Outline of RFID Applications Presented in Year 2003 Patents, by Category

RFID has been applied to hundreds of applications.  This report section organizes the RFID related applications which were discussed in patents issued in 2003.  The organizational scheme is discussed in the introductory material.

The outline presents xxx applications.  This total needs to be explained in relation to the total number of patents reviewed for 2003.  The total number of RFID related patents discovered for 2003 was 535. (All 535 patents are listed in a separate Data Base Appendix document.)  A number of patents………….

Numbers in parentheses after a description indicate that there were a number of patents discussing that application and show how many.  Where a comma separated list of applications is shown for a single bullet, each of the applications was separately presented in the patents.  If the application was addressed multiple times, this is also shown.

This section has two major subsections:  General RFID Applications and Passive RFID

General RFID Applications

This section, … covers patented applications where ……..

Acoustic

Use of acoustic coupling as the transmission medium, even if the acoustic frequency is in the RF frequency range.

• 3 applications ………

Capacitive

Use of capacitive coupling as the transmission medium, even if the signal frequency is in the RF frequency range.

• 1 application …

xxxxxx

Use of RFID tags for the identification of a product,  or ……..

• 16 applications ……….

xxxxxxxx

Use of a commercially available passive RFID tag where ….

xxxx – with people  (the tag is on a person)

Each application can be subcategorized by: where the identification takes place; what action is taken based on the information obtained.

 

Where identification takes place	Action taken based on the information obtained
In a facility	….
Airport terminal	………
yyyyyy	..
At a retail location	Organization and manage shopping lists and home inventory
yyyyyy	……..
On a roadway ( tolls )	…… To update account balances
yyyyyy	Combination … biometric sensing …... To unlock ……….
In a room	To control lights or heat
yyyyyy	ATM machine ……. ………
vvvv	Dynamic selection of ……
Near a sink	Verify the use of ……
vvvvvvvvv	To dial a phone number
vvvvvv	Unlock doors ………
vvvvvvvvv	Control access to ……

xxxx - With Animals ( the tag is on an animal)

• 9 applications ………

xxxxxxx – with objects ( the tag is on an object)

Each application can be subcategorized in 3 ways: what is tagged; where the identification takes place; what action is taken based on the information obtained.

 

What is tagged	Where identification takes place	Action taken based on the information obtained
Airline baggage	Terminal                                                 Match to a specific passenger, identify routing
xxxxxxx	Anywhere                                            Determining that …
xxxxxxxxx	On auto                                                 Ownership and warrantee
Books	Library                                                  Tracking or managing books in a library (2)
xxxxxxxx	While reading                                      Providing ….
xxxxxxxx	Work stations                                      Tracking …….
xxxxxxxx	Mobile readers                                    Status and maintenance with data storage in the tag
Food	Cooking area                                        Set up ……..
xxxxxxxxx	yyyyyyyyy                                          zzzzzzzzz
xxxxxxxx	yyyyyyy                                               Accounting; theft prevention; ……
Golf balls	Golf course                                           Prevent mix ups
xxxxxx	Stadium                                                 zzzzzzzzz
xxxxxxxxx	Refueling station                                 Prevention of ………….
xxxxxxx	yyyyy                                                   Guiding lawn mowers
xxxxxxxx	Payment location                                zzzzzzzz
xxxxxxxxxx	yyyyyyyy                                            Inventory and use tracking
15 more sections ……

 

 

Conventional use of RFID tags with objects may also be presented, not as specific end use applications, but as ways to approach handling the tags.  Each item here was a separate patent.

• 9 applications ……..

Data protocol

Data processing methods where the patent focuses on the  RFID data.

• Data base normalization ….
• Use of XML for ………
• Use and communication of state variables ….
• Uploading control code for ……….

xxxxxxxxx

Use of conventional RFID circuits with added xxxxxxxx where the novelty is primarily ……….

• ~ 30 applications ………

Material Control

Use of RFID for identification of materials or subcomponents that need to be brought together at some point in a process. The RFID system employed is usually ……….

• 15+ applications …….

Optical

Use of optical methods, including bar coding, for identification purposes.  Special application of ….

• ~ 20 applications ……….

xxxxxxxxx

Use of a conventional RFID tag, either separable or embedded, where the novelty is ……...

• 1 application

xxxxxxxx

The important characteristic that discriminates this category is that the tag or transponder …..  This makes a very big difference.   The category includes remote identification of a person, animal or object using an attached device.  The device uses RF signals.  However, …. include very complex processors and perform functions substantially beyond identification.  Such modules can have ….. additional functions might include: …...  The patent office will classify them …  All of these were issued patents in 2003.

• Access control security systems for buildings
• Activation by capacitively coupled signal
• Auto remote electronic door key (2)
• Automatic toll charging system
• Identifying remote pumping stations
• In car product ordering systems: fast food restaurants; adapted for disabled users
• Remote appliance controller
• Unit dose drug package monitoring
• Vending machine door lock
• Plus over 40 more applications ………

xxxxx

This section lists 14 applications which involve technology development ………There were actually 84 patents located in the search with provided technical improvements for RFID.  These are analyzed in depth in a separate Data Base Appendix document.  These provided the basis for RFID technical improvement in 2003, most of them ... Numbers in ( ) are patent numbers for cross reference.

• xxxxx
• Auto tolls (6653946)
• xxxxxx
• xxxxxxxx
• xxx
• xxxxxxxx
• xxxxx
• xxxxxxxxx
• Retail goods and libraries (6646554)
• xxxxxx
• xxx
• Plus more ………….