Security system, transponder and receiver device

• US 6,731,198 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anatoli Stobbe
• Original Assignee: Antaloli Stobbe
• Inventors: Scheffler, Hartmut, Stobbe, Anatoli
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US09/480,602
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.2, 340/10.42, 340/10.1, 340/10.33, 340/10.32, 340/870.11, 340/572.1, 340/539.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.34, 340/10.4, 340/572.5, 340/568.1, 342/118, 235/375
• US Class Current: 340/10.33
• 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 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07336 Active means, e.g. jamming or scrambling of the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/145 at least one of the further markings being adapted for galvanic or wireless sensing, e.g. an RFID tag with both a wireless and an optical interface or memory, or a contact type smart card with ISO 7816 contacts and an optical interface or memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• 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 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface

Abstract

A security system includes a base station and at least one transponder. A data dialogue takes place between the base station and the transponder in which the transponder sends back data to the base station on a carrier frequency in the RF (radio frequency) range. The transponder comprises a first transmitter and a second transmitter for data transmission to the base station and/or to a read/write device. The second transmitter sends on an electromagnetic carrier frequency in the LF (low frequency) range, and an audible carrier frequency in the ultrasonic range or an optical carrier frequency in the infrared range.

Claims

1. A security system comprising

(a) a base station, and

(b) at least one transponder having a first transmitter device, a dialogue taking place between said base station and said transponder wherein the base station sends data to the transponder on a carrier frequency in the LF (low frequency) range and the transponder sends back data to the base station on a carrier frequency in the RF (radio frequency) range, said transponder comprising a second transmitter device for data transmission to a destination selected from the group consisting of the base station and a read/write device, said second transmitter device sending on a frequency selected from the group consisting of an electromagnetic carrier frequency in the LF range, an audible carrier frequency in the ultrasonic range and an optical carrier frequency in the infrared range while the base station and the transponder transmit on different carrier frequencies in the LF range;

wherein the base station, because of received identification or attendance signals of the transponders sends out status messages of the transponders identified or registered attendant at intervals and the transponders evaluate the status messages; and

wherein the transponder, which on evaluation of the status messages discovers the absence of its identity or attendance messages, immediately or after a predetermined number of repetitions of the status messages upon absence of its identity or attendance messages, sends out data to the base station in the LF range by means of the second transmitter device.

2. A security system according to claim 1, wherein the base station comprises first and second transmitter devices and the carrier frequency of the second transmitter devices of the base station is in the LF range up to 150 kHz.

3. A security system according to claim 1, wherein the carrier frequency of the first transmitter device of the transponder is in the RF range above 10 MHz.

4. A security system according to claim 1, wherein the carrier frequency of the second transmitter device of the transponder is in the LF range up to 150 kHz.

5. A security system according to claim 1, wherein an exchange of data for testing the transmission paths is initialized at intervals and the result evaluated between the base station and the transponder.

6. A security system according to claim 5, wherein the initialization of the exchange of data is repeated at least once if the exchange of data is faulty or fails.

7. A security system according to claim 5, wherein the base station sends request signals to the transponder at intervals and waits for answer signals and, if no answer signals are received within a predetermined period of time, repeats the request signal or does not send a positive acknowledgment signal otherwise provided for the reception of an answer signal or sends a negative acknowledgment signal for a failure of receiving an answer signal.

8. A security system according to claim 7, wherein the transponder further comprises an LF transmitter and wherein the transponder counts the repetitions of request signals or the absence of positive acknowledgment signals for the reception of an answer signal and, after a predetermined number of repetitions of the request signal or absence of the positive acknowledgment signals for the reception of the answer signal or on receiving the negative acknowledgment signal for the failure of receiving the answer signal, sends data in the LF range by means of the LF transmitter.

9. A security system according to claim 5, wherein the transponder sends attendance signals in the RF range to the base station at intervals and waits for positive acknowledgment signals for the reception of the attendance signals and repeats the attendance signal within a predetermined period of time on failure to receive such a positive acknowledgment signal.

10. A security system according to claim 9, wherein the transponder counts the repetitions of its attendance signal on the absence of a positive acknowledgment signal and, after a predetermined number of repetitions of its attendance signal, sends out data in the LF range to the base station by means of the second transmitter device.

11. A security system according to claim 8, wherein at least the transmission path threatened by interference or sabotage or both transmission paths are monitored by the base station or by the transponder for interference or occupancy and that the exchange of data for testing the transmission path is only initialized when the transmission paths have been verified free or not occupied.

12. A security system according to claim 8, wherein the transponder sends out data in the LF range by means of the LF transmitter only when the transmission paths have been verified free and not occupied.

13. A security system according to claim 8, wherein the data sent by the transponder in the LF range by means of the LF transmitter and received by the base station in conjunction with the monitoring of the transmission paths is evaluated for occupancy and only evaluated as valid if the transmission paths have been verified free and not occupied.

14. A security system according to claim 6, further comprising an alarm and wherein the data transmitted in the case of a faulty transmission path or a faulty transmission channel in the RF range from the transponder tot he base station in the LF range serves to trigger the alarm.

15. A security system according to claim 14, wherein each transponder has an alarm data set and all transponders send out the same alarm data set.

16. A security system according to claim 14, wherein each transponder sends out an individual alarm data set.

17. A security system according to claim 15, wherein the alarm data set is sent out once, several times, at intervals or continuously.

18. A security system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency on which a data transmission is intended is monitored for occupancy or interference by the transponder or by the base station at least indirectly before the intended transmission.

19. A security system according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is outside the carrier frequency field of the base station in an energy-saving mode or a standby mode and upon entering the carrier frequency field of the base station, the transponder is switched over to a working mode.

20. A security system according to claim 19, wherein the transponder is switched over to working mode by a wake-up signal of the base station and wherein a channel allocation to a time slot or to a carrier frequency is conducted via the wake-up signal.

21. A security system according to claim 19, wherein the transponder is in a stationary state in an energy-saving mode and the transponder is switched over to a standby mode or a working mode in the case of movement.

22. A security system according to claim 19, wherein the transponder, in standby mode or in energy-saving mode is switched over by a strong electromagnetic field in the LF range from the standby mode or energy-saving mode to a mode in which transmitting power is derived from the strong electromagnetic field.

23. A security system according to claim 22, wherein the transponder, after the change-over to the mode in which transmitting power is derived from the strong electromagnetic field transmits with reduced transmitting power.

24. A security system according to claim 1, wherein the transponder further comprises an LC resonant circuit having a coil, the coil of the LC resonant circuit being used by the transponder as an aerial for the LF range.

25. A security system according to claim 24, wherein the transponder comprises a receiver and an RF transmitter and said coil of the resonant circuit is used for both receiving and transmitting by switching the resonant circuit over from the receiver to the RF transmitter and the resonant circuit is tuned to the receiving or transmission frequency as applicable.

26. A security system according to claim 25, wherein the LC resonant circuit is operated in parallel resonance on receiving and is switched over to series resonance when transmitting.

27. A security system according to claim 25, wherein the resonance of the LC resonant circuit is measured before or during transmission and the LC resonant circuit is tuned to the transmission frequency if its resonant frequency differs from the transmission frequency.

28. A security system according to claim 24, wherein the transponder comprises at least two aerial coils which are offset with respect to each other.

29. A security system according to claim 25, wherein the base station comprises several RF receivers with receiving antennae spatially distanced from each other, with which the signals transmitted by the transponder are evaluated in diversity mode.

30. A security system according to claim 29, wherein the receiving antennae in the base station for the LF operation are decoupled from the transmitting antennae for the LF range.