Receiver unit for an RF tag

• US 9,922,214 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Lamothe, Christian, Coulot, Thomas, Stojanovic, Goran
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/084,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20160300086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 340 1034, 3405728, 3405721, 3405724, 455 301, 455107, 455108, 235492, 333 173, 329350, 329369, 329370
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/262 using field-effect transistors only
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0715 the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field

Abstract

A receiver unit for a radio frequency (RF) tag is provided, including a first input terminal and a second input terminal each being connected to an antenna; a communication stage configured to demodulate and/or to modulate an incoming signal in the communication stage; and a power stage including a voltage converter circuit being configured to supply power to the receiver unit, and a regulation circuit being configured to limit an output voltage of the voltage converter circuit, wherein the regulation circuit includes a regulator circuit being configured to determine a first current value and a second current value, the second current value being a current value provided in addition to the first current value, and, if the second current value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, to supply a control signal to a limiter circuit configured to limit an input voltage of the voltage converter circuit.

Claims

1. A receiver unit for a radio frequency (RF) tag, comprising:

a first input terminal and a second input terminal each being connected to an antenna;

a communication stage configured to demodulate and/or to modulate incoming signal in the communication stage; and

a power stage comprising a voltage converter circuit being configured to supply power to the receiver unit, and a regulation circuit being configured to limit an output voltage of the voltage converter circuit,

wherein the regulation circuit comprises a regulator circuit being configured to determine a first current value and a second current value, the second current value being a current value provided in addition to the first current value, and, if the second current value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, to supply a control signal to a limiter circuit configured to limit an input voltage of the voltage converter circuit,

wherein the voltage converter circuit includes, at input thereof, an earth generator including a first N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor and a second N-type MOS transistor connected to each other such that respective sources thereof are connected to each other to fort a ground of the voltage converter circuit,

wherein a drain of the first N-type MOS transistor is connected to the first input terminal and to a gate of the second N-type MOS transistor,

wherein a drain of the second N-type MOS transistor is connected to the second input terminal and to a gate of the first N-type MOS transistor,

wherein the voltage converter circuit further comprises a plurality of identical structures configured to form a voltage modifier part, and

wherein the voltage converter circuit includes, at output thereof, two N-type MOS transistors, where respective sources thereof are connected to each other and are configured to form an output line, a drain of one of the two N-type MOS transistors being connected to a last one of the plurality of identical structures forming the voltage modifier part and extending from the first input terminal, a drain of the other one of the two N-type MOS transistors being connected to the last one of the plurality of identical structures forming the voltage modifier part and extending from the second input terminal, and a respective gate of each of the two N-type MOS transistors being connected to a respective source thereof.

2. The receiver unit according to claim 1, wherein the voltage converter circuit is an alternating current/direct current (AC/DC) converter.

3. The receiver unit according to claim 1, wherein the voltage modifier part is configured such that there extends, from each of the first and second input terminals, a series of the plurality of identical structures connected to each other, a first structure of said series being connected to one of the first and second input terminals and to a following structure of said series, a connection point between two structures of said series being connected to one of the first or second input terminals such that each structure of the two structures is connected to the first terminal and to the second terminal.

4. The receiver unit according to claim 1, wherein the limiter circuit includes at least one transistor connected via a drain thereof to the first input terminal and via a source thereof to the second input terminal, the control signal being supplied to a gate thereof in order to increase or decrease a conductivity of said at least one transistor.

5. The receiver unit according to claim 4, wherein the at least one transistor of the limiter circuit includes a plurality of transistors mounted in parallel.

6. The receiver unit according to claim 1, wherein the regulation circuit further comprises a bandgap voltage generator configured to supply a reference voltage and polarization currents to a shunt voltage regulator.

7. The receiver unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication stage is further configured to provide a signal, representative of a communication action, directly to the limiter circuit to prevent regulation during the communication action.

8. A radio frequency (RF) tag, comprising:

a controller including a calculator and a memory;

at least one receiver unit for the RF tag, configured to receive or to send a signal and to supply power to said controller, wherein said at least one receiver unit is a receiver unit according to claim 1; and

a second receiver unit configured to operate according to a second protocol using a second frequency, said second receiver unit being further configured to supply a current, said controller being configured to receive a current having a value that is a sum of currents received from the first receiver unit and from the second receiver unit,

wherein the at least one receiver unit further comprises a first current mirror circuit configured to supply a signal representative of a current, which is an image of a sum of currents from the at least one receiver unit and the second receiver unit,

wherein the second receiver unit further comprises a second current mirror circuit configured to supply a signal representative of a current, which is an image of a current supplied by the second receiver unit, and

wherein the at least one receiver unit further comprises a subtractor circuit configured to subtract the current that is the image of said sum of currents from the current that is the image of the current supplied by the second receiver unit, and to supply, to the limiter circuit, a signal representative only of the current from the at least one receiver unit.

9. The RF tag according to claim 8, wherein the t least one receiver unit is configured to operate according to a first protocol using a first frequency.

10. The RF tag according to claim 9, wherein the first protocol is a long-distance protocol.