Tag responsive to high frequency for varying capacitance of capacitor in power source

• US 5,721,535 A
• Filed: 05/30/1995
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikefuji, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asongwed, Anthony A.
• Application Number:
  US08/452,512
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.54, 340/571, 340/562, 340/572, 342/51, 342/42, 361/281, 361/277, 361/299.4, 361/298.5, 257/312
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/22 Radio waves emitting or receiving, e.g. remote control, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• 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: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The outputted voltage of a rectifier 3 is detected by a voltage detector circuit 17. When the detected voltage value is low (received radio wave is weak, distance is long), a controller 20 turns off a switch 16 to connect only a capacitor 14 to the output of the rectifier 3, so that the capacitances of the capacitors are decreased and the build up of a power voltage is accelerated. On the other hand, when the detected voltage value is higher than a prescribed level (received radio wave is powerful, distance is short), the controller 20 turns on the switch 16 to connect capacitors 14, 15 in parallel with the output of the rectifier 3, so that the capacitances of the capacitors are increased and a ripple is fully removed. Thus, communications can be made while preventing a malfunction due to the ripple.

Claims

1. A tag responsive to high frequency for receiving a high frequency wave from an interrogator to derive electrical power from the high frequency wave and for communicating with the interrogator, comprising:

a tuning circuit that receives a high frequency wave having a tuning frequency;

a power source that includes rectifying capacitors and rectifies output of the tuning circuit to output a source voltage;

a voltage detector circuit that detects the source voltage output from the power source; and

a capacitance varying circuit that varies the capacitance of the rectifying capacitors according to the source voltage detected by the voltage detector circuit.

2. A tag responsive to high frequency according to claim 1, wherein said power source includes a plurality of rectifying capacitors, and said capacitance varying circuit changes the connected relationship of the plurality of rectifying capacitors of said power source.

3. A tag responsive to high frequency according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of rectifying capacitors is directly connected to the output of a rectifier, and

at least another one of the plurality of rectifying capacitors is connected to the output of the rectifier via a switch connected in series therewith, said switch being turned on or off by said capacitance varying circuit.

4. A system for exchanging prescribed information by providing a plurality of tags responsive to high frequency to derive electrical power from a high frequency wave from an interrogator disposed at a prescribed position and to communicate with said interrogator, wherein each of said plurality of tags responsive to the high frequency comprises:

a tuning circuit that receives a high frequency wave having a tuning frequency;

a power source that includes rectifying capacitors and rectifies output of the tuning circuit to output a source voltage;

a voltage detector circuit that detects the source voltage output from the power source; and

a capacitance varying circuit that varies the capacitance of the rectifying capacitors according to the source voltage detected by the voltage detector circuit.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said power source includes a plurality of rectifying capacitors, and said capacitance varying circuit changes the connected relationship of the plurality of rectifying capacitors of said power source.