Electronic identification and recognition system with code changeable reactance

• US 4,388,524 A
• Filed: 09/16/1981
• Issued: 06/14/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Walton
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Walton
• Inventors: Walton, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rubinson, G. Z.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lev, R.
• Application Number:
  US06/302,706
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 375/91, 375/66, 375/62, 340/696, 340/825.3, 340/825.72, 340/825.31, 235/380, 235/449, 235/488, 235/439, 343/763, 343/6.5 R, 343/6.5 SS, 455/134, 328/165, 328/167, 331/2, 375/81, 375/119
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/067 Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

An electronic identification and recognition system in which the recognition portion includes a voltage controlled oscillator which sweeps over a range of frequencies. The identification portion resonates at certain frequencies determined by a variable reactance in the resonant circuit in the identifier which is responsive to bits from a sequential data register. The bits result in the on-and-off switching of the variable reactance which modifies the resonant frequency in the identification portion or modifies the frequency of an oscillator in the identification portion. The changes and sequence of changes in the resonant frequency are detected and recorded by the recognition portion such that the internal code of the identifier is determined.

Claims

1. An electronic recognition-identification system comprising:

a recognition network with a sweep oscillator for generating signals of various frequencies, a first antenna means for radiating signals responsive to the oscillator frequencies and for radiating to another antenna means, means connected to said first antenna means for detecting perturbations in the signals across said first antenna means and for delivering information signals responsive to said perturbations; and

an identification network including a second antenna means for radiating to said first antenna means, a data register means to advance and provide a sequence of data, a reactance modulation circuit connected to the second antenna means and to said data register means such that the frequency of said modulation circuit varies responsive to said sequence of data.

2. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 1 wherein

said first antenna is an inductive loop, and said second antenna is an inductive loop, and said radiating is by inductive coupling.

3. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 1 wherein,

said identification network includes a reactance modulation circuit with said frequency controlled by said reactance modulation circuit.

4. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 1 wherein,

said reactance modulation circuit includes a varactor and the resonant frequency of said circuit is variable responsive to control voltage on said varactor.

5. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 4 wherein,

the recognition network includes an amplifier and detector circuit to sense the perturbations of the signal produced by the resonances of the identifier network, and an internal fixed resonance circuit and comparison means to compare said fixed resonance and said resonances of the identifier circuit, and output means responsive to said comparison means according to results of said comparison.

6. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 4 wherein,

the recognition network includes an amplifier and detector to sense the perturbations of the signal produced by the resonances of the identifier network, and an internal frequency measuring network to measure the frequencies produced by resonances of said identifier, and to transmit the frequency measurements to an output device.

7. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 6 wherein,

a data processing network is connected to said frequency measuring means for converting said frequency readings to a code representative of the identity of the identifier network.

8. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 4 wherein

the identifier includes a counter responsive to frequencies on said second inductive means, and emits pulses sequentially at a rate lower than said frequencies to advance said data register.

9. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 1 wherein

the identification network includes an oscillator operating within the radio frequency range, said oscillator having a frequency controlled by said reactance modulation circuit.

10. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 9 wherein

said reactance modulation circuit includes a varactor as an impedance element, said varactor being connected to the output of said data register means such that the control voltage of said varactor controlling said oscillator frequency and the control voltage is dependent on the output of said data register means.

11. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 10 in which,

the recognition network includes detector means for detecting a beat between the frequency of said oscillator of the identification network and said oscillator within the recognition network;

and frequency reading means connected to said detector means for reading the radio frequency coincident with said beats.

12. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 11 in which,

the recognition network further includes a data processing means connected to said frequency reading means for converting said read frequencies to a code which represents the identifier which radiated said particular sequence of radio frequencies.

13. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 1 in which,

the recognition network includes a radio frequency pulse generator connected to said first antenna means for generating periodic pulses across said second antenna means, said data register means being connected to said second antenna means to receive said periodic pulses, said data register means providing data signals intermediate between control pulses.

14. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 1 in which,

the recognition network includes a radio frequency pulse generator connected to said first antenna means for generating periodic pulses across said second antenna means and to said bit counter, the advancement of said data register being determined by the occurrence of said periodic pulses.

15. An electronic recognition-identification system of claim 10 wherein

said oscillator frequency is divided by a counter, and the output of said counter is connected to a means for transmission over equipment operational at frequencies lower than radio frequencies.