Identification system interrogator

• US 6,943,680 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2001
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avid Identification Systems, Inc. (Avid Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Avid Identification Systems, Inc. (Avid Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ward, William H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/003,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20020053973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/505, 340/572.2, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/572.5, 340/10.1, 340/572.6, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/10.51, 340/572.1, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/506
• 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 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

An improved interrogator for an inductively coupled identification system is disclosed. The interrogator provides a multidimensional electromagnetic field through a plurality of coils aligned relative to each other. The coils provide a rotating magnetic field having approximately constant amplitude regardless of orientation with respect to the transponder. An additional coil may be utilized to precess the multidimensional electromagnetic field. The interrogator may further provide an impedance matching network that includes a series drive capacitor to match the impedance of a capacitor in parallel with a coil to a driver load impedance.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification system, interrogator, comprising:

a first antenna adapted to generate a first magnetic field component having a first phase;

a second antenna adapted to generate a second magnetic field component having a second phase;

a driver circuit coupled to the first and second antennae to provide at least one signal to cause the generation of first and second magnetic field components;

whereby a first and second magnetic fields form a time varying composite magnetic field;

a detector for detecting a transponder signal modulated on said magnetic field;

a processor for processing the transponder signal; and

wherein said processor further comprises;

at least one potentiometer coupled to said detector and adapted to nullify interference on said detected signal;

an amplifier coupled to said at least one potentiometer and adapted to amplify said detected signal;

a filter coupled to said amplifier and adapted to filter said detected signal;

a demodulator coupled to said filter and adapted to demodulate said detected signal;

at least one decoder coupled to said demodulator and adapted to decode said demodulated signal; and

a signal processor coupled to said at least one decoder and adapted to process said decoded signal.

2. The interrogator of claim 1, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are positioned substantially perpendicular to each other and the first phase magnetic field component and the second phase magnetic field component are in quadrature.

3. The interrogator of claim 1, further comprising:

a first capacitor having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said first end of said first capacitor coupled to a first end of said first antenna, said second end of said first capacitor coupled to a second end of said first antenna; and

a second capacitor having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said first end of said second capacitor coupled to a first end of said second antenna, said second end of said second capacitor coupled to a second end of said second antenna.

4. The interrogator of claim 1, wherein said detector further comprises a pickup coil positioned perpendicular to both of said first and second antennae.

5. The interrogator of claim 1, wherein said driver circuit further comprises:

an oscillator adapted to generate a first signal at twice a carrier frequency; and

a phase splitter coupled to said oscillator and adapted to split said first signal into an in-phase component to be provided to said first antenna and a quadrature phase component to be provided to said second antenna.

6. The interrogator of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to said processor, wherein paid processor provides said processed signal to said display, said display adapted to display said processed signal in a format understandable by a user.

7. The interrogator of claim 1, further comprising an audio transducer coupled to said processor, said audio transducer adapted to receive a signal from said processor and produce an audible tone when a transponder is detected.

8. The interrogator of claim 1, further comprising a third antenna adapted to generate a third magnetic field component, said driver further coupled to said third antenna and driving said third antenna with a signal to generate said third magnetic field component to precess paid composite magnetic field.

9. The interrogator of claim 8, wherein said third antenna is perpendicular to said first and second antenna.

10. The interrogator of claim 8, further comprising a capacitor having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said capacitor disposed between said third antenna and said driver, said first end coupled to said driver, and said second end coupled to a first end of said third antenna.

11. The interrogator of claim 10, further comprising a second capacitor having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said second capacitor disposed between said capacitor and said third antenna, said first and second end of said second capacitor coupled to a first and second end of said third antenna, respectively.

12. The interrogator of claim 1, wherein the driver circuit provides a time varying signal to cause said composite magnetic field to rotate.

13. The interrogator of claim 1, further comprising a third antenna which generates a third magnetic field component which precesses said composite magnetic field.

14. An interrogator for an identification system, comprising:

a first coil;

a second coil;

a driver coupled to and driving said first coil and said second coil by providing a time varying signal to each of said first and second coils to cause said coils to generate a rotating magnetic field;

a detector for detecting transponder signal modulated on said rotating magnetic field; and

a processor for processing said transponder signal;

wherein said processor further comprises;

at least one potentiometer coupled to said detector and adapted to nullify interference on said transponder signal;

an amplifier coupled to said at least one potentiometer and adapted to amplify said transponder signal;

a filter coupled to said amplifier and adapted to filter said transponder signal;

a demodulator, coupled to said filter and adapted to demodulate said transponder signal;

at least one decoder coupled to said demodulator and adapted to decode said transponder signal; and

a signal processor coupled to said at least one decoder and adapted to process said transponder signal.

15. The interrogator of claim 14, wherein said driver splits a generated signal into an in-phase component to drive said first coil and a quadrature phase component to drive said second coil.

16. A radio frequency identification system interrogator, comprising:

a first antenna adapted to generate a first magnetic field component having a first phase;

a second antenna adapted to generate a second magnetic field component having a second phase;

a driver circuit coupled to the first and second antennae to provide at least one signal to cause the generation of first and second magnetic field components;

whereby said first and second magnetic fields form a time varying composite magnetic field; and

a third antenna adapted to generate a third magnetic field component, said driver further coupled to said third antenna and driving said third antenna with a signal to generate said third magnetic field component to precess said composite magnetic field.

17. The interrogator of claim 16, wherein said third antenna is perpendicular to said first and second antennae.

18. The interrogator of claim 16, further comprising a capacitor having a first end an a second end opposite said first end, said capacitor disposed between said third antenna and said driver, said first end coupled to said driver, and said second end coupled to a first end of said third antenna.

19. The interrogator of claim 18, further comprising a second capacitor having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said second capacitor disposed between said capacitor and said third antenna, said first and second end of said second capacitor coupled to a first and second end of said third antenna, respectively.

20. A radio frequency identification system interrogator, comprising:

a first antenna adapted to generate a first magnetic field component having a first phase;

a second antenna adapted to generate a second magnetic field component having a second phase;

a driver circuit coupled the first and second antennae to provide at least one signal to cause the generation of first and second magnetic field components;

whereby said first and second magnetic field components form a time varying composite magnetic field; and

a third antenna which generates a third magnetic field component which precesses said composite magnetic field.

21. A radio frequency identification system interrogator, comprising:

a first antenna adapted to generate a first magnetic field component having a first phase;

a second antenna adapted to generate a second magnetic field component having a second phase;

a driver circuit coupled to the first and second antennae to provide at least one signal to generate first and second magnetic field components;

whereby said first and second magnetic field components form a time varying composite magnetic field; and

a series drive capacitor for each of said antennae and through which said antennae are driven, and a parallel tank capacitor for each said antenna, wherein said series drive capacitor and said parallel tank capacitor provide an impedance matching network.

22. The interrogator of claim 21, further comprising a detector for detecting a transponder signal modulated on said magnetic field.

23. The interrogator of claim 22, further comprising a processor for processing the transponder signal.

24. The interrogator of claim 23, further comprising a display coupled to said processor, wherein said processor provides said processed signal to said display, said display adapted to display said processed signal in a format understandable by a user.

25. The interrogator of claim 23, further comprising an audio transducer coupled to said processor, said audio transducer adapted to receive a signal from said processor and produce an audible tone when a transponder is detected.

26. The interrogator of claim 22, wherein said detector further comprises a pickup coil positioned perpendicular to both of said first and second antennae.

27. The interrogator of claim 21, wherein said first antenna and said second antenna are positioned substantially perpendicular to each other and said first phase magnetic field component and said second phase magnetic field component are in quadrature.

28. The interrogator of claim 21, wherein said driver circuit includes:

an oscillator adapted to generate a first signal at twice a carrier frequency; and

a phase splitter coupled to said oscillator and adapted to split said first signal into an in-phase component to be provided to said first antenna and a quadrature phase component to be provided to said second antenna.

29. The interrogator of claim 21, further comprising a third antenna adapted to generate a third magnetic field component, said driver further coupled to said third antenna and driving said third antenna with a signal to generate said third magnetic field component to precess said composite magnetic field.

30. The interrogator of claim 21, wherein said third antenna is perpendicular to said first and second antennae.

31. The interrogator of claim 21, wherein said driver circuit provides a time varying signal to cause said composite magnetic field to rotate.

32. An interrogator for an inductively-coupled identification system, comprising:

a plurality of coil means for generating a composite rotating magnetic field having an approximately constant amplitude in all orientations relative to a transponder; and

a series drive capacitor for each of said coil means and through which said coil means are driven, and a parallel tank capacitor for each of said coil means, wherein said series drive capacitors and said parallel tank capacitors provide an impedance matching network.

33. The interrogator of claim 32, wherein said series drive capacitor and said parallel tank capacitors are adapted to allow the independent adjustment of both resonant frequency and input impedance of the interrogator.

34. The interrogator of claim 32, wherein said plurality of coil means includes a first coil adapted to generate a first magnetic field component having a first phase and a second coil adapted to generate a second magnetic field component having a second phase.

35. The interrogator of claim 34, wherein said first and second coils are positioned substantially perpendicular to each other.

36. The interrogator of claim 34, wherein said first phase and said second phase are in quadrature.

37. The interrogator of claim 34, further comprising a pickup coil positioned perpendicular to both of said first and second coils.

38. The interrogator of claim 32, further comprising a detector which detects a transponder signal modulated on said composite rotating magnetic field.

39. The interrogator of claim 38, further comprising a processor which processes said transponder signal.

40. The interrogator of claim 32, further comprising a precession coil which generates a magnetic field component to precess said composite rotating magnetic field.

41. The interrogator of claim 40, wherein said precession coil is aligned relative to said plurality of coil means and driven with a signal offset in frequency from at least one signal driving said plurality of coil means.

42. The interrogator of claim 32, wherein said composite rotating magnetic field does not make a complete rotation and changes direction sufficiently to capture transponders with unfavorable orientations.

43. The interrogator of claim 32, wherein interrogator coils of said plurality of coil means are disposed perpendicular to one another.

44. The interrogator of claim 43, wherein a transponder in the plane of the axes of said coils senses an alternating magnetic field of full amplitude regardless of the angle of a transponder coil of the transponder with respect to said coils of the interrogator.

45. An inductively-coupled identification system interrogator, comprising:

coil means for generating a composite rotating magnetic field having an approximately constant amplitude in all orientations relative to a transponder; and

said coil means including a series drive capacitor for each coil of said coil means and through which said coils are driven, and a parallel tank capacitor for each of said coils, wherein said series drive capacitors and said parallel tank capacitors together allow for the independent adjustment of both resonant frequency and input impedance of the interrogator.