MODULATED ANTENNA FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110102286A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gualtieri, Devlin M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,362,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/817
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

A system comprises a first sensing device, a first Sterba Curtain, and a first modulating device communicatively coupling the first sensing device to the first Sterba Curtain. The first sensing device is configured to sense at least a first parameter. The first Sterba Curtain is configured to receive at least a first incident electromagnetic wave and to selectively transmit and reflect portions of the first incident electromagnetic wave. The first modulating device is configured to selectively convey a first signal representing the first parameter by modulating at least one of a first transmitted component of the first incident electromagnetic wave and a first reflected component of the first incident electromagnetic wave.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first sensing device configured to sense at least a first parameter;

a first Sterba Curtain configured to receive at least a first incident electromagnetic wave, the first Sterba Curtain configured to selectively transmit and reflect portions of the first incident electromagnetic wave; and

a first modulating device communicatively coupling the first sensing device to the first Sterba Curtain, the first modulating device configured to selectively convey a first signal representing the first parameter by modulating at least one of;

a first transmitted component of the first incident electromagnetic wave; and

a first reflected component of the first incident electromagnetic wave.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit at least an emitted electromagnetic wave, wherein the first incident electromagnetic wave comprises at least a portion of the emitted electromagnetic wave; and

a receiver configured to receive at least a received electromagnetic wave, wherein the received electromagnetic wave comprises at least a portion of at least one of;

the modulated first transmitted component of the first incident electromagnetic wave; and

the modulated first reflected component of the first incident electromagnetic wave.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the modulating device is at least one of a transistor and a diode.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the modulating device is at least one of a field-effect transistor and a bipolar junction transistor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the modulating device modulates at least one of the first transmitted component of the first incident electromagnetic wave and the first reflected component of the first incident electromagnetic wave by alternatively opening and closing an electrical loop formed by the Sterba Curtain.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensing device configured to sense at least a second parameter;

a second Sterba Curtain configured to receive at least a second incident electromagnetic wave, the Sterba Curtain configured to selectively transmit and reflect portions of the second incident electromagnetic wave; and

a second modulating device communicatively coupling the second sensing device to the second Sterba Curtain, the second modulating device configured to selectively convey a second signal representing the second parameter by modulating at least one of;

a second transmitted component of the second incident electromagnetic wave; and

a second reflected component of the second incident electromagnetic wave.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit at least an emitted electromagnetic wave, wherein the first incident electromagnetic wave comprises at least a portion of the emitted electromagnetic wave; and

a receiver configured to receive at least a received electromagnetic wave, wherein the received electromagnetic wave comprises at least a portion of the modulated second transmitted component of the second incident electromagnetic wave.

8. A method for modulating a signal using a wave, the method comprising:

receiving a first incident wave at a first Sterba Curtain, the first Sterba Curtain comprising at least a first loop; and

conveying a first signal by selectively opening and closing the first loop of the first Sterba Curtain, the first signal conveyed using at least one of;

a first transmitted component of the first incident wave; and

a first reflected component of the first incident wave;

wherein closing the first loop increases the reflectivity of the first Sterba Curtain, causing the first reflected component of the first incident wave to increase relative to the first transmitted component of the first incident wave, the increase in the first reflected component signaling a first logic level;

wherein opening the first loop decreases the reflectivity of the first Sterba Curtain, causing the first transmitted component of the first incident wave to increase relative to the first reflected component of the first incident wave, the increase in the first transmitted component signaling a second logic level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first loop of the first Sterba Curtain is selectively opened and closed using at least one of a transistor and a diode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first loop of the first Sterba Curtain is selectively opened and closed using at least one of a field-effect transistor and a bipolar junction transistor.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first logic level is high when the second logic level is low and the second logic level is high when the first logic level is low.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising emitting an emitted wave from a transmitter, wherein the first incident wave comprises a portion of the emitted wave.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the first signal from a sensing device.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the first reflected component at an antenna;

recovering the first signal from the portion of the first reflected component at a detector.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the first transmitted component at an antenna;

recovering the first signal from the portion of the first transmitted component at a detector.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second incident wave at a second Sterba Curtain, the second Sterba Curtain comprising at least a second loop and the second incident wave comprising at least a portion of the first transmitted component of the first incident wave; and

conveying a second signal by selectively opening and closing the second loop of the second Sterba Curtain, the second signal conveyed using at least one of;

a second transmitted component of the second incident wave; and

a second reflected component of the second incident wave;

wherein closing the second loop increases the reflectivity of the second Sterba Curtain, causing the second reflected component of the second incident wave to increase relative to the second transmitted component of the second incident wave, the increase in the second reflected component signaling a third logic level;

wherein opening the second loop decreases the reflectivity of the second Sterba Curtain, causing the second transmitted component of the second incident wave to increase relative to the second reflected component of the second incident wave, the increase in the second transmitted component signaling a fourth logic level.

17. A system comprising:

a first sensing device configured to sense at least a first parameter;

a first antenna configured to receive at least a first incident electromagnetic wave, the first antenna configured to selectively transmit and reflect portions of the first incident electromagnetic wave;

a first modulating device communicatively coupling the first sensing device to the first antenna, the first modulating device configured to selectively convey a first signal representing the first parameter by modulating a first transmitted component of the first incident electromagnetic wave during a first time period;

a second sensing device configured to sense at least a second parameter;

a second antenna configured to receive at least a second incident electromagnetic wave, the first antenna configured to selectively transmit and reflect portions of the first incident electromagnetic wave, wherein the second incident electromagnetic wave comprises at least a portion of the first electromagnetic wave; and

a second modulating device communicatively coupling the second sensing device to the second antenna, the second modulating device configured to selectively convey a second signal representing the second parameter by modulating a first transmitted component of the second incident electromagnetic wave during a second time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are mutually exclusive.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit at least an emitted electromagnetic wave, wherein the first incident electromagnetic wave comprises at least a portion of the emitted electromagnetic wave.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive at least a received electromagnetic wave, wherein the received electromagnetic wave comprises at least a portion of at least one of;

the first transmitted component of the first incident electromagnetic wave; and

the second transmitted component of the second incident electromagnetic wave.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna comprises a Sterba Curtain.