Transponder and method for wireless data transmission

• US 8,847,737 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Berhorst, Martin, Kurz, Alexander, Schneider, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK-CHILDRESS, RAJSHEED O
• Application Number:
  US13/037,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20110177781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/10.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs

Abstract

A transponder and a method for wireless data transmission is provided. The transponder comprises an input circuit with input terminals for connecting an antenna coil for data transmission to a base station by means of inductive coupling, a first controllable switching means, at least one resistor, which is looped in series with the first controllable switching means between the input terminals of the input circuit, and a controller which is designed in such a way that it connects through the first switching means as soon as a voltage applied at the input terminals falls below a first settable threshold value, and again interrupts it as soon as the voltage applied at the input terminals for a settable duration is above the first settable threshold value and/or above a second settable threshold value.

Claims

1. A transponder comprising:

a circuit comprising two antenna terminals coupled to respective ends of an antenna coil for receiving data by inductive coupling;

a resistor coupled in series with a switch between the terminals; and

a controller configured to;

couple the terminals to the resistor through the switch when detecting that a voltage applied at the terminals falls below a first threshold value; and

decouple the terminals from the resistor through the switch when detecting that the voltage applied at the terminals is higher than a second threshold value for a duration.

2. The transponder of claim 1, further comprising a signal-processing unit configured to transmit a signal to the controller in response to detecting the voltage falling below the first threshold value, the signal indicating detection of a field gap in the received data.

3. The transponder of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to process frequencies within a frequency range of approximately 50 kHz to approximately 250 kHz.

4. The transponder of claim 1, further comprising a voltage-limiting unit configured to limit the voltage applied at the terminals to a maximum value.

5. The transponder of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the voltage-limiting unit in response to the voltage applied at the terminals being higher than the second threshold value.

6. The transponder of claim 1, wherein coupling the resistor to the terminals determines a damping of a resonant circuit.

7. The transponder of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value is the same as the second threshold value.

8. The transponder of claim 1, wherein the first and second thresholds are different, the second threshold value being higher than the first threshold value.

9. A method comprising:

interfacing, by a transponder, with a base station through inductive coupling to receive data, the transponder comprising a circuit with two antenna terminals coupled to respective ends of an antenna coil and a resistor coupled in series with a switch between the terminals; and

coupling, when detecting that a voltage applied at the terminals falls below a first threshold value, the terminals to the resistor through the switch;

decoupling, when detecting that the voltage applied at the terminals is higher than a second threshold value for a duration, the terminals from the resistor through the switch.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a signal from a signal-processing unit to a controller in response to detecting the voltage applied at the terminals falling below the first threshold value, the signal indicating detection of a field gap in the received data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transponder is configured to process frequencies within a frequency range of approximately 50 kHz to approximately 250 kHz.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

limiting the voltage applied at the terminals to a maximum value through a voltage-limiting unit; and

deactivating the voltage-limiting unit in response to the voltage applied at the terminals being higher than the second threshold value.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein coupling the resistor to the terminals determines a damping of a resonant circuit.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first threshold value is the same as the second threshold value.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second thresholds are different, the second threshold value being higher than the first threshold value.

16. A device comprising:

a circuit comprising two antenna terminals coupled to respective ends of an antenna coil for receiving data by inductive coupling;

a rectifier coupled to the terminals configured to generate a signal based on a voltage applied at the terminals;

a signal-processing unit configured to detect a field gap based on the signal from the rectifier;

a resistor coupled in series with a switch between the terminals; and

a controller configured to;

couple the terminals to the resistor through the switch when detecting, based on the generated signal, that the voltage applied at the terminals falls below a first threshold value; and

decouple the terminals from the resistor through the switch when detecting that the voltage applied at the terminals is higher than a second threshold value for a duration.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal-processing unit is further configured to transmit a signal to the controller in response to the voltage applied at the terminals falling below the first threshold value, the signal indicating detection of the field gap in the received data.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the device further comprises a voltage-limiting unit configured to limit the voltage applied at the terminals to a maximum value; and

the controller is further configured to deactivate the voltage-limiting unit in response to the voltage applied at the terminals being higher than the second threshold value.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the first threshold value is the same as the second threshold value.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the first and second thresholds are different, the second threshold value being higher than the first threshold value.