Method of Operating a Rfid System

• US 20080258872A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Gruber, Bernhard, Scherabon, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• 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

The invention relates to a method of operating a RFID system comprising at least one reader (1) and a plurality of wireless data carriers (2), each of which comprise at least one data processing element with slow response (5), wherein the method controls the at least one reader (1) to continuously communicate with one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2), while at least another one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2) is processing data with its at least one slow response element (5). The invention further relates to a RFID system comprising at least one reader (1) and a plurality of wireless data carriers (2), each of which comprises at least one slow response element (5), wherein the system is capable to continuously communicate with at least one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2), while at least another one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2) is processing data with its at least one slow response element (5).

Claims

1. Method of operating a RFID system comprising at least one reader and a plurality of wireless data carriers of which wireless data carriers at least a first wireless data carrier comprises a slow response element wherein the at least one reader communicates with one or more of the plurality of wireless data carriers, while at least the first wireless data carrier is processing data with its slow response element.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the slow response element is a non-volatile memory and wherein the first wireless data carrier writing data to its non-volatile memory while the at least one reader communicates with one or more of the plurality of wireless data carriers

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the slow response element is an encryption/decryption element and wherein the first wireless data carrier is encrypting and/or decrypting data while the at least one reader communicates with one or more of the plurality of wireless data carriers

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the slow response element is a sensor and wherein the first wireless data carrier is reading data from its sensor while the at least one reader communicates with one or more of the plurality of wireless data carriers

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least first wireless data carrier deactivates the processing of commands from the at least one reader in the first wireless data carrier until the respective data processing operation in the first wireless data carrier is completed.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reader supplies at least the first wireless data carrier with energy, while the first wireless data carrier is processing data with its slow response element

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reader modulates a data signal to be transmitted to one or more of the plurality of wireless data carriers using frequency modulation or phase modulation.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reader modulates a data signal to be transmitted to one or more of the plurality wireless data carriers using amplitude modulation with a modulation degree less than 100%.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein an anti-collision arbitration is performed.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reader performs a single write operation with part or all of the plurality of wireless data carriers to write data into the non-volatile memory of part or all of this plurality of wireless data carriers

11. A computer program product comprising software code portions for performing the method according to claim 1 when that computer program product is run on the at least one reader

23. Reader for use in a RFID system according to claim 12 which comprises an analog RF-interface and a control unit which further comprises a logic unit which is capable to perform the computer program product according to claim 11.

12. RFID system comprising at least one reader and a plurality of wireless data carriers of which wireless data carriers at least a first wireless data carrier comprises a slow response element wherein the at least one reader is capable to communicate with one or more of the plurality of wireless data carriers while at least the first wireless data carrier is processing data with its slow response element

13. RFID system according to claim 12 comprising a non-volatile memory as slow response element.

14. RFID system according to claim 12 comprising an encryption/decryption element as slow response element.

15. RFID system according to claim 12 comprising a sensor as slow response element.

16. RFID system according to claim 12, wherein at least the first wireless data carrier is capable of deactivating the processing of commands from the at least one reader in the first wireless data carrier, until the respective data processing operation in the first wireless data carrier is completed.

17. RFID system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one reader comprises a frequency modulation unit and/or a phase modulation unit to modulate a data signal to be transmitted to one or more of the plurality of wireless data carriers

18. RFID system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one reader comprises an amplitude modulation unit and each of the wireless data carriers comprises a voltage regulation having a buffer capacity which is increased compared to a buffer capacity for use with frequency or phase modulation so that the reception range for a sufficient energy supply of a writing operation of one the plurality of wireless data carriers when amplitude modulation is used is comparable to the reception range when frequency or phase modulation is used.

19. RFID system according to claim 12, which further includes a unit for performing an anti-collision arbitration.

20. RFID system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one reader performs a write operation with part or all of the plurality of wireless data carriers to write data into the non-volatile memory of part or all of this plurality of wireless data carrier.

21. Wireless data carrier for use in a RFID system according to claim 12, which comprises an analogue RF-interface a digital control unit and a data processing unit with slow response, wherein the digital control unit comprises means for deactivating the processing of commands from the at least one reader during processing of data with its slow response element

22. Wireless data carrier according to claim 20, wherein the digital control unit further includes a command decoder, which is capable to be deactivated after receipt of a write command from the at least one reader.