Abstract: A sensor-front-end processor (SFEP) predrives external sensors during a predominant part of time. In a low-consumption state it waits to receive a command (sc; st) to acquire and condition sensor signals. After receiving the command it drives the sensors, sets its own measuring range, acquires a coarse code (ccc, vcc) of a current and voltage sensor signal, conditions said signal and acquires a signal fine code (ccf, vcf). The command (sc) is generated in adjustable time intervals. The sensor-front-end processor acquires and conditions the signals from the sensors consecutively one after another. The command (st) is generated whenever a request (irq) to interrupt predriving one of the sensors was generated, i.e. whenever a level of the sensor signal or its relative change with respect to the previous measurement drops out from an interval for this sensor. The detected codes are stored in the memory.

Abstract: A controlled switching circuit (csc) comprises two controlled switches (cs1, cs2) fabricated with PINTOS transistors and connected between its output terminal as well as a battery (b) or a rectifier rectifying voltage induced in an antenna. Conditions of the battery voltage and the rectified voltage with a time delay are checked. Only when the battery voltage gets unacceptable and the value of rectified voltage exceeded a preset value tag circuits are supplied by the rectified voltage induced in an antenna. The invention provides for an automatic selection of a way of supplying an RFID tag in a way that it is stably supplied by a battery as far as still possible, but just according to the invention this is rendered possible for a longer time due to a very low voltage drop across a controlled switching circuit, and that a supply by a radio-frequency radiation field is selected only when the battery gets depleted.

Abstract: An actively transmitting tag detects a shift of a phase of an antenna signal (as) with regard to a phase of a transmitted signal (ts) in time intervals with a length of one half-period of a subcarrier, in which time intervals it transmits high-frequency wave packets with their phase being inverted according to a communication protocol at the ends of said half-periods. Generation of said wave packets is controlled by said phase shift in a way that said phase shift retains its absolute value at transitions into subsequent half-periods. Synchronizing the tag's transmission to a received interrogator signal carried out even during tag's transmitting enables the tag to transmit according to protocol ISO 14443 B by inverting a phase at transitions between said half-periods. Said synchronizing is carried out although no time window without a tag transmitting exists within the transmitted data frame.

Abstract: A memory access arbiter (MAA) in an RFID tag is connected to an unique address space (UAS), which comprises a non-volatile memory (NVM), a transferred data memory (TDM) and a status-information memory (SIM) storing information on the status of the transferred data memory (TDM). The transferred data memory (TDM) and the status-information memory (SIM) are volatile memories, e.g. of the RAM type having a memory capacity of 16 bits or 32 bits according to the standard of an applied RFID communication. The RFID tag of the invention provides for a faster communication between an interrogator and an external logic element by one order of magnitude, which is due to fast volatile memories for transferred data as well as for corresponding status information. A still higher communication rate is achieved by introducing a command that has not yet been standardized.

Abstract: Tuning an antenna circuit of an actively transmitting tag to a frequency of an interrogator carrier signal after the tag was inserted into a host device is accomplished by detecting presence of the interrogator carrier signal at a location of the actively transmitting tag and hereafter setting capacitances of capacitors and/or inductances of coils comprised in said antenna circuit in a way that resonance of said antenna circuit is established while the antenna circuit is excited by a magnetic field of said interrogator carrier signal. This allows automatic tuning of an antenna circuit of an actively transmitting tag after it was inserted together with a miniature card into a host device, such as a mobile telephone, personal digital assistant, tablet PC and similar devices.

Abstract: Prior to logging of a process flags for locking at all addresses of a logging area of a tag are set to state 1 by means of an interrogator. A high limit (h) and a low limit (l) of an interval (l-h) of such values (v) of a physical parameter are determined, which are proper for preserving usability of a tagged article. Said values (v) acquired with a sensor and acquisition times related thereto are converted into less numerous data characterizing the process by observing said limits (h, l). Said data characterizing the process are logged in said logging area. Said process log cannot be modified in any way at a later stage. The invention also provides for an efficient observation of longer period of the process in the tagged article in order to inspect the usability thereof.

Abstract: A microprogram for performing communication between an RFID smart tag and external digital sensors (EDS1, EDSK) is loaded in a buffer (Bu). A hard-wired dedicated processing unit (DPU) of the tag reads, decodes and executes said micro-program through the digital communication interface (DCI). The sensor data is stored at beginning locations of said buffer (Bu), wherefrom they are read by an RFID interrogator. The tag functionality in an application is settable with the RFID interrogator to an automatic data logger or RFID wireless sensor. The tag is adjustable to various types of digital sensors from various manufacturers. A hardwired dedicated processing unit makes it possible that the tag saves more energy, has smaller dimensions and is faster.

Abstract: A sensor-front-end processor (SFEP) predrives external sensors during a predominant part of time. In a low-consumption state it waits to receive a command (sc; st) to acquire and condition sensor signals. After receiving the command it drives the sensors, sets its own measuring range, acquires a coarse code (ccc, vcc) of a current and voltage sensor signal, conditions said signal and acquires a signal fine code (ccf, vcf). The command (sc) is generated in adjustable time intervals. The sensor-front-end processor acquires and conditions the signals from the sensors consecutively one after another. The command (st) is generated whenever a request (irq) to interrupt predriving one of the sensors was generated, i.e. whenever a level of the sensor signal or its relative change with respect to the previous measurement drops out from an interval for this sensor. The detected codes are stored in the memory.

Abstract: Prior to logging of a process flags for locking at all addresses of a logging area of a tag are set to state 1 by means of an interrogator. A high limit (h) and a low limit (l) of an interval (l-h) of such values (v) of a physical parameter are determined, which are proper for preserving usability of a tagged article. Said values (v) acquired with a sensor and acquisition times related thereto are converted into less numerous data characterizing the process by observing said limits (h, l). Said data characterizing the process are logged in said logging area. Said process log cannot be modified in any way at a later stage. The invention also provides for an efficient observation of longer period of the process in the tagged article in order to inspect the usability thereof.

Abstract: A memory access arbiter (MAA) in an RFID tag is connected to an unique address space (UAS), which comprises a non-volatile memory (NVM), a transferred data memory (TDM) and a status-information memory (SIM) storing information on the status of the transferred data memory (TDM). The transferred data memory (TDM) and the status-information memory (SIM) are volatile memories, e.g. of the RAM type having a memory capacity of 16 bits or 32 bits according to the standard of an applied RFID communication. The RFID tag of the invention provides for a faster communication between an interrogator and an external logic element by one order of magnitude, which is due to fast volatile memories for transferred data as well as for corresponding status information. A still higher communication rate is achieved by introducing a command that has not yet been standardized.

Abstract: A controlled switching circuit (csc) comprises two controlled switches (cs1, cs2) fabricated with PINTOS transistors and connected between its output terminal as well as a battery (b) or a rectifier rectifying voltage induced in an antenna. Conditions of the battery voltage and the rectified voltage with a time delay are checked. Only when the battery voltage gets unacceptable and the value of rectified voltage exceeded a preset value tag circuits are supplied by the rectified voltage induced in an antenna. The invention provides for an automatic selection of a way of supplying an RFID tag in a way that it is stably supplied by a battery as far as still possible, but just according to the invention this is rendered possible for a longer time due to a very low voltage drop across a controlled switching circuit, and that a supply by a radio-frequency radiation field is selected only when the battery gets depleted.