Systems and methods to selectively connect antennas to receive and backscatter radio frequency signals

• US 8,963,719 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/780,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20130168455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.5, 340/572.7, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 343/725, 343/895, 455/41.1, 455/193.1, 455/271, 455/272, 455/269, 455/277.1, 455/277.2, 473/351, 473/353, 361/56
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0725 the arrangement being a circuit for emulating a plurality of record carriers, e.g. a single RFID tag capable of representing itself to a reader as a cloud of RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

Systems and methods to selectively attach and control antennas via diodes and current sources. In one embodiment, a system includes: an RFID reader having a plurality of reader antennas of different polarizations to transmit radio frequency signals; and at least one RFID tag. The RFID tag includes: a plurality of tag antennas of different polarizations; a plurality of diodes coupled to the plurality of tag antennas respectively; a receiver coupled to the plurality of diodes to receive the radio frequency signals from the tag antennas when the diodes are forward biased; and a set of one or more current controllers coupled to the plurality of diodes. In a receiving mode the controllers selectively forward bias the diodes to receive the signals from the RFID reader. In a transmitting mode the controllers selectively change the state of the tag antennas to transmit data via backscattering the radio frequency signals.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a plurality of diodes coupled to the plurality of antennas respectively;

a receiver coupled to the plurality of diodes, wherein when forward biased each of the plurality of diodes provides a path for radio frequency signals from a respective one of the plurality of antennas to reach the receiver; and

at least one controller coupled to the plurality of diodes to forward bias at least one of the diodes in a receiving mode and to change a backscatter state of at least one of the antennas to transmit data in a transmitting mode.

2. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller comprises a plurality of transistors coupled between the plurality of diodes and ground;

when in the transmitting mode, a gate of a transistor in the plurality of transistors is controlled according to data being transmitted to modulate radio frequency signals backscattered by a respective antenna in the plurality of antennas;

when in the receiving mode, the gate is applied a voltage to forward bias a respective diode connected to the respective antenna.

3. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas have different polarizations.

4. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller comprises a transistor coupled between the plurality of diodes and ground;

when in the transmitting mode, a gate of the transistor is controlled according to data being transmitted to modulate backscattering by the antennas in parallel;

when in the receiving mode, the gate is applied a voltage to forward bias the diodes in parallel.

5. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of diodes are mounted in vicinity of respective feed points to which the diodes are connected.

6. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the receiver and the at least one controller are integrated on a single semiconductor substrate.

7. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

a receiver;

a plurality of antennas;

a plurality of diodes, each of the plurality of diodes coupled between the receiver and a respective one of the plurality of antennas; and

at least one controllers coupled to the plurality of diodes to

selectively forward bias one or more of the diodes to allow radio frequency signals received via respective one or more of the antennas to reach the receiver, and

selectively ground one or more of the antennas to transmit data.

8. The RFID device of claim 7, wherein the at least one controller comprises a plurality of transistors;

wherein gates of the transistors are controllable to selectively forward bias the diodes and to selectively ground the antennas to modulate backscatter by the antennas.

9. The RFID device of claim 7, wherein the at least one controller comprises a plurality of current controllers coupled to the plurality of diodes respectively.

10. The RFID device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of antennas comprise:

a conductive patch having a plurality of feed points;

a ground element; and

a dielectric layer coupled between the conductive patch and the ground element;

wherein the diodes are coupled to the feed points.

11. The RFID device of claim 10, wherein the diodes are mounted in vicinity of the feed points to which the diodes are connected.

12. A radio frequency device, comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver;

a diode coupled between the antenna and the receiver; and

a controllable circuit coupled to the diode to selectively bias the diode in one of a plurality of discrete states, including a first state to forward bias the diode and a second state to reverse bias the diode,

wherein when forward biased the diode provides a path for radio frequency signals received by the antenna to reach the receiver,

wherein when reverse biased the diode prevents radio frequency signals received by the antenna from reaching the receiver, and

wherein the controllable circuit is configured to use the first state in receiving signals via the antenna and use the plurality of states in transmitting data via the antenna.

13. The radio frequency device of claim 12, wherein the controllable circuit is configured to change a state of the antenna according to data to be transmitted via the antenna.

14. The radio frequency device of claim 13, wherein the controllable circuit comprises a current controller configured to selectively provide a forward bias current and change the state of the antenna.

15. The radio frequency device of claim 14, wherein the current controller comprises a transistor coupled between the diode and ground;

the transistor has a gate;

when the gate is at a first voltage, the transistor provides the forward bias current to the diode;

when the gate is at a second voltage, the transistor stops the forward bias current.

16. The radio frequency device of claim 15, wherein the gate is configured to change an impedance between the antenna and the ground according to the data to be transmitted to change backscattering of the antenna.

17. The radio frequency device of claim 15, wherein the transistor is configured to alternate, according to the data to be transmitted, between connecting the antenna to the ground and disconnecting the antenna from the ground.

18. The radio frequency device of claim 13, wherein the antenna has a plurality of feed points for the receiver;

and the diode is coupled to one of the plurality of feed points for the receiver; and

the radio frequency device further comprises;

a second diode coupled between the receiver and a second feed point of the plurality of feed points; and

a second controllable circuit coupled to the second diode to selectively forward bias and reverse bias the second diode.

19. The radio frequency device of claim 12, wherein the controllable circuit is configured to selectively connect and disconnect the antenna to transmit data via the antenna.

20. The radio frequency device of claim 12, wherein when in one of the plurality of states, the antenna is connected to ground.

21. A radio frequency device, comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver;

a diode coupled between the antenna and the receiver; and

a controllable circuit coupled to the diode to selectively forward bias the diode and reverse bias the diode, wherein the controllable circuit is further configured to selectively connect the antenna to ground and disconnect the antenna from the ground to transmit data via the antenna;

wherein, when forward biased, the diode provides a path for radio frequency signals received by the antenna to reach the receiver, and

wherein, when reverse biased, the diode prevents radio frequency signals received by the antenna from reaching the receiver.

22. The radio frequency device of claim 21, wherein the diode is selectively forward or reverse biased via being selectively connected to or disconnected from the ground.

23. The radio frequency device of claim 22, wherein the controllable circuit comprises a current controller configured to selectively provide a forward bias current and selectively change a state of the antenna according to the data being transmitted via the antenna.

24. The radio frequency device of claim 23, wherein the current controller comprises a transistor coupled between the diode and ground;

the transistor has a gate;

when the gate is at a first voltage, the transistor provides the forward bias current to the diode;

when the gate is at a second voltage, the transistor stops the forward bias current.

25. The radio frequency device of claim 24, wherein the gate is configured to change an impedance between the antenna and the ground according to the data to be transmitted to change backscattering of the antenna.

26. The radio frequency device of claim 24, wherein the transistor is configured to alternate, according to the data to be transmitted, between connecting the antenna to the ground and disconnecting the antenna from the ground.