Communication device for determining the sequence of data carriers moving past said device

• US 6,597,306 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Raggam, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US09/888,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20020014987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 342/42, 342/44, 340/10-- 1
• US Class Current: 342/42
• 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 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions

Abstract

A communication device includes detection a detector (28) adapted to detect a value (V) which represents a maximum amplitude value of a data carrier signal (DS) produced by a data carrier as it moves through a communication range (KB) of the communication device along a predetermined path and received with the aid of a receiver (23) of the communication device. The detector is adapted to supply a detection signal (RS) upon detection of the value (V) representing the maximum amplitude value.

Claims

1. A communication device for communication with a data carrier situated within a communication range (KB) of the communication device, the data carrier being movable through the communication range along a predetermined path, the communication device comprising:

receiving means adapted to receive a data carrier signal (DS) which is supplied by a data carrier and which can be received with amplitude values (A1, A2) of different magnitudes depending on the passage of the data carrier through the communication range, and

detection means for detecting a value (V) representative of the maximum amplitude value of the data carrier signal (DS) supplied by a data carrier and received by the receiving means, wherein the detection means is adapted to generate and supply a detection signal (RS) upon detection of the value (V) representative of the maximum amplitude value.

2. A communication device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the detection means includes control means adapted to control an allocation of the detected amplitude values (A1, A2) to amplitude value memory means and to comparison means, wherein,

the amplitude value memory means is adapted to store a detected amplitude value (A1),

the comparison means is adapted to compare the stored amplitude value (A1) with an amplitude value (A2) determined after the stored amplitude value (A1) and to generate and supply a comparison result signal (CS) on the basis of the comparison result, and

the detection means is adapted to generate the detection signal (RS) in conformity with the comparison result signal (CS).

3. A communication device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the detection signal (RS) is formed by the comparison result signal (CS).

4. A communication device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a detection signal generator adapted to receive the comparison result signal (CS) and to receive at least one characteristic value signal (KW1, KW2) appearing in the communication device and to generate the detection signal (RS) with the aid of the characteristic value signal dependent upon the comparison result signal.

5. A communication device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the characteristic value signal is formed with the aid of time data.

6. The communication device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a transmitter for supplying to data carriers within the communication range, via a communication coil, a load-modulated carrier signal dependent on the position of the data carrier relative to a reference point of the communication range.

7. The communication device as claimed in claim 4 wherein there are two characteristic value signals and one of said characteristic value signals includes time data.

8. The communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detection means detects said value (V) representative of the maximum amplitude value of the data carrier signal and without a determination of the actual amplitude value thereof.

9. The communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detection means comprises means for comparing successive (in time) data carrier signals with different magnitude amplitude values (A1, A2), which comparison forms the basis for deriving the detection signal (RS).

10. The communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detection means detects a value (V) representative of the maximum amplitude value of the data carrier signal (DS) supplied by a data carrier and is adapted to generate and supply a detection signal (RS) upon detection of the value (V) representative of the maximum amplitude value, and independently of the frequency of data carrier signals.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the detection means comprises:

control means responsive to said further data carrier signal for controlling the allocation of first and second detected amplitude values (A1, A2) to amplitude value memory means and to comparison means, wherein

the comparison means compares a stored first amplitude value (A1) from the amplitude value memory means with a subsequent second amplitude value (A2) and generates a comparison result signal (CS), and

the detection means derives the detection signal (RS) on the basis of the comparison result signal (CS).

11. A communication device for communication with one or more data carriers movable through a communication range along a predetermined path, the communication device comprising:

means for receiving via a communication coil a data carrier signal from a data carrier when situated within the communication range, wherein the received data carrier signal has different amplitude values dependent upon the orientation of a data carrier with respect to the communication coil as it passes through the communication range, and

detection means responsive to a further data carrier signal from the receiving means for detecting a signal value representative of the maximum amplitude value of the data carrier signal and irrespective of the actual amplitude value of the received data carrier signal, and adapted to supply a detection signal (RS) upon detection of the value representative of the maximum amplitude value.

12. The communication device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the detection means produces said detection signal in relation to a reference point of said communication range and independent of the orientation of the data carrier with respect to the communication coil as the data carrier passes through the communication range.

13. The communication device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said reference point is the midpoint of said communication range.

15. The communication device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the detection means comprise:

comparison means for comparing a first amplitude value (A1) with a subsequent second amplitude value (A2) and which generates a comparison result signal (CS),

means responsive to the further carrier data signal to supply a first characteristic value signal (KW1) identifying a data carrier within the communication range,

a time data generator supplying time data forming a second characteristic value signal (KW2), and

a detection signal generator which receives the comparison result signal (CS) and receives at least one characteristic value signal (KW1, KW2) and which generates the detection signal (RS).

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 11 which uses a time-slot process to provide time sequential communication of the communication device with each of a plurality of data carriers within its communication range.

17. The communication device as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a transmitter for supplying to data carriers within the communication range, via the communication coil, a load-modulated carrier signal dependent on the position of the data carrier relative to a reference point of the communication range.