Device and method for analysing radio-frequency systems

• US 8,461,967 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voyantic Oy
• Original Assignee: Voyantic Oy
• Inventors: Partanen, Juho, Voutilainen, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US12/223,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20100176927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/572.1, 340/13.26
• US Class Current: 340/10.41
• 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 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10465 the interrogation device being capable of self-diagnosis, e.g. in addition to or as part of the actual interrogation process testing of electrical circuits in general G01R31/28

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for analysing radio-frequency systems. Such a device comprises means for detecting radio-frequency electromagnetic signals, and means for determining at least one analog property of the radio-frequency signal received form the reader. According to the invention, the device further comprises means for producing an electromagnetic excitation signal in order to excite the radio-frequency tag, and means for determining at least one analog property of the return signal received from the radio-frequency tag. The device permits the effective analysis of RFID systems, for example, in system-installation and error-searching situations.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing radio-frequency systems including a radio-frequency tag and a reader for reading wirelessly information content of the radio-frequency tag, which method comprises the following steps:

(a) creating a first excitation signal in the vicinity of the radio-frequency tag,

(b) measuring the analog response of the radio-frequency tag caused by the first excitation signal, and

(c) measuring the analog properties produced by a second excitation signal produced by the reader,

wherein the steps (a), (b), and (c) are performed using a single device and the method comprises an additional step of;

(d) comparing the analog properties of the second excitation signal with the analog response of the radio-frequency tag, in order to evaluate the compatibility of the reader and the radio-frequency tag.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, with the aid of steps (a) and (b), the activation threshold of the radio-frequency tag is measured as a function of frequency.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analog properties of the second excitation signal are measured at several points in the vicinity of the reader and are compared with the analog response of the radio-frequency tag.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein step (d) too is performed using the device.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

a step (b2) in which a mathematical model of the tag is created in the device on the basis of the analog response of the radio-frequency tag, and the model is used in step (d) to evaluate the compatibility of the reader and the radio-frequency tag.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

a step (c2) in which on the basis of the analog properties of the second excitation signal a mathematical model of the reader is created in the device, and the model is used in step (d) in order to evaluate the compatibility of the reader and the radio-frequency tag.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining the desired analog properties of the tag with the aid of steps (a) and (b),

adjusting the properties or matching of the antenna in the device to correspond to the analog properties of the tag,

measuring, in step (c), the adjusted antenna using the strength of the signal induced in the antenna by the field of the reader at least one point, and measuring the strength of the signal obtained through the adjusted antenna, and

determining, in step (d), whether the signal is sufficiently great for the tag to function.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein said device is a portable device.

9. A device configured to analyze radio-frequency systems including a radio-frequency tag and a reader for reading wirelessly information content of the radio-frequency tag, the device comprising:

a controller configured to

(a) create a first excitation signal in the vicinity of the radio-frequency tag,

(b) measure the analog response of the radio-frequency tag caused by the first excitation signal, and

(c) measure the analog properties produced by a second excitation signal produced by the reader,

(d) compare the analog properties of the second excitation signal with the analog response of the radio-frequency tag, in order to evaluate the compatibility of the reader and the radio-frequency tag.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to measure the activation threshold of the radio-frequency tag as a function of frequency.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein device is configured to measure the analog properties of the second excitation signal at several points in the vicinity of the reader, and

compare the measured analog properties with the analog response of the radio-frequency tag.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

create a mathematical model of the tag based on the analog response of the radio-frequency tag, and

use the mathematical model to evaluate the compatibility of the reader and the radio-frequency tag.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

create a mathematical model of the reader based on the analog properties of the second excitation signal, and

use the mathematical model to evaluate the compatibility of the reader and the radio-frequency tag.

14. The device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine the desired analog properties of the tag with the aid of steps (a) and (b),

adjust the properties or matching of the antenna in the device to correspond to the analog properties of the tag,

measure the adjusted antenna using the strength of the signal induced in the antenna by the field of the reader at least one point, and measuring the strength of the signal obtained through the adjusted antenna, and

determine whether the signal is sufficiently great for the tag to function.

15. The device according to claim 10, wherein said device is a portable device.