RF RECEIVER AND RFID/USN SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME

• US 20090237251A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEC AP Co., Ltd. (ATEC T& Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Nam Yun
• Granted Patent: US 8,461,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices

Abstract

A radio frequency receiver comprises a first signal coupler coupling and branching a radio frequency signal received from a tag or a reader. a voltage regulator receiving the coupled signal and outputting a voltage-regulated signal having a predetermined level, a signal converter mixing the radio frequency signal transmitted from the first signal coupler by using the voltage-regulated signal as an oscillation frequency signal and generating a baseband frequency signal, a signal processor processing the baseband frequency signal and extracting tag information, and a data transceiver transmitting the tag information through a wire and/or wireless network.

Claims

1. A radio frequency receiver comprising:

a first signal coupler coupling and branching a radio frequency signal received from a tag or a reader;

a voltage regulator receiving the coupled signal and outputting a voltage-regulated signal having a predetermined level;

a signal converter mixing the radio frequency signal transmitted from the first signal coupler by using the voltage-regulated signal as an oscillation frequency signal, and generating a baseband frequency signal;

a signal processor processing the baseband frequency signal and extracting tag information; and

a data transceiver transmitting the tag information through a wire and/or wireless network.

2. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator comprises:

an amplifier for gain-amplifying the coupled signal; and

a second signal coupler connected to an output terminal of the amplifier to perform a coupling operation with respect to an amplified signal; and

,

wherein the signal processor receives a coupled signal from the second signal coupler to determine the intensity of the coupled signal, generates a gain control signal and transmits the gain control signal to the amplifier.

3. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 2, wherein the voltage regulator comprises a log amplifier, which converts a signal coupled by the second signal coupler into a DC signal having a predetermined level and transmits the DC signal to the signal processor.

4. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal converter comprises at least one mixer.

5. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal converter mixes the radio frequency signal with the voltage-regulated signal to generate a baseband frequency signal having an In phase (I) signal and a Quadrature phase (Q) signal.

6. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

an antenna for receiving a radio frequency signal from the tag or the reader; and

a filter disposed between the antenna and the first signal coupler.

7. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 6, comprising a first amplifier disposed between the antenna and the first signal coupler.

8. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processor comprises an analog to digital converter (ADC).

9. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal converter comprises a demodulator which demodulates the received radio frequency signal.

10. The radio frequency receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processor processes a signal received from the reader to generate reader information, and analyzes synchronization information comprising the reader information, thereby extracting tag information from a signal received from the tag by using the synchronization information.

11. A radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network comprising:

a reader for transmitting an information requesting signal to request providing of tag information, and receiving the tag information from a tag corresponding to the information requesting signal;

a radio frequency receiver for receiving the tag information from the tag;

a terminal for receiving the tag information from the radio frequency receiver;

a first network for connecting the radio frequency receiver with the terminal; and

a second network for connecting the reader with the terminal.

12. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiving frequency receiver comprises:

a first signal coupler coupling and branching a radio frequency signal received from a tag or a reader;

a voltage regulator receiving the coupled signal and outputting a voltage-regulated signal having a predetermined level;

a signal converter mixing the radio frequency signal transmitted from the first signal coupler by using the voltage-regulated signal as an oscillation frequency signal, and generating a baseband frequency signal;

a signal processor processing the baseband frequency signal and extracting tag information; and

a data transceiver transmitting the tag information through a wire and/or wireless network.

13. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the voltage regulator comprises:

an amplifier for gain-amplifying the coupled signal; and

a second signal coupler connected to an output terminal of the amplifier to perform a coupling operation with respect to an amplified signal; and

wherein the signal processor receives a coupled signal from the second signal coupler to determine the intensity of the coupled signal, generates a gain control signal and transmits the gain control signal to the amplifier.

14. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 13, wherein the voltage regulator comprises a log amplifier, which converts a signal coupled by the second signal coupler into a DC signal having a predetermined level and transmits the DC signal to the signal processor.

15. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal converter comprises at least one mixer.

16. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal converter mixes the radio frequency signal with the voltage-regulated signal to generate a baseband frequency signal having an In phase (I) signal and a Quadrature phase (Q) signal.

17. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 12, comprising:

an antenna for receiving a radio frequency signal from the tag or the reader; and

a filter disposed between the antenna and the first signal coupler.

18. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal processor processes a signal received from the reader to generate reader information, and analyzes synchronization information comprising the reader information, thereby extracting tag information from a signal received from the tag by using the synchronization information.

19. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the terminal compares tag information provided from the reader with tag information provided from the radio frequency receiver, thereby determining whether or not tag information, which is not obtained from the reader, exists.

20. The radio frequency identification/ubiquitous sensor network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first network and the second network are at least one of a wire network and a wireless network.