Granted Patent B2

US 8,848,839 · App. 12/496,584 · Granted Sep 30, 2014

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A data carrier device comprising:

receiving means for receiving a modulated carrier signal which contains an encoded data signal encoded in conformity with an encoding method, and

said encoded data signal including decoding instruction information;

a demodulation means for demodulating the received modulated carrier signal and for outputting the encoded data signal contained therein,

decoding means for decoding the encoded data signal and for outputting data, and

data processing means for processing the data output by the decoding means,

characterized in that

the decoding means including at least a first physical decoding stage and a second physical decoding stage, the first decoding stage being arranged to decode said data signal encoded in conformity with a first decoding method whereas the second decoding stage is arranged to decode a data signal encoded in conformity with a second decoding method and

wherein said first decoding method is Manchester and the second decoding method is Miller; and

wherein said decoding means further includes a decision stage capable of determining which of the first and second stages decodes the encoded data signal.

2. The data carrier device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decoding stage instruction information includes redundancy data.

3. The data carrier device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decoding means includes a storage stage in which the encoded data signal can be stored prior to being read out by the data processing means.

4. The data carrier device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an encoding means for outputting an encoded data signal, said encoding means including at least a first encoding stage and a second encoding stage.

5. The data carrier device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said first encoding stage is designed to encode data in conformity with a third method and said second encoding stage is designed to encode data in conformity with a fourth method which is different from said third method.

6. The data carrier device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising modulation means designed to modulate the encoded data signal output.

7. A data carrier device comprising:

a receiver designed to receive a modulated carrier signal which includes an encoded data signal;

a demodulator capable of receiving the modulated carrier signal and designed to output the encoded data signal included therein;

a decoder designed to decode the encoded data signal and to output data;

a data processor designed to process the output data from the decoder; and

wherein the decoder includes a first decoding stage and a second decoding stage, the first decoding stage designed to decode the encoded data signal which is encoded in conformity with a first encoding method and the second decoding stage designed to decode the encoded data signal encoded in conformity with a second encoding method, wherein said first encoding method is Return-To-Zero (RTZ) and second encoding method is Miller and wherein both the first decoding stage and the second decoding stage attempt to decode the encoded data signal.

8. The data carrier device of claim 7 , wherein the data is output to the data processor before a decision stage determines which of the first and second decoding stages is suitable for decoding the encoded data signal.

9. A data carrier device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said encoded data signal has a structure that ensures that time intervals with high amplitude value of the modulated carrier signal are substantially at least as long as time intervals with low amplitude value of the modulated carrier signal.

10. A data carrier device comprising:

a receiving means for receiving a modulated carrier signal which contains an encoded data signal,

a demodulation means for demodulating the received modulated carrier signal and for outputting the encoded data signal contained therein,

a decoding means for decoding the encoded data signal and for outputting data, a data processing means for processing the data output by the decoding means, I

the decoding means including at least a first decoding stage and a second decoding stage, the first decoding stage being arranged to decode said data signal in conformity with a first decoding method while simultaneously the second decoding stage is arranged to decode said data signal in conformity with a second decoding method, wherein said first decoding method is Manchester and said second decoding method is Miller; and

a decision stage which is arranged to decide which of the first and second decoding stages decodes said data signal.

11. A data carrier device comprising:

a receiving device capable of receiving a modulated carrier signal which contains an encoded data signal,

a demodulation device configured to demodulate the received modulated carrier signal and outputs the encoded data signal contained therein,

a decoding device capable of decoding the encoded data signal and outputting data, said decoding device including at least a first decoding stage and a second decoding stage, the first decoding stage is arranged to decode said data signal in conformity with a first decoding method whereas the second decoding stage is arranged to decode said data signal in conformity with a second decoding method,

a decision stage which determines which of the first and second decoding stages is suitable to decode the encoded data signal,

a data processing device configured to process the data output by the decoding device, wherein once the decision stage applies decision information to the data processing device regarding which of the first and second decoding stages decodes the encoded data signal, the determined first or second decoding stage is used for processing the remainder of the encoded data signal, and wherein the first decoding method is Manchester and the second decoding method is Miller.

Assignments (13)