Texas Instruments Corporation

Texas Instruments Incorporated Deutschland, Gmbh

Dresser, Inc.

Exxonmobile Oil Corporation

Thomas J Flaxl

Andreas Hagl

Herbert Meier

Konstantin O Aslanidis

Adolf Baumann

Joseph Bernard Pearson

Don Charles McCall

Anne A Tip

Loek d'Hont

Joseph A Giordano

George A Holodak

Karen Scott Guthrie

Robert Allen Lorentzen

Carl R Jacobs

Scott D Larson

Thomas L Mays

Alex J Weyer

Geeta Bholanath Nadkarni

Simon Atherton

Lloyd G Sargent

Jeffrey L Turner

Deborah T Wilkins

Samuel S Hendricks

Bernard Barink

A system and method for providing a fuel dispenser with radio frequency customer identification capabilities. The system and method determines whether a transponder containing customer identification data is within range of a dispenser, the dispenser requiring activation by the customer to initiate a transaction and including a reader associated therewith for emitting radio frequency signals within the dispenser range, and for receiving customer identification data from the transponder responsive to the emitted radio frequency signals received by the transponder. When the transponder is within range of the dispenser, an in-range indication is provided to the customer. A determination is made whether the dispenser has been activated by the customer following a determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range. Upon activation of the dispenser following the determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range, the customer identification data received by the reader is associated with a transaction at the activated dispenser, whereupon the transaction at the activated dispenser is permitted and charged to the customer according to the customer identification data. The system easily retrofits onto an existing, conventional fuel dispenser.

Dispensing system and method with radio frequency customer identification

A batteryless transponder ( ) which acquires its supply energy in that it rectifies an RF interrogation pulse transmitted by an interrogation device during a reception phase and that it uses the direct current so obtained to charge a storage device which serves as a supply voltage source during a transmission phase. In response to the reception of the RF interrogation pulse, the transponder transmits the information stored in it, wherein the coil of a tuned circuit serves as an antenna for both the reception of the interrogation pulse and the transmission of the information. The transponder contains a controllable switching device ( ) which disconnects the tuned circuit ( ) from the supply source during the transmission phase, and connects it to the supply voltage source only for a duration which is short as compared with a quarter period of the resonant oscillations, depending on the occurrence of each oscillation minimum of the resonant oscillations.

Batteryless transponder

Transponders present in an interrogation zone can be identified by an interrogator by it sending an RF interrogation signal into the interrogation zone, the RF interrogation signal containing a code string prompting the transponders to generate partial addresses. As soon as one transponder &ldquo;sees&rdquo; that the generated partial address agrees with part of its own address, it responds by sending its full address which can then be read by the interrogator. Immediately after having received a full address the interrogator sends a code string characterizing the address of the transponder having responded before so that this transponder is thereby addressable. The signal sent by the interrogator to the transponder with this code string also contains an instruction which prompts the transponder to assume the condition in which it no longer responds to receiving its address or partial address.

Method of identifying several transponders

An assembly for generating a consecutive count includes an n-stage binary counter ( ) incrementable by counting pulses in successive cycles and an EEPROM ( ) in which an item of information representing the count achieved in each case is stored in the pauses between the cycles. The EEPROM ( ) comprises n&plus;1 memory cells. A control circuit ( ) is provided causing the contents of the n&minus;1 stages of the binary counter ( ) assigned to the most-significant bits to be stored in the n&minus;1 first memory cells of the EEPROM ( ) and the contents of the n or (n&plus;1) memory cell is changed in alternate cycles. On commencement of each cycle the contents of the n&minus;1 first memory cells of the EEPROM ( ) is transferred into the corresponding stages of the binary counter ( ) and a bit is written into the n stage of the binary counter ( ) formed by linking the contents of the n and (n&plus;1) memory cells of the EEPROM ( ) such that the count corresponds to the count attained in the previous cycle, whereby the counting pulse then increments the binary counter ( ) to the next count.

Assembly for generating a consecutive count

An electronic system,is disclosed herein. The system includes circuitry,for processing a signal and a plurality of antennas,. A plurality of switches,are also included. Each of the switches,is coupled between the processing circuitry,and a corresponding one of the antennas,. Each of the switches,includes first and second power MOSFETs where the source of the first MOSFET is coupled to the source of the second MOSFET. The system further includes circuitry,for selecting of one of the plurality of switches,to be on.

Tuning circuit having switchable capacitor controlled by a selection circuit

An electronic system 8 is disclosed herein. The system includes circuitry 10 for processing a signal and a plurality of antennas 12a-12b. A plurality of switches 22a-22b are also included. Each of the switches 22a-22b is coupled between the processing circuitry 10 and a corresponding one of the antennas 12a-12b. Each of the switches 22a-22b includes first and second power MOSFETs where the source of the first MOSFET is coupled to the source of the second MOSFET. The system further includes circuitry 28 for selecting of one of the plurality of switches 22a-22b to be on.

Identification system reader with multiplexed antennas

A master RF module (12), a slave RF module (20) without an internal oscillator, and additional circuitry (40) (52). A pick up coil (30) disposed perpendicular to the antenna (16) of the master RF module (12), is connected to the additional circuitry (40) (52). Transmission from the master RF module (12) is received by the pick up coil (30) and is filtered (42) (54), and amplified (44, 46) (64, 78) by the additional circuitry (40) (52). The amplified signal is used as an oscillator input (22) to the slave RF module (20) and is also converted into a square wave monoflop signal by square wave converter (48) (98) for enabling the transmitter control (24) of the slave RF module (20).

Wireless transmitter carrier phase synchronization

A method and apparatus with adaptive transponder plucking is provided in which oscillations from a resonant circuit (12 and 14) are maintained by coupling power from a capacitor (18) through a switch (26) to the resonant circuit (12 and 14). The switch (26) is controlled by adaptive pluck circuitry. The adaptive pluck circuitry includes peak level detector (22) and comparator (24). When the peak level of an oscillating signal from the resonant circuit (12 and 14) falls below a reference voltage, the switch (26) is activated to couple power to the resonant circuit (12 and 14).

Method and apparatus with adaptive transponder plucking

A transponder system (10) includes an interrogation unit (12) that transmits a first frequency F1 representing a binary zero, and a second frequency F2, representing a binary one. These signals are transmitted from an interrogator resonant circuit (22) within a radio frequency module (16). The transponder system (10) also includes a transponder unit (14) that receives a transmit frequency signal (51) from the interrogation unit (12) at a transponder resonant circuit (42). The transponder resonant circuit (42) is tuned to the first frequency F1 and the second frequency F2. A transponder control module (44) detects a change in the transmit frequency signal (51) from the interrogation unit (12) by a decrease in the voltage amplitude with the transponder resonant circuit (42). The transponder control module (44) repositions a switch circuit (48) that connects and disconnects capacitors within the transponder resonant circuit (42) to match the frequency of the transponder resonant circuit (42) with the new transmit frequency signal (51).

Circuit frequency following technique transponder resonant

A method of matching the resonant frequency of an antenna resonant circuit (18, 46) to the output frequency of a transmitter output stage (26), the method includes the step of providing a powering signal from the transmitter output stage (26) to the antenna resonant circuit (18, 46). The method further includes the step of receiving at the antenna resonant circuit (18, 46) the powering signal, the antenna resonant circuit (18, 46) comprising a tuning circuit (48). The tuning circuit (48) is operable to variably modify the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit (18, 46). At its output the antenna resonant circuit (18, 46) provides a phase correlation signal having a known relationship to the frequency difference between the resonant frequency and the powering signal. A phase comparator (60) then receives the powering signal and the phase correlation signal and correspondingly adjusts the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit (18, 46) based upon the known phase relationship. Other devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Train, Germany

Thomas J Flaxl