Method of inventorying transponders by means of a communication station

• US 7,834,742 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Amtmann, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang; Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US10/525,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,660 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.3, 340/572.1, 340/10.34, 340/10.33, 340/5.92, 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 340/10.41
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• 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: 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 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

In a method of inventorying a plurality of transponders (2) by means of a communication station (1) communicating with the transponders (2) in contactless manner, the communication station (1) emits an unmodulated carrier signal (NMCS) in a communications range of the communication station (1) and each transponder (2) on entering the communications range then emits a presence-signaling signal (PRES) and the communication station (1) on receiving a presence-signaling signal (PRES) then emits an inventorying command signal (INVS) and each transponder (2) on receiving the inventorying command signal (INVS) then emits a response signal (RESPS) permitting inventorying of the transponder (2) and the communication station (1) on correctly receiving a response signal (RESPS) then undertakes inventorying of the relevant transponder (2).

Claims

1. A method of inventorying at least one transponder by means of a communication station, wherein the communication station emits an unmodulated carrier signal in a communications range, and wherein the transponder on entering the communications range generates a presence-signaling signal and emits the presence-signaling signal in the communications range, and wherein the communication station on receiving a presence-signaling signal emits an inventorying command signal in the communications range, and wherein the transponder on receiving the inventorying command signal emits a response signal in the communications range permitting the inventorying of the transponders, and wherein the communication station, on correctly receiving a response signal undertakes inventorying of the transponders, wherein the transponder emits the presence-signaling signal with a first signal duration and the response signal with a second signal duration, and wherein the first signal duration is shorter than the second signal duration, wherein the first signal duration and the second signal duration have a ratio of 1:

X, and in that the value X lies in a range between X=10 and X=100, wherein the presence-signaling signal is not assigned to the transponder.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transponder emits a presence-signaling signal with a first transmission parameter and a response signal with a second transmission parameter.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of two different subcarrier frequencies of each subcarrier signal is used, one as first transmission parameter and one as second transmission parameter, wherein the two different subcarrier frequencies are 283 kilohertz and 424 kilohertz.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the presence-signaling signal does not include an identification data ID of the transponder and wherein the response signal includes the identification data ID of the transponder.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transponder on entering the communications range generates and emits a plurality of presence-signaling signals in the communications range at random intervals to ensure that the communication station reliably receives at least one of the plurality of presence-signaling signal generated and emitted by the transponder.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transponder terminates generation and emission of the plurality of presence-signaling signals on receiving the inventorying command signal.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transponder on entering the communications range generates and emits a plurality of presence-signaling signals in the communications range repeatedly at recurrent intervals to ensure that the communication station reliably receives at least one of the plurality of presence-signaling signal generated and emitted by the transponder.

4. A transponder for communication with a communication station, wherein transponder transmission means are provided for emitting and receiving signals, and wherein carrier signal detection means are provided for detecting an unmodulated carrier signal generated and emitted by the communication station and received by the transponder transmission means, and wherein presence-signaling signal generating means that can be activated as a function of the detection of an unmodulated carrier signal are provided for generating a presence-signaling signal, and wherein inventorying command signal detection means are provided for detecting an inventorying command signal generated and emitted by the communication station and received by the transponder transmission means, and wherein response signal generating means that can be activated as a function of the detection of the inventorying command signal are provided for generating a response signal permitting the inventorying of the transponder, wherein the presence-signaling signal generating means generates the presence-signaling signal with a first signal duration and wherein the response signal generating means generates the response signal with a second signal duration, and wherein the first signal duration is shorter than the second signal duration, wherein the first signal duration and the second signal duration have a ration of 1:

X, the value X lying in a range between X=10 and X=100, wherein the presence-signaling signal is not assigned to the transponder.

5. A transponder as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transponder is designed to generate a presence-signaling signal with a first transmission parameter and to generate a response signal with a second transmission parameter.

6. A transponder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter are each formed by one of two different subcarrier frequencies of each subcarrier signal.

12. A transponder as claimed in claim 4, wherein the presence-signaling signal does not include an identification data ID of the transponder.

7. An integrated circuit for a transponder for communication with a communication station, wherein at least one connection is provided for emitting and receiving signals, and wherein carrier signal detection means are provided for detecting an unmodulated carrier signal generated and emitted by the communication station and received via at least one connection, and wherein presence-signaling signal generating means that can be activated as a function of the detection of an unmodulated carrier signal are provided for generating a presence-signaling signals, and wherein inventorying command signal detection means are provided for detecting an inventorying command signal generated and emitted by the communication station and received via at least one connection, and wherein response signal generating means that can be activated as a function of the detection of the inventorying command signal are provided for generating a response signal permitting the inventorying of the transponder, wherein the presence-signaling signal generating means generates the presence-signaling signal with a first signal duration and wherein the response signal generating means generates the response signal with a second signal duration, and wherein the first signal duration is shorter than the second signal duration, wherein the first signal duration and the second signal duration have a ratio of 1:

X, and in that the value X lies in a range between X=10 and X=100, wherein the presence-signaling signal is not assigned to the transponder.

8. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the value X lies in a range between X=20 and X=35.

9. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit is designed to generate a presence-signaling signal with a first transmission parameter and to generate a response signal with a second transmission parameter.

10. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter are each formed by one of two different subcarrier frequencies of each subcarrier signal.

13. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the presence-signaling signal does not include an identification data ID of the transponder.