Device for wireless transfer of information

• US 5,552,790 A
• Filed: 10/19/1994
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Combitech Traffic SYST AB
• Original Assignee: Saab-Scania Combitech AB
• Inventors: Gunnarsson, Staffan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US08/256,791
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 342/42, 342/44, 342/51, 343/700 MS, 340/825.69, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 342/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

A device for wireless transfer of information includes a data carrier in the form of a thin card, and a transponder that receives a first microwave signal, modulates it and codes it with data, and reradiates a second microwave signal without adding new energy thereto. The transponder includes at least one antenna device formed using microstrip conductors. The antenna device includes a patch antenna with an antenna layer that acts against a ground plane where the antenna layer and the ground plane are of substantially equal size. The device is characterized in that, it is equipped with a separate card holder with a reflective surface that is larger than said ground plane. The reflective surface increases the range by reradiating the second microwave signal and reducing sensitivity to back lobe reflections.

Claims

1. A device for wireless transfer of information, comprising a data carrier in the form of a thin card transponder, that receives a first microwave signal, modulates it and codes it with data, and reradiates a second microwave signal without adding new energy thereto, including at least one antenna device formed using microstrip conductors, the antenna device comprising a patch antenna with an antenna layer (15, 28, 37) that acts against a ground plane (16, 29, 38) where the antenna layer and the ground plane are of substantially equal size, characterized in that, the device is equipped with a separate card holder (20) with a reflective surface (21) that is larger than said ground plane, said reflective surface increasing the range by reradiating the second microwave signal and reducing sensitivity to back lobe reflections.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, a magnetic strip (54) is arranged along the card and that the card is made in ISO thickness along this magnetic strip, i.e. typically 0.76 mm and maximum 0.84 mm, but that the card has a higher thickness elsewhere to make room for internal parts of the card.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the card holder is designed to be attached to the inside of a vehicles'"'"'s window and/or that the card is insertable to and removable from the slot that is formed between the holder'"'"'s reflective surface and the window.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the card repeatedly modulates the second microwave signal with a code from it'"'"'s memory, where every code is time limited with random or pseudo random time intervals.

5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, a common modulation/detection diode (7) is used for detection and for modulation.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, a modulation/detection diode (44) is integrated onto the same substrate as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), (45), to form one single component that is used both for microwave and for low frequency functions.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, said card holder is in a shape of a rectangular compartment, and said thin card transponder is disposed within said card holder.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, said microstrip conductors are located within an inner circumference of an antenna surface of said antenna device, and said microstrip conductors and said antenna surface acting against a same area of said ground plane.

9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, said reflective surface is wider than the surface of said antenna device and said ground plane along the polarization E-plane.

10. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, said microstrip conductors are circularly polarized permitting said thin card to be oriented according to an arbitrary rotational angle of said thin card.

11. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, said patch antenna and said reflective surface reflects components of the second microwave signal in phase increasing the distance the second microwave signal is propagated from said antenna device.

12. A device for wireless transfer of information, comprising a data carrier in the form of a thin card transponder, that receives a first microwave signal, modulates it and codes it with data, and reradiates a second microwave signal without adding new energy thereto, including at least one antenna device formed using microstrip conductors, the antenna device comprises a patch antenna with an antenna layer (15, 28, 37) that acts against a ground plane (16, 29, 38) where the antenna layer and the ground plane are of substantially equal size, characterized in that, the device is equipped with a metallic foil (56) on the ground plane side, that is separate from the ground plane (38) and the metallic foil being larger than said ground plane, said metallic foil increasing the range by reradiating the second microwave signal and reducing sensitivity to back lobe reflections.

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, a magnetic strip (54) is arranged along the card and that the card is made in ISO thickness along this magnetic strip, i.e. typically 0.76 mm and maximum 0.84 mm, but that the card has a higher thickness elsewhere to make room for internal parts of the card.

14. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, the card repeatedly modulates the second microwave signal with a code from it'"'"'s memory, where every code is time limited with random or pseudo random time intervals.

15. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, a common modulation/detection diode (7) is used for detection and for modulation.

16. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, a modulation/detection diode (44) is integrated onto the same substrate as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), (45), to form one single component that is used both for microwave and for low frequency functions.

17. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, said microstrip conductors are located within an inner circumference of an antenna surface of said antenna device, and said microstrip conductors and said antenna surface acting against a same area of said ground plane.

18. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, a reflective surface of said metallic foil is wider than the surface of said antenna device and said ground plane along the polarization E-plane.

19. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, said microstrip conductors are circularly polarized permitting said thin card to be oriented according to an arbitrary rotational angle of said thin card.

20. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that, said patch antenna and said metallic foil reflects components of the second microwave signal in phase increasing the distance the second microwave signal is propagated from said antenna device.