Antenna device and method for operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016351993-A1
Application number	US-201615234721-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An active antenna device includes a terminal for receiving a signal to be transmitted, and an antenna for generating a radio signal based on the signal to be transmitted. The active antenna device further includes a controller that is configured to control the antenna depending on the intended properties of the radio signal. The active antenna device includes a coupler between the terminal and the antenna that is configured to decouple a signal portion from the signal to be transmitted. The active antenna device further includes an energy converter that is connected between the coupler and the controller and configured to provide a power signal for the operation of the controller based on the decoupled signal portion.

First claim

1 . An active antenna device for sending RFID signals, comprising:
a terminal for receiving an RFID signal to be transmitted; an antenna for generating a radio signal based on the RFID signal to be transmitted; a controller that is configured to control properties of the antenna; a coupler between the terminal and the antenna that is configured to decouple a signal portion from the RFID signal to be transmitted; and an energy converter that is connected between the coupler and the controller and configured to provide a power signal for the operation of the controller based on the decoupled signal portion; wherein the active antenna device is an energy self-sufficient device.

2 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the antenna such that the radio signal comprises one or more radiation lobes and/or is configured to adjust a radiation angle of one or more radiation lobes of the radio signal.

3 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of antenna elements and at least one switch that is connected to an antenna element, and wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one switch such that, based on the properties of the radio signal or the antenna, the RFID signal to be transmitted can be applied to at least one of the antenna elements.

4 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal is connectable to an antenna terminal of a signal source providing the RFID signal to be transmitted.

5 . The active antenna device according to claim 4 , with a mounting element that is connected to the terminal and that is connectable to the antenna terminal of the signal source providing the RFID signal to be transmitted.

6 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , with a connection element that is connectable to the signal source providing the RFID signal to be transmitted.

7 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna is a transmit-receive antenna that is configured to radiate the radio signal, and to receive a receive signal and to provide the same at the terminal.

8 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , with a receive antenna in order to receive a receive signal and to provide the same at a receive terminal.

9 . The active antenna device according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control the receive antenna.

10 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 that is coupled to a signal source comprising a radio-frequency signal generator and being configured to provide the RFID signal to be transmitted based on a signal received by means of a wireless communication interface.

11 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , with an energy storage device between the energy converter and the controller that is configured to at least partially receive the electric energy from the energy converter and to provide the controller with the same.

12 . The active antenna device according to claim 11 , wherein the energy storage device is an accumulator or an electrical capacitor.

13 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the energy converter is a radio-frequency direct current converter.

14 . The active antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the coupler is configured to decouple at least 0.1% of the power of the RFID signal to be transmitted.

15 . A radio-frequency identification system, comprising:
a radio-frequency identification reader; and at least one active antenna device according to claim 1 .

16 . A method for an energy self-sufficient operation of an active antenna device for sending RFID signals, comprising:
receiving an RFID signal to be transmitted; generating a radio signal based on the RFID signal to be transmitted; controlling antenna properties; decoupling a signal portion between a terminal and an antenna from the RFID signal to be transmitted; and providing a power signal for the energy self-sufficient operation of a controller based on the decoupled signal portion.

Assignees

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E V

Inventors

• Strauss Wolfram
• Mayordomo Iker
• Weisgerber Lars

Classifications

• G06K7/10356

  using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas · CPC title

• G06K7/10316

  using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers (antennas in general H01Q1/22) · CPC title

• H02J7/34

  Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/2216 Primary

  used in interrogator/reader equipment · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title