Method for wireless data transmission

• US 20060125598A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Germany GmbH (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Friedrich, Ulrich, Fischer, Martin, Ziebertz, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 8,013,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.400
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 and apparatus for wireless data transmission is provided between a base station and a backscatter-based transponder, in which the transponder generates a presence signal after initialization or at predetermined time intervals, independent of data transmitted by the base station. The presence signal is generated by phase modulation and backscattering of a carrier signal transmitted by the base station.

Claims

1. A method for wireless data transmission, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a base station and a backscatter-based transponder, the base station and the backscatter-based transponder transmitting wirelessly between one another; and

generating a presence signal by the transponder after initialization or at predetermined time intervals independent of data transmitted by the base station,

wherein the presence signal is generated by phase modulation and backscattering of a carrier signal that is transmitted by the base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is provided with operating power exclusively by the carrier signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transponder is initialized when the operating power is sufficient for supplying the transponder.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the presence signal is generated by modulation of the carrier signal with a subcarrier.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the presence signal contains a transponder identification.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a configuration command transmitted by the base station and/or a transponder-internal memory contains one or more parameters for setting the presence signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a frequency and/or a pulse duty factor of a modulation signal, with which the carrier signal is modulated, is set by at least one parameter.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the frequency and/or the pulse duty factor is derived from a transponder-internal oscillator clock.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the generation of the presence signal is released or suppressed by the at least one parameter.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder ends the transmission of the presence signal, when a prescribable maximum time has elapsed and/or the transponder receives a command.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of the carrier signal is within the UHF frequency range.

12. A transponder comprising:

an antenna for receiving a carrier signal that is transmitted by a base station, the transponder receiving the carrier signal within a transmission range of the base station; and

a presence signal generation unit for generating a presence signal by phase modulation and backscattering on the basis of the carrier signal transmitted by the base station, the presence signal being generated after an initialization or at predetermined time intervals and independently of data transmitted by the base station.