Interrogation device and method for scanning

• US 7,432,825 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSD International GmbH (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Destron Fearing Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Mejia, Ezequiel, Chan, Vincent K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US10/634,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20040036626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/870.17
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/015 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A radio frequency identification system includes an interrogator for generating and transmitting an interrogation signal to a transponder. One or more transponders of the system receive the interrogation signal and return a data signal which includes identification and/or body characteristic information in one of multiple formats. The interrogator receives the data signal, determines the format of the data signal, and decodes the data signal to obtain the identification and/or body characteristic information. The interrogator operates to decode data signals from transponders not capable of transmitting body characteristic information and transponders which are-capable of transmitting body characteristic information.

Claims

1. An interrogation apparatus for communicating with at least one transponder, comprising:

at least one antenna portion operable to transmit an interrogation signal to the transponder and to receive a data signal from the transponder;

a processing portion operably interconnected to said at least one antenna portion operable to receive the data signal and to determine the presence or absence of body characteristic data within the data signal, and when the presence of body characteristic information is detected, decode the data signal to obtain at least said body characteristic information; and

an output portion operable to output, when the presence of body characteristic information is detected, said body characteristic information;

wherein said processing portion is operable to receive said data signal, demodulate said data signal into an information signal, and determine the contents of the information signal, wherein said processing portion is operable to identify an indicator within said information signal, and determine the presence of body characteristic information based on the indicator, and wherein said information signal contains a plurality of indicators, and said processing portion is operable to determine the presence of body characteristic information based on any detected differences between one or more of the plurality of indicators.

2. The interrogation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing portion is operable to obtain and store a predetermined number of indicators and other information from said information signal, and determine the presence or absence of body characteristic information.

3. A method for interrogating a transponder, comprising:

transmitting an interrogation signal;

detecting a response signal generated from the transponder in response to said interrogation signal;

detennining a format of said response signal;

decoding identification information encoded within said response signal;

determining if body characteristic data is included in said response signal, comprising;

storing at least one data telegram from said response signal; and

determining the presence of body characteristic information based on information within said data telegram, wherein said determining the presence, of body characteristic information step includes;

comparing headers from a plurality of data telegrams; and

detennining the presence or absence of body characteristic information within said telegrams based on differences detected between said headers; and

when body characteristic data is included in said response signal, decoding said characteristic data.

4. An interrogation apparatus for communicating with a transponder, comprising:

at least one antenna operable to transmit an interrogation signal to the transponder and to receive a data signal from the transponder;

a processing portion operably interconnected to said at least one antenna operable to receive the data signal and to decode the data signal to obtain identification information contained therein, and when the data signal includes an indicator, to further decode the data signal to obtain body characteristic information contained therein, wherein said processing portion is operable to detect at least two different formats of data within said data signal and is operable to detect the presence or absence of body characteristic information within each format of data; and

an output portion operable to output said identification information and, when said indicator is detected, output said body characteristic information.

5. The interrogation apparatus of claim 4, wherein said data formats conform to an existing standard for transmission of identification information from a transponder to an interrogator.

6. The interrogation apparatus of claim 4, wherein said data formats conform to ISO standard 11785.

7. The interrogation apparatus of claim 6, wherein said data format is FDXA.

8. The interrogation apparatus of claim 6, wherein said data format is FDXB.