Rfid device for determining the operating status and identification of an electric appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018181779-A1
Application number	US-201615738514-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Jun 28, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for identifying an electrical appliance when it is powered up, comprises: a current detector coupled to an electrical power supply cable of the electrical appliance, for detecting the passage of an electrical current in the cable and generating an electrical signal; a voltage generator for converting the electrical signal at the output of the current detector into a direct voltage; an RFID circuit allowing to store identification information, coupled to an antenna suitable for receiving and transmitting signals from and to an RFID reader; the device comprising a control circuit coupled to the voltage generator and to the RFID circuit, the control circuit comprising means for producing a change of impedance of the antenna when the direct voltage is applied, the change of impedance allowing to transmit the identification information to the RFID reader.

First claim

1 . A device for determining the state of operation of an electrical appliance and for identifying said appliance, the device comprising:
a current detector coupled to a power supply cable of the electrical appliance, for detecting the passage of a current in said cable and generating an electrical signal; a voltage generator for converting the electrical signal at the output of the current detector into a direct voltage; an RFID circuit allowing to store identification information, coupled to an antenna suitable for receiving and transmitting signals from and to an RFID reader; the device comprising a control circuit coupled to the voltage generator and to the RFID circuit, said control circuit comprising means for producing a change of impedance of the antenna when the direct voltage is applied, the change of impedance allowing to transmit the identification information to the RFID reader.

2 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the change of impedance of the antenna consists in bringing the frequency of the antenna to the resonance frequency of the RFID reader.

3 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the current detector comprises a transformer coupled by induction to the power supply cable.

4 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the voltage generator is a circuit of Schenkel doubler type.

5 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the RFID reader is a UHF band frequency at 868 MHz.

6 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the antenna is a dipole-type antenna.

7 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the identification information is an identifier of the electrical appliance.

8 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control circuit comprises at least one PIN diode.

9 . A method for determining the state of operation of an electrical appliance and identifying said appliance, the method comprising the steps of:
detecting the passage of an electrical current in the electrical power supply cable of the electrical appliance; generating a direct voltage representative of the electrical current; applying the direct voltage to the terminals of a control device, the control device being coupled to an RFID circuit allowing to store identification information and being coupled to an antenna suitable for receiving and transmitting signals from and to an RFID reader, said control circuit allowing to produce a change of impedance of the antenna when the direct voltage is applied, the change of impedance allowing to transmit the identification information to the RFID reader.

Assignees

• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Univ Nice Sophia Antipolis

Inventors

• Staraj Robert
• Ribero Jean-Marc
• Cosker Mathieu

Classifications

• H04Q2209/47

  using RFID associated with sensors · CPC title

• H04Q2209/886

  using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical · CPC title

• G06K19/0723

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• H04Q9/00 Primary

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• G06K7/10366 Primary

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title