RFID device being operable in a first and second operating state

• US 9,311,587 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Salfelner, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, NABIL H
• Application Number:
  US13/263,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,203 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.31, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/12.5, 340/13.25, 340/505
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• 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

An RFID device (100) being operable in a first and a second operating state, the RFID device comprises a control unit (102), wherein the control unit comprises a configuration input terminal for receiving a configuration signal, and a processing unit (101), which is coupled to the control unit, wherein the control unit is adapted for switching the processing unit between the first and the second operating state based on the configuration signal, wherein the control unit (102) comprises an activation input terminal for receiving an activation signal.

Claims

1. An RFID device being operable in a first and a second operating state, the RFID device comprising

a first control unit including electronic circuitry, a first configuration input terminal and a first activation input terminal, the first control unit configured and arranged to

receive, via the first configuration input terminal, a first configuration signal, and

receive, via the first activation input terminal, a first activation signal, and

operate in an active mode based on reception of the first activation signal, different from the first configuration signal;

a second control unit including electronic circuitry, a second configuration input terminal and a second activation input terminal, the second control unit configured and arranged to

receive, via the second configuration input terminal, a second configuration signal,

receive, via the second activation input terminal, a second activation signal, and

operate in an active mode based on reception of the second activation signal, different from the second configuration signal; and

a processing unit including electronic circuitry is communicatively coupled to the first and second control units, the processing unit configured and arranged to

switch, based on at least one of the configuration signals, between a first operating state and a second operating state having higher power than the first operating state,

generate the first activation signal in response to the first operating state, and

generate the second activation signal in response to the second operating state.

2. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit, in response to the first configuration signal, modifies parameters of the RFID device from the group consisting of:

center-frequency, frequency response, bandwidth, quality-factor, and combinations thereof.

3. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein

the first configuration signal is an external configuration signal.

4. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein

the first configuration signal is determined based on a random process.

5. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration signal and the second configuration signal are providable by an antenna element.

6. The RFID device according to claim 5, wherein the first configuration signal is receivable from a feedpoint of the antenna element and the second configuration signal is receivable from a further feedpoint of the antenna element.

7. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein the RFID device is adapted for a wireless communication with a communication partner device, particularly a reading device, for reading data from the RFID device.

8. Method for operating an RFID device in a first and a second operating state, the method comprising:

receiving a first configuration signal at a first configuration input terminal of a first control unit that includes electronic circuitry,

receiving a first activation signal at a first activation input terminal of the first control unit,

operating the first control unit in an active mode based on reception of the first activation signal, different from the first configuration signal,

receiving a second configuration signal at a second configuration input terminal of a second control unit that includes electronic circuitry,

receiving a second activation signal at a second activation input terminal of the second control unit,

operating the second control unit in an active mode based on reception of the second activation signal, different from the second configuration signal;

switching a processing unit including electronic circuitry, coupled to the processing unit, between the first and the second operating states based on at least one of the configuration signals, the second operating state corresponding to a higher power state than the first operating state, and

generating, using the processing unit, the first and second activation signals in response to the first and second operating states, respectively,

activating or deactivating the control units based on receipt of a respective one of the activation signals.

9. Method according to claim 8, further comprising

modifying a configuration of the first control unit based on the first configuration signal.

10. Method according to claim 8, further comprising

activating the first control unit in the first operating state and

deactivating the second further control unit in the first operating state.

11. Method according to claim 10, further comprising

activating the second control unit in the second operating state and

deactivating the first control unit in the second operating state.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which a computer program for operating an RFID device in a first and a second operating state is stored, which computer program, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to carry out or control a method according to claim 8.