Identifying an object

The present invention relates to a system including a mobile switching center, a base station communicating with the mobile switching center, a mobile station including a radio transmitter and a radio receiver for setting up a connection to the base station via the base station, an object including an identification mechanism, and a data processing device in which data relating to said object is maintained. For identifying the object, the mobile station reads the object's identification data from the identification mechanism, and mechanism for transmitting the read identification data by the mobile station's radio transmitter over the radio path via the base station further to the data processing device.

1. A method of identifying an object having an identification means, comprising

generating and transmitting an authorization signal indicating the timeslot or timeslots allowed for the transmission of an identification request signal,

receiving at a mobile station of a time division mobile communication system, in which the frequency channels used by the system are divided into timeslots, the authorization signal indicating the timeslot or timeslots allowed for transmission of the identification request signal,

reading the object's identification data from the identification means by transmitting said identification request signal by the mobile station's radio transmitter to said identification means in the timeslot indicated by said authorization signal, and receiving an identification signal by the mobile station's radio receiver or by the mobile station's infrared receiver from said identification means, and

identifying said object on the basis of the identification data included in the identification signal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

transmitting the identification data read by the mobile station with the mobile station's radio transmitter via a base station in a mobile communication system to a data processing device in which data relating to said object is stored, and

identifying said object by comparing the data stored in the data processing device with said identification data.

3. A time division mobile communication system, in which the frequency channels used by the system are divided into timeslots, said system comprising

a mobile switching centre,

a base station communicating with the mobile switching centre;

an object comprising an identification means composed of a tag comprising means for generating an identification signal including identification data in response to a predetermined identification request signal,

a data processing device in which data relating to said object is maintained,

control means for generating and transmitting an authorization signal indicating a timeslot or timeslots allowed for transmitting an identification request signal, and

a mobile station comprising:

a radio transmitter and a radio receiver for setting up a connection to the mobile switching centre via the base station,

means for receiving the authorization signal,

means for reading said object's identification data from the identification means:

by transmitting an identification request signal with the mobile stations radio transmitter to said identification means in the timeslot indicated by the authorization signal, and

by receiving from said identification means the identification data included in an identification signal with the mobile stations radio receiver or with an infrared receiver, and

means for transmitting the read identification data with the mobile station's radio transmitter over the radio path via the base station further to said data processing device.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tag is a passive tag comprising means for recovering energy from said identification request signal and means for generating said identification signal with said recovered energy.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tag comprises means for generating an RF frequency identification signal.

6. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tag comprises means for generating an identification signal composed of an infrared signal.

7. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein

said control means are arranged to generate and transmit said authorization signal in response to an inquiry signal received by the control means, and

said mobile station comprises means for transmitting the inquiry signal to said control means.

8. A mobile station of a time division mobile communication system, in which the frequency channels used by the system are divided into timeslots comprising

a user interface,

a radio transmitter and a radio receiver for setting up a connection to a base station in a mobile communication system via radio signals,

means for receiving an authorization signal, indicating a timeslot or timeslots allowed for transmitting an identification request signal, transmitted by the base station over the radio path,

means which, in response to measures carried out by the mobile station's user via the user interface, read identification data from an object's identification means, said means for reading the identification data are composed of the mobile station's radio transmitter, which in the timeslot indicated by the authorization signal transmits a predetermined identification request signal to said identification means, an of the mobile station's radio receiver or of an infrared receiver, which receives an identification signal comprising the identification data from said identification means, and

the mobile station comprises means for transmitting the read identification data with said radio transmitter to said base station.