System of communications between a post and moving bodies

• US 5,821,877 A
• Filed: 01/17/1992
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemplus Card
• Original Assignee: Gemplus International SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Fallah, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US07/822,207
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.08, 340/825.34, 340/825.54, 340/825.52, 340/870.11, 340/870.13, 340/988, 340/933, 340/928, 371/52, 371/48, 455/41, 455/54.1, 455/57.1, 455/99, 235/384
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a system of communication between a fixed post and moving bodies that may arrive simultaneously in the radius of action of this post. This system uses an exchange protocol that begins with an initializing signal (INIT) common to the different moving bodies that arrive and continues with the transmission of an identification signal by each moving body, this transmission being done at the end of a duration (T+Nt) related to the value (N) of a part of an intrinsic specific code associated with the moving body, this duration being measured from the initialization signal. Preferably, the moving body transmits the beginning of its specific code, for example the first character of this code, followed by a random word having stipulated characteristics such that the terminal can detect whether several moving bodies have transmitted the same first character simultaneously. The post then asks them to transmit a second character in order to distinguish them from one another. Personalized exchanges could then begin when all the moving bodies have been identified.

Claims

1. A system of personalized communication between a post and moving bodies which come into the vicinity of the post, wherein said system uses an exchange protocol that begins by means of a signal transmission initializer on said post which provides for a transmission of an initializing signal from said post, which said initializing signal is common to the different moving bodies that arrive in the vicinity of the post and said exchange protocol continues by means of an identification signal transmission means on each of said moving bodies which provides for the transmission of an identification signal by each moving body which is sent to said post, said transmission of an identification signal by one first moving body occurring at the end of a duration related to a duration value of an intrinsic code associated with said first moving body, said duration beginning in said moving body from the receipt of the initializing signal, said identification signal comprising a data corresponding to said duration value.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the post comprises a duration measurement means started by said initializing signal, for secondly measuring a duration between said initializing signal and a received identification signal, and further comprising a comparison means for verifying that the therein secondly measured duration corresponds to said data corresponding to said duration value.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the post detects the simultaneous transmission, by two different moving bodies, of a same data corresponding to a first duration value, and further including means to request the two moving bodies, identified by this same data, to transmit a new data corresponding to a new duration value of their intrinsic specific code, at the end of a predetermined period of time, measured from a new initializing signal and related unequivocally to the new duration value.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein, in response to an initializing signal, each moving body transmits its identification signal followed by a word that is respectively associated with said each moving body and is of a recognizable type, such that the superimposition of two words of said recognizable type gives a word of a different type that can be recognized by the post as being a word that has not come from a transmission by a single moving body.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said word transmitted after the identification signal is a random binary sequence having characteristics such that the simultaneous reception by the post of two different random binary sequences transmitted at the same time by two different moving bodies is detectable by the post.

6. A system according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the post assigns each identified moving body a provisional code for the duration of an exchange of data carried out between the post and the moving body during the period when the moving body is in a radius of action of the post, this provisional code being cancelled at the end of exchange of data.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transponder associated with each moving body which arrives in the vicinity of the post, an intrinsic specific code with at least one character being associated with each transponder, the characters being chosen from an ordered set in which ordered values are assigned to these characters or to groups of characters;

a control device located in the post and communicating by electromagnetic means with the transponders;

wherein said transponder transmits an identification signal only from the reception of an initializing signal transmitted by the post; and

said transponder transmits at least a data corresponding to a duration value of its intrinsic specific code at the end of a period of time related unequivocally to said duration value, so that two transponders having a different duration value transmit at different instants.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein each transponder is interrogated by the post and is recognized on the basis of a beginning portion of the identification signal received by said post, and each transponder includes:

means for receiving a provisional personal code designed to be used during the period of the data exchange;

means for sending out data particularly identified with said each transponder;

means for receiving other data;

means for receiving an end-of-exchange signal from the post.