System for the spatial allocation of at least one transponder to the cells of a detection area, base station, and transponder

• US 6,535,744 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1999
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anatoli Stobbe
• Original Assignee: Anatoli Stobbe
• Inventors: Stobbe, Anatoli, Merk, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US09/473,362
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/443, 340/825, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/10.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.2
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

A system is described for the spatial allocation of at least one transponder to cells of a detection area. The cells of the detection area differ by changeable or permanently different properties of an electromagnetic field. By means of the transponder, the properties of the electromagnetic fields of the cells which are capable of reception individually, selectively, or resultantly, are evaluated. Allocation to the cells is effected automatically according to the properties of the individual electromagnetic fields received, or according to the ratio of the proportions of the electromagnetic fields received selectively or resultantly, or according to the proportion predominating in the field strength of the electromagnetic fields received selectively or resultantly.

Claims

1. A spatial allocation system comprising:

(a) a detection area comprising a plurality of cells, the cells differing from one another by changeable or permanently different properties of an electromagnetic field;

(b) at least one transponder for receiving individually, selectively or as resultants the properties of the electromagnetic fields of the cells at the position of said transponder and for evaluating the properties and spatially allocating said transponder to the cells, said transponder comprising a memory for storing the results of the allocation and means for statistically evaluating the frequency of each allocation result, wherein upon each allocation the transponder initiates a switching process immediately, after a delay, or after statistical evaluation of the frequency, and wherein the frequency for return signals from the at least one transponder to a base station lie in the HF range;

(c) a station for activating the switching process in the transponder, for selecting the nature of an action initiated by the switching process, or for the input or modification of data in the memory of the transponder;

(d) whereby the spatial allocation is effected automatically in accordance with a parameter selected from the group consisting of (i) the characteristics of the individual electromagnetic fields received, (ii) the ratio of the proportions of the electromagnetic fields received selectively or as resultants, and (iii) the proportion of the electromagnetic fields received selectively or as resultants having the predominant field strength.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system evaluates electromagnetic fields received selectively or as resultants as a delimitation between two adjacent and overlapping cells where the electromagnetic fields of said two cells have the same ratio of proportions.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system evaluates the characteristics of electromagnetic fields received as resultants, as a delimitation between two adjacent and overlapping cells where an evaluation between a first valid position determined by the system prior to the evaluation and a second valid position determined by the system after the evaluation does not unambiguously lead to a spatial allocation of the transponder to one of the cells.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transponder evaluates the sequence of each allocation result.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein upon a change of allocation the transponder initiates in a specified sequence, a switching process immediately, after a delay, or after statistical evaluation of the frequency.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the switching process effects a local action selected from the group consisting of an optical or audible alarm, a deactivation of an electronic circuit, the rendering invalid of objects of value, and the marking of objects of value.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising means for carrying out remotely controlled action selected from the group consisting of a signal line and at least one radio receiver and wherein by the switching process, the remotely controlled action is carried out via the signal line or by transmission of a radio signal to the at least one radio receiver.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the changeable or permanently different properties of the electromagnetic fields are selected from the group consisting of field strength, interfield phase, frequency, modulation content, and combinations thereof.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the changeable properties of the electromagnetic fields can be adjusted to create a fixed or displaceable demarcation line between different cells.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the frequencies of the electromagnetic fields serving to provide the spatial allocation of the at least one transponder lie in the LF range up to 150 kHz.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency for the return signal from the transponder to the base station or an additional return signal frequency lies in the LF range up to 150 kHz.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the station is a base station having an electromagnetic field, said electromagnetic field containing a code for allocating each transponder to a general response channel, and each transponder, after a first or repeated entry into one of the electromagnetic fields of the detection area is allocated by the code to the channel, the allocation having a form selected from the group consisting of a time slot and a frequency for a first or repeated identification.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein the station is a base station and each transponder, after a first or repeated entry into one of the electromagnetic fields of the detection area, sends an individual identification marker to the base station and the transponder is then allocated an unambiguously channel for return messages by the base station.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the channel for return messages is formed by a time window or a frequency channel within the frequency range reserved for return messages.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein each transponder after the allocation of a return channel, sends to the base station, regularly or at the request of the base station, data relating to its spatial allocation to one of the cells.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein each transponder, at the request of a station selected from the group consisting of the base station and a writing or reading station, sends to the station data selected from the group consisting of additional identification data, status data, and data relating to the memory content of the transponder.

17. The system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one HF receiver monitoring the transfer path in the HF range between the transponder and the base station, and in the event of an interruption of the transfer path in the HF range, a return message is sent in the LF range by the transponder to the base station.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is installed in the housing of an electronic device which is to be monitored, the electronic device having an electronic circuit, said transponder being connected to the electronic circuit in such a way that (i) conditions or data stored in the electronic circuit can be read out and transferred by means of the transponder to the base station or (ii) conditions of the electronic circuit can be set or data can be written in and stored in memory by means of the base station via the transponder.

19. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a base station and at least two spatially separated transmitter devices, said transmitter devices creating electromagnetic fields with changeable or permanently different properties.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising a control device synchronizing the transmitter devices.

21. The system according to claim 19 further comprising a plurality of receiver devices and an evaluation device connected to the receiver devices.

22. The system according to claim 1 wherein the transponder comprises at least one receiver device for electromagnetic fields radiated by a base station and an evaluation device.

23. The system according to claim 22, further comprising a transmitter device for the response to the base station, said transmitter device being controlled by the evaluation device.