System enabling the exchange of information between products

• US 7,793,839 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartWave Technologies Corp., Smart Wave Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: SmartWave Technologies Corp.
• Inventors: Waterhouse, Paul, Zosimadis, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Seung H
• Application Number:
  US11/833,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20080029590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 235/439, 235/451, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/451
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system allowing the wireless transfer of data between a first device having a microcontroller and a second device when the first and second devices are positioned adjacent each other is described. The system includes a reader circuit and tag circuit. The reader circuit is operatively connected to the first device and provides oscillation energy to the tag circuit when the tag circuit is coupled to the reader circuit. The reader circuit receives coded information from the tag circuit and delivers the coded information to the microcontroller. The tag circuit includes a coil and logic enabling patterned oscillation at least two discrete frequencies such that the patterned oscillation is representative of coded information within the tag circuit. The system may be configured to a variety of product pairs, including consumer product pairs, to control the operation of the product pair or collect information about the operation of the product pair.

Claims

1. A system allowing the wireless transfer of data between a first device having a microcontroller and a second device when the first and second devices are operatively positioned adjacent each other, the system comprising a reader circuit and tag circuit:

the reader circuit operatively connected to the first device and having a receiver coil and a transmit coil for providing oscillation energy to the tag circuit when the tag circuit is coupled to the reader circuit and for receiving coded information within the tag circuit and delivering the coded information to the microcontroller;

the tag circuit for placement adjacent the reader circuit, the tag circuit having a tag coil for patterned oscillation at least two discrete frequencies and for coupling to the reader circuit such that the receiver coil, transmit coil and tag coil all oscillate at the same frequency when the reader circuit and tag circuit are coupled, the patterned oscillation representative of coded information within the tag circuit.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the reader circuit includes a power supply operatively connected to the receiver coil.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein the reader circuit includes an output circuit for delivering the coded information to the microcontroller.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the coded information is converted to binary information on the basis of the tag coil, receiver coil and transmit coil oscillating at two discrete frequencies.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the tag circuit includes a first capacitor for defining a first discrete oscillation frequency.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein the tag circuit includes a second capacitor for defining a second discrete oscillation frequency.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein the second capacitor is connected to the tag circuit by a logic driven switch.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein the logic driven switch is operatively driven by coded information within the tag circuit.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein the coded information is binary information including an enable/disable bit.

10. A system as in claim 9 wherein the enable/disable bit can be permanently altered by an instruction from the reader circuit.

11. A system as in claim 10 wherein the instruction is a voltage change.

12. A system as in claim 8 wherein the coded information includes a distributor'"'"'s code.

13. A system as in claim 8 wherein the coded information includes a serial number.

14. A system as in claim 8 wherein the coded information includes a manufacturer'"'"'s code.

15. A system as in claim 1 wherein the first and second resonant frequencies are interpreted as a binary signal.

16. A system as in claim 1 wherein power for the tag circuit is obtained from the oscillation energy of the tag coil.

17. A system as in claim 1 wherein the reader circuit is operable from a low power battery.

18. A system as in claim 1 wherein the reader circuit is operably connected to the first device and the tag circuit is operably connected to the second device and wherein the first device includes a microcontroller operatively connected to the reader circuit for interpreting the coded information within the tag circuit and wherein operative cooperation between the first and second devices is determined based on microcontroller interpretation of the coded information within the tag circuit.

19. A system as in claim 1 wherein the reader circuit includes a power switch responsive to the actuation of the first product and the microcontroller measures the time of actuation of the first product to determine the consumption of a consumable product within the second product.

20. A system as in claim 19 wherein the microcontroller will prevent further actuation of the first product if the microcontroller determines that a predetermined quantity of the consumable product has been consumed.

21. A system for allowing the wireless transfer of data between a first device and a second device when the first and second device are operatively positioned adjacent each other, the system comprising:

a reader circuit operatively connected to the first device, the reader circuit including

a receiver coil and a transmit coil operatively connected to each other and spatially separated from each other;

an amplifier operatively connected to the transmit coil;

a power supply operatively connected to the receiver coil; and

,

an output circuit operatively connected to the receiver coil;

a tag circuit for placement adjacent the reader circuit, the tag circuit including a tag coil;

a first capacitor operatively connected to the tag coil;

a second capacitor in a second parallel circuit having a logic driven switch for switching the second capacitor into and out of circuit with the first capacitor to induce a second resonant frequency in the tag coil when energized;

wherein operative placement of the tag circuit adjacent an energized reader circuit induces oscillation of the tag coil at the first resonant frequency and activates the logic driven switch to induce oscillation of the tag coil at the second resonant frequency and wherein tag coil oscillations at the first and second resonant frequencies induce corresponding oscillations in the receiver coil for delivery to the output circuit.