Method of communications in a backscatter system, interrogator, and backscatter communications system
First Claim
1. A backscatter system interrogator comprising:
- an antenna configured to receive a backscatter signal;
an IQ downconverter coupled to the antenna and configured to downconvert the backscatter signal to produce I and Q signals;
a combiner coupled to the IQ downconverter and configured to combine the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; and
an analog to digital converter coupled to the combiner and configured to convert the combined signal to a digital signal.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interrogator for use in a backscatter system, the interrogator comprising an antenna configured to receive a backscatter signal; an IQ downconverter coupled to the antenna and configured to downconvert the backscatter signal to produce I and Q signals; a combiner coupled to the IQ downconverter and configured to combine the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; and an analog to digital converter coupled to the combiner and configured to convert the combined signal to a digital signal. A method of communications in a backscatter system, the method comprising receiving a backscatter signal; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; and converting the combined signal to a digital signal.
237 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A backscatter system interrogator comprising:
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an antenna configured to receive a backscatter signal; an IQ downconverter coupled to the antenna and configured to downconvert the backscatter signal to produce I and Q signals; a combiner coupled to the IQ downconverter and configured to combine the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; and an analog to digital converter coupled to the combiner and configured to convert the combined signal to a digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A backscatter system interrogator comprising:
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an antenna configured to receive a backscatter signal; a quadrature downconverter coupled to the antenna and configured to convert the backscatter signal to produce I and Q signals; a combiner coupled directly to the downconverter and configured to combine the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; and automatic gain control circuitry coupled to the combiner and configured to amplify the combined signal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A backscatter system interrogator comprising:
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an antenna configured to receive a backscatter signal; a quadrature downconverter coupled to the antenna and configured to convert the backscatter signal to produce I and Q signals; a combiner coupled directly to the downconverter and configured to combine the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; and an amplifier coupled to the combiner and configured to amplify the combined signal to produce an amplified signal, and a voltage controlled amplifier coupled to the first mentioned amplifier and configured to further amplify the amplified signal.
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9. A backscatter system interrogator comprising:
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an antenna configured to receive a backscatter signal; an IQ downconverter coupled to the antenna and configured to produce I and Q signals; a combiner coupled directly to the IQ downconverter and configured to combine the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; and an analog to digital converter configured to convert the combined signal to a digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system comprising:
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a wireless communications device including an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor; and an interrogator configured to transmit a command to the wireless communications device and subsequently transmit a continuous wave to the wireless communications device for modulation by the backscatter modulator, the interrogator including an IQ downconverter configured to downconvert a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device into I and Q signals, a combiner coupled to the IQ downconverter and configured to combine the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal, and an analog to digital converter coupled to the combiner and configured to convert the combined signal to a digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A system comprising:
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a wireless communications device including an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor; and an interrogator configured to transmit a command to the wireless communications device and subsequently transmit a continuous wave to the wireless communications device for modulation by the backscatter modulator, the interrogator including an IQ downconverter configured to receive a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device and to produce I and Q signals, the interrogator further including a combiner coupled directly to the IQ downconverter and configured to produce a combined signal, and the interrogator further including an analog to digital converter coupled to the combiner and configured to convert the combined signal to a digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A system comprising:
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a wireless communications device including an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor; and an interrogator configured to transmit a command to the wireless communications device and subsequently transmit a continuous wave to the wireless communications device for modulation by the backscatter modulator, the interrogator including an IQ downconverter configured to receive a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device and to produce I and Q signals, the interrogator further including a combiner coupled directly to the IQ downconverter and configured to produce a combined signal, and the interrogator further including automatic gain control circuitry coupled to the combiner and configured to produce an amplified signal, and an analog to digital converter coupled to the automatic gain control circuitry and configured to convert the amplified signal to a digital signal.
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21. A system comprising:
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a wireless communications device including an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor; and an interrogator configured to transmit a command to the wireless communications device and subsequently transmit a continuous wave to the wireless communications device for modulation by the backscatter modulator, the interrogator including an IQ downconverter configured to receive a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device and to produce I and Q signals, the interrogator further including a combiner coupled directly to the IQ downconverter and configured to produce a combined signal, the combiner being an analog quadrature combiner, and the interrogator further including an analog to digital converter coupled to the combiner and configured to convert the combined signal to a digital signal.
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22. A system comprising:
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a wireless communications device including an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor; and an interrogator configured to transmit a command to the wireless communications device and subsequently transmit a continuous wave to the wireless communications device for modulation by the backscatter modulator, the interrogator including an IQ downconverter configured to receive a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device and to produce I and Q signals, the interrogator further including a combiner coupled directly to the IQ downconverter and configured to produce a combined signal, an amplifier coupled to the combiner and configured to produce an amplified signal, and an analog to digital converter coupled to the amplifier and configured to convert the amplified signal to a digital signal.
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23. A system comprising:
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a wireless communications device including an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor; and an interrogator configured to transmit a command to the wireless communications device and subsequently transmit a continuous wave to the wireless communications device for modulation by the backscatter modulator, the interrogator including an IQ downconverter configured to receive a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device and to produce I and Q signals, the interrogator further including a combiner coupled directly to the IQ downconverter and configured to produce a combined signal, an amplifier coupled to the combiner and configured to produce an amplified signal, a voltage controlled amplifier coupled to the first mentioned amplifier and configured to produce a twice amplified signal, and an analog to digital converter coupled to the amplifier and configured to convert the twice amplified signal to a digital signal.
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24. A method of communications in a backscatter system, the method comprising:
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receiving a backscatter signal; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; converting the combined signal to a digital signal; and amplifying the combined signal prior to converting to a digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A method of communications in a backscatter system the method comprising:
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receiving a backscatter signal; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals to produce a combined signal; converting the combined signal to a digital signal; and amplifying the combined signal with a voltage controlled amplifier prior to converting to a digital signal.
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28. A method of communications in a backscatter system, the method comprising:
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receiving a backscatter signal; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and performing automatic gain control on the combined signal. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method of communications in a backscatter system, the method comprising:
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receiving a backscatter signal; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and amplifying after the I and Q signals are combined to produce an amplified signal, and then further amplifying the amplified signal with a voltage controlled amplifier.
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32. A method of communications in a backscatter system, the method comprising:
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receiving a backscatter signal; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and converting the combined signal to a digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of communications in a backscatter system including an interrogator and a wireless communications device having an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a command to the wireless communications device from the interrogator; transmitting a continuous wave to the wireless communications device from the interrogator for modulation by the backscatter modulator, after the transmitting; receiving with the interrogator a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; as combining the I and Q signals after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and converting the combined signal to a digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of communications in a backscatter system including an interrogator and including a wireless communications device having an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a command to the wireless communications device from the interrogator; transmitting a continuous wave to the wireless communications device from the interrogator for modulation by the backscatter modulator, after the transmitting; receiving with the interrogator a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and converting the combined signal to digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A method of communications in a backscatter system including an interrogator and including a wireless communications device having an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a command to the wireless communications device from the interrogator; transmitting a continuous wave to the wireless communications device from the interrogator for modulation by the backscatter modulator, after the transmitting; receiving with the interrogator a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and performing automatic gain control on the combined signal to produce an amplified signal, and converting the amplified signal to a digital signal.
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44. A method of communications in a backscatter system including an interrogator and including a wireless communications device having an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a command to the wireless communications device from the interrogator; transmitting a continuous wave to the wireless communications device from the interrogator for modulation by the backscatter modulator, after the transmitting; receiving with the interrogator a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal, the combining of the I and Q signals including using an analog quadrature combiner; and converting the combined signal to a digital signal.
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45. A method of communications in a backscatter system including an interrogator and including a wireless communications device having an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory, a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a command to the wireless communications device from the interrogator; transmitting a continuous wave to the wireless communications device from the interrogator for modulation by the backscatter modulator, after the transmitting; receiving with the interrogator a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and amplifying, after the I and Q signals are combined, to produce an amplified signal, and converting the amplified signal to a digital signal.
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46. A method of communications in a backscatter system including an interrogator and including a wireless communications device having an integrated circuit having a processor, and a memory a receiver, and a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor the method comprising:
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transmitting a command to the wireless communications device from the interrogator; transmitting a continuous wave to the wireless communications device from the interrogator for modulation by the backscatter modulator, after the transmitting; receiving with the interrogator a modulated backscatter signal from the wireless communications device; downconverting the backscatter signal with an IQ downconverter to produce I and Q signals; combining the I and Q signals immediately after the downconverting to produce a combined signal; and amplifying, after the I and Q signals are combined, to produce an amplified signal, further amplifying the amplified signal with a voltage controlled amplifier to produce a twice amplified signal, and converting the twice amplified signal to a digital signal.
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Specification