Communications: electrical – Selective – Interrogation response
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-26
2004-11-09
Mullen, Jr., Thomas J (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Selective
Interrogation response
C340S010400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816062
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a data carrier, which data carrier is provided and designed for contactless communication with a communication station and for this purpose comprises receiving means for receiving a request signal, which request signal can be generated by a communication station and can be transmitted to the data carrier in a contactless manner with the aid of a field generated by the communication station and acting on the data carrier, wherein the data carrier comprises storage means for storing at least two items of status information of significance for the data carrier, and readout means for reading out, in each case, one stored item of status information in response to receiving the request signal, and processing means for processing the status information read out in each case, which processing means process the status information read out in each case to create a transmission signal suitable for transmission to the communication station, and in which processing means at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal can be altered.
The invention further relates to a circuit for a data carrier for contactless communication with the communication station, which circuit comprises connection means for receiving a request signal and storage means for storing at least two items of status information of significance for the data carrier, and readout means for reading out, in each case, one stored item of status information as a result of receiving the request signal, and processing means for processing the status information read out in each case.
The invention further relates to a communication station for contactless communication with a data carrier having the design described above in the first paragraph.
2. Description of Related Art
A data carrier with the design described above in the first paragraph with a circuit having the design described above in the second paragraph has been marketed by the applicant and is therefore known. Among the applications of the known data carrier, there is one in which the known data carrier or a plurality of known data carriers of this kind are part of a so-called electronic article surveillance system (EAS system). In an electronic article surveillance system of this kind, a data carrier is in each case attached to an article to be subjected to surveillance, for example to an item of clothing or a device in the field of entertainment electronics, or one of many other products. A so-called EAS bit configuration may here remain in its original status or be set for a new status, which results in either a first EAS bit configuration or a second EAS bit configuration being stored in storage means of the known data carrier, whereby the first EAS bit configuration forms a first item of status information of significance for the data carrier and the article to which the data carrier is attached, and the second EAS bit configuration forms a second item of status information of significance for the data carrier and the article to which the data carrier is attached. In a known embodiment, the first EAS bit configuration, which forms the first item of status information, is formed by the bit “
1
”, and the second EAS bit configuration, which forms the second item of status information, is formed by the bit “
0
”. Many other bit configurations with a higher number of bits are, of course, also possible. The first EAS bit configuration, i.e. the bit “
1
”, is set, in the known system, when the decision is made that the data carrier is to serve for electronic article surveillance, in which case the setting takes place in a contactless manner with the aid of a communication station. The second EAS bit configuration, i.e. the bit “
0
”, is set, in the known system, when the price for the article to which a data carrier is attached has been paid at a cash point, whereby provision is made for the setting of the second EAS bit configuration in a contactless manner at the cash point with the aid of a communication station located there. If, on the other hand, no payment has been made of the price of an article to which a data carrier is attached, the first EAS bit configuration remains stored in the storage means of the data carrier, which causes the first EAS bit configuration originally set to be retained unchanged.
In the known electronic article surveillance system, the design is executed in such a way that, when an article with a data carrier attached to the article passes through a checking station, a communication station contained in the checking station emits an EAS scanning command as a request signal to the data carrier attached to the article, whereby, disadvantageously, only in the event that the first EAS bit configuration, which indicates that the price for the article in question has not been paid, is stored in the data carrier does the data carrier transmit to the communication station a transmission signal, created to take account of the first EAS bit configuration, in the form of a pre-specified, fixed bit pattern, at a fixed time. In the known system, an effect at the communication station side, for example a visual or acoustic warning indication, brought about by an EAS bit configuration stored in a data carrier, i.e. an item of status information, can therefore be derived only from a recognition of the transmission signal created on the basis of the first EAS bit configuration, which means that an effect of this kind can be initiated only upon recognition of an article for which no payment has been made. In the known solution, therefore, only one single item of status information of significance for a data carrier is ever transmitted to a communication station with the aid of a transmission signal with a specific transmission parameter, specifically always at a fixed time, i.e. always in the same time slot. This represents a limitation that has proved a disadvantage in many application cases.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to eliminate the above-cited limitation, and to realize an improved data carrier and an improved circuit for a data carrier and an improved communication station.
To achieve the above-cited object, features according to the invention are provided in a data carrier according to the invention, so that a data carrier according to the invention can be characterized as follows.
Data carrier for contactless communication with a communication station, which data carrier comprises the means listed below: receiving means for receiving a request signal, which request signal can be generated by a communication station and can be transmitted to the data carrier in a contactless manner with the aid of a field generated by the communication station and acting on the data carrier, and storage means, which storage means are designed for storing at least two items of status information of significance for the data carrier, and readout means for reading out one stored item of status information at a time as a result of receiving the request signal, and processing means for processing the status information read out in each case, which processing means are designed for processing the status information read out in each case so as to create a transmission signal suitable for transmission to the communication station, and in which processing means at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal can be altered, and recognition means for recognizing the status information read out in each case, and control connection means between the recognition means and the processing means, which control connection means are designed to have a controlling effect on the processing means as a function of the status information recognized and read out in each case, specifically to alter the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission signal as a function of the status information recognized and read out in each case.
In order to achieve the above object, features according to the invention are provided in a circuit accordi
Amtmann Franz
Preishuber-Pfluegl Josef
Koninklijke Philips Electronics , N.V.
Mullen, Jr. Thomas J
Simons Kevin
LandOfFree
Data carrier for transmitting different stored status... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Data carrier for transmitting different stored status..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Data carrier for transmitting different stored status... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3327692