Patents by Inventor Harley Heinrich
Harley Heinrich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11853826Abstract: An RFID IC may operate at a relatively low clock frequency while impedance matching to an antenna is being tuned to increase the amount of power that the IC can extract from an incident RF wave. A tuning circuit tunes the impedance matching by adjusting a variable impedance coupling the IC and the antenna. The IC may power-up with a low clock frequency or reduce its current clock frequency to a lower clock frequency prior to tuning or during the tuning process, and may increase its clock frequency upon completion of tuning or during the tuning process.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2022Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: John D. Hyde, Shailendra Srinivas, Jay Kuhn, Ronald A. Oliver, Harley Heinrich, Theron Stanford, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 11798392Abstract: RFID ICs sense and indicate changes in their surrounding environment, such as changes in temperature, humidity, chemical presence, RF signals, and similar. An RFID IC indicates when a significant environmental change has occurred, for example by adjusting the value of a flag, writing data to memory, transmitting a message to an external entity, exiting a sleep state, and/or responding repeatedly to an inventorying reader. In some cases, RFID IC actively notifies an external entity that a significant environmental change has been sensed. For example, RFID IC may alert the external entity by participating in a special inventory process meant for RFID ICs sending environmental change. The RFID IC may alert the external entity by interjecting itself into an inventory round, re-participating in an inventory round, refraining from entering a sleep state after inventorying, and/or adjusting timing of a scheduled reply to communicate with an RFID reader ahead of schedule.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2022Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Diorio, Harley Heinrich, Matthew Robshaw, Theron Stanford, Charles J. T. Peach, John D. Hyde, Tan Mau Wu
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Patent number: 11790206Abstract: RFID inlays or straps may be assembled using impulse heating of metal precursors. Metal precursors are applied to and/or included in contacts on an RFID IC and/or terminals on a substrate. During assembly of the tag, the IC is disposed onto the substrate such that the IC contacts physically contact either the substrate terminals or metal precursors that in turn physically contact the substrate terminals. Impulse heating is then used to rapidly apply heat to the metal precursors, processing them into metallic structures that electrically couple the IC contacts to the substrate terminals.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2022Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Lee Koepp, Harley Heinrich, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 11341837Abstract: RFID ICs sense and indicate changes in their surrounding environment, such as changes in temperature, humidity, chemical presence, RF signals, and similar. An RFID IC indicates when a significant environmental change has occurred, for example by adjusting the value of a flag, writing data to memory, transmitting a message to an external entity, exiting a sleep state, and/or responding repeatedly to an inventorying reader. In some cases, RFID IC actively notifies an external entity that a significant environmental change has been sensed. For example, RFID IC may alert the external entity by participating in a special inventory process meant for RFID ICs sending environmental change. The RFID IC may alert the external entity by interjecting itself into an inventory round, re-participating in an inventory round, refraining from entering a sleep state after inventorying, and/or adjusting timing of a scheduled reply to communicate with an RFID reader ahead of schedule.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2020Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Diorio, Harley Heinrich, Matthew Robshaw, Theron Stanford, Charles J. T. Peach, John D. Hyde, Tan Mau Wu
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Patent number: 11288564Abstract: RFID inlays or straps may be assembled using impulse heating of metal precursors. Metal precursors are applied to and/or included in contacts on an RFID IC and/or terminals on a substrate. During assembly of the tag, the IC is disposed onto the substrate such that the IC contacts physically contact either the substrate terminals or metal precursors that in turn physically contact the substrate terminals. Impulse heating is then used to rapidly apply heat to the metal precursors, processing them into metallic structures that electrically couple the IC contacts to the substrate terminals.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Lee Koepp, Harley Heinrich, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 10929734Abstract: An RFID IC may operate at a relatively low clock frequency while impedance matching to an antenna is being tuned to increase the amount of power that the IC can extract from an incident RF wave. A tuning circuit tunes the impedance matching by adjusting a variable impedance coupling the IC and the antenna. The IC may power-up with a low clock frequency or reduce its current clock frequency to a lower clock frequency prior to tuning or during the tuning process, and may increase its clock frequency upon completion of tuning or during the tuning process.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2019Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: John D. Hyde, Shailendra Srinivas, Jay Kuhn, Ronald A. Oliver, Harley Heinrich, Theron Stanford, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 10878685Abstract: RFID ICs sense and indicate changes in their surrounding environment, such as changes in temperature, humidity, chemical presence, RF signals, and similar. An RFID IC indicates when a significant environmental change has occurred, for example by adjusting the value of a flag, writing data to memory, transmitting a message to an external entity, exiting a sleep state, and/or responding repeatedly to an inventorying reader. In some cases, RFID IC actively notifies an external entity that a significant environmental change has been sensed. For example, RFID IC may alert the external entity by participating in a special inventory process meant for RFID ICs sending environmental change. The RFID IC may alert the external entity by interjecting itself into an inventory round, re-participating in an inventory round, refraining from entering a sleep state after inventorying, and/or adjusting timing of a scheduled reply to communicate with an RFID reader ahead of schedule.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2019Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Diorio, Harley Heinrich, Matthew Robshaw, Theron Stanford, Charles J. T. Peach, John D. Hyde, Tan Mau Wu
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Patent number: 10846583Abstract: RFID inlays or straps may be assembled using impulse heating of metal precursors. Metal precursors are applied to and/or included in contacts on an RFID IC and/or terminals on a substrate. During assembly of the tag, the IC is disposed onto the substrate such that the IC contacts physically contact either the substrate terminals or metal precursors that in turn physically contact the substrate terminals. Impulse heating is then used to rapidly apply heat to the metal precursors, processing them into metallic structures that electrically couple the IC contacts to the substrate terminals.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2017Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Lee Koepp, Harley Heinrich, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 10445535Abstract: An RFID IC may operate at a relatively low clock frequency while impedance matching to an antenna is being tuned to increase the amount of power that the IC can extract from an incident RF wave. A tuning circuit tunes the impedance matching by adjusting a variable impedance coupling the IC and the antenna. The IC may power-up with a low clock frequency or reduce its current clock frequency to a lower clock frequency prior to tuning or during the tuning process, and may increase its clock frequency upon completion of tuning or during the tuning process.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2018Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: John D. Hyde, Shailendra Srinivas, Jay Kuhn, Ronald A. Oliver, Harley Heinrich, Theron Stanford, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 10002266Abstract: An RFID IC may operate at a relatively low clock frequency while impedance matching to an antenna is being tuned to increase the amount of power that the IC can extract from an incident RF wave. A tuning circuit tunes the impedance matching by adjusting a variable impedance coupling the IC and the antenna. The IC may power-up with a low clock frequency or reduce its current clock frequency to a lower clock frequency prior to tuning or during the tuning process, and may increase its clock frequency upon completion of tuning or during the tuning process.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2015Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: John D. Hyde, Shailendra Srinivas, Jay Kuhn, Ronald A Oliver, Harley Heinrich, Theron Stanford, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 9940490Abstract: An authentication method includes RFID tags authenticating RFID readers. A tag sends a tag identifier and a reader challenge to a reader in response to one or more commands from the reader. The reader then either derives a response to the reader challenge itself or has a verification authority derive the response. The response may be derived from parameter(s) in the reader challenge, and may be derived using a cryptographic key. The reader then sends the response to the tag along with another command. The tag verifies the response before executing instruction(s) included in the command.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2013Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: IMPINJ, INC.Inventors: Matthew Robshaw, Harley Heinrich, Yael Maguire, Theron Stanford, Christopher J. Diorio, Scott A. Cooper
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Patent number: 9916483Abstract: An RFID tag may execute instructions from an authenticated RFID reader. A tag determines a handle and a first parameter, both of which may be random numbers, and sends the handle to a reader. Upon receiving a challenge from the reader, the tag determines and sends a cryptographic response to the challenge based on an algorithm, a tag key, the first parameter, and the challenge. Upon receiving a message with a second parameter and a tag instruction, the tag executes the tag instruction upon verifying that the second parameter derives from the first parameter and the tag handle.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2017Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: IMPINJ, INC.Inventors: Matthew J B Robshaw, Harley Heinrich, Tan Mau Wu, Christopher Diorio
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Patent number: 9911018Abstract: A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag integrated circuit (IC) stores a subportion of a digital signature and a subportion indicator that may be used to authenticate the IC, a tag including the IC, and/or an item associated with the tag. The subportion of the digital signature is generated, at least in part, by applying a cryptographic function to an identifier associated with the IC, the tag, and/or the item.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2013Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: IMPINJ, INC.Inventors: Harley Heinrich, Lawrence F. Arnstein, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 9846833Abstract: RFID inlays or straps may be assembled using impulse heating of metal precursors. Metal precursors are applied to and/or included in contacts on an RFID IC and/or terminals on a substrate. During assembly of the tag, the IC is disposed onto the substrate such that the IC contacts physically contact either the substrate terminals or metal precursors that in turn physically contact the substrate terminals. Impulse heating is then used to rapidly apply heat to the metal precursors, processing them into metallic structures that electrically couple the IC contacts to the substrate terminals.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2014Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: IMPINJ, INC.Inventors: Ronald Lee Koepp, Harley Heinrich, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 9792472Abstract: An RFID tag may execute instructions from an authenticated RFID reader. A tag determines a handle and a first parameter, both of which may be random numbers, and sends the handle to a reader. Upon receiving a challenge from the reader, the tag determines and sends a cryptographic response to the challenge based on an algorithm, a tag key, the first parameter, and the challenge. Upon receiving a message with a second parameter and a tag instruction, the tag executes the tag instruction upon verifying that the second parameter derives from the first parameter and the tag handle.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: IMPINJ, INC.Inventors: Matthew J B Robshaw, Harley Heinrich, Tan Mau Wu, Christopher Diorio
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Patent number: 9471816Abstract: An RFID tag tuning circuit is capable of tuning the impedance matching between an RFID integrated circuit (IC) and an antenna on an RFID tag to increase the amount of power that the IC can extract from an incident RF wave. The tuning circuit tunes the impedance matching by adjusting a variable impedance coupling the antenna and the IC. Prior to tuning, the variable impedance is set using a voltage output from a tuning switch stage of an IC rectifier.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2015Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: IMPINJ, INC.Inventors: John Hyde, Theron Stanford, Harley Heinrich, Omer Onen, Charles Peach
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Patent number: 9460380Abstract: Technologies are generally directed to assembly of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag precursor. An assembly may be provided, the assembly having an RFID integrated circuit (IC), a nonconductive repassivation layer on a surface of the IC and confined within a perimeter of the surface, and a conductive redistribution layer on the repassivation layer and confined within the perimeter of the surface, in which a first portion of the redistribution layer is electrically connected to the IC through a first electrical connection. A substrate having a first antenna terminal to the assembly may be attached with an adhesive, and at least a first portion of a nonconductive barrier present on at least one of the first antenna terminal and the first portion of the redistribution layer may be reacted with a reactant to make the first portion of the nonconductive barrier conductive.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2014Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: IMPINJ, INTERNATIONAL LTD.Inventors: Ronald Lee Koepp, Tan Mau Wu, Ronald A. Oliver, Harley Heinrich, Jaideep Mavoori, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 9436902Abstract: An RFID IC assembly having a repassivation layer and a conductive redistribution layer may be assembled onto a tag substrate with an additional layer. The additional layer includes one or more etchants for creating an opening in a nonconductive barrier layer between the assembly and the substrate, and may also include an adhesive for attaching the assembly to the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2014Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: IMPINJ, INTERNATIONAL LTD.Inventors: Ronald Lee Koepp, Tan Mau Wu, Ronald A. Oliver, Harley Heinrich, Jaideep Mavoori, Christopher J. Diorio
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Patent number: 9104923Abstract: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags may receive one or more encapsulated commands within the payload of an encapsulating command from an RFID reader. An encapsulated command includes at least a command code and an instruction. A tag may store the encapsulated command(s) or the instruction portion of the encapsulated command(s) for later execution. A sequence of encapsulated commands may be contained within one encapsulating command or spread across multiple encapsulating commands. The sequence of encapsulated commands, or the sequence of instructions associated with the encapsulated commands, may form a program. The tag may execute the instructions or program upon receipt, upon a trigger event, serially or in parallel, and/or may modify the instructions or program by adjusting parameters. The tag may later be told by a reader to execute the instructions or program via another command which, in some cases, may be sent prior to tag singulation.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: Theron Stanford, Christopher J. Diorio, Harley Heinrich
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Patent number: RE47755Abstract: An RFID tag tuning circuit may be capable of adjusting the impedance matching between an RFID integrated circuit (IC) and an antenna on an RFID tag to increase the amount of power that the IC can extract from an incident RF wave. The tuning circuit switches a variable impedance coupling the antenna and the IC between several different impedance settings, where each impedance setting differs from an adjacent impedance setting by a respective impedance step size and at least one impedance step size has a different value than another impedance step size. The tuning circuit may switch the variable impedance by incrementing through a counter, decrementing through the counter, or performing some search algorithm. The tuning circuit may also initialize the variable impedance based on a default impedance setting or a random impedance setting derived from a random counter.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2018Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: Impinj, Inc.Inventors: John Hyde, Jay Kuhn, Theron Stanford, Harley Heinrich, Christopher Diorio, Ronald A. Oliver