Passive tag with oscillator circuit and frequency identification system utilizing the same

• US 8,183,981 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science & Technology (Government of Taiwan)
• Original Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Liu, Hsin-Chin, Peng, Jhih-Guo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US12/370,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 342/127, 342/458, 455/70, 455/71, 455/456.1, 455/556.1, 330/260, 330/303
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A passive tag receiving a reader signal provided by a reader is disclosed. The passive tag includes an antenna, an oscillator circuit, and an internal chip. The antenna receives the reader signal. The reader signal is within an operation frequency band. The oscillator circuit is coupled to the antenna and generates a frequency signal. The internal chip processes the reader signal according to power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal when the reader signal is received and the frequency signal is generated.

Claims

1. A passive tag receiving a reader signal provided by a reader, comprising:

an antenna receiving the reader signal within an operation frequency band;

an oscillator circuit coupled to the antenna and generating a frequency signal; and

an internal chip processing the reader signal, wherein the internal chip processes the reader signal according to power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal when the reader signal is received and the frequency signal is generated,

wherein the oscillator circuit comprises;

a power supply providing a power level;

an oscillator receiving the power level and generating the frequency signal; and

a transition transforming the frequency signal to generate a first transforming signal and a second transforming signal, wherein the phase difference between the first and the second transforming signals is 180°

.

2. The passive tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the oscillator circuit stops generating the frequency signal, the internal chip only bases on the power provided by the reader signal to process the reader signal.

3. The passive tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal chip comprises:

a demodulator demodulating the reader signal;

a power harvester generating an operation voltage according to the power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal when the reader signal is received and the frequency signal is generated;

a control logic receiving the operation voltage and generating a corresponding signal according to the demodulated result; and

a modulator modulating the corresponding signal and transmitting the modulated result to the reader via the antenna.

4. The passive tag as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the oscillator circuit stops generating the frequency signal, the power harvester only bases on the power provided by the reader signal to generate the operation voltage.

5. The passive tag as claimed in claim 3, wherein the power harvester comprises:

a charge pump generating a pump voltage according to the power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal; and

a stabilizer processing the pump voltage to generate the operation voltage.

6. The passive tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frequency signal is outside of the operation frequency band.

7. The passive tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal chip is connected to the antenna in parallel and the oscillator circuit is connected to the antenna in parallel.

8. The passive tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power supply is a battery.

9. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:

a reader providing a reader signal; and

a passive tag comprising;

an antenna receiving the reader signal within an operation frequency band;

an oscillator circuit coupled to the antenna and generating a frequency signal; and

an internal chip processing the reader signal, wherein the internal chip processes the reader signal according to power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal when the reader signal is received and the frequency signal is generated,

wherein the oscillator circuit comprises;

a power supply providing a power level;

an oscillator receiving the power level and generating the frequency signal; and

a transition transforming the frequency signal to generate a first transforming signal and a second transforming signal, and the phase difference between the first and the second transforming signals is 180°

.

10. The RFID system as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the oscillator circuit stops generating the frequency signal, the internal chip only bases on the power provided by the reader signal to process the reader signal.

11. The RFID system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the internal chip comprises:

a demodulator demodulating the reader signal;

a power harvester generating an operation voltage according to the power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal when the reader signal is received and the frequency signal is generated;

a control logic receiving the operation voltage and generating a corresponding signal according to the demodulated result; and

a modulator modulating the corresponding signal and transmitting the modulated result to the reader via the antenna.

12. The RFID system as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the oscillator circuit stops generating the frequency signal, the power harvester can only base on the power provided by the reader signal to generate the operation voltage.

13. The RFID system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the power harvester comprises:

a charge pump generating a pump voltage according to the power provided by the reader signal and the frequency signal; and

a stabilizer processing the pump voltage to generate the operation voltage.

14. The RFID system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frequency signal is outside of the operation frequency band.

15. The RFID system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the internal chip is connected to the antenna in parallel and the oscillator circuit is connected to the antenna in parallel.

16. The RFID system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the power supply is a battery.