Data transfer system and associated management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9256820-B2
Application number	US-201213417643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2012
Priority date	Mar 15, 2011
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A method for managing a data transfer system includes recovering energy at peripheral devices, and wireless transfer recovered energy to a base by synchronizing RF signals transmitted by double-loop antennas. Synchronizing includes implementing a listening phase to detect a radio-frequency signal transmitted by said central base, and either sending an RF signal that is synchronous with the detected signal or transmitting a signal at a predetermined frequency depending on whether an RF signal is detected at the base. The method includes, in response to receiving a signal from the peripheral device at that frequency, causing the base to recover the received signal and to re-transmit at the predetermined frequency to the peripheral devices. This signal synchronization enables simultaneous energy transfer from peripheral devices to the central base while avoiding mutually destructive effects between said signals.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for managing a data transfer system including a plurality of peripheral devices, a central base, and radio-frequency communication means for enabling data to be transferred between said peripheral devices and said central base, said central base including an antenna tuned to a predetermined frequency, said peripheral devices each having a double-loop antenna, said double-loop antenna having a first loop handling transmission of a radio-frequency signal and a second loop handling reception of a radio-frequency signal, said first and second loops configured to have zero mutual impedance therebetween, said method comprising at said peripheral devices, recovering energy, transferring at least a portion of said recovered energy to said central base via said radio-frequency communication means, and synchronizing radio frequency signals transmitted by said double-loop antennas, wherein synchronizing radio frequency signals includes in response to triggering of communication from a peripheral device to said central base, implementing a listening phase using a second loop to detect a radio-frequency signal transmitted by said central base, and at least one of in response to detecting a radio-frequency signal transmitted by said central base, causing said peripheral device to use said detected radio-frequency signal to transmit, to said central base, a radio-frequency signal that is synchronous and in phase with said detected radio-frequency signal, and in response to detecting an absence of a radio-frequency signal transmitted by said central base, causing said peripheral device to transmit a radio-frequency signal at said predetermined frequency, and wherein synchronization further includes, in response to receiving a radio frequency signal transmitted by said peripheral device at said predetermined frequency, causing said central base to recover said received radio-frequency signal and to re-transmit a radio-frequency signal at said predetermined frequency to said peripheral devices, whereby said synchronization of said radio-frequency signals enables a simultaneous energy transfer from said peripheral devices to said central base while avoiding mutually destructive effects between said radio-frequency signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said peripheral devices comprise identification means, said method further comprising transferring data between a peripheral device and said central base, said data including an identifier of said peripheral device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said peripheral devices comprise means for measuring a physical quantity, said method further comprising transferring data between a peripheral device and said central base, said data including data representing a value of said measured physical quantity, and, at said central base, processing said transferred data corresponding to said value of said measured physical quantity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring at least a portion of said recovered energy to said central base via said radio-frequency communication means comprises inductive coupling of said radio-frequency communication means.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein recovering energy on said peripheral devices comprises converting energy available on said peripheral devices into electrical energy.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing said peripheral device to use said detected radio-frequency signal to transmit, to said central base, a radio-frequency signal that is synchronous and in phase with said detected radio-frequency signal comprises generating said signal with a shaping electronic circuit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing said peripheral device to use said detected radio-frequency signal to transmit, to said central base, a radio-frequency signal that is synchronous and in phase with said detected radio-frequency signal comprises successive approximations by shifting said phase to find said resonance of said detected signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing said peripheral device to transmit a radio-frequency signal at said predetermined frequency comprises generating said signal using a local oscillator of said peripheral device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing said peripheral device to transmit a radio-frequency signal at said predetermined frequency comprises generating said signal on said basis of a filtered electronic noise at said predetermined frequency.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting said predetermined frequency to be 13.56 MHz.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein, at a given instant, at most a single peripheral device transmits data to said central base.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting data to said central base according to an anti-collision protocol.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring at least a portion of said recovered energy to said central base comprises transferring said recovered energy in response to determining that a quantity of recovered energy has at least reached a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing said energy on said peripheral devices.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing said energy on said central base.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising causing said central base to transmit a predetermined triggering signal to a peripheral device in order to trigger said acquisition of said data and causing said central base to transmit a signal to said peripheral device so as to recover data acquired by radio-frequency identification.

Assignees

• Bacquet Sylvain
• Crochon Elisabeth
• Thomas Thierry
• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Bacquet Sylvain
• Crochon Elisabeth
• Thomas Thierry

Classifications

• H04L41/0213

  Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP] · CPC title

• G06K7/0008

  General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer · CPC title

• G06K19/0704

  the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries · CPC title

• G06K7/10207

  parameter settings related to power consumption of the interrogator · CPC title

• G06K19/0707 Primary

  the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation (G06K19/0702 takes precedence) · CPC title