Tag device

• US 6,762,683 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Giesler, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/691,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/572.8, 340/572.1, 340/572.6, 340/572.7, 235/451, 235/449, 235/383, 235/385, 235/487, 343/741, 343/742, 343/779
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• 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 19/07788 the antenna being of the capacitive type

Abstract

A tag device is described for receiving, processing and/or transmitting data signals using an integrated electronic data-processing circuit formed in an essentially plane substrate body and at least two electrodes arranged on the plane substrate body, which electrodes are connected to the data-processing circuit in such a way that they are adapted to transmit and/or receive the data signals and/or electric power supply energy using offset currents produced via a quasi-static, electric alternating field. This tag device is very simple and inexpensive, and has a great reliability of operation. Furthermore, a system with such a tag device and a corresponding reading apparatus are described.

Claims

1. A tag device for receiving processing and/or transmitting data signals comprising:

an integrated electronic data-processing circuit formed in a substantially plane substrate body, wherein the data-processing circuit does not require energy storage, and energy and data exchange with a reading apparatus are realized only by capacitive coupling; and

at least two electrodes arranged on the plane substrate body, the electrodes are connected to the data-processing circuit and adapted to enable transmission and/or reception of the data signals and/or electric power energy from the reading apparatus using offset currents via a low frequency, low voltage capacitive coupling with a quasi-state, electric alternating field.

2. A tag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two electrodes are arranged on that surface of the substrate body on which the data-processing circuit is formed.

3. A tag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrodes is arranged on that surface of the substrate body on which the data-processing circuit is formed, and at least a further one of the electrodes is arranged on the substrate body surface facing said surface.

4. A tag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a supporting body comprising at least an at least substantially plane auxiliary electrode on which the substrate body with the data-processing circuit is arranged in a position in which a capacitive coupling of each auxiliary electrode with substantially exclusively one of the electrodes on the substrate body is realized.

5. A tag device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each auxiliary electrode covers the substrate body at least substantially at the area of the electrode on the substrate body, which electrode capacitively couples with said auxiliary electrode.

6. A tag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate body with the electrodes arranged thereon and the data-processing circuit are arranged between auxiliary electrodes arranged in two planes.

7. A system using a tag device for receiving, processing and/or transmitting data signals comprising:

an integrated electronic data-processing circuit formed on a substantially plane substrate body;

at least two electrodes arranged on the plane substrate body of the tag device; and

,

a reading apparatus comprising electrodes corresponding to the electrodes of the tag device, wherein, in operation, the tag device is brought into a spatial correlation with the reading apparatus so that an exchange of electric power supply energy and/or the data signals takes place between the between the electrodes of the tag device and the corresponding electrodes of the reading apparatus using offset currents produced via a capacitive coupling with a quasi-static, electric alternating field,

wherein the data-processing circuit does not require energy storage, and energy and data exchange with the reading apparatus are realized only by capacitive coupling, and wherein the electrodes of the tag device is built up with the capacitive coupling.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reading apparatus and the tag device are formed with mutually complementary, form-locking recesses for rapidly joining the reading apparatus and the tag device in the correct position.

9. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reading apparatus comprises an electromagnetic resonant circuit and in that data signals are transmitted from the tag device to the reading apparatus by means of load modulation of an oscillation produced in the resonant circuit of the reading apparatus and coupled in the tag device via the quasi-static electric alternating field.

10. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electrodes of the reading apparatus are formed substantially congruently with the corresponding electrodes of the tag device.