Antenna system comprising driver circuits for transponder

• US 6,150,986 A
• Filed: 06/15/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delaval Holding AB (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Alfa Laval Agri Ab (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Sandberg, Ola, Andersson, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clinger, James
• Application Number:
  US09/029,005
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 343/742, 343/751, 343/867, 340/572, 235/92 MS, 235/92 PL, 119/1
• US Class Current: 343/742
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/753 using frequency selective elements, e.g. resonator
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• 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: 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 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna

Abstract

A transponder for, for example, domestic animals can receive high frequency energy and transmit information of an antenna (L_x, L_y, L_z) and has a storage capacitor (C₅) for storing received energy, which is used for transmitting on the antenna. In order to make the antenna less sensitive to the geometric direction of the received high frequency energy, it has a plurality of antenna coils (L_x, L_y, L_z), that are arranged in an angle to each other, e.g. perpendicularly to each other. Monitoring circuits (LD_x, LD_y, LD_z, 1) can detect the energy received on each coil and compare the detected values to each other and can, for issuing information, use that coil on which the largest energy has been received. Thereby, the transmission can be made in a direction which is considerably more optimal than a direction which otherwise would be obtained in a more random fashion. Each antenna portion is further included in an oscillatory circuit having two different natural frequencies. Thereby information of the transponder can be issued by modulating between these frequencies, what produces a transmission that is more free from interference compared to the case where only one frequency is used with on/off-modulation.

Claims

1. A transponder for receiving high frequency energy which is wirelessly transferred and for wirelessly transmitting information, comprising:

an antenna for receiving and transmitting;

an energy storage unit connected to the antenna for storing high frequency energy which is transferred wirelessly to the transponder and is received on the antenna; and

a control and transmission unit for transferring an information signal to the antenna to be transmitted from the antenna using energy stored in the energy storage unit,

wherein the antenna comprises at least two separate antenna portions, each one of which is arranged for wireless receiving and wireless transmitting, has a direction in which the efficiency for receiving is at a maximum and works independently of the other antenna portions, the directions being arranged in angular relation to each other.

2. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein said antenna includes three separate antenna portions, each having a direction for maximum receiving, which are all oriented at substantially 90°

angles in relation to each other.

3. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein each antenna portion comprises a winded coil having winding turns, the winding turns of each winded coil being located in planes which are substantially parallel to each other.

4. A transponder according to claim 3, wherein a center plane is arranged for each winded coil, so that the winding turns of each winded coil are located at one of the sides of or in the center plane of the winded coil and so that an equal number of winding turns are located on each side of the center plane, and the depth of each winded coil taken perpendicularly to the center plane of the winded coil is small compared to the length and width of the winded coil.

5. A transponder according to claim 4, wherein the depth of each winded coil is less than 1/5 of the length and width of the winded coil.

6. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein each antenna portion comprises a winded coil having winding turns, the winding turns of each winded coil having substantially circular shapes.

7. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein each antenna portion comprises a winded coil having winding turns, the winding turns of each winded coil having substantially rectangular shapes.

8. A transponder according to claim 1, further including a level detector for each separate antenna portion, which level detector is arranged to provide a signal to the control and transmission unit which signal represents the amplitude of an oscillation obtained when receiving in the antenna portion high frequency energy which is wirelessly transferred to the transponder.

9. A transponder according to claim 8, wherein the control and transmission unit comprises comparing means connected to the level detectors for comparing the signals provided by the level detectors with each other and control means for using, when wirelessly transmitting information from the transponder, that one of the antenna portions for which a result of the comparing in the comparing means indicates that the largest amplitude existed when receiving the high frequency energy.

10. A transponder according to claim 8, wherein the control means are arranged to also use, when the transponder wirelessly transmits information, that antenna portion, for which result of the comparing in the comparing means indicates that the next to largest amplitude existed when receiving the high frequency energy.

11. A transponder according to claim 1, further including a plurality of oscillatory circuit capacitors, each one of which is connected in parallel with only one of the antenna portions.

12. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein each antenna portion is electrically connected in a filter and oscillatory circuit, each filter and oscillatory circuit being arranged to have a natural oscillation which has a natural frequency and which can be started by applying a voltage pulse over the circuit.

13. A transponder according to claim 12, wherein the control and transmission unit, when wirelessly transmitting information from the transponder, is arranged to periodically apply voltage pulses over at least one of the filter and oscillatory circuits with a frequency substantially equal to an even fraction of the natural frequency.

14. A transponder according to claim 12, wherein the filter and oscillatory circuits are controllable to oscillate at two different natural frequencies.

15. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein said angular relation between said antenna portions is substantially 90 degrees.

16. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein each antenna portion is connected to a storage capacitor for storing received high frequency energy.

17. A transponder according to claim 1, wherein each antenna portion is connected in an oscillatory circuit which is tuned to the frequency of high frequency energy which is transferred wirelessly to the transponder.

18. A transponder for receiving high frequency energy which is wirelessly transferred to the transponder for wirelessly transmitting information, the transponder comprising:

an antenna for receiving and transmitting;

an energy storage unit connected to the antenna for storing high frequency energy which is transferred wirelessly to the transponder and is received on the antenna; and

a control and transmission unit for transferring an information signal to the antenna to be transmitted from the antenna using energy stored in the energy storage unit;

wherein the antenna comprises at least two separate antenna portions, each one of which is arranged for wireless receiving and transmitting, has a direction in which the efficiency for receiving is at a maximum, works independently of the other antenna portions and is connected to a storage capacitor for storing received high frequency energy, the directions being arranged in angular relation to each other.

19. A transponder for receiving high frequency energy which is transferred wirelessly to the transponder and for wirelessly transmitting information, the transponder comprising:

an antenna for receiving and transmitting;

an energy storage unit connected to the antenna for storing high frequency energy which is transferred wirelessly to the transponder and is received on the antenna; and

a control and transmission unit for transferring an information signal to the antenna to be transmitted from the antenna using energy stored in the energy storage unit;

wherein the transponder is arranged to wirelessly transmit information by modulating between two different frequencies.

20. A transponder according to claim 19, further including a filter and oscillatory circuit in which the antenna is electrically connected and which is arranged to have natural oscillations which have natural frequencies and can be started by applying a voltage pulse over the filter and oscillatory circuit with energy drawn from the energy storage unit, the filter and oscillatory circuit being controllable to oscillate at two different natural frequencies.

21. A transponder according to claim 20, wherein the control and transmission unit is arranged to control the application of voltage pulses with such a frequency that each of the two different natural frequencies corresponds to an integer multiple of the frequency at which the voltage pulses are applied.

22. A transponder according to claim 20, wherein the filter and oscillatory circuit comprises a first capacitor which is directly and permanently electrically connected in parallel with the antenna and a second capacitor which is arranged to be electrically connected and disconnected, by a control signal from the control and transmission unit, in parallel with the first capacitor.