Method for selecting one or several transponders

• US 20070030126A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Friedrich, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,893,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• 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 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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 7/10029 the collision being resolved in the time domain, e.g. using binary tree search or RFID responses allocated to a random time slot

Abstract

A method for selecting at least one transponder or a sensor in RFID or remote-sensor systems provided with a plurality of transponders or sensors (tags), in particular in systems provided with a plurality of reading devices, is disclosed. The inventive method includes the feature that in pre-selecting individual transponders or sensors by at least one reading device and, after the successful selection of at least one transponder or sensor, data, in particular for conforming the preselection, is asynchronously transmitted during at least one protocol section from the transponder or sensor to the reading device. The invention makes it possible to efficiently reduce the potentially disturbing control signals of the reading device(s), thereby improving the transmission characteristics of said systems.

Claims

1. A method for selecting at least one transponder or sensor in RFID or remote sensor systems having a plurality of transponders or sensors with at least one reading device, the method comprising:

determiningly preselecting individual transponders or sensors by at least one reading device; and

transmitting data for confirming, after preliminary selection of at least one transponder or sensor has taken place, asynchronously from the transponder or sensor to the reading device during at least one protocol segment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preselection takes place deterministically.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first bit sequence with a length of m bits is generated by the transponders or sensors for purposes of selection.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first bit sequence is generated when an asynchronous transmission mode has been selected for a return data link from the transponders or sensors to the reading device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the purpose of preselection of a transponder or sensor, an identifying bit sequence is used which has a length of n bits, where n≦

m.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifying bit sequence is extracted from the first bit sequence.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first bit sequence is produced from a random number and/or a memory content.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the purpose of preselecting a transponder or sensor, a selection bit sequence is transmitted by the reading device to the transponders or sensors in a bitwise manner and is compared bitwise with the identifying bit sequence.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein a bit length of the random number is adjusted or reduced, as a function of a progress of the bitwise comparison.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, as determined by the comparison, a transponder or sensor is selected and the selection process is terminated by a control end signal from the reading device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, before transmitting the selection bit sequence, the reading device transmits header data containing reference symbols for recognizing the control end signal.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein, before transmitting the selection bit sequence, the reading device transmits header data containing reference symbols for selecting an asynchronous return data link from the transponder or sensor to the reading device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein payload data and optionally additional check symbols are transmitted during the asynchronous protocol segment.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the check symbols are transmitted together with the payload data within individual data bits of the latter.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asynchronous protocol segment is terminated by an additional control signal from the reading device.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asynchronous protocol segment is followed by an acknowledgement segment by means of which a preliminary selection of a transponder or sensor is confirmed or rejected by the reading device.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the acknowledgement segment is transmitted in a synchronous mode.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the reading device or the preselected transponder or sensor transmits check data, such as CRC data, which are compared with complementary check data in a respective receiver to confirm or discard the preliminary selection.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the check data are independent from optional check symbols of the asynchronous protocol segment.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the acknowledgement segment is transmitted in a synchronous mode.

21. The method according to claim 7, wherein the preselected transponder or sensor transmits the random number and optionally associated check data or CRC data.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein, in order to confirm the preliminary selection, a confirmation signal is transmitted to the transponder or sensor by the reading device in the acknowledgement segment.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein, if the confirmation signal is absent, at least within a confirmation period, the transponder or sensor discards its preliminary selection.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in order to activate at least the asynchronous data transmission during the at least one protocol segment, a corresponding activation command is transmitted by the reading device to the transponders or sensors.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the activation command is stored in the transponders or sensors, and is executed again upon subsequent reception of a repeat command.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the repeat command is shortened relative to the activation command.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein check data of the repeat command are checked before repeated execution of the activation command.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the repeat command contains a control symbol to activate a transmission of check symbols together with payload data within individual data bits of the latter.

29. A method for controlling a data transmission or an anticollision procedure, according to claim 1, in RFID or remote sensing systems having a plurality of transponders or sensors, wherein a command structure transmitted by a reading device to at least one transponder or sensor for transmission of data by the transponder or sensor is executed and stored by the transponder or sensor with additional parameter and/or address extensions, and wherein the stored command is executed again following subsequent reception of a repeat command.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein check data of the repeat command are checked before repeated execution of the activation command.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the command structure contains, as an extension, a pointer to a memory block and a bit address of the tag.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the repeat command is shortened relative to the activation command.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein reception of the repeat command prevents storage thereof.

34. The method according to claim 29, wherein the repeat command contains a control symbol to activate a transmission of check symbols together with payload data within individual data bits of the latter.

35. The method according to claim 29, wherein the repeat command contains an acknowledgement bit to confirm or discard the preliminary selection of a transponder or sensor.