Radio frequency controlled interrogator-responder system with passive code generator

• US 5,019,815 A
• Filed: 03/03/1987
• Issued: 05/28/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Christian Grund, Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Christian Grund, Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Grund, Christian, Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US07/021,217
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/905, 340/933, 340/988, 340/989, 340/991, 340/993, 340/572, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/825.54, 180/167, 246/29 R, 246/122 R, 342/44, 342/51, 455/605, 455/54, 455/92, 455/99
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/043 using inductive tags
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/045 using reradiating tags
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

An electronic system for automatically identifying objects employing microminiature electronic circuitry supported by each object and containing three operable subsystems, (a) a means for converting shortwave energy from a local energy field to electrical energy, (b) a means for generating coded electrical signals and (c) a means for shortwave transmitting such signals as codes to a local receiver. The system also includes a shortwave receiving means and an electronic computer operable to process and analyze the coded signals received by the receiver from the electronic circuitry energized when in the energy field. The computer generates control signals which are recorded and are utilized in tracking the objects.

Claims

1. A system for identifying objects comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of passive code generating micro-miniature electrical circuits each containing a shortwave transmitting means and each supported by its own substrate, antenna means connected to each of said code generating circuits, each of said microminiature electrical circuits having a programmed code therein and acting to generate and shortwave transmit, when energized, at least one code which is different from the codes generated by others of said plurality of code generating electrical circuits, means associated with each of said microminiature electrical circuits for receiving and converting radio-frequency energy when the circuit is in movement through a radio-frequency energy field to electrical energizing signal and means for applying said electrical energizing signals to electrically energize and power the code generating and shortwave transmitting means of each circuit, to shortwave transmit its programmed code,

(b) means for securing each of said microminiature electrical circuits to respective of a plurality of different objects by attaching said circuits and their substrate to said objects,

(c) a detection station including means for generating and applying an energy field in the form of radio-frequency energy of sufficient field strength to cause said means for receiving and converting to operatively energize each of said microminiature electrical circuits when each is in an operative location with respect to said energy field,

(d) a shortwave receiving means at said detection station operable for receiving shortwave signals generated by the shortwave transmitting means of each of said micro-miniature electrical circuits when operatively disposed in and energized by said energy field and converting the short-wave signals received to electrical signals defining the codes sensed by said receiving means,

(e) means operable during relative movement between said objects and said detection station to cause said electrical signals defining the codes transmitted to and received by the shortwave receiving means of the detection station to be generated as electrical signals on an output of said detection station,

(f) a remote receiving station for receiving code signals generated by said detection station,

(g) electronic computing means at said remote receiving station operable to process and analyze the code signals received by the receiving means of said remote receiving station, said electronic computing means being operable to generate control signals in accordance with the code signals received by the receiving means of said remote receiving station,

(h) means connected to said electronic computing means for receiving and utilizing said control signals,

(i) said means for utilizing said control signals includes a plurality of electrical switches and means controlled by the operation of said switches for controlling further relative movement between said objects and said detection station after each object is operatively located in said radio-frequency energy field of said detection station, and

(j) means at said detection station for detecting when an object is present, said means for detecting being operative to energize said energy field generating means upon detection of an object to generate and apply shortwave energy to said receiving and converting means of said object to cause said code generating electrical circuit thereof to generate its code when the object containing said circuit is operatively located at said detection station.

2. A method for tracking and identifying objects comprising:

providing a plurality of electrical code generating circuits, each constructed and programmed to generate differing electrical codes, when electrically energized;

supporting each of said code generating circuits on a different object to be identified;

effecting relative movement between a plurality of said objects and a shortwave receiving means of a reading station when it is desired to automatically identify selected ones of said objects, said reading station containing a detector of codes programmed in said electrical circuits supported by the objects;

generating a shortwave energy field in the vicinity of said reading station as each object passes said reading station;

converting said shortwave energy field received at an object in the vicinity of said reading station to an electric energizing signal;

applying said electric energizing signal which is generated in the vicinity of the reading station to an electrical code generating circuit of objects in the vicinity thereof in a manner to effect the sequential generation of codes of each code generating circuit disposed in said energy field;

shortwave transmitting each of said codes generated when an object is in the vicinity of a reading station to a shortwave receiver at said reading station;

shortwave receiving and recording as coded electrical signals said shortwave transmitted codes;

thereafter reproducing and applying the recorded codes to indicate the locations of said objects in an object tracking operation;

reproducing codes received and recorded as coded electrical signals, applying said reproduced coded electrical signals to a computer, operating said computer to generate corresponding control signals and providing said control signals to control a device affecting further movement of said objects beyond said reading station;

conveying at least certain of said objects past a plurality of reading stations having field generating means, energizing the energy field generating means of each reading station when an object is in an operative location with a respective reading station so as to energize the code generating circuit of the object to effect generation and transmission of codes identifying each object to each reading station, retransmitting the codes received by each reading station from objects conveyed therepast to a remote receiver station operable to receive codes received by and retransmitted from each reading station, and recording codes received by said remote receiving station in a memory thereat for use in tracking objects conveyed past said plurality of reading stations; and

detecting when each object is operatively located at each reading station, generating a control signal in response to detection, and employing said control signal to operate an energy field generating means at the reading station to generate said shortwave energy field thereat to effect generation of said electrical energy for energizing the code generating electrical circuit supported by the object.

3. A method for tracking and identifying objects comprising:

providing a plurality of electrical code generating circuits, each constructed and programmed to generate differing electrical codes, when electrically energized;

supporting each of said code generating circuits on a different object to be identified;

effecting relative movement between a plurality of said objects and a shortwave receiving means of a reading station when it is desired to automatically identify selected ones of said objects, said reading station containing a detector of codes programmed in said electrical circuits supported by the objects;

generating a shortwave energy field in the vicinity of said reading station as each object passes said reading station;

converting said shortwave energy field received at an object in the vicinity of said reading station to an electric energizing signal;

applying said electric energizing signal which is generated in the vicinity of the reading station to an electrical code generating circuit of objects in the vicinity thereof in a manner to effect the sequential generation of codes of each code generating circuit disposed in said energy field;

shortwave transmitting each of said codes generated when an object is in the vicinity of a reading station to a shortwave receiver at said reading station;

shortwave receiving and recording as coded electrical signals said shortwave transmitted codes;

thereafter reproducing and applying the recorded codes to indicate the locations of said objects in an object tracking operation; and

detecting each object as it passes a reading station, generating a control signal in response to detection, and applying said control signal to control the operation of a shortwave energy field generator to cause it to generate said shortwave energy field at said reading station upon detecting an object thereat.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said control signal is generated by a sensor which detects movement of an object as it is driven past a reading station.