Enhanced identification system

• US 6,661,336 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: BTG International Limited (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Marais, Mario Alphonso, Atkins, Raymond Catherall, Smit, Hendrik Van Zyl
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/415,234
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.42, 340/10.31, 340/5.61, 340/5.63, 340/10.4, 342/42, 342/44, 342/51, 700/11, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.2
• 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 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10059 transponder driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles

Abstract

A method and an identification system us for communicating between a reader and a plurality of transponders. The reader has a transmitter for transmitting a signal and each transponder includes a receiver for receiving the reader signal and a transmitter for generating a transponder signal. When the reader recognises a transponder signal from one of the transponders it immediately issues a mute instruction, muting all other active transponders and passing control to the said transponder, without the need for a specifically timed acknowledgement to the said controlling transponder. The reader may issue a single disable/wakeup instruction which disables the controlling transponder returning control to the reader and reactivated all muted (but not disabled) transponders.

Claims

1. An identification system comprising:

a reader including a transmitter for transmitting a reader signal; and

a plurality of transponders, each transponder including a receiver for receiving the reader signal and a transmitter for generating a transponder signal,

whereby upon recognising a transponder signal from a said transponder the reader immediately issues a mute instruction, muting all other active transponders and passing control to the said transponder, without the need for a specifically timed acknowledgement to the said controlling transponder, the reader issues an acceptance instruction after the controlling transponder signal has been successfully received by the reader, the acceptance instruction being a modification of the reader signal, wherein the modification of the reader signal occurs immediately after successful identification of the controlling transponder signal, the modification of the reader signal always occurring for a period shorter than the length of the controlling transponder signal.

2. An identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mute instruction is an interruption in the reader signal and the acceptance instruction is a longer interruption in the reader signal.

3. An identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mute instruction is a single pulse in the reader signal and the acceptance instructions is a double pulse in the reader signal.

4. An identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mute instruction comprises a modulation of the reader signal.

5. An identification system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the modulation comprises a total interruption of the reader signal;

or the modulation comprises a partial interruption of the reader signal; and

/or the instruction is signal transmitted independently from the reader signal.

6. An identification system as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the transponder includes a random wait timer which triggers the transmission of the transponder signal after a random wait cycle has been completed and, if a transponder receives a mute instruction before it has begun transmitting a transponder signal, the random wait cycle of said transponder is halted and/or the random wait cycle of the said transponder is restarted by an acceptance instruction issued by the reader.

7. A method of identifying a plurality of transponders comprising:

transmitting a reader signal from a reader;

receiving the reader signal in each transponder;

recognising in the reader a transponder signal transmitted from a transponder and immediately issuing a mute instruction from the reader, muting all other active transponders and passing control to the said transponder, without the need for a specifically timed acknowledgement to the said controlling transponder; and

issuing an acceptance instruction from the reader after the controlling transponder signal has been successfully received by the reader, the acceptance instruction being a modification of the reader signal, wherein the modification of the reader signal occurs immediately after successful identification of the controlling transponder signal, the modification of the reader signal always occurring for a period shorter than the length of the controlling transponder signal.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mute instruction is an interruption in the reader signal and the acceptance instruction is a longer interruption in the reader signal.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein if a mute instruction is a single pulse in the reader signal and the acceptance instruction is a double pulse in the reader signal.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mute instruction comprises a modulation of the reader signal.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the modulation comprises a total interruption of the reader signal;

or the modulation comprises a partial interruption of the reader signal; and

/or the instruction is signal transmitted independently from the reader signal.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transponder includes a random wait timer which triggers the transmission of the transponder signal after a random wait cycle has been completed and, if a transponder receives a mute instruction before it has begun transmitting a transponder signal, the random wait cycle of said transponder is halted and/or the random wait cycle of the said transponder is restarted by an acceptance instruction issued by the reader.

13. A transponder comprising:

receiver means for receiving a reader signal;

transmission means for transmitting a transponder signal containing data which identifies the transponder, whereby in a set of transponders, two or more transponders may transmit their transponder response signals in response to receiving the reader signal; and

control means whereby on recognising a mute instruction in the reader signal all other active transponders in the set but one are muted and control is passed to said one transponder, without the need for a specifically timed acknowledgement to the said controlling transponder, the control means recognising an acceptance instruction from the reader after the controlling transponder signal has been successfully received by the reader, the acceptance instruction being a modification of the reader signal, wherein the modification of the reader signal occurs immediately after successful identification of the controlling transponder signal, the modification of the reader signal always occurring for a period shorter than the length of the controlling transponder signal.

14. A transponder as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mute instruction is an interruption in the reader signal and the acceptance instruction is a longer interruption in the reader signal.

15. A transponder as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mute instruction is a single pulse in the reader signal and the acceptance instruction is a double pulse in the reader signal.

16. A transponder as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mute instruction comprises a modulation of the reader signal.

17. A transponder as claimed in claim 16, Wherein the modulation comprises a total interruption of the reader signal;

or the modulation comprises a partial interruption of the reader signal; and

/or the instruction is signal transmitted independently from the reader signal.

18. A transponder as claimed in claim 16, wherein the transponder includes a random wait timer which triggers the transmission of the transponder signal after a random wait cycle has been completed and, if a transponder receives a mute instruction before it has begun transmitting a transponder signal, the random wait cycle of said transponder is halted and/or the random wait cycle of the said transponder is restarted by an acceptance instruction issued by the reader.

19. An integrated circuit for use in a transponder, comprising:

receiver means for receiving a reader signal;

transmission means for transmitting a transponder signal containing data which identifies the transponder, whereby in a set of transponders, two or more transponders may transmit their transponder response signals in response to receiving the reader signal; and

control means whereby on recognising a mute instruction in the reader signal all other active transponders in the set but one are muted and control is passed to said one transponder;

without the need for a specifically timed acknowledgement to the said controlling transponder, the control means recognising an acceptance instruction from the reader after the controlling transponder signal has been successfully received by the reader, the acceptance instruction being a modification of the reader signal, wherein the modification of the reader signal occurs immediately after successful identification of the controlling transponder signal, the modification of the reader signal always occurring for a period shorter than the length of the controlling transponder signal.

20. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 19, wherein the mute instruction is an interruption in the reader signal and the acceptance instruction is a longer interruption in the reader signal.

21. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 19, wherein the mute instruction is a single pulse in the reader signal and the acceptance instruction is a double pulse in the reader signal.

22. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 19, wherein the mute instruction comprises a modulation of the reader signal.

23. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 22, wherein the modulation comprises a total interruption of the reader signal;

or the modulation comprises a partial interruption of the reader signal; and

/or the instruction is signal transmitted independently from the reader signal.

24. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 22, wherein the integrated circuit includes a random wait timer which triggers the transmission of the transponder signal after a random wait cycle has been completed and, if a transponder receives a mute instruction before it has begun transmitting a transponder signal, the random wait cycle of said transponder is halted and/or the random wait cycle of the said transponder is restarted by an acceptance instruction issued by the reader.