Method for data transmission, write/read station for implementing the method, and functional unit

• US 20050012596A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FEIG ELECTRONIC GmbH
• Original Assignee: FEIG ELECTRONIC GmbH
• Inventors: Wennrich, Andreas, Desch, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,773,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

A method for data transmission between a write/read station of a radio frequency identification system and at least one external functional unit sends at least one data block from the write/read station to the external functional unit. The transmitted data block is received by at least one of the external functional units, and after reception of the transmitted data block, at least one external functional unit evaluates the at least one data block. The transmission of the at least one data block takes place exclusively by way of an RFID communication connection from the write/read station to the at least one functional unit and/or back.

Claims

1. A method for data transmission between a write/read station of a radio frequency identification system and at least one external functional unit comprising the steps of:

(a) sending at least one data block from the write/read station to the external functional unit for receipt by at least one external functional unit; and

(b) following reception of the transmitted at least one data block, evaluating the at least one data block by the at least one functional unit;

wherein transmission of the at least one data block takes place exclusively by way of a radio frequency identification communication connection from the write/read station to the at least one functional unit or from the at least one functional unit to the write/read station.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data block to be sent to the at least one functional unit is passed to a modulation device of the write/read station of the radio frequency identification system, for modulation of a carrier signal, and the at least one data block is sent to at least one external functional unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data block to be sent to the at least one functional unit is passed to a coding device of the write/read station of the radio frequency identification system, for coding of the data, and the at least one data block is sent to at least one external functional unit.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the modulation device of the write/read station modulates the at least one data block to be sent to the at least one external functional unit in a manner that in case of intentional or unintentional reception by a data carrier, the data carrier remains unaffected by the at least one data block.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the coding device of the write/read station codes the data block to be sent to the at least one external functional unit in a manner that in case of intentional or unintentional reception by a data carrier, the data carrier remains unaffected by the at least one data block.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identification system emits a frequency spectrum that remains unchanged or does not change beyond prescribed limit values by data bits to be modulated by way of a modulation device of the write/read station or coded by way of a coding device of the write/read station.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one functional unit transmits at least one data block to the write/read station by way of a modulation device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the modulation device is configured as a load modulation device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one functional unit transmits at least one data block to the write/read station by way of a coding device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one functional unit codes at least one data block by means of the coding device and transmits it to the write/read station in a manner that the at least one data block can be decoded by the write/read station, by means of a decoding device configured for decoding response data of a data carrier.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one functional unit transmits at least one data block having a response behavior equal to a transponder to the write/read station, and the at least one data block can be evaluated before the write/read station, by means of a decoding device configured for decoding response data of a data carrier.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data block or a response data block has a protocol frame.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one data block or the response data block has a start of frame and an end of frame.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one data block or the response data block has at least one check block.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one data block includes a command block, a parameter block, and data.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the parameter block contains a manufacturer identification code.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the response data block has at least one status block.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data block is switched through or relayed from a host to the at least one functional unit or from the at least one functional unit to the host, unchanged or essentially unchanged.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the write/read station relays or switches through data from a host to the at least one functional unit or data from the at least one functional unit to the host, whereby control commands for the write/read station are provided in a host protocol, for controlling and monitoring the at least one functional unit.

20. A write/read station for implementing a method for data transmission between the write/read station and at least one external functional unit comprising a modulation device for modulation of a carrier signal for a data block to be sent to the at least one functional unit, said modulation device being simultaneously used to modulate data to a data carrier.

21. The write/read station according to claim 20, further comprising a coding device for coding data bits for the data block to be sent to the at least one functional unit, said coding device being simultaneously used to code the data to the data carrier.

22. The write/read station according to claim 20, further comprising a demodulator and a decoding device for a response block of the at least one functional unit, said demodulator and decoding device being simultaneously used to demodulate and decode response data of the data carrier.

23. The write/read station according to claim 20, further comprising a communication connection to a computer.

24. The write/read station according to claim 23, wherein the write/read station acts as a conduit that merely passes control commands on to the at least one functional unit from the computer, or merely passes data blocks from the at least one functional unit to the computer.

25. The write/read station according to claim 20, wherein the write/read station is configured as a controller that controls the at least one functional unit.

26. The write/read station according to claim 20, wherein the write/read station processes response data blocks sent by the at least one functional unit.

27. The write/read station according to claim 20, wherein the write/read station is a control device for controlling and monitoring the at least one functional unit.

28. A functional unit for communicating with a write/read station of a radio frequency identification system in accordance with a method for data transmission between the write/read station and at least one external functional unit, wherein at least one data block is received by the write/read station, comprising a device selected from the group consisting of a receiving device and a sending device, wherein transmission of the at least one data block takes place exclusively by way of a radio frequency identification communication connection from the write/read station to the functional unit or from the functional unit to the write/read station.

29. The functional unit according to claim 28, further comprising at least one demodulation device.

30. The functional unit according to claim 28, further comprising at least one decoding device.

31. The functional unit according to claim 28, further comprising at least one modulation device.

32. The functional unit according to claim 31, wherein at least one modulation device is configured as a load modulation device.

33. The functional unit according to claim 28, further comprising at least one coding device.

34. The functional unit according to claim 28, wherein the functional unit is configured to perform actions triggered by at least one data block.

35. The functional unit according to claim 28, wherein the functional unit is configured to send response data blocks to the write/read station.

36. The functional unit according to claim 28, wherein the functional unit is configured to relay or switch commands through to data carriers.

37. The functional unit according to claim 28, wherein the functional unit is configured to send a data block having a response behavior equal to a transponder.