Method for wireless data transmission and a transponder

• US 20070176755A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2006
• 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, Masuch, Jens, Pangels, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,994,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.340
• 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 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

A method for wireless data transmission, for example for RFID systems, between a base station and a transponder is provided. For wireless data transmission between a base station and a transponder, data are wirelessly and bidirectionally transmitted between the base station and the transponder through a first interface of a first interface type using a first data transmission protocol, and data are wirelessly and bidirectionally transmitted between the base station and the transponder through at least one second interface of a second interface type using a second data transmission protocol. The first data transmission protocol and the second data transmission protocol correspond at least in part.

Claims

1. A method for wireless data transmission between a base station and a transponder, the method comprising:

transmitting data wirelessly and bidirectionally between the base station and the transponder through a first interface of a first interface type using a first data transmission protocol; and

transmitting the data wirelessly and bidirectionally between the base station and the transponder through at least one second interface of a second interface type using a second data transmission protocol,

wherein the first and second data transmission protocols correspond at least in part.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein symbols to be transmitted are coded in the same manner for the first data transmission protocol and for the second data transmission protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein data are transmitted in the form of data frames with a header section, a middle section, and a trailer section, and transmission parameters are set with the aid of the header section, wherein transmission parameter settings of the first interface type effect transmission parameter settings of the second interface type.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second data transmission protocols correspond in a data link layer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second data transmission protocols correspond in an application layer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first interface is operated in a frequency range from 400 MHz to 6 GHz.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second interface is operated in a frequency range from 100 kHz to 150 kHz.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second interface is operated in a frequency range from 10 MHz to 20 MHz.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first interface and the second interface are operated in a substantially identical frequency range, and the first interface is based on an inductive coupling with the base station and the second interface is based on a far-field coupling with the base station.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein data are transmitted from the transponder to the base station through the first interface and/or the second interface on the basis of backscatter.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is supplied with operating power exclusively through the first interface and/or the second interface.

12. A transponder for wireless data transmission with a base station, the transponder comprising:

a first interface of a first interface type for bidirectional wireless data transmission with the base station;

at least one second interface of a second interface type for bidirectional wireless data transmission with the base station; and

a digital protocol processing unit operably coupled to the first interface and the second interface, and which provides for uniform interface-type-independent processing of the signals received from the first interface and from the second interface and of the signals to be transmitted to the first and second interfaces.

13. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein the first interface is designed to operate in a frequency range from 400 MHz to 6 GHz.

14. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein the second interface is designed to operate in a frequency range from 100 kHz to 150 kHz.

15. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein the second interface is designed to operate in a frequency range from 10 MHz to 20 MHz.

16. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein the first interface and/or the second interface is/are designed for backscatter-based transmission of data to the base station.

17. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein the first interface and/or the second interface is/are designed for far-field coupling with the base station.

18. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein the first interface and/or the second interface are designed for inductive coupling with the base station.

19. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein the transponder is a passive transponder.