JP2013521737A5

JP2013521737A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2013521737A5
Application number: JP2012556596A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2010-03-10
Publication date: 2015-01-08

Description

各アンテナ１１０、１１２は結合されてアンテナアレイを形成し、このアンテナアレイは、それぞれの受信可能区域１１４、１１６内のアンテナ受信可能区域１１４（２点鎖線で示す）およびアンテナ受信可能区域１１６（１点鎖線で示す）と呼ばれる対応する所定の受信可能区域、すなわちアンテナビーム幅にわたって信号を生成するように構成されている。２つの受信可能区域は、それらのアンテナが、和または差のアンテナパターンを形成するように位相の揃った状態で結合されること、すなわち、それらのアンテナが１つの位相アンテナアレイとして使用されることから生じる。受信可能区域は、アレイパターンと地面（タグの平面）との交わりであり、それぞれ信号１２０、１２２によって概略的に示すように、各アンテナは信号を伝送し、ＲＦタグ１０８からの応答を受け取る。これらのアンテナは、和アレイとして１つの信号を伝送し、和アレイと差アレイの両方として信号を受け取る。 Each antenna 110, 112 is combined to form an antenna array, which antenna array 114 (indicated by a two-dot chain line) and antenna coverage area 116 (1) within the respective coverage area 114, 116. It is configured to generate a signal over a corresponding predetermined coverage area, i.e., indicated by the dashed line, i.e. the antenna beam width. Two receivable area, the antennas may be coupled in phase alignment so as to form an antenna pattern of the sum or difference, i.e., that their antennas are used as one phase antenna array Arise from. The coverage area is the intersection of the array pattern and the ground (the plane of the tag), and each antenna transmits a signal and receives a response from the RF tag 108, as schematically indicated by signals 120 and 122, respectively. These antennas transmit one signal as a sum array and receive the signal as both a sum array and a difference array.

動作の際には、各アンテナ１１０、１１２は、ＲＦタグ１０８へ呼掛け信号を伝送するように構成されている。アンテナアレイのアンテナ１１０またはアンテナ１１２のいずれかからの呼掛け信号の受信に応答して、ＲＦタグ１０８は応答信号を伝送する。少なくともいくつかの実施形態では、応答信号は、反射信号または応答器信号とすることができる。 In operation, the antenna 1 10,112 is configured to transmit an interrogation signal to the RF tag 108. In response to receiving an interrogation signal from either antenna 110 or antenna 112 of the antenna array, RF tag 108 transmits a response signal. In at least some embodiments, the response signal can be a reflected signal or a responder signal.

位置判定システム１０２は、ＲＦタグ位置判定ユニット１２４と通信によって結合されているアンテナ１１０、１１２を備える。少なくともいくつかの実施形態では、位置判定システム１０２は、アンテナ１１０、１１２と直接、電気的に結合されている。位置判定ユニット１２４は、主ＲＦ信号出力１２６および位置検出信号出力１２８と通信によって結合されている。少なくともいくつかの実施形態では、位置判定システム１０２は、主ＲＦ信号出力１２６および位置検出信号出力１２８と直接、電気的に結合されている。 Position determining system 102 includes antenna 1 10,112 coupled by communicating with the RF tag position determination unit 124. In at least some embodiments, position determination system 102 is directly electrically coupled to antennas 110, 112. The position determination unit 124 is communicatively coupled with the main RF signal output 126 and the position detection signal output 128. In at least some embodiments, position determination system 102 is electrically coupled directly to main RF signal output 126 and position detection signal output 128.

和結合器構成要素３０４は、アンテナ１１０およびアンテナ１１２から受け取った応答信号を位相を揃えて加法的な方法で結合、即ち加算し、その結果得られる和信号を主ＲＦ信号出力１２６および位相比較構成要素３０８（位相比較器とも呼ばれる）へ伝送する。差結合器構成要素３０６は、アンテナ１１０およびアンテナ１１２から受け取った応答信号の差に対応する位相の揃った差信号を生成、即ち前記応答信号を位相を揃えて減算した信号を生成し、その結果得られる差信号を位相比較構成要素３０８へ伝送する。 Sum combiner component 304 combines or sums the response signals received from antenna 110 and antenna 112 in an additive manner, with the phases aligned , and the resulting sum signal is combined with main RF signal output 126 and phase comparison component. Transmit to element 308 (also called phase comparator). Difference combiner component 306, generates a difference signal with uniform corresponding phase difference in the response signal received from the antenna 110 and the antenna 112, that generates a signal obtained by subtracting align the phase of the response signal, as a result The resulting difference signal is transmitted to the phase comparison component 308.

位相比較構成要素３０８は、和構成要素３０４から受け取った生成済み和信号と、差結合器構成要素３０６から受け取った生成済み差信号との位相差を生成し、当該位相差の遷移を判定する。位相比較構成要素３０８は、その結果得られる信号を位置検出信号出力１２８へ伝送する。位置検出信号出力１２８は、その結果得られる生成済みの位相差信号が０°（度）から１８０°（度）へ遷移した時点で位置判定システム１０２、具体的にはアンテナ１１０、１１２がＲＦタグ１０８の上に位置決めされていることを示す。すなわち、アンテナ１１０、１１２はＲＦタグ１０８のいずれかの側に位置決めされており、かつ／またはＲＦタグ１０８はアンテナ１１０、１１２間の等しい距離のところに位置決めされている。少なくともいくつかの実施形態では、位相差遷移の判定は、１８０度の位相差からの所定の広がりを基礎として実行される。 Phase comparison component 308 generates a phase difference between the the generated sum signal received from the sum component 304, and the generated difference signal received from the difference combiner component 306, to determine a transition of the phase difference. The phase comparison component 308 transmits the resulting signal to the position detection signal output 128. The position detection signal output 128 indicates that the position determination system 102, specifically, the antennas 110 and 112, is the RF tag when the generated phase difference signal obtained as a result transitions from 0 ° (degree) to 180 ° (degree). It is positioned on 108. That is, the antennas 110 and 112 are positioned on either side of the RF tag 108 and / or the RF tag 108 is positioned at an equal distance between the antennas 110 and 112. In at least some embodiments, the phase difference transition determination is performed based on a predetermined spread from the 180 degree phase difference.

Claims

A system for accurately positioning using a radio frequency (RF) tag, the system traveling along a running surface,
At least two antennas forming a phased array configured to receive signals from RF tags disposed on the running surface;
An RF tag position determination unit coupled to the at least two antennas and comprising a main RF signal output and a position detection signal output, generating a position detection signal from signals received by each of the at least two antennas ; And an RF tag position determination unit configured to transmit to the position detection signal output .

The system of claim 1, comprising:
The RF tag position determination unit, the configured at least two said signals received by each antenna from the transition of the phase difference between the signal generated by combining in a state of phase alignment to generate the position detection signal ing.

The system of claim 1, comprising:
The RF tag position determination unit includes:
And a signal generator coupled to at least one of the at least two antennas and configured to generate an interrogation signal for transmission to the at least one of the at least two antennas.

The system according to claim 3, wherein
The signal generator is coupled to each of the at least two antennas.

The system of claim 1, comprising:
The RF tag position determination unit includes:
A phase comparator configured to generate the position detection signal;
A sum component coupled to the phase comparator and the at least two antennas;
And a difference component coupled to the phase comparator and the at least two antennas.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein
The sum component is:
A first input signal from a first antenna of the at least two antennas;
And a second input signal from a second antenna of the at least two antennas.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein
The difference component is:
A first input signal from a first antenna of the at least two antennas;
And a second input signal from a second antenna of the at least two antennas.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein
The sum component is configured to generate a sum signal that represents a sum of signals received from the at least two antennas.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein
The difference component is configured to generate a difference signal representative of a difference between signals received from the at least two antennas.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein
The RF tag position determination unit is coupled to a first antenna of the at least two antennas and configured to transmit at least two signals corresponding to an input signal received from the first antenna. Further comprising a first splitter component;
The first splitter component is coupled to the sum component and the difference component, transmits at least one of the at least two signals to the sum component, and transmits at least the other of the at least two signals. It is configured to transmit to the difference component.

The system of claim 10, comprising:
The RF tag position determination unit is coupled to a second antenna of the at least two antennas and is configured to transmit at least two signals corresponding to an input signal received from the second antenna. Further comprising a second splitter component;
The second splitter component is coupled to the sum component and the difference component, transmits at least one of the at least two signals to the sum component, and transmits at least the other of the at least two signals. It is configured to transmit to the difference component.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein
The phase comparator generates the position detection signal in response to a determination of a phase difference transition between the first signal received from the sum component and the second signal received from the difference component. It is configured.

The system of claim 12, comprising:
Wherein the transition phase difference is the phase difference of 0 degree phase difference or et 180 degrees.

The system of claim 1, comprising:
The at least two antennas are positioned in a vehicle that crosses the vicinity of the RF tag.

A system that travels along a running surface is a method for determining an RF tag position,
Receiving a first response signal from a first antenna configured to receive a signal from an RF tag disposed on the running surface;
Receiving a second response signal from a second antenna configured to receive a signal from an RF tag disposed on the running surface;
Generating a sum signal based on the first response signal and the second response signal;
And generating a difference signal based on a difference between the first response signal and the second response signal,
Generating a position detection signal in response to a determination of a phase difference transition between the generated sum signal and the generated difference signal.

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising
Wherein said step of generating a position detection signal includes generating a position detection signal in response to the determination of the transition to the phase difference of 0 degree phase difference or et 180 degrees.

16. A memory or computer readable medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 15.

Based on the antenna or we received the response signal to form a phase array configured to receive signals from the arranged RF tag on the running surface, the position determining unit determines the position of the device traveling along the travel surface Because
A phase comparator configured to generate a position detection signal based on a phase difference transition between the first sum component signal and the first difference component signal;
It is coupled to said phase comparator, responsive to receiving a second response signal from the second antenna to form a first response signal and said phase array from the first antenna forming the phased array A sum component configured to generate the first sum component signal;
Coupled to the phase comparator and in response to receiving a first response signal from the first antenna and a second response signal from the second antenna, the first difference component signal And a difference component configured to generate.

The position determination unit according to claim 18,
Coupled between the sum component and at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna, and between the difference component and at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna And at least one splitter component coupled to the.

The position determination unit according to claim 18,
The sum components are coupled, further comprising a signal generator configured to generate an interrogation signal for transmission to antenna forming the phased array.