Method for checking an antenna coil
AssigneeGiesecke & Devrient GmbH
InventorsMichael Baldischweiler, Klaus Finkenzeller, Carsten Bohn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for contactlessly checking the functionality of an antenna coil for a portable data carrier comprises the steps of exciting the antenna coil, detecting the free, damped oscillation of the antenna coil in response to the excitation, and evaluating the detected free, damped oscillation. The excitation of the antenna coil is effected inductively through a pulsed magnetic field, which may be generated by a single direct-current pulse, such as a Dirac pulse, by means of an exciting coil attached to a pulse generator. The detection of the oscillation of the antenna coil is effected through a measuring antenna, and the evaluation is effected by means of an evaluation device connected to the measuring antenna.
Claims14
A method for checking a functionality of an antenna coil for a contactlessly communicating portable data carrier, the method comprising the steps of:
- exciting the antenna coil to oscillate, wherein the antenna coil of the portable data carrier is inductively excited by only a single magnetic pulse;
- detecting an oscillation and an oscillation decay of the antenna coil induced by the single magnetic pulse;
- and
- determining the functionality of the antenna coil by evaluating the detected oscillation and oscillation decay of the antenna coil,
- wherein, upon the evaluation of the oscillation and the oscillation decay of the antenna coil, the resonance frequency of the antenna coil or a quality factor of the antenna coil is determined.
A checking apparatus for checking the functionality of an antenna coil for a contactlessly communicating portable data carrier, the checking apparatus comprising:
- a pulse generator configured to contactlessly excite the antenna coil to oscillate by only a single magnetic pulse via an exciting coil attached to the pulse generator;
- a measuring antenna configured to contactlessly detect an oscillation and an oscillation decay of the antenna coil induced by the single magnetic pulse;
- and
- an evaluation device connected to the measuring antenna, the evaluation device being configured to determine the functionality of the antenna coil by evaluating the detected oscillation and oscillation decay detected by the measuring antenna,
- wherein, upon the evaluation of the oscillation and the oscillation decay of the antenna coil by the evaluation device, the resonance frequency of the antenna coil or a quality factor of the antenna coil is determined.
An apparatus for manufacturing an antenna coil on a carrier material for a contactlessly communicating portable data carrier, the apparatus comprising:
- a device for manufacturing an antenna coil on the carrier material, and
- a checking apparatus for checking a functionality of the antenna coil for a contactlessly communicating portable data carrier, the checking apparatus being configured to check the functionality of the antenna coil by performing the steps of:
- exciting the antenna coil to oscillate, wherein the antenna coil of the portable data carrier is inductively excited by only a single magnetic pulse;
- detecting an oscillation and an oscillation decay of the antenna coil induced by the single magnetic pulse;
- and
- determining the functionality of the antenna coil by evaluating the detected oscillation and oscillation decay of the antenna coil,
- wherein, upon the evaluation of the oscillation and the oscillation decay of the antenna coil, the resonance frequency of the antenna coil or a quality factor of the antenna coil is determined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.