Electronic device, method and system for half duplex data transmission

• US 10,129,009 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Meier, Herbert, Hagl, Andreas, Childers, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Aziz, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US14/930,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0726 the arrangement including a circuit for tuning the resonance frequency of an antenna on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07792 the antenna adapted for extending in three dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00198 the keyless data carrier having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

An electronic device and method for half duplex data transmission in a long range keyless entry and go system, and more specifically to an RFID transponder, a corresponding read/write (R/W) unit and methods for operating the RFID transponder and the R/W-unit. There is a first coil, a second coil and a third coil, being arranged as a three-dimensional antenna, a first capacitor, a second capacitor and a third capacitor couplable in parallel to the first coil, the second coil and the third coil, respectively, for selectively forming a first, a second and a third parallel-resonant circuit for receiving radio signals, a series-resonant circuit for transmitting radio signals and a control stage configured to either use one of the first, second or third parallel-resonant circuits for receiving radio signals or the series-resonant circuit for transmitting signals.

Claims

1. An electronic device for half-duplex transmission of radio signals comprising:

three parallel-resonant circuits each having a coil in parallel with a capacitor and being arranged as a three-dimensional antenna for receiving radio signals, wherein the first parallel-resonant circuit comprises a first coil and a first capacitor, the second parallel-resonant circuit comprises a second coil and a second capacitor, the third parallel-resonant circuit comprises a third coil and a third capacitor, each parallel-resonant circuit configured to operate at a first frequency;

a circuit for determining which of the three parallel-resonant circuits receives the strongest radio signals and choosing that parallel-resonant circuit for receiving the radio signals; and

a control circuit configuring the chosen parallel-resonant circuit to be in series with a fourth capacitor to form a series-resonant circuit for transmitting radio signals, wherein the series-resonant circuit is configured to transmit radio signals in the same frequency range as the parallel-resonant circuits.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein each of the parallel-resonant circuits is configured to receive the radio signals at a first frequency, and the series-resonant circuit is configured to transmit the radio signals at the first frequency and a second frequency according to frequency shift keying.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the fourth capacitor is coupled with a first side to a first side of the first coil for selectively forming the series-resonant circuit and for transmitting the radio signals through the first coil and the control circuit being configured to switch from parallel resonance to serial resonance using either the first frequency or the second frequency.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein a fifth capacitor is coupled with a first side to a first side of the second coil for selectively forming the series-resonant circuit and for transmitting the radio signals through the second coil and the control circuit is configured to switch from parallel resonance to serial resonance using either the first or the second frequency.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein a sixth capacitor is coupled with a first side to a first side of the third coil for selectively forming the series-resonant circuit and for transmitting the radio signals through the third coil and the control circuit is configured to switch from parallel resonance to serial resonance using either the first or the second frequency.

6. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising a seventh capacitor which is coupled with a first side to the first coil and with a second side to a first side of a switch that is coupled with a second side to ground for selectively changing the resonant frequency of the series-resonant circuit comprising the first coil and the fourth capacitor during transmission of the radio signals for frequency shift keying of the radio signals.

7. The electronic device according to claim 4, further comprising a seventh capacitor which is coupled with a first side to the first coil and with a second side to a first side of a switch that is coupled with a second side to ground for selectively changing the resonant frequency of the series-resonant circuit comprising the first coil and the fourth capacitor during transmission of the radio signals for frequency shift keying of the radio signals.

8. The electronic device according to claim 5, further comprising a seventh capacitor which is coupled with a first side to the first coil and with a second side to a first side of a switch that is coupled with a second side to ground for selectively changing the resonant frequency of the series-resonant circuit comprising the first coil and the fourth capacitor during transmission of the radio signals for frequency shift keying of the radio signals.

9. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising a first normally closed switch that is coupled between the first side of the first coil and a first side of the first capacitor so as to selectively decouple the first side of the first coil from the first side of the first capacitor.

10. The electronic device according to claim 4, further comprising a first normally closed switch that is coupled between the first side of the first coil and a first side of the first capacitor so as to selectively decouple the first side of the first coil from the first side of the first capacitor.

11. The electronic device according to claim 5, further comprising a first normally closed switch that is coupled between the first side of the first coil and a first side of the first capacitor so as to selectively decouple the first side of the first coil from the first side of the first capacitor.

12. The electronic device according to claim 6, further comprising a first normally closed switch that is coupled between the first side of the first coil and a first side of the first capacitor so as to selectively decouple the first side of the first coil from the first side of the first capacitor.

13. The electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising a second normally closed switch that is coupled between the first side of the second coil and a first side of the second capacitor so as to selectively decouple the first side of the second coil from the first side of the second capacitor.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, further comprising a third normally closed switch that is coupled between the first side of the third coil and a first side of the third capacitor so as to selectively decouple the first side of the third coil from the first side of the third capacitor.

15. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the second sides of the first, second and third coil are coupled together and the second sides of the first, second and/or third capacitor are coupled together.

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the series-resonant circuit comprises a coil and the fourth capacitor, and wherein the fourth capacitor is coupled with a first side to a first side of the coil and with a second side to a switching stage that is configured to selectively couple the second side of the fourth capacitor to a first supply voltage node having a first supply voltage level or a second supply voltage node having a second supply voltage level.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the switching stage comprises a first transistor that is coupled with a first side of its channel to the second side of the fourth capacitor and with a second side of its channel to the first supply voltage node and a second transistor that is coupled with a first side of its channel to the second side of the fourth capacitor and with a second side of its channel to the second supply voltage node, so as to alternately and selectively switch the second side of the fourth capacitor between the first supply voltage level and the second supply voltage level.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, further comprising another capacitor that is coupled with a first side to the first side of the coil and with a second side to a switch for selectively coupling the second side of the capacitor to the second supply voltage level, wherein the second supply voltage level can be ground.