Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
  • G07B15/00—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points
  • G07B15/06—Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
  • G07B15/063—Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/74—Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
  • G01S13/82—Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted
  • G01S13/825—Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K17/00—Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
  • G06K17/0022—Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
  • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
  • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
  • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
  • G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
  • G06K19/07749—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
  • G06K7/0008—General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
  • H01Q13/00—Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
  • H01Q13/10—Resonant slot antennas
  • H01Q13/106—Microstrip slot antennas

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a remote data transfer unit and a corresponding transponder. More particularly, this unit comprises a fixed beacon and a transponder, and allows a bidirectional data exchange between these two elements.
• the aim of the present invention is to overcome all of these drawbacks and to create a transfer unit in which a bidirectional dialogue is established between the beacon and the transponder, with the possibility of storage in the transponder and in the beacon.
• Another object of the invention is to differentiate the data flowing in each direction between the beacon and the transponder, in order to avoid any interaction of this data.
• Another object of the invention is to achieve this differentiation of data, according to their sense of traffic, without complicating the creation of the beacon and transponder.
• the transponder must remain a light element, compact and easy to transport.
• Another object of the invention is to provide the transponder with removable storage means, for example a memory card.
• the present invention relates to a remote data transfer unit of the type comprising a fixed beacon and a mobile transponder adapted to exchange data remotely, said unit being characterized in that, on the one hand, the transponder comprises :
• a means for receiving and transmitting signals from or to the fixed beacon a means for processing the signals received or to be transmitted, said signals being representative of the data received or transmitted,
• the tag comprises:
• - memory means adapted to store this data, so that the data transmitted by the beacon is carried by an amplitude modulated microwave signal and that the data transmitted by the transponder is carried by a phase modulated microwave signal or amplitude.
• the signal carrying the data is a microwave signal.
• a microwave signal is produced by light and space-saving electronic circuits.
• the data is transmitted by phase modulation or by amplitude modulation. Such modulations also do not require complex, expensive or bulky devices.
• the data storage in the transponder is advantageously carried out in the memory card itself.
• the means for receiving and / or transmitting (the antenna) of the transponder is produced on a printed circuit of the conventional type, of low cost, and has a compact geometry.
• This antenna can transmit, either in linear polarization, or in circular polarization.
• the wave is emitted on either side of the plane of the antenna.
• the beacon can thus easily receive the data transmitted by the transponder, whatever the positioning of the latter relative to the beacon.
• the present invention also relates to a transponder provided with the means indicated above having standardized connection means for a memory card.
• Such a transponder can be worn like a badge by a person, or by a moving object, for example a motor vehicle.
• the use of a microwave signal to exchange data between a beacon and a transponder allows rapid exchange having a wide range of action.
• a car fitted with a transponder housing a bank card and passing at a motorway toll can be detected and debited without imposing a slowdown in its pace.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a transfer unit according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the transfer unit according to FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view partially showing the production of a slot antenna according to the present invention
• FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the slot antenna according to the invention
• FIG. 5a and 5b are schematic plan views showing alternative embodiments of antennas.
• the data transfer unit 10 comprises a fixed tag 11 and a mobile transponder 12. These two elements are suitable for transmitting data between them, without contact physical and more precisely by using a microwave signal.
• the fixed beacon 11 comprises (FIG. 2) a means for receiving and transmitting signals 13 (an antenna), a means for processing and analysis 14 of the signals received or to be transmitted, and means for storing 15 the data received or issued.
• the fixed tag can be connected, by any suitable means 16, to a computer 17, comprising in particular a central processing unit for the signals received. This computer can be installed remotely from the beacon.
• the transponder 12 comprises meanwhile (FIG. 2), a means 18 for receiving and transmitting signals (an antenna), a means for processing and analysis 19 of the signals received or to be transmitted, a means 20 for reading and / or writing data associated with a memory card 21.
• This memory card 21 is inserted into slots 22 provided for this purpose (FIG. 1) in the transponder 12.
• This card is removable and can be removed or put in place by simple sliding along arrow F.
• Standardized connection means 23 (not detailed) allow a connection between the memory card and the read / write means 20.
• the entire transponder 12 (except memory card) is produced on a printed circuit of the glass / epoxy type.
• the transponder thus has a low cost and a reduced bulk.
• the antenna 18 of the transponder is produced by etching a printed circuit 40 on a first face 30 of the latter, and consists of two annular slots 25 (FIG. 4) orthogonal to each other and containing each a central conductive line 26. It will be noted that the circumference of these slots is equal to the guided wavelength. As shown in Figure 3, each slot 25 is made by recessing a conductive layer A. Thus, the periphery of the slot 15 and the central line 26 are conductive ( Figure 3), but not the slot itself. Each central line 26 (FIG. 4) is supplied by an excitation line 27. These excitation lines 27 are produced on the opposite face 31 (FIG. 3) of the epoxy glass substrate, and are in contact with the central line 26 at its midpoint. For this purpose, they pass through the entire thickness of the glass / epoxy substrate, at the midpoint of the central lines 26.
• each of these excitation lines 27 is connected to the means for processing the signals received or to be transmitted 19.
• the exchange of data between the mobile transponder and the fixed beacon is done without physical contact, by emission and / or reception of microwave waves (that is to say whose frequency is greater than 100 MHz).
• the antennas 13 and 18 respectively of the beacon and the transponder are adapted to receive or transmit such waves. So that the waves emitted by the beacon and those emitted by the transponder are easily differentiable, these waves are coded differently. Thus, the antenna 18 of the transponder transmits in phase modulation and the antenna 13 of the beacon transmits in amplitude modulation. Any interaction between these two emissions is thus advantageously avoided.
• the antenna 13 of the beacon transmits by modulating the amplitude of a continuous microwave wave emitted in rectilinear polarization by the beacon.
• the transponder receives and re-emits this microwave wave in phase modulation, with circular polarization.
• the beacon then receives the wave re-emitted by the transponder according to a crossed rectilinear polarization (relative to the initial wave emitted by the beacon).
• the beacon emits a wave polarized along X
• the transponder re-emits the wave polarized along X and Y
• the beacon receives in return a wave polarized according to Y.
• the phase modulation is carried out by a field effect transistor (not shown) mounted as a common source and the grid of which is modulated by the data to be transmitted, in its binary form. Amplitude modulation is all or nothing.
• the data to be transmitted in one direction or the other is coded two-phase differential. Such coding ensures zero continuous spectral density, hence insensitivity to the absolute phase of the signal, while allowing possible recovery of the binary rhythm.
• the antenna 13 according to the invention is such that each of the excitation lines 27 supplying the central lines 26 is traversed by a microwave signal (emitted by the processing means 19) ⁇ having a phase shift of n - (n integer odd positive)
• each of the slits corresponds to a quarter of the guided wavelength.
• the data transmitted in each direction between the beacon and the transponder are formatted according to structured frames (called HDLC) containing in order: - a preamble allowing to know the frequency and the phase of the transmitting clock,
• HDLC structured frames
• the transponder also has an alarm function known per se.
• the transponder emits a signal only when it has been awakened by the interrogation signal from a fixed beacon. This awakening is advantageously carried out by the phase modulation of the wave emitted by the beacon.
• the data transfer unit makes it possible, when placing a memory card of the bank card type in the transponder, not only to detect the passage of the transponder in front of the fixed tag, but also to debit the bank card accordingly.
• the bidirectional data exchange between the beacon and the transponder allows the beacon to know the bank account number written on the bank card, which then allows it to debit (via a network of computers 17 linked to the bank ) the account in question.
• the tag can also store data directly on the memory card, for further processing, when using the card.
• the antenna of the transponder has a very compact geometry (2 orthogonal slots between them) and does not require adjustment or sorting in production. According to a preferred embodiment, this antenna is adapted to transmit in circular polarization in the two directions normal to its plane.
• Such an antenna has the following characteristics:
• the beacon and the transponder both transmit in amplitude modulation.
• the transponder transmits in linear and non-circular polarization.
• the antenna 18 transmits or receives in only one of the directions normal to its plane. This simplifies the transfer unit and reduces costs, which is interesting even if it requires presenting the transponder in a specific way to the beacon so that communication is established between the transponder and the beacon.
• the antenna can also be produced as shown in FIG. 5a.
• the slot 25 has no center line.
• the excitation line 27 remains on the underside 31 (in the drawing) of the printed circuit and is adapted to cross the slot and extend beyond it. This crossing can be done at a midpoint or not. In the case where the crossing point is not mid, we form an antenna variable characteristic impedance. We then create an open stub which will induce a selfic compensation.
• the slot 25, in this case, is of very small width compared to the wavelength and of equal circumference at the guided wavelength.
• the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and covers any variant within the reach of ordinary skill in the art.
• the antenna of the fixed beacon can be of the same type (or not) as the antenna of the transponder.
• the transponder and its memory card can be integrated in a case, not opposing the propagation of waves.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Artificial Intelligence (AREA)
• Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9444084

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Family Cites Families (12)

• 1993
  • 1993-02-12 FR FR9301702A patent/FR2701614B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1994
  • 1994-02-10 EP EP94906940A patent/EP0683899A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1994-02-10 WO PCT/FR1994/000156 patent/WO1994018580A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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