Transponder Unit

• US 20090040022A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aimsco Limited, Nera Innovations Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aimsco Limited
• Inventors: Finkenzeller, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a transponder unit (1) and to a method for data transfer between the transponder unit and a reading device (100). To increase the range of data transfer from the transponder unit (1) to the reading device (100), the transponder unit (1) has means integrated therein for actively sending a signal to the reading device (100) which can be evaluated by the reading device (100) like a modulation of its own field (110) by a transponder.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data from a transponder unit to a reading device to which data from transponders are transferred by modulation of a field of the reading device, comprising the steps:

the transponder unit, in a first operating mode, generates a modulated transponder field and emits the transponder field as a signal which is evaluable for the reading device as a modulation of the reading device field by a transponder, for transferring the data to the reading device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder field simulates for the reading device a modulation of the reading device field by a transponder.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder unit sends the signal in such a way that it appears to the reading device as one of a load modulation or a modulated backscatter of the reading device field.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transponder unit, in a second operating mode, performs one of a load modulation or a backscatter modulation for transferring the data to the transponder reading device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the transponder unit uses the second operating mode within a normal communication range of the transponder reading device, and uses the first operating mode outside the normal communication range.

6. The method according to claim 1, including

receiving an input signal from the reading device,

demodulating the input signal to extract received data from the input signal, and

supplying the extracted data to a controller, whereupon the data to be sent to the reading device are generated in the controller.

7. The method according to claim 1, including the step of supplying the data to be sent and an oscillator signal which is generated by an oscillator in the unit to a ring modulator for generating the outgoing signal, the signal of the ring modulator being transmitted to the reading device via an antenna.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the ring modulator is supplied the oscillator signal and a signal which is generated by modulating a subcarrier signal of a certain frequency by means of the data to be sent.

9. The method according to claim 1, including carrying out in the transponder unit the steps:

supplying a subcarrier signal modulated with the data to be sent and an oscillator signal which is generated by an oscillator in the transponder unit to a modulator,

logically combining the modulated subcarrier signal and the oscillator signal by means of the modulator, and

transmitting the output signal of the modulator via an antenna to the reading device.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the subcarrier signal modulated by means of the data to be sent is fed to the transponder unit.

11. The method according to claim 8, including the step of generating the frequency of the subcarrier signal by binary division of the frequency of the oscillator signal.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data to be sent are supplied alternatively to a load modulator or a circuit configuration for generating the outgoing signal.

13. The method according to claim 1, including the step of limiting, by means of a voltage limiter, a voltage induced on the antenna of the transponder by the reading device.

14. The method according to claim 7, including the step of coupling the oscillator signal with the signal received from the reading device via a phase locked loop circuit.

15. The method according to claim 1, including the step of amplifying the signal before it is transmitted to the reading device.

16. A transponder unit for transferring data to a reading device to which data from transponders are transferred by modulation of a field of the reading device, comprising:

means for generating and sending a modulated transponder field as a signal which is evaluable for the reading device as a modulation of the reading device field by a transponder, for transferring the data to the reading device in a first operating mode.

17. The transponder unit according to claim 16, comprising means for modulating the field of the reading device, for transferring the data to the transponder reading device in a second operating mode.

18. The transponder unit according to claim 16 wherein the unit is adapted to use the second operating mode within a normal communication range of the reading device and to use the first operating mode outside the normal communication range.

19. The transponder unit according to claim 16, including

at least one antenna for transmitting the signal either or both from and to the reading device;

a receiver for demodulating a signal transmitted from the reading device to extract data therefrom; and

an electronic circuit which is set up to process the extracted data and to generate data to be sent to the reading device.

20. The transponder unit according to claim 16, including an energy supply associated with the transponder unit.

21. The transponder unit according to claim 16, including a load modulator or backscatter cross section modulator and a switch-over device which is set up to switch, depending on the level of a voltage induced on the antenna, between the load or backscatter cross section modulator and a circuit configuration for generating the output signal.

22. The transponder unit according to claim 21, wherein the switch-over device switches automatically from the circuit configuration to the load or back-scatter modulator when the induced voltage exceeds a given value.

23. The transponder unit according to claim 16, including an oscillator for generating an oscillator signal;

and a modulator which is set up to modulate the oscillator signal by means of the data to be sent and to generate the output signal therefrom.

24. The transponder unit according to claim 23, comprising an electronic assembly arranged to modulate a subcarrier signal with a certain frequency by means of the data to be sent generated in the controller, to supply the modulator the data to be sent as a modulated subcarrier signal.

25. The transponder unit according to claim 23, wherein the modulator comprises a ring modulator or an ASK modulator as the carrier frequency modulator.

26. The transponder unit according to claim 16, wherein the transponder unit is adapted to obtain a suppression of the carrier frequency signal in favor of a subcarrier signal modulated with the data to be transferred.

27. The transponder unit according to claim 16, including a voltage limiter for limiting a voltage induced on the antenna.

28. The transponder unit according to claim 23, wherein the oscillator is coupled via a phase locked loop circuit to the signal received from the reading device which serves as a reference signal for the oscillator.

29. The transponder unit according to claim 16, comprising a device arranged to temporarily deactivate the transponder unit.

30. A value document, comprising a transponder unit according to claim 16.

31. A portable data carrier, comprising a transponder unit according to claim 16, wherein the transponder unit is part of the portable data carrier.

32. A mobile terminal, comprising a transponder unit according to claim 16.

33. The mobile terminal according to claim 32, arranged to receive a portable data carrier according to claim 31.

34. The mobile terminal according to claim 32, wherein the transponder unit is part of the mobile terminal.

35. The mobile terminal according to claim 32, comprising a smart card chip which is connected to the transponder unit via an interface.

36. The mobile terminal according to claim 35, wherein the smart card chip is set up to make available to the transponder unit a subcarrier signal modulated by means of data to be sent.

37. The mobile terminal according to claim 35, wherein the interface is arranged to transmit signals in the HF band or baseband.

38. The mobile terminal according to claim 35, wherein the interface is arranged to transfer binary data in the form of defined voltage levels or by means of current modulation.

39. A system for data transfer comprising a transponder unit according to claim 16 and a transponder reading device.

40. The system according to claim 39, wherein an NFC unit acts as the transponder reading device.

41. The system according to claim 39, wherein the transponder unit is an NFC unit which simulates for the transponder reading device a load modulation of the reading device field.

42. An interface unit for signal modulation which is effected for transfer of data to a reading device to which data from transponders can be transferred by modulation of a field of the reading device, comprising means for generating and sending a modulated transponder field as an output signal which is evaluable for the reading device as a modulation of the reading device field by a transponder, for transferring the data to the reading device in a first operating mode of the interface unit.