Communications methods, methods of forming a reader, wireless communications readers, and wireless communications systems

• US 20080207114A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• 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

Abstract

Communications methods, methods of forming a reader, wireless communications readers, and wireless communications systems are described in some embodiments. In one embodiment, a communications method includes associating a plurality of remote communications devices with a plurality of objects located within a wireless communications range of a reader having a first configuration, providing one of the remote communications device within a wireless communications range of a reader having a second configuration, wherein the wireless communications range of the reader having the second configuration is less than the wireless communications range of the reader having the first configuration, and during the presence of the one of the remote communications devices within the wireless communications range of the reader having the second configuration, implementing communications between the reader having the second configuration and only the one of the remote communications devices.

Claims

1. A communications method comprising:

using a reader having a first configuration, first outputting a wireless interrogation signal in an area corresponding to a wireless communications range of the reader having the first configuration;

receiving the wireless interrogation signal using a plurality of remote communications devices located in the wireless communications range;

using the reader having the first configuration, receiving a plurality of wireless response signals from the remote communications devices which received the wireless interrogation signal;

positioning a reader having a configuration different than the first configuration in proximity to one of the remote communications devices located in the area;

using the reader having the second configuration placed in proximity to the one of the remote communications devices, second outputting another interrogation signal;

receiving the another interrogation signal using the one of the remote communications devices; and

after receiving the another interrogation signal and using the reader having the second configuration, receiving another response signal solely from the one of the remote communications devices and from no others of the remote communications devices located in the area.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the same reader configured in the first configuration and in the second configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the positioning establishes an electrical field coupling of the reader having the second configuration with only the one of the remote communications devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the positioning establishes electrical contact of the reader having the second configuration with only the one of the remote communications devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote communications devices are tuned to a communications frequency and the reader having the second configuration is not tuned to the communications frequency.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the communications frequency corresponds to a frequency of a carrier signal comprising a microwave signal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first outputting comprises outputting at a greater transmit power than the second outputting.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the positioning comprises positioning the reader having the second configuration to provide the one of the remote communications devices within a wireless communications range of the reader having the second configuration.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the wireless interrogation signal comprises receiving the wireless interrogation signal using the remote communications devices comprising tags.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the wireless response signals comprises receiving the wireless response signals configured to identify respective ones of the remote communications devices.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the receivings of the wireless response signals and the another response signal comprise receiving the wireless and the another response signals individually comprising backscattered signals.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning the reader having the second configuration in proximity to individual ones of others of the remote communications devices at other moments in time.

13. A communications method comprising:

associating a plurality of remote communications devices with a plurality of objects located within a wireless communications range of a reader having a first configuration;

providing one of the remote communications device within a wireless communications range of a reader having a second configuration, wherein the wireless communications range of the reader having the second configuration is less than the wireless communications range of the reader having the first configuration; and

during the presence of the one of the remote communications devices within the wireless communications range of the reader having the second configuration, implementing communications between the reader having the second configuration and only the one of the remote communications devices.

14-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A communications method comprising:

providing a plurality of remote communications devices within a wireless communications range of a reader having a first configuration;

establishing electrical field coupling of a reader having a second configuration with different ones of the remote communications devices provided within the wireless communications range at respective different moments in time, wherein the establishing comprises establishing the electrical filed coupling with only one of the remote communications device at a given moment in time; and

implementing wireless communications between the reader having the second configuration and different ones of the remote communications devices at the different moments in time using the electrical field coupling of the reader having the second configuration.

23-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method of providing a reader of a wireless communications system comprising:

providing communications circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of remote communications devices located within a first wireless communications range of the communications circuitry;

coupling processing circuitry with the communications circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to process wireless signals received from the remote communications devices; and

configuring the communications circuitry to only communicate within a second wireless communications range of the communications circuitry having an area smaller than an area of the first wireless communications range.

29-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A communications method comprising:

positioning a decreased range reader in proximity to one of a plurality of remote communications devices located within an area corresponding to a wireless communications range of an increased range reader, and wherein the increased range reader is tuned to a first frequency to implement wireless communications of a wireless communications system comprising the remote communications devices and the increased range reader, wherein the decreased range reader comprises communications circuitry tuned to a second frequency different than the first frequency;

outputting an interrogation signal using the decreased range reader positioned in proximity to the one of the remote communications devices; and

using the decreased range reader positioned in proximity to the one of the remote communications devices, receiving a response signal from the one of the remote communications device in response to the outputting.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising, using the increased range reader, wirelessly communicating with the plurality of remote communications devices located within the area.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the increased range reader and the decreased range reader comprise the same reader.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the receiving comprises receiving no other response signals from others of the remote communications devices in response to the outputting.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein the first frequency comprises a carrier frequency of the wireless communications.

43. A communications method comprising:

positioning a decreased range reader in proximity to one of a plurality of remote communications devices located within an area corresponding to a wireless communications range of an increased range reader configured to implement wireless communications of a wireless communications system comprising the remote communications devices and the increased range reader; and

using the decreased range reader, wirelessly communicating with the remote communications devices comprising establishing electrical field coupling with only one of the remote communications devices located within the wireless communications range at any given moment in time.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising, using the increased range reader, simultaneously wirelessly communicating with the remote communications devices located within the wireless communications range.

45. The method of claim 43 further comprising backscattering electromagnetic energy using individual ones of the remote communications devices responsive to the wirelessly communicating using the decreased range reader.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the wirelessly communicating comprises outputting identification signals which identify respective ones of the remote communications devices using the remote communications devices.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein the wirelessly communicating comprises wirelessly communicating using wireless microwave signals.

48. A wireless communications reader comprising:

processing circuitry configured to control generation of a wireless interrogation signal by the wireless communications reader and to process a wireless response signal received by the wireless communications reader from at least one of a plurality of remote communications devices; and

communications circuitry coupled with the processing circuitry and configured to output the interrogation signal externally of the wireless communications reader and to receive the response signal, wherein the communications circuitry has a decreased range configuration to communicate only within a first communications range having an area less than an area of a second communications range of an increased range configuration of the communications circuitry.

49-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A wireless communications system comprising:

a plurality of remote communications devices located in a wireless communications range of an increased range reader and wherein the remote communications devices are individually configured to output a wireless response signal in response to reception of a wireless interrogation signal emitted by the increased range reader; and

a decreased range reader within the wireless communications range and configured to establish communications with only one of the remote communications devices located in the wireless communications range at a given moment in time.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein the remote communications devices and the decreased range reader are configured to wirelessly communicate with one another using wireless signals.

58. The system of claim 57 wherein the remote communications devices are configured to resonate at a first frequency and communications circuitry of the decreased range reader is tuned to a second frequency different than the first frequency.

59. The system of claim 57 wherein the decreased range reader comprises communications circuitry configured to establish an electrical field coupling with the one of the remote communications devices at the given moment in time to communicate the wireless signals.

60. The system of claim 56 wherein the decreased range reader comprises a probe configured to establish electrical contact with the one of the remote communications devices at the given moment in time, wherein the probe is configured to communicate an interrogation signal and a response signal comprising electrical signals.

61. The system of claim 56 wherein the remote communications devices are configured to backscatter electromagnetic energy to communicate respective ones of the wireless response signals.

62. The system of claim 56 wherein the remote communications devices are configured to communicate the wireless response signals which are configured to identify the respective ones of the remote communications devices.

63. The system of claim 56 wherein the remote communications devices comprise tags.

64. A wireless communications system comprising:

a plurality of remote communications devices located within a first area and individually configured to output a response signal in response to reception of an interrogation signal;

a reader of a first configuration having a wireless communications range corresponding to the first area;

a reader of a second configuration having a communications range of a second area less than the first area; and

wherein the readers of the first configuration and the second configuration are configured to output the interrogation signal and to receive the response signals from respective ones of the remote communications devices.

65-69. -69. (canceled)