Radio Frequency Identification System and Method

• US 20100097188A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chou, Feng-Jian
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

An identification system and method is disclosed to identify an identity and a position of a radio frequency (RF) device. The RF device generates a response signal when receiving an RF signal. The identification system includes a plurality of antenna units, a switching unit, an RF module and a microcontroller. Each antenna unit has a corresponding identifying area. The switching unit is coupled to the antenna units. The microcontroller controls the switching unit to select at least one antenna unit for transmitting the RF signal generated by the RF module, and determines whether the RF device positions in the corresponding identifying area of the select antenna unit according to whether the selected antenna unit receives the response signal. The microcontroller also identifies the identity of the RF device when the select antenna unit receives the response signal.

Claims

1. An identification system, for identifying a position of a radio frequency (RF) device, the RF device generating a response signal upon receiving an RF signal, the identification system comprising:

a plurality of antenna units, each antenna unit having a corresponding identifying area;

a switching unit, coupled to the antenna units;

an RF module, coupled to the switching unit, for generating the RF signal; and

a microcontroller, coupled to the switching unit and the RF module, for controlling the switching unit to select, as a selected antenna unit, at least one antenna unit among the plurality of antenna units to transmit the RF signal generated by the RF module, and for determining whether the RF device is positioned in an identifying area corresponding to the selected antenna unit according to whether the selected antenna unit receives the response signal.

2. The identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RF device is a portable electronic device with radio frequency identification (RFID) capabilities.

3. The identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RF module comprises:

an RF circuit, coupled to the microcontroller, controlled by the microcontroller to generate the RF signal; and

a power amplifier, coupled to the RF circuit and the switching unit, for amplifying the RF signal and providing the amplified RF signal to the selected antenna unit.

4. The identification system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the microcontroller is coupled to the power amplifier to control power intensity used by the power amplifier for amplifying the RF signal.

5. The identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when at least two antenna units among the plurality of antenna units receive the response signal, the microcontroller determines the RF device is in an intersection area of the identifying areas corresponding to the at least two antenna units.

6. The identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the antenna units comprises a plurality of concentric ring antennas in different sizes having a same center, and the microcontroller estimates a distance between the RF device and the center according to a smallest ring antenna in the antenna unit having received the response signal.

7. The identification system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the microcontroller estimates the distance between the RF device and the center further according to a smallest power intensity of the RF signal transmitted by the smallest ring antenna.

8. The identification system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the RF device is located on a display panel, and the corresponding identifying area thereof is located within a partial area of the display panel;

and when it is determined that the RF device is not in a central area of the selected antenna unit, the microcontroller controls the display panel to display the central area of the selected antenna unit to instruct a user to relocate the RF device to the central area.

9. The identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RF device is located on a plane, and the antenna units are provided on a same side of the plane.

10. An identification method, for identifying a position of an RF device, the RF device generating a response signal upon receiving an RF signal, the identification method comprising steps of:

selecting, as a selected antenna unit, at least one antenna unit among a plurality of antenna units, each antenna unit having a corresponding identifying area;

providing the RF signal and transmitting the RF signal via the selected antenna unit; and

determining whether the RF device is positioned in an identifying area, corresponding to the selected antenna according to whether the selected antenna receives the response signal.

11. The identification method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the RF device is a portable electronic device with RFID capabilities.

12. The identification method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the selected antenna unit comprises a plurality of concentric ring antennas in different sizes having a same center, and a distance between the RF device and the center is estimated according to a smallest ring antenna in the antenna unit having received the response signal.

13. The identification method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the distance between the RF device and the center is estimated further according to a smallest power intensity of the RF signal transmitted by the smallest ring antenna.

14. The identification method as claimed in claim 10, the RF device being located on a display panel, the corresponding identifying area being a partial area of the display panel, the identification method further comprising a step of:

when it is determined that the RF device is not located in a central area of the selected antenna unit, controlling the display panel to display the central area of the selected antenna unit to instruct a user to relocate the RF device to the central area.

15. The identification method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the RF device is located on a plane, and the antenna units are provided on a same side of the plane.

16. An identification system, for identifying an identity and a position of an RF device, the RF device generating a response signal upon receiving an RF signal, the identification system comprising:

a panel, divided into a plurality of positioning areas, having a positioning function for determining which positioning area the RF device is in when the RF device is located on the panel;

a plurality of antenna units, provided on a same side of the panel, wherein each positioning area of the panel has at least a corresponding antenna unit;

a switching unit, coupled to the antenna units;

an RF module, coupled to the switching unit, for generating the RF signal; and

a microcontroller, coupled to the panel, the switching unit and the RF module, for controlling the switching unit to select, as a selected antenna unit, among the antenna units, an antenna unit corresponding to the positioning area which the RF device is in, for controlling the RF module to transmit the RF signal via the selected antenna unit, and for identifying the identity of the RF device when the selected antenna unit receives the response signal.

17. The identification system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the RF device is a portable electronic device with RFID capabilities.

18. The identification system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the RF module comprises:

an RF circuit, coupled to the microcontroller, controlled by the microcontroller to generate the RF signal; and

a power amplifier, coupled to the RF circuit and the switching unit, for amplifying the RF signal and providing the amplified RF signal to the selected antenna unit.

19. The identification system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the microcontroller is coupled to the power amplifier to control a power intensity used by the power amplifier for amplifying the RF signal.

20. The identification system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the panel is a touch panel;

and when the positioning area which the RF device is in is not an area having highest transmitting/receiving efficiency in any antenna unit, the microcontroller controls the display panel to display an area having highest transmitting/receiving efficiency in any antenna unit to instruct a user to relocate the RF device to the displayed area.