Data carrier provided with at least two decoding stages

Abstract

A data carrier device is disclosed. The data carrier device includes a demodulation device configured to demodulate a received modulated carrier signal and output the included encoded data signal and a decoding device configured to decode the encoded data signal and output data. The decoding device includes a first decoding stage and a second decoding stage, wherein the first decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a first method and the second decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a second method, wherein the first method is Manchester and the second method is Miller.

1 . A data carrier device comprising:
 a demodulation device configured to demodulate a received modulated carrier signal and output the included encoded data signal; and   a decoding device configured to decode the encoded data signal and output data, said decoding device further comprising:   a first decoding stage, and   a second decoding stage, wherein the first decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a first method and the second decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a second method, wherein the first method is Manchester and the second method is Miller.   
     
     
         2 . The data carrier device of  claim 1 , further comprising a decision stage configured to determine which of the first and second decoding stages is suitable to decode the encoded data signal. 
     
     
         3 . The data carrier device of  claim 2 , further comprising a data processing device configured to process the data output by the decoding device. 
     
     
         4 . The data carrier device of  claim 3 , 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. 
     
     
         5 . The data carrier device of  claim 1 , wherein said encoded data signal has a structure that ensures that time intervals with high amplitude values of the modulated carrier signal are substantially at least as long as time intervals with low amplitude values of the modulated carrier signal. 
     
     
         6 . The data carrier device of  claim 1 , wherein the first decoding stage is implemented in software. 
     
     
         7 . The data carrier device of  claim 1 , wherein the second decoding stage is implemented in software. 
     
     
         8 . The data carrier device of  claim 1 , wherein the first decoding stage is implemented in hardware. 
     
     
         9 . The data carrier device of  claim 1 , wherein the second decoding stage is implemented in hardware. 
     
     
         10 . The data carrier device of  claim 1 , wherein the data carrier device is a Near Field Communication (NFC) device. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory medium for decoding a data signal in a Near Field Communication (NFC) device, the non-transitory medium comprising:
 instructions for first decoding of the data signal in conformity with a first method; and   instructions for second decoding of the data signal in conformity with a second method, wherein the first decoding method is Manchester and the second decoding method is Miller.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory medium of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions for determining whether the first decoding method or the second decoding method is suitable to decode the encoded data signal. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory medium of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions for calculating a sum of digits of a bit sequence in the received first data. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory medium of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions for comparing the calculated sum of digits with redundancy data in the received first data. 
     
     
         15 . A data carrier device, comprising:
 a demodulation device configured to demodulate a received modulated carrier signal and output an encoded data signal; and   a decoding device configured to decode the encoded data signal and output data, wherein the decoding device includes a first decoding stage and a second decoding stage, wherein the first decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a first method and the second decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a second method, wherein the first method is Manchester and the second method is Non-Return-to-Zero.   
     
     
         16 . The data carrier device of  claim 15 , further comprising a decision stage configured to determine which of the first and second decoding stages is suitable to decode the encoded data signal. 
     
     
         17 . A data carrier device, comprising:
 a demodulation device configured to demodulate a received modulated carrier signal and output an encoded data signal; and   a decoding device configured to decode the encoded data signal and output data, wherein the decoding device includes a first decoding stage and a second decoding stage, wherein the first decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a first method and the second decoding stage is configured to decode said data signal in conformity with a second method, wherein the first method is Miller and the second method is Non-Return-to-Zero.   
     
     
         18 . The data carrier device of  claim 17 , further comprising a decision stage configured to determine which of the first and second decoding stages is suitable to decode the encoded data signal. 
     
     
         19 . The data carrier device of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first decoding stage and the second decoding stage is implemented in software. 
     
     
         20 . The data carrier device of  claim 17 , wherein the data carrier device is a Near Field Communication (NFC) device.