Reflective communication using radio-frequency devices
First Claim
1. A reflective communication system, comprising:
- a wireless communication device that receives an incident radio signal having a first modulation wherein said wireless communication device reflectively modulates a data signal having a second modulation with said incident radio signal to form a reflected data signal; and
a receiver that receives said incident radio signal and said reflected data signal;
said receiver adapted to remove said first modulation from said reflected data signal to form said data signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a reflective communication system that allows information from wireless communication devices, such as radio-frequency identification devices (RFID), to be reflectively communicated to a receiver in lieu of using a separate communication system. A transmitter transmits a communication signal, having a carrier frequency, to the wireless communication device to provide power. The wireless communication device modulates a data signal onto the communication signal to form a reflected data signal. The wireless communication device reflects the reflected data signal directly to the receiver. In this manner, the process of communicating information from a wireless communication device is accomplished in one communication system rather than two. If the receiver also directly receives the communication signal from the transmitter, the receiver can determine the location of the wireless communication device relative to the transmitters.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A reflective communication system, comprising:
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a wireless communication device that receives an incident radio signal having a first modulation wherein said wireless communication device reflectively modulates a data signal having a second modulation with said incident radio signal to form a reflected data signal; and
a receiver that receives said incident radio signal and said reflected data signal;
said receiver adapted to remove said first modulation from said reflected data signal to form said data signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A reflective communication system, comprising:
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a transmitter that transmits a communication signal, comprising;
a cable having a plurality of openings in different sections of said cable; and
an antenna enclosed in said cable;
said cable having a plurality of openings in different sections so that said communication signal is transmitted at a plurality of points along said plurality of openings in said cable;
a wireless communication device that receives said communication signal from said transmitter and reflectively modulates said communication signal with a data signal having a second modulation to form a reflected data signal; and
a receiver that receives said reflected data signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A reflective communication system, comprising:
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a plurality of transmitters that operate on the same frequency wherein each of said plurality of transmitters is adapted to transmit communication signals having different spread spectrum codes;
a plurality of wireless communication devices located in the transmission field of said plurality of transmitters that receive said communication signals from said plurality of transmitters wherein said plurality of wireless communication devices reflectively modulate said communication signals with data signals having a second modulation to form reflected data signals; and
a receiver adapted to receive said reflected data signals from said plurality of wireless communication devices and determine said spread spectrum codes in said reflected data signals in order to determine which of said plurality of transmitters originated said communication signals reflected by said plurality of wireless communications device to determine the approximate location of said wireless communication devices. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A reflective communication system, comprising:
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a plurality of transmitters that each transmit communication signals according to different frequency-hopping sequences;
a plurality of wireless communication devices located in the transmission field of said plurality of transmitters that receive said communication signals from said plurality of transmitters wherein said plurality of wireless communication devices reflectively modulate said communication signals with data signals having a second modulation to form reflected data signals; and
a receiver adapted to receive said reflected data signals from said plurality of wireless communication devices and determine said frequency hopping sequence in said reflected data signals in order to determine which of said plurality of transmitters originated said communication signals reflected by said plurality of wireless communications device to determine the approximate location of said wireless communication devices. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of communicating a data signal from a wireless communication device using an incident radio signal from a transmitter as a communication medium, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting an incident radio signal having a modulation to a wireless communication device;
reflectively modulating said incident radio signal with a data signal having a second modulation to form a reflected data signal;
receiving said reflected data signal and said incident radio signal at a receiver; and
removing said incident radio signal from said reflected data signal to form said data signal. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of reflectively communicating a data signal from a wireless communication device using a communication signal from a transmitter as a communication medium, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting communication signals having a first modulation through a plurality of openings in a cable to a plurality of reflectors;
receiving said communication signals;
reflectively modulating said communication signals with data signals having a second modulation to form reflected data signals; and
receiving said reflected data signals at a receiver. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of determining the origination of a data signal reflected by a wireless communication device using a communication signal from a transmitter as a communication medium, comprising:
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transmitting communication signals having modulation at the same frequency and each with different spread spectrum codes at plurality of transmitters;
reflectively modulating said communication signals with data signals to form reflected data signals at wireless communication devices;
receiving said reflected data signals at a receiver; and
determining which particular one transmitter in said plurality of transmitters originated a particular one of said reflected data signals by correlating the spread spectrum code in said one of said reflected data signal. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification