Reader device for contactless reading of transponder data

• US 7,425,895 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Astra Gesellschaft Fur Asset Management mbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Astra Gesellschaft Fur Asset Management mbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Stobbe, Anatoli, Jahoda, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/265,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/505, 340/506, 340/538.15, 340/59.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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

Abstract

Described is a reader device for contactless reading of transponder data via an electromagnetic field having a read antenna connected to a receiving circuit for demodulation and preparation of transponder data.

The reader device includes a digital signal processor that is connected to or forms part of the receiving circuit for generating a display signal showing an amplitude-time curve and/or a frequency spectrum of the received signals. The display signal travels via a display signal output of the digital signal processor to an optical display device integrated in the reader device or via an integrated interface to an external optical display device.

Claims

1. A reader device for contactless reading of transponder data regarding an electromagnetic field, having a read antenna (10) connected to a receiving circuit (12) for demodulation and preparation of the transponder data, wherein the reader device includes a digital signal processor (16) connected to the receiving circuit (12) or forming part of the receiving circuit (12) for generating a display signal representing at least one of an amplitude-time curve and a frequency spectrum of the received signals, and wherein at least one of an optical display device integrated in the reader device for the at least one of the amplitude-time curve and the frequency spectrum of the received signals and an interface (34) integrated in the reader device for connecting an external optical display device (72) for the at least one of the amplitude-time curve and the frequency spectrum of the received signals is connected to a display signal output of the digital signal processor (16).

2. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein a signal path for processing the transponder data and a signal path for generating a display signal representing an amplitude-time curve and/or a frequency spectrum of the received signals are both routed via the same read antenna (10).

3. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein a signal path for processing the transponder data and a signal path for generating a display signal representing an amplitude-time curve and/or a frequency spectrum of the received signals are both routed via the same receiving circuit (12).

4. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic field is in a range between 8 kHz and 2.54 GHz.

5. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic field in the LF range is between 100 kHz and 150 kHz.

6. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic field in the HF range is at a value of 13 MHz.

7. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic field in the UHF range is at a value of 900 MHz.

8. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic field in the SHF range is at a value of 2.54 GHz.

9. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the integrated signal processor (16) as a component of the receiving circuit is able to be switched in a program-controlled manner between a data preparation procedure and a display signal procedure.

10. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display signal also includes at least one detection threshold which is generated by the integrated signal processor and is able to be displayed on the display device as a two-dimensional function in addition to the amplitude-time curve of the received signals.

11. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display signal also includes at least one detection threshold which is generated by the integrated signal processor and is able to be displayed on the display device (72) as a two-dimensional function in addition to the frequency spectrum of the received signals.

12. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display signal also includes numerical data generated by the integrated signal processor (16), assigned to the detection threshold, and able to be displayed on the display device (72) together with the two-dimensional function of the detection threshold.

13. The reader device as recited in claim 12, wherein the numerical data includes information such as range, detection probability, error probability, or error frequency.

14. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal processor (16) also includes at least one controllable digital filter (36) for the received signals.

15. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one interfering signal detection sensor (20) is additionally connected to the receiving circuit or to a further receiving circuit (38), and that signal paths from the read antenna (10) and from the interfering signal detection sensor (20) are coupled to a compensation circuit (40) for opposite-phase weighted linking of the signals from the read antenna (10) and from the interfering signal detection sensor (20).

16. The reader device as recited in claim 15, wherein the compensation circuit (40) is formed by the digital signal processor (16), the compensation being performed in a program-controlled manner using mathematical methods.

17. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the reader device is connected directly or via a network to a control circuit to which additional reader devices are also connected, and that the control circuit uses control signals to alternately activate and deactivate reader devices having mutually interfering read antennas with time division multiplexing in order to read transponder data.

18. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the reader device is connected directly or via a network to a control circuit to which additional reader devices are also connected, and that deactivated reader devices for reading transponder data may be activated as interference detection sensors by the control circuit and may be coupled with active reader devices for reading transponder data, and the signals received by the reader devices activated as interference detection sensors are also supplied to the compensation circuit.

19. The reader device as recited in claim 1, wherein the reader device includes a scanner which is connected to the digital signal processor or is part of the digital signal processor for generating a display signal including a spectrum of assigned and unassigned transponder channels as well as interference sources and displaying this on the optical display device.

20. The reader device as recited in claim 15, wherein the reader device includes a scanner which is connected to the digital signal processor or is part of the digital signal processor for identifying interfering signals according to amplitude, frequency, and phase, and for controlling the compensation circuit for compensating transponder data that is superposed by interference.

21. The reader device as recited in claim 20, wherein a display signal of interference-suppressible and non-interference-suppressible transponder channels is able to be generated by the digital signal processor and displayed on the optical display device.