Data carrier for transmitting different stored status information with different transmission parameters

• US 6,816,062 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• 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: Amtmann, Franz, Preishuber-Pfluegl, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US10/305,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20030146837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.4
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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

Abstract

A data carrier (1) for contactless communication with the communication station comprises firstly a receiving stage (3) for receiving a request signal (IS), secondly a storage facility (16) for storing at least two items of status information (EASB1, EASB2), thirdly a readout facility (15) for reading out one item of status information (EASB1, EASB2) at a time in response to receiving the request signal (IS), fourthly a processing circuit (18) for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case so as to create a transmission signal (MCRS) suitable for transmission to the communication station, fifthly a recognition facility (22) for recognizing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case, and sixthly a control connection (25) between the recognition facility (22) and the processing circuit (18), such that the processing circuit (18) can be influenced via the control connection (25) into altering a transmission parameter for a transmission signal generated by the processing circuit (18) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and readout in each case.

Claims

1. A data carrier (1) for contactless communication with a communication station (40), which data carrier (1) comprises the means listed below:

receiving means (3) for receiving a request signal (IS), which request signal (IS) can be generated by a communication station (40) and can be transmitted to the data carrier (1) in a contactless manner with the aid of a field generated by the communication station (40) and acting on the data carrier (1), and

storage means (16), which storage means (16) are designed for storing at least two items of status information (EASB1, EASB2) of significance for the data carrier (1), and

read out means (15) for reading out, in each case, one stored item of status information (EASB1, EASB2) in response to receiving the request signal (IS), and

processing means (18) for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case, which processing means (18) are designed to process the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case so as to create a transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) suitable for transmission to the communication station (40), and in which processing means (18) at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS;

MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) can be altered, and

recognition means (22) for recognizing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case, and

control connection means (25) between the recognition means (22) and the processing means (18), which control connection means (25) are designed to have a controlling effect on the processing means (18) as a function of the status information (EASE1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case, specifically to alter the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS;

MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case.

2. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein control means (26) are provided in the control connection means (25), which control means (26) cooperate with the recognition means (22), are designed for generating control data (CDA) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case, and cooperate with the processing means (18), specifically to alter the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS;

MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) on the basis of the generated control data CDA.

3. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case in at least two time windows (TW1 and TW2) starting at different occurrence times, and wherein the processing means (18) are equipped for this purpose with time-window defining means (19) by which at least two different occurrence times for time windows (TW1, TW2) can be defined as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case.

4. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information recognized and read out in each case with at least two different coding types, and whereby the processing means (18) for this purpose comprise at least two coding stages (12, 30, 31) for implementing different coding types, by means of which stages at least two different coding types can be implemented as a function of the status information recognized and read out in each case.

5. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case with at least two different subcarrier signals (SCS1, SCS2) by means of which the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case can be modulated, and wherein the processing means (18) are equipped for this purpose with subcarrier-signal generating means (32), by which at least two different subcarrier signals (SCS1, SCS2) can be created as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case.

6. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage means (16) are designed for storing two bit configurations (EASB1, EASB2) which can be generated as part of an electronic article surveillance system.

7. A circuit (2) for a data carrier (1) for contactless communication with a communication station (40), which circuit (2) comprises the following means:

connection means (6) for receiving an request signal (IS), which request signal (IS) can be generated by a communication station (40) and can be transmitted in a contactless manner with the aid of a field generated by the communication station (40) and acting upon a data carrier (1) to the data carrier (1) and consequently to the circuit (2) for the data carrier (1), and

storage means (16), which storage means (16) are designed for storing at least two items of status information (EASB1, EASB2) of significance to the data carrier (1), and

read out means (15) for reading out one stored item of status information (EASB1, EASB2) in each case in response to receiving the request signal (IS), and

processing means (18) for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read-out in each case, which processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read-out in each case so as to create a transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) suitable for transmission to the communication station (40), and in which processing means (18) at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) can be altered, and

recognition means (22) for recognizing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case, and control connection means (25) between the recognition means (22) and the processing means (18), which control connection means (25) are designed to have a controlling effect on the processing means (18) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case, specifically to alter the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case.

8. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein control means (26) are provided in the control connection means (25), which control means (26) cooperate with the recognition means (22), are designed for generating control data (CDA) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case, and cooperate with the processing means (18), specifically to alter the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) on the basis of the generated control data (CDA).

9. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case in at least two time windows (TW1, TW2) starting at different occurrence times, and wherein the processing means (18) are equipped for this purpose with time-window defining means (19) by which at least two different occurrence times can be defined for time windows (TW1, TW2) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case.

10. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information recognized and read out in each case with at least two different coding types, and wherein the processing means (18) are equipped for this purpose with at least two coding stages (12, 30, 31) designed for implementing different coding types, by means of which stages at least two different coding types can be implemented as a function of the status information recognized and read out in each case.

11. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case with at least two different subcarrier signals (SCS1, SCS2), by means of which the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case can be modulated, and wherein the processing means (18) are equipped for this purpose with subcarrier-signal generating means (32) by which at least two different subcarrier signals (SCS1, SCS2) can be generated as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case.

12. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the storage means (16) are designed for storing two bit configurations (EASB1, EASB2) which can be generated as part of an electronic article surveillance system.

13. A communication station (40) for contactless communication with a data carrier (1),

which data carrier (1) is designed for contactless communication with the communication station (40) and comprises the means listed below:

receiving means (3) for receiving an request signal (IS), which request signal (IS) can be generated by a communication station (40) and can be transmitted to the data carrier (1) in a contactless manner with the aid of a field generated by the communication station (40) and acting on the data carrier (1), and

storage means (16), which storage means (16) are designed for storing at least two items of status information (EASB1, EASB2) of significance for data carrier (1), and

read out means (15) for reading out one stored item of status information (EASB1, EASB2) at a time in response to receiving the request signal (IS), and

processing means (18) for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read-out in each case, which processing means (18) are designed for processing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case so as to create a transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) suitable for transmission to the communication station (40), and in which processing means (18) at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) can be altered, and recognition means (22) for recognizing the status information (EASB1, EASB2) read out in each case, and

control connection means (25) between the recognition means (22) and the processing means (18), which control connection means (25) are designed to have a controlling effect on the processing means (18) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case, specifically to alter the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal (MCRS, MCRS1, MCRS2, MCRS3, MCRS4, MCRS5) as a function of the status information (EASB1, EASB2) recognized and read out in each case, wherein

said communication station (40) comprises the means listed below;

command-signal generating means (43) for generating command signals (IS) and

receiving means (49) for receiving the transmission signal (MCRS) transmitted from the data carrier (1) to the communication station (40), and

processing means (51) for processing the received transmission signal (MCRS) and transmission-parameter recognition means (55) for recognizing the transmission parameter of the received transmission signal (MCRS), and

decision means (57) which cooperate with the transmission-parameter recognition means (55) and which are provided and designed for making a decision as to the generation of at least one command signal as a function of the transmission parameter of the received transmission signal (MCRS) recognized by the transmission-parameter recognition means (55).

14. A communication station (40) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the decision means (57) are provided between the transmission-parameter recognition means (55) and the command-signal generating means (43) and are designed to influence the command-signal generating means (43) as a function of the transmission parameter of the received transmission signal (MCRS) recognized by the transmission-parameter recognition means (55), specifically in respect of which command signals are to be generated by the command-signal generating means (43).