Wireless communications systems, remote communications devices, and wireless communications methods

• US 20060077044A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Pratt, Richard M., Hughes, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/962,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.340
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10019 resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers. collision between the communication channels used by wireless communication devices, where the solution is not particularly adapted for RFIDs or the like, H04W74/08

Abstract

Wireless communications systems, remote communications devices, and wireless communications methods are described. In one aspect, a wireless communications system includes a reader configured to output a plurality of wireless communications signals, a plurality of remote communications devices in communication with the reader and configured to receive the wireless communications signals, and wherein at least one of the remote communications devices comprises communications circuitry configured to receive the wireless communications signals and processing circuitry configured to process the wireless communications signals, wherein the communications circuitry and the processing circuitry are individually configured to operate in a plurality of operational states including a first operational state corresponding to an absence of the wireless communications signals at the at least one remote communications device, a second operational state corresponding to the presence of the wireless communications signals at the at least one remote communications device, and wherein electrical energy is consumed at an increased rate by the remote communications device during the operation in the second operational state compared with the operation in the first operational state.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

a reader configured to output a plurality of wireless communications signals;

a plurality of remote communications devices in communication with the reader and configured to receive the wireless communications signals; and

wherein at least one of the remote communications devices comprises communications circuitry configured to receive the wireless communications signals and processing circuitry configured to process the wireless communications signals, wherein the communications circuitry and the processing circuitry are individually configured to operate in a plurality of operational states including;

a first operational state corresponding to an absence of the wireless communications signals at the at least one remote communications device;

a second operational state corresponding to the presence of the wireless communications signals at the at least one remote communications device; and

wherein electrical energy is consumed at an increased rate by the remote communications device during the operation in the second operational state compared with the operation in the first operational state.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to process data of the wireless communications signals and to implement an operation of the at least one remote communications device responsive to the processing of the data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the at least one remote communications device to implement the operation comprising outputting a wireless communications signal configured to identify the at least one remote communications device to implement radio frequency identification device (RFID) communications.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control selective reflection of radio frequency energy to output a wireless communications signal comprising a backscatter signal from the at least one of the remote communications devices.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one remote communications device comprises monitoring circuitry configured to monitor for the presence of the wireless communications signals at the at least one remote communications device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the processing circuitry and the communications circuitry are configured to enter the second operational state responsive to the monitoring by the monitoring circuitry detecting the presence of electromagnetic energy.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing comprises verifying the wireless communications signals.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the remote communications devices comprises a plurality of the remote communications devices.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications circuitry is configured to output wireless communications from the at least one remote communications device, and the at least one remote communications device further comprises a battery configured to provide electrical energy to the communications circuitry to enable the outputting of the wireless communications.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications circuitry is configured to output wireless communications comprising identification information regarding the at least one remote communications device to implement radio frequency identification device (RFID) communications.

11. A remote communications device comprising:

communications circuitry configured to receive a plurality of wireless communications signals outputted by a reader;

processing circuitry coupled with the communications circuitry and configured to process the wireless communications signals and to implement at least one operation of the remote communications device responsive to the processing;

wherein the processing circuitry is operable in a plurality of operational states having different rates of consumption of electrical energy including a first operational state in the absence at the remote communications device of the wireless communications signals outputted by the reader and a second operational state corresponding to the presence at the remote communications device of the wireless communications signals outputted by the reader; and

wherein the rate of consumption of electrical energy by the communications circuitry is greater in the second operational state compared with the first operational state.

12. The device of claim 11 further comprising monitoring circuitry configured to monitor for the presence of the wireless communications signals and to indicate the presence of the wireless communications signals at the remote communications device responsive to the monitoring.

13. The device of claim 11 further comprising an antenna coupled with the monitoring circuitry and the communications circuitry.

14. The device of claim 11 further comprising plural antennae individually coupled with a respective one of the monitoring circuitry and the communications circuitry.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the communications circuitry is operable in a plurality of operational states having different rates of consumption of electrical energy including a first operational state in the absence at the remote communications device of the wireless communications signals outputted by the reader and a second operational state corresponding to the presence at the remote communications device of the wireless communications signals outputted by the reader, wherein the rate of consumption of electrical energy by the communications circuitry is greater in the second operational state compared with the first operational state.

16. The device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to implement the operation comprising controlling the outputting of a backscattered signal from the remote communications device.

17. The device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to implement the operation comprising controlling an outputting of a wireless communications signal from the remote communications device.

18. The device of claim 17 further comprising a battery configured to provide operational electrical energy to the communications circuitry to enable the outputting of wireless communications signals from the remote communications device.

19. The device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communications signals outputted from the remote communications device comprise identification information regarding the remote communications device to implement radio frequency identification device (RFID) communications.

20. A remote communications device comprising:

first receiver means for monitoring for the presence of wireless communications signals outputted by a reader;

second receiver means for receiving the wireless communications signals outputted by the reader;

processing means for processing the wireless communications signals received by the second receiver means; and

wherein the second receiver means and the processing means comprise means for operating in a plurality of operational states having different rates of electrical energy consumption including a first operational state corresponding to an absence of the wireless communications signals at the remote communications device and a second operational state corresponding to the presence of the wireless communications signals at the remote communications device, wherein the second receiver means and the processing means individually have an increased rate of consumption of electrical energy during operations in the second operational state compared with the first operational state.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the second receiver means comprises means for operating in the first operational state during less than an entirety of a time period corresponding to the absence of the wireless communications signals.

22. A wireless communications method comprising:

receiving a plurality of wireless communications signals outputted by a reader using a remote communications device;

controlling processing circuitry of the remote communications device to consume electrical energy at different rates corresponding to respective ones of a presence and an absence of the wireless communications signals at the remote communications device, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control at least one operation of the remote communications device;

first consuming electrical energy using the processing circuitry at a first rate corresponding to the presence of the wireless communications signals at the remote communications device;

second consuming electrical energy using the processing circuitry at a second rate corresponding to the absence of the wireless communications signals at the remote communications device; and

wherein the first consuming at the first rate comprises consuming the electrical energy at an increased rate compared with the second consuming at the second rate.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising controlling receiver circuitry configured to receive the wireless communications signals to consume electrical energy at the different rates.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the controlling the receiver circuitry to operate at the increased rate comprises enabling the receiver circuitry to operably receive the wireless communications signals.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the controlling comprises monitoring for the presence of the wireless communications signals using monitoring circuitry and controlling the processing circuitry to switch energy consumption from the first rate to the second rate responsive to detection of the wireless communications signals by the monitoring circuitry.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising processing the wireless communications signals using the processing circuitry consuming electrical energy at the second rate.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising controlling receiver circuitry to operate at an increased rate of electrical energy consumption responsive to the detection.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising outputting the wireless communications signals using the reader.

29. The method of claim 22 further comprising outputting wireless communications signals using the remote communications device and comprising identification information regarding the remote communications device to implement radio frequency identification device (RFID) communications.

30. A wireless communications method comprising:

providing a remote communications device;

monitoring for the presence of wireless communications signals outputted by a reader using the remote communications device;

changing operations of processing circuitry and receiver circuitry of the remote communications device from a reduced electrical energy consumption rate to an increased electrical energy consumption rate responsive to the monitoring detecting the presence of the wireless communications signals from the reader;

operably receiving the wireless communications signals using the receiver circuitry operating at the increased electrical energy consumption rate; and

returning operations of the receiver circuitry from the increased electrical energy consumption rate to the reduced electrical energy consumption rate after the receiving.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

providing the reader; and

outputting the wireless communications signals using the reader.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising outputting wireless communications signals using the remote communications devices.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the outputting comprises outputting using electrical energy provided by a battery of the remote communications device.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the outputting comprises outputting identification information regarding the remote communications device to implement radio frequency identification device (RFID) communications.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring using monitoring circuitry and the monitoring circuitry and the receiver circuitry receive radio frequency energy from respective individual antennae.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the changing comprises enabling the processing circuitry to process the wireless communications signals.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein the changing comprises enabling the receiver circuitry to operably receive the wireless communications signals.