RFID transponder and method for operating the same

US9697391B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Ernst Muellner · Munich, DE
• Carlo Peschke · Kirchheim unter Teck, DE
• Andreas Hagl · Dachau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 24, 2014
• Grant date: Jul 4, 2017
• Expiry date: Apr 13, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07C2009/00793
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An RFID transponder having an analog front end receiver having an attenuator coupled to receive an RF-signal from an antenna and to attenuate the RF-signal, an amplifier having a fixed amplifier gain and being coupled to receive and to amplify the attenuated RF-signal and a control unit coupled to control a gain of the attenuator, wherein the control unit is configured to control the attenuator gain in response to a level of the amplified RF-signal, the control unit is configured to have a plurality of predetermined states causing the attenuator to increase (step-up) or to decrease (step-down), its gain by a predefined step size, wherein the step size of a step-up is equal to or smaller than the step size of a step-down and wherein the control unit is further configured to switch, upon reaching or exceeding a predefined threshold value, from a first to a second state having a smaller step size and causing the attenuator to change the gain such that the slope of the RF signal inverts and to switch, upon reaching the predefined threshold again, to a third state causing the attenuator to change a prefix of the gain.