Patent ID: 7180403
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. A reader for an RFID system comprising: a signal generator for generating a detection signal containing analog data and for generating an excitation signal; a transmitting antenna coupled with said signal generator for transmitting said detection signal and said excitation signal into a space surrounding said transmitting antenna; a receiving antenna for receiving a transponder data signal at a voltage value containing received digital data from a transponder in said space; receiver electronics coupled with said receiving antenna for conditioning said transponder data signal to a conditioned transponder data signal including said received digital data; an internal power source for supplying electrical operating power to said reader, said internal power source having a declining power level as a function of use; and a single-chip microcontroller coupled with said internal power source and said receiver electronics, said single-chip microcontroller including an analog to digital converter to acquire said analog data from said detection signal and said received digital data from said conditioned transponder data signal and to convert said analog data from said detection signal to converted digital data, wherein said microcontroller further includes a detection means for evaluating said converted digital data to detect a transponder presence in the space surrounding said transmitting antenna and said microcontroller further includes a reading means for demodulating said conditioned transponder data signal to read said received digital data.