Remote data transfer system with ambient light insensitive circuitry
First Claim
1. A responder for performing an operation in response to a light beam directed towards and impinging upon the responder, said light beam having a primary sharp light intensity change, the responder including:
- a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face into the housing whereby incident light passing through the receiving face is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face,an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector to receive said detector signals and operative to distinguish between detector signals produced by ambient light and by said light beam, said distinguishing circuit being operative to generate an indicative output when said sharp light intensity change is received and detected by said light detector, andan operational circuit responsive to said indicative output of said electronic distinguishing circuit and operative to perform said operation in response to said indicative output.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A remote data transfer system, particularly an identification system for identifying objects such as livestock, pets and containers. An interrogator generates a directional light beam which the operator can direct at a selected animal or package up to 30-14 200 meters away; and a tag transponder carried by the object is activated only on receipt of the light beam, and transmits a coded RF signal. The signal is received by the interrogator which displays the identity of the animal derived from the coded RF signal. In its "receive" mode, the tag transponder requires minimal power, thereby prolonging battery life. A short rise time light pulse (or a pulse sequence) is identified and used to switch power to the transponder. After transmission of the coded RF signal, the transponder returns to a low power draw stand-by state. The tag is also able to transmit real time information, with or without the tag identity data. Furthermore, the tag is able to accept data from a remote source and substantially simultaneously transmit data.
75 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A responder for performing an operation in response to a light beam directed towards and impinging upon the responder, said light beam having a primary sharp light intensity change, the responder including:
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a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face into the housing whereby incident light passing through the receiving face is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face, an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector to receive said detector signals and operative to distinguish between detector signals produced by ambient light and by said light beam, said distinguishing circuit being operative to generate an indicative output when said sharp light intensity change is received and detected by said light detector, and an operational circuit responsive to said indicative output of said electronic distinguishing circuit and operative to perform said operation in response to said indicative output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A responder for performing an operation in response to a light beam directed towards and impinging upon the responder, said light beam having a primary sharp light intensity change, and at least one subsequent light pulse, the or each said at least one subsequent light pulse being defined by a subsequent light pulses being generated at a predetermined interval after said primary sharp light intensity change;
- said responder including;
a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face, an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector to receive said detector signals and operative to distinguish between detector signals produced by ambient light and by said light beam by responding only to detection of said secondary sharp light intensity change provided that said secondary sharp light intensity change is detected by said light detector at said predetermined interval after said primary sharp light intensity change whereby said distinguishing circuit is operative to generate an indictive output only when said predetermined interval exists between said primary sharp light intensity change and the or one of said at least one subsequent radiation pulses, and an operational circuit responsive to said indicative output of said electronic distinguishing circuit and operative to perform said operation in response to said indicative output. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- said responder including;
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22. A responder for performing an operation in response to a light beam directed towards and impinging upon the responder, said light beam having a primary sharp light intensity change, the responder including:
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a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face into the housing whereby incident light passing through the receiving face is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face, an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector to receive said detector signals and operative to distinguish between detector signals produced by ambient light and by said light beam, said distinguishing circuit being operative to generate an indicative output when said sharp light intensity change is received and detected by said light detector, an operational circuit responsive to said indicative output of said electronic distinguishing circuit and operative to perform said operation in response to said indicative output, a switch circuit responsive to said distinguishing circuit, said switch circuit being operative to enable a power draw to occur and thereby cause operation of said operational circuit only upon said distinguishing circuit generating said indicative output, said switch circuit being further operative after operation of said operational circuit to return said responder to a low power draw standby state. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A responder for performing an operation in response to a light beam directed towards and impinging upon the responder, said light beam having a primary sharp light intensity change, the responder including:
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a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face into the housing whereby incident light passing through the receiving face is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face, an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector to receive said detector signals and operative to distinguish between detector signals produced by ambient light and by said light beam, said distinguishing circuit being operative to generate an indicative output when said sharp light intensity change is received and detected by said light detector, an operational circuit responsive to said indicative output of said electronic distinguishing circuit and operative to perform said operation in response to said indicative output, a switch circuit responsive to said distinguishing circuit, said switch circuit being operative to enable a power draw to occur and thereby cause operation of said operational circuit only upon said distinguishing circuit generating said indicative output, said switch circuit being further operative after operation of said operational circuit to return said responder to a low power draw standby state, said detector signals having a significant power level sufficient to provide power for operation of said electronic distinguishing circuit and for providing power for operation of said switch circuit. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A responder for performing transmitting a signal in response to a light beam directed towards and impinging upon the responder, said light beam having a primary sharp light intensity change, the responder including:
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a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face into the housing whereby incident light passing through the receiving face is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face, an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector to receive said detector signals and operative to distinguish between detector signals produced by ambient light and by said light beam, said distinguishing circuit being operative to generate an indicative output when said sharp light intensity change is received and detected by said light detector, and an electromagnetic transmitter for transmitting a coded signal, said coded signal being indicative of data to be transmitted by said responder in response to said light beam impinging on said responder. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A responder for transmitting a data signal in response to a light beam directed towards and impinging upon the responder, said light beam having a sharp light intensity change, the responder including:
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a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face into the housing whereby incident light passing through the receiving face of incidence is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face, an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector to receive said detector signals and operative to distinguish between detector signals produced by ambient light and by said light beam, said distinguishing circuit being operative to generate an indicative output when said sharp light intensity change is received and detected by said light detector, and an operational circuit responsive to said indicative output of said electronic distinguishing circuit and operative to transmit a data signal in response to said indicative output, a switch circuit responsive to said distinguishing circuit, said switch circuit being operative to enable a power draw to occur and thereby cause operation of said operational circuit only upon said distinguishing circuit generating said indicative output, said switch circuit being further operative after operation of said operational circuit to return said responder to a low power draw standby state, and a storage means for storing data to be transmitted by said operational circuit and a control logic circuit responsive to said switch circuit and operative to selectively (i) cause transfer of said data stored in said storage means to said operational circuit, and (ii) enable receipt of further data and storage of said further data in said storage means. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. A remote data transfer system including an interrogator means for initiating a data transfer operation and for receiving data transferred and further including at least one transponder for transmitting data in response to said interrogator means, said interrogator means comprising:
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a light source for generating a light beam directed towards said transponder, said light beam having a primary sharp light intensity change, said light source being further operative to generate at least one subsequent light pulse defined by a secondary sharp light intensity change, said secondary sharp light intensity change being at a predetermined interval after said primary sharp light intensity change; and a radio frequency receiver for receiving data transmitted by said transponder; said transponder including; a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting substantially omnidirectionally a coded radio frequency signal indicative of data to be transferred by said transponder to said interrogator means in response to operation of said light source; a light collector, the light collector being arranged to receive incident light impinging thereon, said light collector comprising a housing having a receiving face onto which said incident light impinges, said incident light passing through the receiving face, the light collector further including a light detector, the light detector having a light detecting portion located within said housing and arranged so that said light detecting portion receives incident light without said light collector causing imaging on said light detecting portion of light sources producing said incident light, said light detector generating detector signals in response to incident light impinging on said light detecting portion, the light collector further including light scattering means located within said housing and arranged to scatter light passing through the receiving face into the housing whereby incident light passing through the receiving face is scattered by said light scattering means and a proportion of said scattered light is directed towards and is incident upon said light detecting portion of said light detector, said proportion of said scattered light consisting of an average of the total light impinging on said receiving face, an electronic distinguishing circuit connected to said light detector for distinguishing between ambient light and said light beam, said distinguishing circuit including a suppressor circuit for suppressing said detector signals from said light detector unless a sharp light intensity change is received and detected by said light detector; a switch circuit responsive to said distinguishing circuit; said distinguishing circuit being further operative to distinguish a genuine operation of the interrogator and to cause operation of said switch circuit by responding only to detection of said secondary sharp light intensity change provided that said secondary sharp light intensity change is detected at said respective predetermined interval after said primary sharp light intensity change is detected by said light detector, so that said distinguishing circuit is responsive only if said predetermined interval exists between said primary and secondary sharp light intensity changes; said switch circuit being operative to enable a power draw to occur and thereby cause operation of said transmitter only upon said distinguishing circuit distinguishing said secondary sharp light intensity change, said switch circuit being further operative after transmission of said coded signal by said transmitter to return said transponder to a low power draw standby state, and a storage means for storing data to be transmitted by said transmitter and a control logic circuit responsive to said switch circuit and operative to selectively (i) cause transfer of said data stored in said storage means to said transmitter, and (ii) enable receipt of further data externally from said interrogator means and storage of said further data in said storage means, said further data comprising a series of said detector signals generated by said light detector in response to receipt of a series of light pulses thereby after said secondary sharp light intensity change.
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Specification