Devices and methods for backscatter communication using one or more wireless communication protocols including bluetooth low energy examples

• US 10,079,616 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: University of Washington
• Inventors: Reynolds, Matthew S., Ensworth, Joshua F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, David S
• Application Number:
  US15/249,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20160365890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Examples described herein include devices and methods that may facilitate interoperability between backscatter devices and wireless communication devices. For example, backscatter devices and methods for backscattering are described that provide a transmitted backscattered signal formatted in accordance with a wireless communication protocol (e.g. Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, IEEE 802.11, or IEEE 802.15.4). Such communication may reduce or eliminate any modifications required to wireless communication devices necessary to receive and decode backscattered signals.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive an incident signal having a carrier frequency;

a modulator; and

a symbol generator, wherein the symbol generator is configured to provide a subcarrier frequency, and wherein the symbol generator is further configured to control the modulator to backscatter the incident signal having the carrier frequency using the subcarrier frequency to provide a backscattered signal to the antenna, the backscattered signal including a bandpass signal in a predetermined frequency range, wherein the predetermined frequency range is a range specified by a wireless communication standard comprising at least one of a WiFi standard, a Bluetooth standard, a Zigbee standard, or a cellular standard

wherein the incident signal comprises a signal arranged in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, and wherein the incident signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the backscattered signal comprises a Bluetooth advertising packet.

3. A method comprising:

receiving an incident signal having a carrier frequency, the incident signal comprising at least one of a television transmission signal, a cellular communication signal, a WiFi signal, a Bluetooth signal, or a Zigbee signal;

backscattering the incident signal to provide a backscattered signal, wherein the backscattering comprises;

modulating, using a backscatter device, impedance presented to at least one antenna in accordance with data to be provided in the backscattered signal; and

mixing the carrier frequency with at least one subcarrier provided by the backscatter device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mixing results in a bandpass signal having a predetermined frequency range.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined frequency range comprises a range of a channel in accordance with a wireless communication standard.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the modulating comprises modulating the amplitude, frequency, and/or phase of the backscattered signal in a pattern indicative of the data to be provided in the backscattered signal.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the data to be provided in the backscattered signal comprises a packet having a preamble, an access address, a payload data unit, and a cyclic redundancy check.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting the backscattered signal.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the backscattered signal comprises a reading of a sensor associated with a device providing the backscattered signal.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the backscattered signal comprises an identification of an asset associated with a device providing the backscattered signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the device providing the backscattered signal comprises a tag.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the incident signal comprises a data-carrying signal.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the incident signal comprises a signal arranged in accordance with a wireless communication protocol.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the incident signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the backscattered signal comprises a Bluetooth advertising packet.

16. A system comprising:

a signal source configured to provide an incident signal comprising at least one of a television transmission signal, a radio transmission signal, a cellular communication signal, a WiFi signal, a Bluetooth signal, or a Zigbee signal;

a backscatter device comprising;

an antenna configured to receive the incident signal having a carrier frequency;

a modulator; and

a symbol generator, wherein the symbol generator is configured to provide a subcarrier frequency, and wherein the symbol generator is further configured to control the modulator to backscatter the incident signal having the carrier frequency using the subcarrier frequency to provide a backscattered signal comprising at least one of another WiFi signal or another Bluetooth signal, the backscattered signal including a bandpass signal in a predetermined frequency range; and

a wireless communication device configured to receive the backscattered signal using antenna and receiver components also used to receive communication signals which are not backscattered.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless communication device and the signal source are wholly or partially integrated into a same device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the same device is configured to operate in a full duplex mode for transmission of the incident signal in one channel and receipt of the backscattered signal in a second channel different from the one channel.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless communication device and the signal source are separate devices.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the incident signal has an incident signal duration and wherein a duration of the backscattered signal is configured to be less than the incident signal such that the backscattered signal is provided by the backscatter device during a time the incident signal is present.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the incident signal and the backscattered signal are each formatted in accordance with a wireless communication protocol.

22. The system of claim 16 where the backscatter device further comprises a receiver configured to receive the incident signal.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the receiver is configured to determine whether the incident signal is present, and if so to provide an indication to generate the backscattered signal during a time the incident signal is present.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the receiver is configured to obtain an expected duration of the incident signal by measuring a duration of the incident signal or decoding at least a portion of the incident signal or combinations thereof.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the backscatter device is configured to provide the backscattered signal having a duration less than the expected duration of the incident signal.

26. The system of claim 16 wherein the backscatter device includes a deterministic or random timer configured to provide an indication of when to generate the backscattered signal.

27. The system of claim 16 further comprising multiple backscatter devices.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the multiple backscatter devices are configured to simultaneously provide multiple band-pass backscattered signals in multiple different frequency ranges.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the multiple backscatter devices are configured to sequentially provide backscatter signals at different times.