Programmable channel search reader

• US 5,952,935 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Destron Fearing Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Destron Fearing Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Griffiths, Ian, Mejia, E. Zeke
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/735,763
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.54, 340/825.35, 340/505, 340/568, 340/572, 340/573, 340/825.49, 342/42, 342/51
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• 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: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

An interrogator for use with a plurality of identification systems using different frequencies and different methods of demodulation and decoding is provided. Each of the identification systems includes at least one transponder adapted to attached to an article to be identified and each transponder includes an antenna for receiving an interrogation signal from the interrogator and for responding to the received interrogation signal with a responsive signal. The responsive signal includes at least an identification portion. The interrogator includes an antenna assembly for transmitting the interrogation signal from the interrogator to the transponder and receiving the responsive signal from the transponders. A processor is provided for processing the responsive signal received by the antenna assembly and creating an output signal substantially corresponding to the identification portion of the responsive signal. A display is provided for displaying the output signal. A programmable version of the interrogator is also provided as well as a method of using the interrogator to read a plurality of identification systems.

Claims

1. An interrogator for use with a plurality of identification transponders, the interrogator producing an interrogation signal for interrogating one of the plurality of transponders, the plurality of transponders using different frequencies and different methods of modulation and encoding to transmit an identification signal in response to the interrogation signal, each of the plurality of transponders being adapted to attach to an article to be identified, said identification signal including at least an identification component, said interrogator comprising:

an antenna assembly for transmitting said interrogation signal from the interrogator to one of the plurality of transponders and for receiving said identification signal from said transponder;

a processor for processing said identification signal received by said antenna assembly and creating an output signal substantially corresponding to said identification component of said identification signal; and

a display for displaying said output signal.

2. The interrogator of claim 1, wherein said processing means processes identification signals from at least two different identification transponders.

3. The interrogator of claim 1, wherein said processor includes a mixer for demodulating the identification signal from said transponder to form a demodulated signal.

4. The interrogator of claim 3, wherein said interrogator includes at least a first processing channel and a second processing channel, said mixer transmitting said demodulated signal to at least said first processing channel and said second processing channel.

5. The interrogator of claim 4, wherein each of said processing channels includes a filter and a comparator.

6. The interrogator of claim 5, wherein said first processing channel processes demodulated signals in a range of about 10 to 16 kHz and said second processing channel processes demodulated signals less than about 10 kHz.

7. The interrogator of claim 4, wherein said processing means includes a third processing channel for processing an unmodulated identification signal from said transponder.

8. The interrogator of claim 7, wherein said third processing channel includes an amplifier and a comparator.

9. The interrogator of claim 8, wherein said unmodulated identification signal is a frequency-shift-keyed identification signal.

10. The interrogator of claim 7, wherein said first, second and third processing channels transmit the identification signal through a microprocessor to convert the identification portion thereof for display on said display.

11. The interrogator of claim 1, wherein said antenna assembly includes an exciter antenna and a receive antenna.

12. A method for interrogating one of a plurality of identification transponders that use different frequencies and different methods of modulation, each of said plurality of transponders being adapted to attach to an article to be identified and each of said plurality of transponders including a transponder antenna assembly for receiving an interrogation signal from an interrogator and for responding to said received interrogation signal with an identification signal, said responsive signal including at least an identification component, comprising the steps of:

transmitting an interrogation signal from an interrogator antenna assembly of the interrogator to said transponder;

receiving by said interrogator antenna assembly said identification signal from said transponder, said identification signal exhibiting at least one of a plurality of modulations, encodings, frequencies, phases and intervals and;

processing said responsive signal received by said interrogator antenna means;

creating an output signal substantially corresponding to said identification component of said responsive signal; and

displaying said output signal on a display of said interrogator.

13. The method of claim 12, further including the step of demodulating the responsive signal of from said plurality of transponders to form a demodulated signal.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of transmitting said demodulated signal to at least a first channel and a second channel.

15. The method of claim 14, further including the step of processing an unmodulated identification signal from said transponder in a third channel.

16. The method of claim 15, further including the step of transmitting the identification signal from said first, second and third channels to a microprocessor for conversion of the identification component thereof for display by said interrogator.

17. A programmable interrogator for use with a plurality of transponders attached to an article to be identified, the interrogator for transmitting an interrogation signal for interrogating one of the plurality of transponders that respond to an interrogation signal by transmitting an identification signal having different frequencies, different methods of modulation, and at least an identification component, said one of the plurality of transponders receiving said interrogation signal from the interrogator and responding to said received interrogation signal with an identification signal, said interrogator comprising:

an antenna assembly for transmitting the interrogation signal from the interrogator to said transponder and for receiving said identification signal from said transponder;

a processor for processing said identification signal received by said transponder antenna assembly and creating an output signal substantially corresponding to said identification component of said identification signal; and

a programmer connected to said processor for programming the specific types of identification signals of the different transponders to process.

18. The programmable interrogator of claim 17, wherein said programmer includes an EEPROM coupled to a microprocessor, said EEPROM being programmed by an external computer.

19. The programmable interrogator of claim 18, wherein said processor includes a mixer for demodulating the identification signal, when said identification signal is formed of at least one of different frequencies, variable phases and intervals, to form a demodulated signal, said mixer transmitting said demodulated signal to at least a first channel and a second channel.

20. The programmable interrogator of claim 19, wherein said processor includes at least a third channel for processing unmodulated identification signals.

21. The programmable interrogator of claim 20, wherein said programmer programs said processor to read any combination of at least said first, second and third channels.