System for reading information transmitted from a transponder

• US 8,638,255 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Muehlmann, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Barker, Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US13/056,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 342 42- 51, 342/118
• US Class Current: 342/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/756 using a signal generator for modifying the reflectivity of the reflector G01S13/758 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

A reader device (110) for reading information transmitted from a transponder (130) via a backscatter signal (132) generated by the transponder (130) in response to a stimulus signal (112) generated by the reader device (110), the reader device (110) comprising a first power estimation unit (114) adapted for estimating a first power value indicative of the power of the stimulus signal (112) at a position of the transponder (130) by evaluating a power information included in the backscatter signal (132), a second power estimation unit (116) adapted for estimating a second power value indicative of the power of the backscatter signal (132) at a position of the reader device (110), and a distance estimation unit (118) adapted for estimating a distance (d₁) between the reader device (110) and the transponder (130) based on the first power value and the second power value.

Claims

1. A reader device for reading information transmitted from a transponder via a backscatter signal generated by the transponder in response to a stimulus signal generated by the reader device, the reader device comprising:

a first power estimation unit configured to estimate a first power value indicative of power of the stimulus signal at a position of the transponder by evaluating power information included in the backscatter signal;

a second power estimation unit configured to estimate a second power value indicative of power of the backscatter signal at a position of the reader device;

a distance estimation unit configured to estimate a distance between the reader device and the transponder based on the first power value and the second power value, wherein the first power estimation unit is configured to estimate the first power value by evaluating the backscatter signal based on a predefined nonlinear transfer function of an available power versus modulation efficiency by which the stimulus signal is manipulated by the transponder or evaluating a clock rate of the backscatter signal manipulated by the transponder.

2. The reader device according to claim 1, wherein the second power estimation unit is configured to estimate the second power value by determining a received signal strength of the backscatter signal at a position of the reader device.

3. The reader device according to claim 1, wherein the distance estimation unit is configured to estimate the distance between the reader device and the transponder by applying a path-loss-model based on the first power value and the second power value.

4. The reader device according to claim 1, comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether the backscattering signal belongs to a communication between the reader device and the transponder based on the evaluated distance.

5. The reader device according to claim 4, comprising:

a decoding unit configured to determine information encoded in the backscattering signal upon determination, by the determination unit, that the backscattering signal belongs to a communication between the reader device and the transponder.

6. The reader device according to claim 1, comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine that the backscattering signal belongs to a communication between the reader device and the transponder when the evaluated distance is smaller than a predefined threshold distance.

7. The reader device according to claim 1, configured as a UHF long-range reader device.

8. A communication system, comprising a transponder for transmitting information to a reader device via a backscatter signal generated by the transponder in response to a stimulus signal generated by the reader device, the transponder comprising:

a backscatter signal generation unit configured to generate the backscatter signal based on the stimulus signal including power information indicative of the power of the stimulus signal at a position of the transponder; and

the reader device according to claim 1 for reading information transmitted from the transponder.

9. A transponder for transmitting information to a reader device via a backscatter signal generated by the transponder in response to a stimulus signal generated by the reader device, the transponder comprising:

a backscatter signal generation unit configured to generate the backscatter signal based on the stimulus signal including power information indicative of power of the stimulus signal at a position of the transponder, wherein the backscatter signal generation unit is configured to generate the backscatter signal either by manipulating the stimulus signal in accordance with a nonlinear transfer function of an available power versus modulation efficiency or by manipulating the stimulus signal with a clock rate in accordance with the power of the stimulus signal at a position of the transponder.

10. The transponder according to claim 9, wherein the transponder comprises one of the group consisting of a radio frequency identification tag and a contactless chip card.

11. A method of reading, by a reader device, information transmitted from a transponder via a backscatter signal generated by the transponder in response to a stimulus signal generated by the reader device, the method comprising:

estimating a first power value indicative of power of the stimulus signal at a position of the transponder by evaluating power information included in the backscatter signal by evaluating the backscatter signal based on a predefined nonlinear transfer function of an available power versus modulation efficiency by which the stimulus signal is manipulated by the transponder, or by evaluating a clock rate of the backscatter signal manipulated by the transponder;

estimating a second power value indicative of the power of the backscatter signal at a position of the reader device; and

estimating a distance between the reader device and the transponder based on the first power value and the second power value.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when being executed by a processor cause a reader device to perform the method of claim 11.