Ultra wideband radio frequency identification techniques

• US 20060152369A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Reunamaki, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10306 ultra wide band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio

Abstract

Ultra wideband (UWB) techniques are applied to radio frequency identification (RFID). For instance, a reader generates a UWB IR interrogation signal, and receives a UWB IR reply signal from an RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal. In addition, the reader may generate from the UWB IR reply signal a baseband response sequence. This sequence includes at least a tag identifier. A reader may store at least a tag identifier. Upon receipt of a UWB IR interrogation signal, the tag obtains a plurality of clock pulses from the UWB IR interrogation signal. Based on the plurality of clock pulses, the reader transmits at least the tag identifier in a UWB IR response signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter portion configured to generate an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radio (IR) interrogation signal; and

a receiver portion configured to receive a UWB IR reply signal from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in response to the interrogation signal

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to generate a baseband interrogation sequence;

wherein the transmitter portion is further configured to generate the UWB IR interrogation signal from the baseband interrogation sequence.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the transmitter portion comprises:

a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to convert the baseband interrogation sequence into a baseband analog interrogation signal; and

an impulse generator configured to convert the baseband analog interrogation signal into the UWB interrogation signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the transmitter portion further comprises an amplifier configured to amplify the UWB interrogation signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiver portion is further configured to generate a baseband response sequence from the UWB reply signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiver portion comprises:

a template generator configured to generate an impulse template signal; and

a mixer configured to produce a baseband analog signal from the UWB reply signal and the impulse template signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the receiver portion further comprises an amplifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the baseband response sequence includes a tag identifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the baseband response sequence further includes tag data.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a host, wherein the host is configured to send an initiate interrogation command to the controller across an interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an antenna to wirelessly transmit the UWB IR interrogation signal.

12. A tag, comprising:

an antenna configured to receive an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radio (IR) interrogation signal;

a memory that stores at least a tag identifier;

a clock recovery module configured obtain a plurality of clock pulses from the UWB IR interrogation signal; and

an antenna modulator configured to transmit at least the tag identifier through backscatter modulation of the UWB IR interrogation signal, wherein the timing of the backscatter modulation is based on the plurality of clock pulses.

13. The tag of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores additional tag data, and

wherein the antenna modulator is further configured to transmit the additional tag data through backscatter modulation of the UWB IR interrogation signal, wherein the timing of the backscatter modulation is based on the plurality of clock pulses.

14. The tag of claim 12, further comprising a power module configured to obtain operational power from the UWB IR interrogation signal.

15. The tag of claim 12, further comprising a power module configured to obtain operational power from signals transmitted by a remote wireless communications device.

16. A tag, comprising:

an antenna configured to receive an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radio (IR) interrogation signal;

a memory that stores at least a tag identifier;

a clock recovery module configured obtain a plurality of clock pulses from the UWB IR interrogation signal; and

a UWB IR transmitter to transmit at least the tag identifier in response to the UWB IR interrogation signal.

17. The tag of claim 16, further comprising a power source configured to provide operational power to the UWB IR transmitter.

18. The tag of claim 17, wherein the power source includes a battery.

19. A method, comprising:

(a) generating an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radio (IR) interrogation signal; and

(b) receiving a UWB IR reply signal from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in response to the interrogation signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein step (a) comprises generating the UWB IR interrogation signal from a baseband interrogation sequence.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating a baseband response sequence from the UWB IR reply signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the baseband response sequence includes a tag identifier.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the baseband response sequence further includes tag data.

24. A method, comprising:

(a) storing at least a tag identifier;

(b) receiving an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radio (IR) interrogation signal;

(c) obtaining a plurality of clock pulses from the UWB IR interrogation signal; and

(d) transmitting at least the tag identifier in a UWB IR response signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the timing of the UWB IR response signal is based on the plurality of clock pulses.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein step (d) comprises performing backscatter modulation on the UWB IR interrogation signal.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

storing additional tag data, and

wherein step (d) further comprises transmitting the additional tag data in the UWB IR response signal.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising obtaining operational power from the UWB IR interrogation signal.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising a power module configured to obtain operational power from signals transmitted by a remote wireless communications device.

30. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to interrogate one or more tags, the computer program logic comprising:

program code for enabling the processor to cause generation of an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radio (IR) interrogation signal; and

program code for enabling the processor to receive a response sequence, wherein the response sequence is based on a UWB IR reply signal from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in response to the interrogation signal.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to process interrogation signals, the computer program logic comprising:

program code for enabling the processor to store at least a tag identifier;

program code for enabling the processor to obtain a plurality of clock pulses from an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radio (IR) interrogation signal; and

program code for enabling the processor to cause transmission of at least the tag identifier in a UWB IR response signal.