Passive transponder for an RFID system, and method of transmitting data from/to a data source of such a passive transponder

• US 8,749,358 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Hennig, Andreas, Vom Boegel, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): OTT, FREDERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/958,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/572.5
• US Class Current: 340/13.37
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/10 Tuning of a resonator by means of digitally controlled capacitor bank
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/20 of single resonant circuit by varying inductance only or capacitance only

Abstract

A passive transponder includes an antenna, an antenna oscillator circuit and a data source. The antenna oscillator circuit is configured to operate at a first resonant frequency or at a second resonant frequency, depending on reception of energy at the transponder or on a data transmission from/to the data source.

Claims

1. A passive transponder for an RFID system, comprising:

an antenna;

an antenna oscillator circuit; and

a data source;

wherein

the antenna oscillator circuit is configured to;

operate at a first resonant frequency to store, in the antenna oscillator circuit, energy received by the passive transponder; and

operate at a second resonant frequency to generate, using only the energy stored in the antenna oscillator circuit, a data transmission signal at the second resonant frequency for a data transmission from the data source;

wherein

the antenna oscillator circuit includes a capacitive assembly and an inductive assembly;

at least one of a capacitance value of the capacitive assembly and an inductance value of the inductive assembly is variable to switch the antenna oscillator circuit from the first resonant frequency to the second resonant frequency; and

a controller is provided and programmed to change the capacitance value of the capacitive assembly if a predetermined portion of the energy stored within the antenna oscillator circuit is stored within the inductive assembly.

2. The passive transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna oscillator circuit is configured to switch from the first resonant frequency to the second resonant frequency once the energy stored in the antenna oscillator circuit has reached a predetermined level.

3. The passive transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the capacitive assembly comprises a plurality of capacitive devices, and

the controller is programmed to switch between the first and second resonant frequencies by switching at least one of the capacitive devices of the capacitive assembly into the antenna oscillator circuit or by switching at least one of the capacitive devices of the capacitive assembly from the antenna oscillator circuit.

4. The passive transponder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inductive assembly comprises an inductive device of the antenna.

5. The passive transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitive assembly comprises a variable capacitive device.

6. The passive transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to switch between the first and second resonant frequencies such that a predetermined sequence of data transmission signals is generated according to a symbol to be transmitted.

7. The passive transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data source comprises at least one sensor.

8. The passive transponder as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the at least one sensor is configured to detect a physiological parameter of a patient, and

the transponder is configured to be arranged on the patient'"'"'s skin or inside the patient'"'"'s body.

9. A transponder system comprising:

a passive transponder for an RFID system, comprising;

an antenna;

an antenna oscillator circuit; and

a data source;

wherein

the antenna oscillator circuit is configured to;

operate at a first resonant frequency to store, in the antenna oscillator circuit, energy received by the passive transponder; and

operate at a second resonant frequency to generate, using only the energy stored in the antenna oscillator circuit, a data transmission signal at the second resonant frequency for a data transmission from the data source;

the antenna oscillator circuit includes a capacitive assembly and an inductive assembly;

at least one of a capacitance value of the capacitive assembly and an inductance value of the inductive assembly is variable to switch the antenna oscillator circuit from the first resonant frequency to the second resonant frequency; and

a controller is provided and programmed to change the capacitance value of the capacitive assembly if a predetermined portion of the energy stored within the antenna oscillator circuit is stored within the inductive assembly; and

a reader configured to excite the passive transponder at the first resonant frequency and to receive the data transmission signal from the passive transponder at the second resonant frequency.

10. The transponder system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the reader comprises an antenna tunable between the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency, or a transmit antenna operating at the first resonant frequency and a receive antenna operating at the second resonant frequency.

11. The transponder system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the reader is configured to determine the transmitted data from the received data transmission signal from the passive transponder.

12. A method of transmitting data from a data source of a passive transponder within an RFID system, the method comprising:

exciting the passive transponder at a first resonant frequency of an antenna oscillator circuit of the passive transponder to store, in the antenna oscillator circuit, energy received by the passive transponder; and

transmitting the data by switching the first resonant frequency of the antenna oscillator circuit of the passive transponder to a second resonant frequency to generate, using only the energy stored in the antenna oscillator circuit, a data transmission signal at the second resonant frequency;

wherein

the antenna oscillator circuit includes a capacitive assembly and an inductive assembly;

at least one of a capacitance value of the capacitive assembly and an inductance value of the inductive assembly is variable to switch the antenna oscillator circuit from the first resonant frequency to the second resonant frequency; and

a controller is provided and programmed to change the capacitance value of the capacitive assembly if a predetermined portion of the energy stored within the antenna oscillator circuit is stored within the inductive assembly.