Method and apparatus for data communication between a base station and a transponder

• US 8,254,841 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Friedrich, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): HANNON, CHRISTIAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/051,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 413, 455/208, 370/395.62, 340 101- 1052
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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

A method and system for data communication between a base station and at least one transponder via a high-frequency electromagnetic carrier signal onto which information packets are modulated. Each information packet has a header section, a middle section, and a trailer section. The header section can be provided in a forward link of a data communication between the base station and the transponders for controlling data communication. The header section is used in a return link of a data communication in order to transmit information from the transponder to the base station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a forward link having a forward-link header comprising at least one symbol for configuring a setting of a transponder;

receiving from the transponder a return link having a return-link header comprising information based on characteristics of the transponder;

analyzing the received return-link header to determine adjusted information for configuring the setting of the transponder;

modifying a subsequent symbol of the forward-link header in accordance with the adjusted information for configuring the setting of the transponder; and

transmitting to the transponder the modified subsequent symbol of the forward-link header.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the transponder comprise one or more of a resolution and a data transmission rate of the transponder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the forward link comprises specifying a reference time for one or more of defining a system clock and setting a data communication rate of the transponder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the received return-link header comprises determining clock information of the transponder based on a reference mark.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the received return-link header comprises determining a time separation based on a reference mark.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the forward link comprises specifying a reference time for modulation by the transponder.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising iteratively repeating the operations of the method.

8. A base station comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

transmit to a transponder a forward link having a forward-link header, the forward-link header comprising at least one symbol for configuring a setting of the transponder; and

receive from the transponder a return link having a return-link header, the return-link header comprising information based on characteristics of the transponder;

an analysis device configured to analyze the received return-link header to determine adjusted information for configuring the setting of the transponder; and

an adjusting device configured to modifying a subsequent symbol of the forward-link header in accordance with the adjusted information for configuring the setting of the transponder;

wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the modified subsequent symbol of the forward-link header to the transponder.

9. The base station of claim 8, wherein the characteristics of the transponder comprise one or more of a resolution and a data transmission rate of the transponder.

10. The base station of claim 8, wherein transmitting the forward link comprises specifying a reference time for one or more of defining a system clock and setting a data communication rate of the transponder.

11. The base station of claim 8, wherein the analysis device is further configured to determine clock information of the transponder based on a reference mark.

12. The base station of claim 8, wherein the analysis device is further configured to determine a time separation based on a reference mark.

13. The base station of claim 8, further comprising a control unit configured to iteratively repeat the operations.

14. A circuit configured to:

transmit to a transponder a forward link having a forward-link header comprising at least one symbol, the forward-link header comprising information for configuring a setting of the transponder;

receive from the transponder a return link having a return-link header comprising information based on characteristics of the transponder;

analyze the received return-link header to determine adjusted information for configuring the setting of the transponder;

modify a subsequent symbol of the forward-link header in accordance with the adjusted information for configuring the setting of the transponder; and

transmit to the transponder the modified subsequent symbol of the forward-link header.

15. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the characteristics of the transponder comprise one or more of a resolution and a data transmission rate of the transponder.

16. The circuit of claim 14, wherein transmitting the forward link comprises specifying a reference time for one or more of defining a system clock and setting a data communication rate of the transponder.

17. The circuit of claim 14, wherein analyzing the received return-link header comprises determining clock information of the transponder based on a reference mark.

18. The circuit of claim 14, wherein analyzing the received return-link header comprises determining a time separation based on a reference mark.

19. The circuit of claim 14, wherein transmitting the forward link comprises specifying a reference time for modulation by the transponder.

20. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the circuit is further configured to iteratively repeat the operations.