Data carrier device

• US 8,608,088 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wavelogics AB
• Original Assignee: Wavelogics AB
• Inventors: Kurup, Dhanesh G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Claude J
• Application Number:
  US12/746,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20110011938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,204 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/435, 235/439, 235/492, 342/44, 342/51, 310/318, 310/319
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/755 using delay lines, e.g. acoustic delay lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/067 Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components

Abstract

A passive data carrier device (100) comprises an input port (110) for receiving a finite duration radio frequency input signal of defined time and frequency spectral characteristics. The data carrier device (100) comprises at least one branch (130) having combinations of passive RF elements, such as band filters (134) and time delays (136), optionally together with powder dividers (120) and combiners (140). The input signal is processed by the device (100) to form an output signal having time and frequency spectral characteristics different from the input signal. The data carrier device (100) has potential application in an RF identification system.

Claims

1. A passive data carrier device comprising:

at least one input port adapted for receiving a finite duration radio frequency (“

RF”

) input signal of defined time and frequency spectral characteristics;

M branches, each having an input terminal connected to an input port of said at least one input port and comprising passive RF elements for processing said input signal; and

at least one output port, each being connected to a branch of said M branches, wherein

each of said M branches comprises a combination of R_k RF band filters and S_k RF time delays, k=1 to M, where R_k, S_k are positive integers and at least one of R_k and S_k is larger than one if M is equal to one and both R_k and S_k are equal to or larger than one if M is a positive integer larger than one,

the combination of said R_k RF band filters and S_k RF time delays being different for different branches of said M branches, and

a processed RF output signal at said at least one output port has time and frequency spectral characteristics different from said RF input signal.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of said M branches comprises a combination of N_k pairs of a RF band filter and a RF time delay, k=1 to M, where N_k is a positive integer larger than one if M is equal to one and N_k is a positive integer equal to or larger than one if M is a positive integer larger than one.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein M is a positive integer larger than one.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein R_k, S_k are positive integers larger than one.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein M is a positive integer larger than one.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a RF power divider having an input terminal connected to said at least one input port and having M output terminals, where each output terminal is connected to the input terminal of a respective branch of said M branches.

7. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a RF power combiner having M input terminals, where each input terminal is connected to an output terminal of a respective branch of said M branches, and an output terminal connected to said at least one output port.

8. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a RF power combiner having M input terminals, where each input terminal is connected to an output terminal of a respective branch of said M branches, and an output terminal connected to a termination.

9. The device according to claim 6, further comprising M terminations, where each termination is connected to an output terminal of a respective branch of said M branches.

10. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a RF power combiner having M input terminals, where each input terminal is connected to an output terminal of a respective branch of said M branches, and an output terminal connected to said at least one output port.

11. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a RF power combiner having M input terminals, where each input terminal is connected to an output terminal of a respective branch of said M branches, and an output terminal connected to a termination.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said termination is selected from a group consisting of:

an energy dissipater;

an energy absorber;

an open circuit; and

a short circuit.

13. The device according to claim 5, further comprising M terminations, where each termination is connected to an output terminal of a respective branch of said M branches.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said termination is selected from a group consisting of:

an energy dissipater;

an energy absorber;

an open circuit; and

a short circuit.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein R_k, S_k are positive integers larger than one.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein said RF band filters are selected from a group consisting of:

a RF band pass filter; and

a RF band reject filter.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein said input port being a combined input and output port.

18. A radio frequency identification tag comprising:

at least one passive data carrier device according to claim 1; and

at least one antenna connected to said at least one passive data carrier device.

19. The identification tag according to claim 18, wherein each antenna of said at least one antenna is connected to a respective combined input and output port of said at least one passive data carrier device.

20. The identification tag according to claim 18, wherein said at least one antenna is an antenna system comprising:

at least one receiving antenna, where each receiving antenna is connected to a respective input port of said at least one passive data carrier device; and

at least one transmitting antenna, where each transmitting antenna is connected to a respective output port of said at least one passive data carrier device.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein said M branches are free of any active RF elements.