COMMUNICATION METHOD HAVING SELECTABLE RESPONSE SIGNAL STRENGTH LEVELS

• US 20090278665A1
• Filed: 05/07/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Buchsbaum, Martin, Liebl, Martin, Pontesegger, Christian, Raggam, Peter, Drexel, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0062 in RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] Systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/02 using transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A communication method in a system having a reader and at least one transceiver, the method including the reader selecting a response signal strength level from a plurality of response signal strength levels; and establishing communication between the reader and the at least one transceiver at the selected response signal strength level.

Claims

1. A communication method comprising:

selecting a response signal strength level from a plurality of response signal strength levels, by a reader; and

establishing communication between the reader and at least one transceiver at the selected response signal strength level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if communication between the reader and the at least one transceiver is not established at the selected response signal strength level, selecting a higher response signal strength level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting progressively higher response signal strength levels until communication between the reader and the at least one transceiver is established.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed for one transceiver on a plurality of respective channels, and the selected response signal strength level may be different for different channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed for a plurality of transceivers on a plurality of channels, and the selected response signal strength levels for the respective transceivers may be different for different transceivers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver is an RFID tag.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing step comprises the reader transmitting a signal with a command flag or parameter that identifies the selected response signal strength level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reader operates in single channel mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed simultaneously with an anti-collision method, and the selection of the response signal strength level permits optimization of the anti-collision method.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reader communicates with the at least one transceiver using a narrow-band antenna.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected response signal strength level corresponds to a desired communication range of the reader.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected response signal strength level is a lowest level at which communication between the reader and the at least one transceiver is possible.

13. A reader configured to select a first response signal strength level from a plurality of response signal strength levels, and to transmit a first signal based at least in part on the first response signal strength level.

14. The reader of claim 13 being further configured to select a second response signal strength level from the plurality of response signal strength levels, and to transmit a second signal based at least in part on the second response signal strength level if communication with at least one transceiver is not established in response to the first signal, wherein the second response signal strength level is higher than the first modulation amplitude.

15. The reader of claim 14, wherein the reader is further configured to select progressively higher response signal strength levels until communication between the reader and at least one transceiver is established.

16. The reader of claim 14, further comprising a narrow band antenna configured to transmit and receive signals.

17. The reader of claim 13, wherein the selected first response signal strength level is a lowest level at which communication between the reader and at least one transceiver is possible.

18. The reader of claim 13, wherein the reader is configured to communicate with a transceiver on a plurality of channels, and the selected first response signal strength level for the transceiver may be different for different channels.

19. The reader of claim 13, wherein the reader is configured to communicate with a plurality of transceivers on a plurality of channels, and the selected first response signal strength levels for the respective transceivers may be different for different transceivers.

20. A communication system comprising:

at least one transceiver; and

a reader configured to select a response signal strength level from a plurality of response signal strength levels, and to establish communication with the at least one transceiver at the selected response signal strength level.

21. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the reader is further configured to select progressively higher response signal strength levels until communication between the reader and the at least one transceiver is established.

22. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the reader comprises a narrow band antenna configured to transmit and receive signals for establishing communication with the at least one transceiver.

23. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the selected response signal strength level is a lowest level at which communication between the reader and the at least one transceiver is possible.

24. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the reader is configured to communicate with a transceiver on a plurality of channels, and the selected response signal strength level for the transceiver may be different for different channels.

25. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the reader is configured to communicate with a plurality of transceivers on a plurality of channels, and the selected response signal strength levels for the respective transceivers may be different for different transceivers.