Ams R&d D.o.o.

Ams Ag

Ams R&d Analogni Polprevodniki, D.o.o.

Anton Pletersek

Kosta Kovacic

Andrej Vodopivec

Vinko Kunc

William Peyton Roberts

Giuliano Manzi

Iztok Bratuz

Oluf Alminde

Giancarlo Cutrignelli

Alexander Hacker

An RFID transponder (T) suitable for communication with a reading device (RD) and adapted to be connected to a monitored unit (MU) is provided. The RFID transponder (T) comprises a comparing unit (CU) adapted to and arranged to receive a status signal from the monitored unit (MU) and configured to compare a value of the status signal to at least one predefined reference value and a state machine circuit (STM) connected to the comparing unit (CU) and configured to determine, based on a result of the comparison, whether the value of the status signal lies outside a range of operation defined by the at least one reference value. The state machine circuit (STM) is further configured to indicate the reading device (RD) that the value of the status signal lies outside the range of operation if the value of the status signal lies outside the range of operation.

RFID transponder, RFID transponder arrangement and method for communication between an RFID transponder and a reading device

A radio frequency system has a first and a second antenna terminal, a radio frequency transceiver coupled to the antenna terminals, a rectifier connected to the antenna terminals at its input side and a voltage limiter. The voltage limiter comprises a first and a second input terminal connected to the antenna terminals, and a first and a second diode element connected between the first respectively the second input terminal and a bias terminal. A regulation transistor is connected between the bias terminal and the reference potential terminal. A voltage controller has a reference input for receiving a reference signal, a feedback input connected to the bias terminal and a control output for providing a control potential to a control terminal of the regulation transistor on the basis of the reference signal and a signal at the bias terminal.

Radio frequency system and method for limiting a voltage

A microprogram for performing communication between an RFID smart tag and external digital sensors (EDS, EDSK) is loaded in a buffer (Bu). A hard-wired dedicated processing unit (DPU) of the tag reads, decodes and executes said microprogram through the digital communication interface (DCI). The sensor data is stored at beginning locations of said buffer (Bu), wherefrom they are read by an RFID interrogator. The tag functionality in an application is settable with the RFID interrogator to an automatic data logger or RFID wireless sensor. The tag is adjustable to various types of digital sensors from various manufacturers. A hardwired dedicated processing unit makes it possible that the tag saves more energy, has smaller dimensions and is faster.

Method for an acquisition of data from external digital sensors with an RFID smart tag and a tag integrated circuit for carrying out said method

A controlled switching circuit (csc) comprises two controlled switches (cs, cs) fabricated with PINTOS transistors and connected between its output terminal as well as a battery (b) or a rectifier rectifying voltage induced in an antenna. Conditions of the battery voltage and the rectified voltage with a time delay are checked. Only when the battery voltage gets unacceptable and the value of rectified voltage exceeded a preset value tag circuits are supplied by the rectified voltage induced in an antenna. The invention provides for an automatic selection of a way of supplying an RFID tag in a way that it is stably supplied by a battery as far as still possible, but just according to the invention this is rendered possible for a longer time due to a very low voltage drop across a controlled switching circuit, and that a supply by a radio-frequency radiation field is selected only when the battery gets depleted.

Method for a battery and passive power supply to an RFID tag and a switching circuit for carrying out said method

A sensor-front-end processor (SFEP) predrives external sensors during a predominant part of time. In a low-consumption state it waits to receive a command (sc; st) to acquire and condition sensor signals. After receiving the command it drives the sensors, sets its own measuring range, acquires a coarse code (ccc, vcc) of a current and voltage sensor signal, conditions said signal and acquires a signal fine code (ccf, vcf). The command (sc) is generated in adjustable time intervals. The sensor-front-end processor acquires and conditions the signals from the sensors consecutively one after another. The command (st) is generated whenever a request (irq) to interrupt predriving one of the sensors was generated, i.e. whenever a level of the sensor signal or its relative change with respect to the previous measurement drops out from an interval for this sensor. The detected codes are stored in the memory.

RFID label comprising an interface to external sensors

Prior to logging of a process flags for locking at all addresses of a logging area of a tag are set to state 1 by means of an interrogator. A high limit (h) and a low limit (l) of an interval (l-h) of such values (v) of a physical parameter are determined, which are proper for preserving usability of a tagged article. Said values (v) acquired with a sensor and acquisition times related thereto are converted into less numerous data characterizing the process by observing said limits (h, l). Said data characterizing the process are logged in said logging area. Said process log cannot be modified in any way at a later stage. The invention also provides for an efficient observation of longer period of the process in the tagged article in order to inspect the usability thereof.

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Orehova vas, Slovenia

Anton Pletersek