US 8,284,029 B2Granted

Radio frequency identification system and method

AssigneeMStar Semiconductor, Inc.

InventorFeng-Jian Chou

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An identification system and method is disclosed to identify an identity and a position of a radio frequency (RF) device. The RF device generates a response signal when receiving an RF signal. The identification system includes a plurality of antenna units, a switching unit, an RF module and a microcontroller. Each antenna unit has a corresponding identifying area. The switching unit is coupled to the antenna units. The microcontroller controls the switching unit to select at least one antenna unit for transmitting the RF signal generated by the RF module, and determines whether the RF device positions in the corresponding identifying area of the select antenna unit according to whether the selected antenna unit receives the response signal. The microcontroller also identifies the identity of the RF device when the select antenna unit receives the response signal.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An identification system, for identifying a position of a radio frequency (RF) device on a display, the RF device generating a response signal upon receiving an RF signal, the identification system comprising:

a plurality of antenna units disposed on a same side of a plane, each antenna unit having a corresponding identifying area;
a switching unit, coupled to the antenna units;
an RF module, coupled to the switching unit, for generating the RF signal;
a microcontroller, coupled to the switching unit and the RF module, for controlling the switching unit to select, as a selected antenna unit, at least one antenna unit among the plurality of antenna units to transmit the RF signal generated by the RF module, and for determining whether the RF device is positioned in an identifying area corresponding to the selected antenna unit according to whether the selected antenna unit receives the response signal;
and
a display disposed parallel to the plane,
wherein the identification system is configured such that the RF device can be placed on the display,
wherein images displayed on the display are responsive to the RF device,
wherein each of the antenna units comprises a plurality of concentric ring antennas of different sizes having a same center, and the microcontroller estimates a distance between the RF device and the center according to a smallest ring antenna in the antenna unit having received the response signal, and
wherein when it is determined that the RF device is not in a central area of the selected antenna unit, the microcontroller controls the display to display the central area of the selected antenna unit to instruct a user to relocate the RF device to the central area.

7 more elements

An identification system, for identifying an identity and a position of an RF device, the RF device generating a response signal upon receiving an RF signal, the identification system comprising:

a display panel, divided into a plurality of positioning areas, having a positioning function for determining which positioning area the RF device is in when the RF device is located on the display panel;
a plurality of antenna units, provided on a same side of the display panel, wherein each positioning area of the display panel has at least a corresponding antenna unit;
a switching unit, coupled to the antenna units;
an RF module, coupled to the switching unit, for generating the RF signal;
and
a microcontroller, coupled to the display panel, the switching unit and the RF module, for controlling the switching unit to select, as a selected antenna unit, among the antenna units, an antenna unit corresponding to the positioning area which the RF device is in, for controlling the RF module to transmit the RF signal via the selected antenna unit, and for identifying the identity of the RF device when the selected antenna unit receives the response signal;
wherein the identification system is configured such that the RF device can be placed on the display panel,
wherein images displayed on the display panel are responsive to the RF device, and
wherein the display panel is a touch panel, and when the positioning area which the RF device is not in an area having highest transmitting/receiving efficiency in any antenna unit, the microcontroller controls the display panel to display an area having highest transmitting/receiving efficiency in any antenna unit to instruct a user to relocate the RF device to the displayed area.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/573,222Filed 5 Oct 2009
Priority: TW 97140073 A17 Oct 2008
Published: US 2010/0097188 A122 Apr 2010
Granted: 9 Oct 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06K 7/0008
Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns: general problems related to the reading of electronic memory…
G06K 7/10079
Resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers.: the collision being…
G06K 7/10316
Sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves: using at least one antenna particularly designed for…
G06K
Graphical data reading