METHOD OF TRACKING A VEHICLE USING MICRORADIOS

• US 20110267235A1
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RadioFIDO LLC
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Brommer, Karl D., Brommer, Tracey H.
• Application Number:
  US13/183,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267235A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3114 the device being a chip scale package, e.g. CSP
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/27 Spiral antennas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

A microradio is provided with a hysteretic switch to permit an optimum range increasing charging cycle, with the charging cycle being long relative to the transmit cycle. Secondly, an ensemble of microradios permits an n² power enhancement to increase range with coherent operation. Various multi-frequency techniques are used both for parasitic powering and to isolate powering and transmit cycles. Applications for microradios and specifically for ensembles of microradios include authentication, tracking, fluid flow sensing, identification, terrain surveillance including crop health sensing and detection of improvised explosive devices, biohazard and containment breach detection, and biomedical applications including the use of microradios attached to molecular tags to destroy tagged cells when the microradios are activated. Microradio deployment includes the use of paints or other coatings containing microradios, greases and aerosols. Moreover, specialized antennas, including microcoils, mini dipoles, and staircase coiled structures are disclosed, with the use of nano-devices further reducing the size of the microradios.

Claims

1. -82. (canceled)

83. A method for tracking a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing an ensemble of microradios at the vehicle;

parasitically powering the ensemble of microradios;

detecting the emissions from the microradios, thus to establish the presence of the vehicle through the emissions from the microradios.

84. The method of claim 83, and further including the step of providing at least one antenna along the road utilized by the vehicle that projects energy for parasitically powering the ensemble of microradios and for detecting emissions from the microradios.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein the antennas establish a limited range such that only microradios on vehicles within a predetermined distance from the antenna will be parasitically powered, thus to establish the location of the vehicle relative to the antenna.

86. The method of claim 85, and further providing a plurality of antennas at spaced locations along the road, and further including the step of ascertaining the close proximity of the vehicle as it passes by the spaced antennas, thus to provide an indication of the position, direction of travel and speed of the vehicle.

87. The method of claim 86, and further including the steps of locating the antennas ahead of a checkpoint;

and, alerting personnel at the checkpoint of the existence and speed of the vehicle having the microradios located thereon.

88. The method of claim 83, and further including the step of encoding the transmissions from the ensemble of microradios with a code identifying the vehicle, whereby the approach of a predetermined vehicle can be ascertained.

100. The method of claim 83, wherein the ensemble of microradios operates coherently.

101. The method of claim 86, further comprising recording the position, direction of travel, and speed of the vehicle in a database.

102. The method of claim 83, wherein the ensemble of microradios is dispersed within a paint.

103. The method of claim 83, wherein the ensemble of microradios is parasitically powered by ambient radiation.

89. -99. (canceled)

104. A vehicle tracking system comprising:

an ensemble of parasitically powered microradios at a vehicle configured to transmit tracking data; and

a detection device configured to receive the tracking data transmitted from the ensemble of microradios in order to determine the location of the container.

105. The vehicle tracking system of claim 104, further comprising at least one antenna positioned along a road utilized by the vehicle configured to project energy for parasitically powering the ensemble of microradios and configured to detect emissions from the microradios.

106. The vehicle tracking system of claim 105, wherein the at least one antenna is configured to establish a limited range such that only microradios on vehicles within a predetermined distance from the antenna will be parasitically powered, thus to establish the location of the vehicle relative to the antenna.

107. The vehicle tracking system of claim 106, further comprising a plurality of antennas spaced along the road, the antennas configured to ascertain the proximity of the vehicle and provide an indication of the position, direction of travel, and speed of the vehicle.

108. The vehicle tracking system of claim 107, wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to alert a checkpoint of the existence and speed of the vehicle.

109. The vehicle tracking system of claim 104, wherein the tracking data transmitted by the ensemble of microradios is encoded and identifies the vehicle.

110. The vehicle tracking system of claim 104, wherein the ensemble of microradios is configured to be parasitically powered by ambient radiation.

111. The vehicle tracking system of claim 104, wherein the ensemble of microradios is configured to operate coherently.

112. The vehicle tracking system of claim 104, wherein the detection device comprises a satellite configured to receive the tracking data transmitted from the ensemble of microradios.

113. The vehicle tracking system of claim 104, further comprising a database configured to record the tracking data transmitted from the ensemble of microradios.