COMBINATION FULL-DUPLEX AND HALF-DUPLEX ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION TAG

• US 20140054385A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSD International GmbH (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allflex USA Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,646,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0709 the source being an interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• 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 19/0726 the arrangement including a circuit for tuning the resonance frequency of an antenna on the record carrier

Abstract

Transponders are disclosed that are configurable to operate in an HDX mode and/or an FDX-B mode and that use a switchable load impedance across the transponders'"'"' resonant antenna circuit to induce amplitude and/or frequency modulation. One embodiment of the invention includes an inductive antenna including two terminals connected to tag circuitry, where the inductive antenna forms a resonant antenna circuit tuned to resonate at the frequency of the activation signal. The tag circuitry and the resonant antenna circuitry are configurable as an oscillator, the tag circuitry is configured to be powered by electric current induced in the resonant antenna circuit, includes at least one switchable load impedance connected across the antenna resonant circuit, configured to amplitude modulate the activation signal appearing at the resonant antenna circuit terminals using a switchable load impedance, and to frequency shift key modulate the oscillator signal appearing at the resonant antenna circuit terminals.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. An identification tag, comprising:

tag circuitry comprising an activation signal threshold detector capable of detecting at least two activation signal thresholds associated with an activation signal;

an inductive antenna including two terminals connected to tag circuitry; and

a non-volatile memory configured to store full-duplex identification data and half-duplex identification data;

wherein the inductive antenna forms a resonant antenna circuit tuned to resonate at the frequency of the activation signal;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to be powered by electric current induced in the resonant circuit; and

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to respond to interrogation cycles that include intervals during which an activation signal is present and intervals during which the activation signal is absent.

23. The identification tag of claim 22, wherein:

the non-volatile memory is further configured to store tag configuration data; and

the tag configuration data determines the tag circuitry'"'"'s identification data transmission behavior at each activation signal threshold.

24. The identification tag of claim 23, wherein the tag configuration data configures the tag circuitry to transmit full-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is present.

25. The identification tag of claim 23, wherein the tag configuration data configures the tag circuitry to transmit half-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is absent.

26. The identification tag of claim 22, wherein the tag circuitry is configured to:

transmit full-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is present; and

transmit half-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is absent.

27. The identification tag of claim 26, wherein:

the activation signal threshold detector determines when the tag circuitry transmits full-duplex identification data and half duplex identification data within a single interrogation cycle; and

an interrogation cycle comprises an interval when the activation signal is present and an interval when the activation signal is absent.

28. The identification tag of claim 27, wherein the activation signal threshold detector determines when the tag circuitry transmits only full-duplex identification data within a single interrogation signal.

29. The identification tag of claim 27, wherein the activation signal threshold detector determines when the tag circuitry transmits only half-duplex identification data within a single interrogation cycle.

30. The identification tag of claim 22, wherein the tag circuitry is configured to alternatively transmit full-duplex identification data during a first interrogation cycle and to transmit half-duplex identification data during a second interrogation cycle.

31. The identification tag of claim 30, wherein the second interrogation signal is received after the first interrogation signal.

32. The identification tag of claim 22, wherein the tag circuitry is configured to the transmission of full-duplex identification data is inhibited until after a delay based on receiving the activation signal.

33. The identification tag of claim 32, wherein the delay is within 50 milliseconds of receiving the activation signal.

34. An identification tag, comprising:

tag circuitry comprising an activation signal threshold detector capable of detecting at least two activation signal thresholds associated with an activation signal;

an inductive antenna including two terminals connected to tag circuitry; and

a non-volatile memory configured to store full-duplex identification data and half-duplex identification data;

wherein the inductive antenna forms a resonant antenna circuit tuned to resonate at the frequency of the activation signal;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to be powered by electric current induced in the resonant circuit;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to respond to interrogation cycles that include intervals during which an activation signal is present and intervals during which the activation signal is absent;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to transmit full-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is present;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to transmit half-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is absent;

wherein the activation signal threshold detector determines when the tag circuitry transmits full-duplex identification data and half duplex identification data within a single interrogation cycle; and

wherein an interrogation cycle comprises an interval when the activation signal is present and an interval when the activation signal is absent.

35. An identification tag, comprising:

tag circuitry comprising an activation signal threshold detector capable of detecting at least two activation signal thresholds associated with an activation signal;

an inductive antenna including two terminals connected to tag circuitry; and

a non-volatile memory configured to store full-duplex identification data and half-duplex identification data;

wherein the inductive antenna forms a resonant antenna circuit tuned to resonate at the frequency of the activation signal;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to be powered by electric current induced in the resonant circuit;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to respond to interrogation cycles that include intervals during which an activation signal is present and intervals during which the activation signal is absent;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to transmit full-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is present;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to transmit half-duplex identification data during an interval when the activation signal is absent;

wherein the tag circuitry is configured to alternatively transmit full-duplex identification data during a first interrogation cycle and to transmit half-duplex identification data during a second interrogation cycle; and

wherein the second interrogation signal is received after the first interrogation signal.