PRESENCE DETECTION
THIS INVENTION relates to presence detection. In particular, it relates to a method of detecting the presence of an object in a monitored zone of an electronic identification system. It also relates to an electronic identification system.
The Applicant is aware of electronic identification systems in which transponders or "tags" are activated by an interrogation signal and then transmit reply signals, usually containing identification data, to a receiver, which typically forms part of the interrogator. In passive electronic ID systems the interrogation signal also acts as an energy beam used to power the transponder. A small part of this energy is reflected back to the interrogator modulated with an ID code (so-called "back scatter" technique).
In general, the interrogator is not able to tell whether an object, such as a person or vehicle, that should have a transponder, is present in the interrogating beam or not. In auto tolling systems, for example, it is important to know whether a vehicle passed through the tollgate (which is typically always open to allow larger traffic volumes to pass through without slowing down).
While passing through the interrogating beam, the body of the object also reflects some of the incident energy back to the interrogator. If the object is moving, the frequency of the reflection will be shifted depending on the speed at which the object is moving. This effect is also known as the "Doppler Effect" . The Doppler frequency component in the reflected signal is unwanted in conventional electronic identification systems, and is filtered out (removed) to improve the signal to noise ratio of the incoming data signal.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of detecting the presence of a moving object in a monitored zone of an electronic identification system in which transponders are activated by a transmitted interrogation signal and then transmit reply signals, the method including illuminating the monitored zone with said interrogation signal or beam; receiving a reflected and/or reply signal from the monitored zone; separating out a Doppler component, if present, from the received signal; if present, investigating the Doppler component; and determining if a moving object is present in the monitored zone depending on the presence or absence of the Doppler component and, if the Doppler component is present, the characteristics of the Doppler component.
As will be appreciated, at least some of the interrogation signal is always reflected back. If the reflected signal does not contain a Doppler component of an appropriate frequency and magnitude, an object is present in the monitored zone, but is not moving, or there is no object in the monitored zone. If a reflected signal is received and it contains a Doppler component of an appropriate frequency and magnitude, a moving object is present in the monitored zone. If this reflected signal does not also include a correct or recognized identification code, reflected by a correct or authorized transponder, it can be deduced that the moving object in the monitored zone is not authorized to move through the monitored zone.
The method may include mixing the received signal with the transmitted interrogation signal to convert the received signal down to base band, prior to separating out a Doppler component, if present.
Separating out a Doppler component may be effected by means of one or more appropriate filters e.g. a low-pass filter.
Investigating the Doppler component may include determining if a Doppler frequency of a suitable magnitude and frequency is present. This could be effected by subjecting the Doppler component to a Fast Fourier Transform operation. However,
it is to be appreciated that any suitable conventional spectrum analysis technique may be used for the investigation of the Doppler component.
The method may include removing noise from known noise sources which may be present in the monitored zone, from the received signal, e.g. a 50 or 60 Hz mains electric power frequency and/or Doppler components reflected from wheels of a vehicle. Removing noise from the received reflected signal may include comparing the received reflected signal with a stored or reference spectrum reflected by and received from a moving object in the monitored zone, and identifying the lowest new frequency component of the received reflected signal exceeding a preselected magnitude as the Doppler component indicating a moving object in the monitored zone. The remainder of the received signal is thus considered to be noise and is ignored or removed.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic identification system of the kind in which a transponder is activated by a transmitted interrogation signal to transmit a reply signal, the system including interrogation means for interrogating a monitored zone with an interrogation signal, the interrogation means being configured to receive any reflected and/or reply signal from the monitored zone and to determine if the received signal includes a recognized identification code; first separating means for separating the received signal from the interrogation signal; second separating means for separating any data carrying component of the received signal from any Doppler component of the received signal; and signal processing means for investigating any Doppler component of the received signal.
The electronic identification system may include a down converter for mixing a received signal with the interrogation signal to convert the received signal down to base band.
The interrogation means may be configured to produce a continuous wave interrogation signal. Thus, the interrogation means may include a continuous wave source and an amplifier. Typically, the continuous wave source is configured to produce an interrogation signal at about 91 5 MHz or about 2.54 GHz. Instead, the interrogation means may employ frequency hopping, a spread spectrum, or frequency modulation.
The first separating means may be in the form of a circulator. Instead, it may be in the form of a directional coupler. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the first separating means is in the form of an antenna for receiving the reflected signal and which is separate from an antenna for transmitting the interrogation signal.
The second separating means may include a band-pass filter and/or a high-pass filter for separating out any data carrying component. It is however to be appreciated that the filter or filters used will depend on the way the interrogation beam is expected to be modulated and encoded by a correct or authorized transponder in the monitored zone. The second separating means may also include a low-pass filter for separating out any Doppler component.
The signal processing means may be in the form of a digital signal processor.
The signal processing means may include spectrum storage means for storing a received signal spectrum, for later comparison with a new received signal.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which shows a block diagram of an electronic identification system in accordance with the invention.
Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 1 0 generally indicates an electronic identification system in accordance with the invention. The electronic
identification system 1 0 includes interrogation means comprising a continuous wave source 1 2, an amplifier 14, an antenna 1 6 and a comparator 1 7. The electronic identification system 1 0 further includes first separating means in the form of a directional coupler 1 8, a down converter 20, second separating means in the form of a low pass filter 22 and a high pass filter 24, and a digital signal processor 26.
The electronic identification system 1 0 is capable of detecting the presence of a moving vehicle in a monitored zone of the interrogator, e.g. in order to determine whether a vehicle is passing through the toll gate of an automated tolling system without an authorised or correct transponder.
In use, the continuous wave source 1 2 produces a continuous wave energy beam typically at about 91 5 MHz or about 2.54 GHz. The continuous wave energy beam is amplified by the amplifier 1 4 and beamed or transmitted into the monitored zone, as indicated by reference numeral 28. In the drawing, a vehicle 30 which includes a transponder 32 is shown present and moving through the monitored zone 30. The transponder 32 receives the incident energy from the beam 28, rectifies it and powers up. The transponder 32 then modulates the reflectivity of its antenna with its own identification code to reflect a very small modulated signal back to the interrogation means.
The body of the vehicle 30 reflects a much larger signal back to the interrogation means. If the vehicle 30 is stationary, the reflected signal is at the same frequency as the energy beam 28. However, if the vehicle 30 is moving, the reflected signal contains a Doppler frequency component. For example, if the vehicle is moving at about 1 0 meters per second through the monitored zone, and the energy beam 28 is at a frequency of about 91 5 MHz, the Doppler component will be about 30 Hz.
The reflected signals from the transponder 32 and the vehicle 30 are received by the antenna 1 6 and separated from the transmitted signal by means of the directional coupler 1 8. The received signals are then mixed with the transmitted signal by means of the down converter 20 to convert the received signals down to base
band. A data or identification code component of the received signal is separated out by means of the high-pass filter 24. A Doppler component of the received signal is separated out by means of the low-pass filter 22. The separated out Doppler component is sent to a digital signal processor which uses a Fast Fourier Transform operation to investigate if a Doppler component of a suitable magnitude and frequency is present, and then produces an output signal 32 indicating whether or not a moving vehicle 30 is present in the monitored zone. The data or identification code component, if any, of the reflected signal is send to the comparator 1 7, which determines if the code is a recognized or authorized code and, in response thereto, provides an output signal 34 in this regard. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the output signals 32, 34 can be used to take any desired action, depending on the contents or characteristics of the output signals 32, 34.
The electronic identification system 10 is intended to work with passive radio frequency identification transponders (RF or inductively coupled) carried by vehicles and activated by a continuous wave signal received from the interrogation means. However, the invention is also applicable to other systems, e.g. systems using active or passive identification tags or transponders, in which the transponders are triggered to transmit their identification codes by means of some form of interrogation or activation signal.
It is an advantage of the invention, as illustrated, that it provides a method and means for detecting when an object, such as a vehicle, which should be carrying a correct or authorized identification tag or transponder, is passing through a monitored zone without such an identification tag or transponder.