Transponder and method for operating a transponder
View Patent ↗A transponder and method for operating a transponder, which has a capacitor (C buf ) for storing power transmitted via an air interface and an arithmetic logic unit ( 10 ) that can be supplied with the stored power, in which a capacitor voltage (V C ) of the capacitor (C buf ) is compared with a first threshold (V 1 ), in which the capacitor voltage (V C ) is compared with a second threshold (V 2 ), whereby the first threshold (V 1 ) and the second threshold (V 2 ) are different, in which in a first operating mode (M 1 ), when the capacitor voltage (V C ) is above the first threshold (V 1 ), the arithmetic logic unit ( 10 ) performs a number of routines with a different priority, in which in a second operating mode (M 2 ), when the capacitor voltage (V C ) is between the first threshold (V 1 ) and the second threshold (V 2 ), a number of low-priority routines are stopped and a number of high-priority routines are continued.
1. A method comprising:
comparing a capacitor voltage of a capacitor of a transponder, the capacitor for storing power transmitted via an air interface, with a threshold voltage, the transponder having an arithmetic logic unit configured to be supplied with the at least a portion of the stored power;
determining, at a first time and in response to determining that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor exceeds the threshold, to operate in a first operating mode, the first operating mode comprising performing a number of routines having different associated priorities;
updating a status register of the arithmetic logic unit with an indicator of the determined first operating mode;
determining, at a second time and in response to determining that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor is below the threshold, to operate in a second operating mode, the second operating mode comprising suspending at least one routine at a place within a run of the at least one routine;
updating a status register of the arithmetic logic unit with an indicator of the second operating mode; and
resuming, in response to determining at a third time that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor exceeds the threshold, the at least one previously-suspended routine from the place within the run at which the at least one previously-suspended routine was suspended.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein suspending the at least one routine comprises stopping the at least one routine.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein suspending the at least one routine comprises storing register values of the at least one routine in a non-volatile memory.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to an interrupt signal, interrupting a program run in the arithmetic logic unit, the interrupt signal being generated based on the comparison of the capacitor voltage with the threshold voltage.
5. A transponder comprising:
a capacitor configured to store power transmitted via an air interface;
a comparator configured to:
compare a capacitor voltage of the capacitor with a threshold voltage;
and
an arithmetic logic unit supplied with the stored power from the capacitor, the arithmetic logic unit configured to:
determine, at a first time and in response to determining that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor exceeds the threshold, to operate in a first operating mode, the first operating mode comprising performing a number of routines having different associated priorities;
update a status register of the arithmetic logic unit with an indicator of the determined first operating mode;
determine, at a second time and in response to determining that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor is below the threshold, to operate in a second operating mode, the second operating mode comprising suspending at least one routine at a place within a run of the at least one routine;
update a status register of the arithmetic logic unit with an indicator of the second operating mode; and
resume, in response to determining at a third time that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor exceeds the threshold, the at least one previously-suspended routine from the place within the run at which the at least one previously-suspended routine was suspended.
6. The transponder of claim 5 , wherein to suspend the at least one routine, the arithmetic logic unit is further configured to stop the at least one routine.
7. The transponder of claim 5 , wherein to suspend the at least one routine, the arithmetic logic unit is further configured to store register values of the at least one routine in a non-volatile memory.
8. The transponder of claim 5 , wherein the arithmetic logic unit is further configured to, in response to an interrupt signal, interrupt program run in the arithmetic logic unit, the interrupt signal being generated based on the comparison of the capacitor voltage with the threshold voltage.
9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:
receive a comparison of a capacitor voltage of a capacitor with a threshold voltage, the capacitor storing power transmitted via an air interface;
determine, at a first time and in response to determining that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor exceeds the threshold, to operate in a first operating mode, the first operating mode comprising performing a number of routines having different associated priorities;
update a status register of the arithmetic logic unit with an indicator of the determined first operating mode;
determine, at a second time and in response to determining that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor is below the threshold, to operate in a second operating mode, the second operating mode comprising suspending at least one routine at a place within a run of the at least one routine;
update a status register of the arithmetic logic unit with an indicator of the second operating mode; and
resume, in response to determining at a third time that the capacitor voltage of the capacitor exceeds the threshold, the at least one previously suspended routine from the place within the run at which the at least one previously-suspended routine was suspended.
10. The media of claim 9 , wherein to suspend the at least one routine, the logic is further operable when executed to stop the at least one routine.
11. The media of claim 9 , wherein to suspend the at least one routine, the logic is further operable when executed to store register values of the at least one routine in a non-volatile memory.