Noncontact data carrier

• US 8,038,070 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd. (Winbond Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Atsuo, Teraoka, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/090,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20100176202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/451, 235/487, 235/492, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• 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: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004

Abstract

When performing radio communication with a reader/writer (1), supply of a power source S4 from a battery (14) is started when a level judgment circuit (9) judges that the signal level of a reception signal S2 received by an antenna (5) of a noncontact data carrier (4) is equal to or higher than a predetermined amplitude and a timer circuit (10) judges that the state where the amplitude is equal to or higher than the predetermined value has continued for a predetermined period T₁ or more, and further, the supply of the power source S4 from the battery is stopped when the level judgment circuit (9) judges that the signal level of the reception signal S2 is lower than the predetermined amplitude and the timer circuit (10) judges that state where the amplitude is lower than the predetermined value has continued for a predetermined period T₂ or more, thereby ensuring communication reliability that causes no problem in practical use of the noncontact data carrier (4), and avoiding insignificant dissipation of the battery.

Claims

1. A noncontact data carrier which performs radio communication with a reader/writer, using electromagnetic wave or electromagnetically-induced binding via an antenna, comprising:

a power supply unit for obtaining a power source from a reception signal received by the antenna;

a demodulation unit for demodulating the reception signal;

a decoding unit for decoding the demodulated signal;

a signal processing unit for performing data processing based on the contents of the decoded signal, and generation of a signal to be transmitted to the reader/writer;

a coding unit for coding the signal to be transmitted to the reader/writer, which signal is generated in the signal processing unit;

a modulation unit for changing the signal coded by the coding unit to a modulated signal;

a battery for performing supply of electric power to a part of the noncontact data carrier or to the whole circuit; and

a power supply control unit for controlling start or stop of the supply of electric power from the battery to a part of the noncontact data carrier or to the whole circuit, on the basis of the signal state of the reception signal,

wherein

said power supply control unit comprises;

a frequency judgment unit for performing a first judgment as to whether the frequency of the reception signal is included in a predetermined frequency range or not, and

a time judgment unit for performing a second judgment as to whether the state where the frequency of the reception signal is included in the predetermined frequency range is continued for a predetermined period of time or not, after the first judgment is made by the frequency judgment unit, and

said power supply control unit starts supply of electric power from the battery to the noncontact data carrier when the second judgment is made by the time judgment unit after the first judgment has been made by the frequency judgment unit.

2. A noncontact data carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein

said time judgment unit further performs a third judgment for judging whether the state where the frequency of the reception signal is not included in the frequency range is continued for a predetermined period of time or not, in addition to the second judgment, and

said power supply control unit starts supply of electric power from the battery to the noncontact data carrier when the second judgment is made by the time judgment unit after the first judgment has been made by the frequency judgment unit, and stops the supply of electric power when the third judgment is made by the time judgment unit.

3. A noncontact data carrier which performs radio communication with a reader/writer, using electromagnetic wave or electromagnetically-induced binding via an antenna, comprising:

a power supply unit for obtaining a power source from a reception signal received by the antenna;

a demodulation unit for demodulating the reception signal;

a decoding unit for decoding the demodulated signal;

a signal processing unit for performing data processing based on the contents of the decoded signal, and generation of a signal to be transmitted to the reader/writer;

a coding unit for coding the signal to be transmitted to the reader/writer, which signal is generated in the signal processing unit;

a modulation unit for changing the signal coded by the coding unit to a modulated signal;

a battery for performing supply of electric power to a part of the noncontact data carrier or to the whole circuit; and

a power supply control unit for controlling start or stop of the supply of electric power from the battery to a part of the noncontact data carrier or to the whole circuit, on the basis of the signal state of the reception signal,

wherein

said power supply control unit comprises;

a frequency judgment unit for performing a first judgment as to whether the frequency of the reception signal is included in a predetermined frequency range or not, and

a time judgment unit for performing a second judgment as to whether the state where the frequency of the reception signal is included in the predetermined frequency range is continued for a predetermined period of time or not, after the first judgment is made by the frequency judgment unit, and

said power supply control unit starts supply of electric power from the battery to the noncontact data carrier when the first judgment is made by the frequency judgment unit, continues the supply of electric power when the second judgment is made by the time judgment unit, and stops the supply of electric power when the second judgment is not made.

4. A noncontact data carrier as defined in claim 3 wherein

said time judgment unit further performs a third judgment for judging whether the state where the frequency of the reception signal is not included in the frequency range is continued for a predetermined period of time or not, in addition to the second judgment, and

said power supply control unit starts supply of electric power from the battery to the noncontact data carrier when the first judgment is made by the frequency judgment unit, and stops the supply of electric power when the third judgment is made by the time judgment unit in the state where the second judgment has been made by the time judgment unit.

5. A noncontact data carrier which performs radio communication with a reader/writer, using electromagnetic wave or electromagnetically-induced binding via an antenna, comprising:

a power supply unit for obtaining a power source from a reception signal received by the antenna;

a demodulation unit for demodulating the reception signal;

a decoding unit for decoding the demodulated signal;

a signal processing unit for performing data processing based on the contents of the decoded signal, and generation of a signal to be transmitted to the reader/writer;

a coding unit for coding the signal to be transmitted to the reader/writer, which signal is generated in the signal processing unit;

a modulation unit for changing the signal coded by the coding unit to a modulated signal;

a battery for performing supply of electric power to a part of the noncontact data carrier or to the whole circuit; and

a first power supply control unit for controlling start or stop of the supply of electric power from the battery to a part of the noncontact data carrier or to the whole circuit, on the basis of the signal state of the reception signal;

a sensor element; and

a second power supply control unit for controlling start or stop of supply of electric power from the battery to the noncontact data carrier on the basis of a measurement amount that is measured by the sensor element; and

said signal processing unit performing data processing based on the contents of the decoded signal, and/or data processing based on the measurement amount obtained by the sensor element, and/or generation of a signal to be transmitted to the reader/writer, and/or recording into the memory.

6. A noncontact data carrier as defined in claim 5 wherein

said second power supply control unit automatically starts supply of electric power from the battery to the noncontact data carrier on the basis of the measurement amount obtained by the sensor element, and

stops the supply of electric power when a processing that is predetermined based on the measurement amount, which has been started by the signal processing unit, is stopped.