DATA COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20020068528A1
• Filed: 06/15/1998
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HASBRO, INC. - RI CORPORATION, NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Innovision Research & Technology PLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: WHITE, ANDREW DAVID, BORRETT, MARC A
• Granted Patent: US 6,650,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

Data communication apparatus comprises a master unit (2) and at least one physically separate, passive slave unit (4). The master unit (2) has a first part (29) of an inductive communication system, and a processor (20) connected to the first part of the inductive communication system. The slave unit has a second part (40) of the inductive communication system, a data store (48), and a modulator (44, 49) responsive to data from the data store and connected to the second part (40) of the inductive communication system. The first and second parts of the inductive communication system (29, 40) are constructed so that when the slave unit (4) is brought into proximity with the master unit (2), power is inductively coupled from the master unit to the slave unit via the inductive communication system. The modulator (44, 49) in the slave unit (4) is thereby activated to cause data from the store (48) to be inductively communicated from the slave unit (4) to the master unit (2) via the inductive communication system. The processor (20) is responsive to the data supplied to the master unit (2).

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus comprising a master unit and at least one physically separate, passive slave unit, the master unit having a first part of an inductive communication system, and a processor connected to the first part of the inductive communication system, and the slave unit having a second part of the inductive communication system, a data store, and a modulator responsive to data from the data store and connected to the second part of the inductive communication system, wherein the first and second parts of the inductive communication system are constructed so that when the slave unit is brought into proximity with the master unit, power is inductively coupled from the master unit to the slave unit via the inductive communication system, and the modulator in the slave unit is thereby activated to cause data from the store to be inductively communicated from the slave unit to the master unit via the inductive communication system, the processor being responsive to the data supplied to the master unit.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inductive communication system comprises a tuned circuit.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor generates a drive signal, at a drive frequency, which is fed to the first part of the tuned circuit, the tuned circuit being adapted to resonate at a frequency offset from the drive frequency when no data is being transmitted to he master unit, such that the tuned circuit resonant frequency is phase shifted relative to the drive frequency.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit is offset by up to 3.5% from the drive frequency.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the modulator is responsive to data from the data store selectively to adjust the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the modulator is responsive to data from the data store selectively to adjust the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the modulator is responsive to data from the data store selectively to adjust the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the modulator is responsive to binary data from the data store either to adjust or not to adjust the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit in accordance with the value of the data.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the modulator is responsive to binary data from the data store either to adjust or not to adjust the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit in accordance with the value of the data.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the non-adjusted and adjusted resonant frequencies of the tuned circuit are on either side of the drive frequency.

11. Apparatus according to claim 6, the master unit further comprising a phase comparator which receives a signal at the drive frequency, and the signal returned from the tuned circuit, and generates an output signal related to the phase difference between the two input signals.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a converter unit connected to the output of the phase comparator for generating a pulse width modulated signal related to the phase difference defined by the signal output by the phase comparator.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data store contains binary data, the slave unit further comprising a unit for converting each binary digit from the store into a two bit sequence in which the values of the bits are different, the order within the sequence varying depending upon the value of the binary digit from the data store.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the converting unit comprises an exclusive-OR gate.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modulator comprises a field effect transistor.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the master unit includes at least one output device adapted to generate one or more of an electrical, visual, audible and mechanical output under control of the processor, in response to data received from the slave unit.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a number of slave units are provided, each slave unit storing different data in its data store.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1 in the form of a toy or game.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the slave unit is provided in a toy character or model or a card.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the master unit is provided in a base adapted to receive the character, model or card.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the base includes a recess shaped to receive the character, model or card.