Patent Publication Number: US-2013252542-A1

Title: Radio-frequency induction system with interactive functions

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a radio frequency (RF) induction system, especially with interactive functions, wherein an induction device can connect to a personal electronic device that has a headset output interface (jack plug) connecting to applications of a personal electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC) are popular induction techniques of wireless non-contact system, wherein the RFID technique has three types: active, semi-passive and passive. The NFC is developed according to the RFID techniques. In this field, the passive type, i.e. electronic tag, can be used in a variety of applications. 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , a current RF induction system has an electronic tag  70 , a card reader  80  and an application server  90 . The electronic tag  70  includes an RF micro-controller  71  (the RFID technique uses the RFID micro-controller, and the NFC technique uses NFC micro-controller), an antenna  72 , and an encoder  73 . The RF micro-controller  71  connects to the antenna  72  and the encoder  73 . The encoder  73  with memory stores digital information such as an identification code. The card reader  80  connects to the application server  90 , and keeps emitting an electromagnetic radiation. When the electronic tag  70  approaches the card reader, an electric current will be induced on the antenna  72  of the electronic tag  70  by the electromagnetic radiation to drive the RF micro-controller  71  to access the digital information of the encoder  73 . The antenna  72  responses a radio waves to the card reader  80  according to the digital information. After the card reader  80  gets and decodes the digital information, the digital information will be sent to the application server  90 . 
     The RFID and the NFC techniques are used in commercial applications. The electronic tag  70  is mounted on a carrier such as a card that can be a membership card, a security card, a stored-value card, etc. Users can take the card to approach the card reader  80  to identify membership, set up or access service, and store value by the application server  90 . 
     As stated above, the internal information of the electronic tag is only accessed nearby the card reader. For payment application, users are limited to get amount of the stored-value card only by the card reader. Until the card reader warns that the amount is not enough, users cannot be informed to store value. Because the internal information of the electronic tag is invisible, this inconvenient situation still exists. 
     Users only have cards with the electronic tag, but the card reader is the only way to communicate between the electronic tag and an electronic device which connects to the application server, so users only can transmit the data to the application server by a single way. Service companies cannot build up an interactive network communication relation with users. For example, service companies cannot offer multimedia advertisements or digital information to users; users also cannot use the electronic tag via network applications and the application server to accomplish an identification action. 
     To summarize, the current RF induction system for users is inconvenient. A service end of the RF induction system cannot communicate with customers for satisfying usage requirements of service companies and customers, so the current RF induction system needs to be improved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an RF induction system and an induction device with interactive functions. To approach the purpose, the RF induction system includes: 
     the induction device having a carrier, an electronic tag, a modulation module and a headset output interface (jack plug); wherein 
     the electronic tag is mounted on the carrier and has an RF micro-controller, an encoder and an antenna; the encoder with memory stores digital information; the RF micro-controller connects to the encoder and the antenna; when the antenna receives an electromagnetic radiation, the RF micro-controller is driven to get the digital information from the encoder; the digital information is encoded to an RF signal and responded by the antenna; 
     the modulation module is mounted on the carrier and connected to the RF micro-controller of the electronic tag; the output digital information of the RF micro-controller is modulated to a audio signal to be outputted; 
     the headset output interface (jack plug) connects to the modulation module for outputting the audio signal; 
     an electronic device has a headset input interface (jack socket) which connects to the headset output interface (jack plug) of the induction device, and the electronic device has a demodulation application which is corresponding to a modulation application of the modulation module for demodulating the audio signal outputted from the induction device to obtain the digital information; 
     a card reader emits the electromagnetic radiation to drive the RF micro-controller of the electronic tag, receives the RF signal of the induction device to process the digital information that is accessed, and outputs the digital information; and 
     an application server connects to the card reader for receiving the digital information, and connects to the electronic device via the Internet for communicating with the electronic device. 
     When the induction device communicates with the card reader, the digital information will be transformed to the RF signal and responded to the card reader. At that moment, the modulation module will transform the digital information to the audio signal for the electronic device of the headset input interface (jack socket) such as mobile phones and tablet personal computers. The electronic device of a user end and the application server both can receive the digital information of the electronic tag. Thus, service companies can offer a application of the electronic device which is downloadable to communicate the electronic device to the application server; for example, the electronic device transmits a personal password or a signature to the application server for identification by a network, or the application server transmits amount of a stored-value card to the electronic device by the network. By this way, users can know the digital information of the electronic tag by a personal electronic device; on the other hand, the users can interact with the service end by the electronic device. In the hardware system condition of this invention, the RF induction system provides the application server software and electronic device software to extend various services. 
     For the purpose of achieving this invention, the induction device comprises a carrier, an electronic tag, a modulation module and a headset output interface (jack plug). 
     The electronic tag is mounted on the carrier and comprises an encoder, an antenna and an RF micro-controller. The encoder with memory stores digital information. The antenna is for receiving an electromagnetic radiation. The RF micro-controller is connected to the encoder and the antenna, driven to access the digital information in the encoder, converts the digital information to an RF signal, and responded to the RF signal via the antenna after the electromagnetic radiation is received by the antenna. 
     The modulation module is mounted on the carrier, connected to the RF micro-controller of the electronic tag, and modulates the digital information outputted from the RF micro-controller to a audio signal. 
     The headset output interface (jack plug) connects to the modulation module, and the audio signal is sent to the electronic device. 
     Currently different brands have different data input interfaces for the electronic devices, especially the smart phones, but most of the headset interfaces are standard, so in this invention, the digital information is modulated to the audio signal for a mobile phone which has a headset interface (jack plug) connecting applications of the induction device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an electronic block diagram of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of this invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a detail electronic diagram of an induction device of this invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded plane diagram when this invention is applied to a smart phone; 
         FIG. 5  is a signal transmitting schematic diagram of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is an electronic block diagram of a current RF induction system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of the invention is as below, further describing how to approach the objective of the invention. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , an RF induction system with interaction functions of this invention includes an induction device  10 , an electronic device  20 , a card reader  30  and an application server  40 . 
     The induction device  10  has a carrier  11 , an electronic tag  12 , a modulation module  13  and a headset output interface (jack plug)  14 . The electronic tag  12  is mounted on the carrier  11  and includes an RF micro-controller  15 , an encoder  16  and an antenna  17 . The encoder  16  with memory stores digital information. The antenna  17  receives an electromagnetic radiation. The RF micro-controller  15  connects to the encoder  16  and the antenna  17 . After the antenna  17  receives the electromagnetic radiation, the RF micro-controller  15  is powered by electromagnetic fields and driven the encoder  16  to encode an RF signal. The RF signal is responded by the antenna  17 . 
     The modulation module  13  is mounted on the carrier  11  and connected to the RF micro-controller  15  of the electronic tag  12  and modulates the digital information outputted from the RF micro-controller  15  to an audio signal. 
     The headset output interface (jack plug)  14  connects to the modulation module  13  and outputs the audio signal. 
     In this embodiment, the RF micro-controller  15  can be an RFID micro-controller or an NFC micro-controller to output the RF signal by an RF technique. The carrier  11  can be a card or a decoration as shown in  FIG. 2 , wherein the headset output interface (jack plug)  14  is mounted on the carrier  11 . With reference to  FIG. 3 , the modulation module  13 , the RF micro-controller  15 , and the encoder  16  can be integrated into an SMC5021 micro controller unit (MCU). 
     The electronic device  20  has a headset input interface (jack socket), and connects to the headset output interface (jack plug)  14  of the induction device  10 ; the electronic device  20  also has a demodulation application which is corresponding to a modulation application of the modulation module  13  for demodulating the audio signal outputted from the induction device  10  to obtain the digital information; in this embodiment, the electronic device  20  can be a smart phone or a tablet personal computer. 
     The card reader  30  emits the electromagnetic radiation for driving the RF micro-controller  15  of the electronic tag  12 , receives the RF signal of the induction device  10  to process the digital information, and outputs the digital information. 
     The application server  40  connects to the card reader  30  to receive the digital information and connects to the electronic device  20  via the Internet for communicating with the electronic device  20 . The modulation module  13  and the demodulation application of the electronic device  20  can modulate and demodulate the digital information by an asynchronous transmission. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the headset output interface (jack plug)  14  of the induction device  10  is a headset jack plug. The headset input interface (jack socket) of the electronic device  20  can be a headset jack socket. Because the headset jack socket is a standard specification for current mobile phones, the outer connection induction device can extensively apply to different types of smart phones. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , when the induction device  10  is integrated into a smart phone  50 , the smart phone  50  includes a phone body  51  and a back cover  52 . The phone body  51  has a headset socket  53  which has two input contacts  54  that are exposed to a backside of the phone body  51  as the headset input interface (jack socket). The back cover  52  is located on the backside of the phone body  51 . The electronic tag  12  and the modulation module  13  of the induction device  10  are embedded in the back cover  52 . The back cover  52  can be a carrier and has two metal wire layers  56  formed on an internal surface which is opposite to the phone body  51 . Each metal wire layer  56  has a convex metal point  57 , wherein the convex metal points  57  touch the two input contacts  54  of the backside of the exposed phone body  51 . Therefore in this method, the induction device  10  can be integrated into the smart phone  50  without changing internal circuits of the smart phone  50 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , when the induction device  10  is in use and the carrier approaches to the card reader  30 , if the induction device  10  is integrated into the smart phone  50 , the smart phone  50  approaches to the card reader  30 , which will emit the electromagnetic radiation to the antenna  17  of the electronic tag  12 . An electric current will be induced to drive the RF micro-controller  15  to access the digital information from the encoder  16 . The antenna  17  responses the RF signal to the card reader  30  according to the digital information, and the card reader  30  can process the digital information of the RF signal. The RF micro-controller  15  will transmit the digital information to the modulation module  13 . The digital information will be modulated to the audio signal by the modulation module  13  to be outputted to the electronic device  20  through the headset output interface (jack plug)  14 . (If the induction device  10  is integrated into the smart phone  50 , the smart phone  50  can be the electronic device  20 .) The electronic device  20  can use the demodulation application to get original digital information. When the electronic tag  12  approaches the card reader  30  for induction, the application server  40  and the electronic device  20  both can receive the digital information, wherein the electronic device  20  transmits the network information to the application server  40  by the Internet. After building up the stated hardware system, according to the service characteristics, service companies provide different software to let users download to the electronic device  20 . As for the current popular smart phones, users can use smart phones to download application and connect to the service end for having an interaction by the Internet. The invention can be applied for these potential perspectives, wherein 
     1. When the electronic tag  12  has a function as a stored-value card to pay or add value, the application server  40  stores the current value of the stored-value card into the electronic device  20  via the Internet. As using a smart phone, users can use the smart phone to check amount of the stored-value card by the Internet for easy management. For the payment by the stored-value card, the application server  40  demands verification to the smart phone via the Internet, and demands to enter a password or a digital signature. Financial institutions can demand verification for paying on the Internet by this way to prohibit the stored-value card from being embezzled when the card is lost; users are relieved to pay a big amount of money in business transactions. 
     2. The electronic device  20  demands the application server  40  to transmit an instant message; for example, setting the card readers  30  in exhibitions or bus stops, users use the electronic tags  12  to induct the card readers  30 ; the electronic device  20  demands the application server  40  to respond to multiple instant messages by the Internet; exhibition information or bus location can be shown to users by the application server  40  via the Internet transmitting the exhibition information or bus location information to the electronic device  20 . 
     To summarize, the purpose of this invention is that the electronic tag can be used with the electronic device, so the invention not only can let users know digital information contents of the electronic tag by the electronic device, but users also can get the digital contents and interact with the service end by the Internet. Because smart phones are very popular, the headset input interface (jack socket) of smart phones is standard equipment. In this invention, the induction device uses the audio signal via the headset output interface (jack plug) to transmit the digital information of the electronic tag for smart phones which have the headset input interface (jack socket) and without using special function mobile phones. Mobile phone manufacturers also do not have to change internal circuits of mobile phones to be integrated into the back cover of phones, not only eliminating a defect that the current electronic tag cannot interact from service end to user terminal via the network, but service companies also can design application themselves for offering diverse services. In this way, a limited application of the RF induction system can be overcome, and this invention can extensively apply to diverse smart phones, so users do not have to buy special function mobile phones.