Carrierless RFID system

• US 7,385,511 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Martec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Martec Corporation
• Inventors: Muchkaev, Artem
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/407,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20070247311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.3, 340/10.1, 340/10.41, 342/42, 342/44, 342/47, 235/381, 700/232, 700/237
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• 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 7/10306 ultra wide band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio

Abstract

The present invention is a method and an apparatus to use carrierless signals for energizing remote passive or active transponders (tags) and for communication link between a reader and the transponders. The reader'"'"'s transceiver generates very short high power pulses to transmit them to the transponder which receives and stores the pulse energy in an energy store on the transponder. At the transponder the power pulse signal is compressed by a matched filter and rectified. Information to be transmitted from the reader to the transponder and from the transponder to the reader can be added to the data pulses by means of pulse position modulation, bi-phase modulation or other well-known wide-band modulation techniques. The communication is active as the transponder utilizes stored power for transmission and reception of signals while the transponder can be passive and is powered by the reader'"'"'s signal energy.

Claims

1. A method for energizing remote transponders and communication, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a reader generating and transmitting coded sequences of short high power pulses repeatedly through a reader antenna;

b) at least one transponder matching with coded power pulse sequence and receiving the high power pulses via a transponder antenna, said transponder further comprising a power supply and a chip, said chip comprising a detector, a decoder, a data source, a modulator, a pseudo random generator and a pulse generator;

c) said transponder antenna introducing the pulses to said power supply containing a delay line, a summator, a rectifier and an energy store;

d) said energy store becoming charged and said energy store feeding said chip;

e) said detector and decoder of said chip further processing the signals;

f) said data source, modulator, pseudo random generator and pulse generator forming a response to the reader;

g) said reader receiving the response and sending coded data pulse sequences to the transponder, said coded data pulse sequences being either separate from the coded power pulse sequences or being embedded into the coded power pulse sequences; and

h) said power pulse sequences and data pulse sequences being modulated with pulse position modulation or bi-phase modulation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is an active transponder.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is a passive transponder.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reader is a registering block of a cardiograph and the transponder is a biosensor of the cardiograph.

16. An apparatus for energizing remote transponders and communication according to the method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a reader and a transponder;

said reader comprising a pulse generator, a pseudo random code generator, a processor, a receiver and an antenna;

said pseudo random generator and pulse generator generating coded sequences of short high power pulses repeatedly and transmitting them through the antenna to the transponder;

said pseudo random code generator and pulse generator generating and transmitting coded sequences of data pulses through the antenna to the transponder, said coded sequences of data pulses being separate of the coded sequences of power pulses or being embedded into the coded sequences of power pulses;

said processor using for modulating the transmitting signals;

said receiver using for detecting and decoding received signals and

said transponder comprising a transponder antenna, a power supply and a chip, said transponder antenna introducing the pulses to said power supply, comprising a rectifier and an energy store and said energy store becoming energized from the energy of the high power pulses and further feeding the chip, said chip comprising a detector to detect the pulse sequences received by the antenna, a decoder to decode the pulse sequences, a data source, a modulator, a pseudo random generator and pulse generator to send a response to the reader.

5. A method for carrierless communication between a reader and at least one transponder, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a reader comprising a pseudo random code generator and a pulse generator generating and transmitting coded sequences of short high power pulses repeatedly through a reader antenna;

b) said reader generating and transmitting coded data pulse sequences, and said coded data pulse sequences being either separate from the power pulse sequences or being embedded into the power pulse sequences;

c) at least one transponder associated with an object and matching with the power pulse sequence receiving the high power pulses via a transponder antenna, said transponder further comprising at least one delay line, a summator, a rectifier, an energy store and a chip, said chip comprising a detector, a decoder, a data source, a modulator, a pseudo random generator and a pulse generator;

d) said data source providing a specific binary sequence as an identifier to identify the object;

e) said transponder antenna introducing the pulses to a delay line;

f) said delay line feeding the pulses to a summator and transferring an input signal to the detector in the chip,

g) said summator compressing the pulse signal and feeding the compressed pulse signals to a rectifier;

h) said rectifier feeding the pulse signal to an energy store;

i) said energy store becoming energized and further feeding said chip;

j) said detector feeding the input signal to a decoder and said decoder further processing the signal;

k) said modulator performing pulse position modulation or bi-phase modulation and said pseudo random code generator providing time hopping or direct spreading; and

l) said pulse generator sending a response through the transponder antenna to the reader.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the power pulse sequences are different for each transponder or a group of transponders.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the detector is a Schottky detector.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transponder is an active transponder.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transponder is a passive transponder.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transponder comprises a first and a second delay line and a first and a second summator,

said first delay line feeding the pulses through the first summator and a rectifier further feeding compressed pulses to the energy store and said energy store becoming charged and further feeding the chip;

and

the second delay line feeding the pulses to the second summator, said second summator feeding compressed pulses to the decoder.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein coded data pulse sequences are either separated from the power pulse sequences or embedded into the power pulse sequences.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the power pulse sequences are different for each transponder or a group of transponders.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the diode detector is a Schottky detector.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transponder is an active transponder.

15. The method according to claim 10 wherein the transponder is a passive transponder.

17. A communication link structure between a reader and a transponder, said link structure comprising:

repeated power pulse signals transmitted by the reader to the transponder,

said transponder further comprising a chip and a power supply with an energy store,

said energy store becoming energized by the energy of the pulse signals and the chip being in a stand by or power saving/off mode during the charging the energy store;

said chip beginning to operate when the energy store is fully energized and the transponder responding to the reader;

said reader further sending data to the transponder after receiving the response of the transponder, said data being in form of data pulses, said data pulses further being separate pulses or being embedded into the power pulses;

said chip operating permanently in the case of data pulses embedded into the power pulses.