data to the memory  342  of the RFID tag  300  so that the RFID interrogator  200  may later retrieve updated information stored in the memory  342  of the RFID tag  300  by conventional wireless communication between RFID tags and RFID interrogators. 
         [0028]      FIG. 8  shows another flow chart of communication between the RFID tag  300  and the electronic device  100 . In step  810 , the interface application module  500  sends a requesting signal in every pre-determined period of time to the memory  112  of the electronic device  100  and directs data transmission from the memory  112  to microcontroller  410  of the interface  400  through the interface connector  430  and the interface circuit  420 . At the same time, the interface application module  500  sends a command to the microcontroller  410  to receive data from the memory  112 . In step  820 , upon receiving the command from the interface application module  500 , the microcontroller  410  receives the data from the memory  112  and performs further processing on the data. In step  830 , the microcontroller  410  may write the processed data to the memory  342  of the RFID tag  300  so that the RFID interrogator  200  may later retrieve updated information stored in the memory  342  of the RFID tag  300  by conventional wireless communication between RFID tags and RFID interrogators. 
         [0029]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the examples described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular examples disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.