Radio frequency tag system
First Claim
1. A radio frequency tag system comprising an interrogator and a tag, wherein said tag is secured to an object and wherein:
- said interrogator is configured to generate a transmitted electromagnetic interrogation signal at a predetermined interrogation frequency;
said tag comprises an antenna array including a plurality of receiver antennas and a plurality of transmitter antennas;
said tag is positioned to receive said interrogation signal at said receiver antennas and is operative to return a reflected signal to said interrogator via said transmitter antennas in response to receipt of said interrogation signal;
said tag is configured to generate said reflected signal bysuppressing reflection of said interrogation signal, andgenerating reflected radiation characterized by a frequency spectrum including a plurality of return bands, each of said return bands being characterized by a predetermined return band frequency; and
said interrogator is configured to detect radiation reflected at said return band frequencies, discriminate between return bands of different frequencies, and identify a binary code defined by said reflected radiation across said plurality of return bands.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The RF tag system of the present invention minimizes the effect of the RF tag on the overall radar cross section (RCS) of the object with which it is associated, tailors the signal reflected from the tag to match the actual RCS of the object with which it is associated, utilizes an RF tag design that reduces degenerative RF coupling at the tag, and is designed to exploit the operational features of conventional pulse Doppler radars. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a radio frequency tag system is provided including an interrogator and a tag. The tag is secured to an object. The interrogator is configured to generate a transmitted electromagnetic interrogation signal at a predetermined interrogation frequency. The tag comprises an antenna array including a plurality of receiver antennas and a plurality of transmitter antennas. The tag is positioned to receive the interrogation signal at the receiver antennas and is operative to return a reflected signal to the interrogator via the transmitter antennas in response to receipt of the interrogation signal. The tag is configured to generate the reflected signal by (i) suppressing reflection of the interrogation signal, and (ii) generating reflected radiation characterized by a frequency spectrum including a plurality of return bands, each of the return bands being characterized by a predetermined return band frequency. The interrogator is configured to detect radiation reflected at the return band frequencies, discriminate between return bands of different frequencies, and identify a binary code defined by the reflected radiation across the plurality of return bands.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A radio frequency tag system comprising an interrogator and a tag, wherein said tag is secured to an object and wherein:
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said interrogator is configured to generate a transmitted electromagnetic interrogation signal at a predetermined interrogation frequency; said tag comprises an antenna array including a plurality of receiver antennas and a plurality of transmitter antennas; said tag is positioned to receive said interrogation signal at said receiver antennas and is operative to return a reflected signal to said interrogator via said transmitter antennas in response to receipt of said interrogation signal; said tag is configured to generate said reflected signal by suppressing reflection of said interrogation signal, and generating reflected radiation characterized by a frequency spectrum including a plurality of return bands, each of said return bands being characterized by a predetermined return band frequency; and said interrogator is configured to detect radiation reflected at said return band frequencies, discriminate between return bands of different frequencies, and identify a binary code defined by said reflected radiation across said plurality of return bands. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A radio frequency tag system comprising an interrogator and a tag, wherein said tag is secured to an object moving relative to stationary background matter and wherein:
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said interrogator is configured to generate a transmitted electromagnetic interrogation signal in the direction of said object at a predetermined interrogation frequency; said tag comprises an antenna array including a plurality of receiver antennas and a plurality of transmitter antennas; said tag is positioned to receive said interrogation signal at said receiver antennas and is operative to return a reflected signal to said interrogator via said transmitter antennas in response to receipt of said interrogation signal; said tag is configured to generate said reflected signal by suppressing reflection of said interrogation signal, and generating reflected radiation characterized by a frequency spectrum including at least one return band characterized by a predetermined return band frequency; said interrogator is configured to detect radiation reflected from said object at a Doppler-shifted frequency representative of a velocity of said object relative to said interrogator; said interrogator is configured to detect radiation reflected from said tag at said return band frequency; said interrogator is configured to discriminate against radiation reflected from said background matter within a clutter frequency band; and said tag is configured such that said return band frequency lies outside of said clutter frequency band and outside of a Doppler-shifted frequency band including said Doppler-shifted frequency. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A radio frequency tag system comprising an interrogator and a tag, wherein said tag is secured to an object and wherein:
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said interrogator is configured to generate a transmitted electromagnetic interrogation signal at a predetermined interrogation frequency; said object is characterized by a predetermined object radar cross section; said tag comprises an antenna array including a plurality of receiver antennas and a plurality of transmitter antennas; said tag is positioned to receive said interrogation signal at said receiver antennas and is operative to return a reflected signal to said interrogator via said transmitter antennas in response to receipt of said interrogation signal; said tag is configured to generate said reflected signal by suppressing reflection of said interrogation signal, and generating reflected radiation characterized by a frequency spectrum including at least one return band characterized by a predetermined return band frequency and radar cross section; said tag is configured to generate said return band such that said return band radar cross section is substantially equal to said predetermined object radar cross section; and said interrogator is configured to detect radiation reflected at said return band frequency. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A radio frequency tag system comprising an interrogator and a tag, wherein said tag is secured to an object and wherein:
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said interrogator is configured to generate a transmitted electromagnetic interrogation signal at a predetermined interrogation frequency; said tag comprises an antenna array including a plurality of receiver antennas and a plurality of transmitter antennas; said tag is positioned to receive said interrogation signal at said receiver antennas and is operative to return a reflected signal to said interrogator via said transmitter antennas in response to receipt of said interrogation signal at said receiver antennas; said receiver antennas comprise a plurality of parallel antenna elements oriented in a first direction; said transmitter antennas comprise a plurality of parallel antenna elements oriented in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction; said receiver antennas and said transmitter antennas lie in a common plane; said receiver antennas are coupled to corresponding transmitter antennas along an array of transmission lines; said receiver antennas and said transmitter antennas are separated by radio frequency absorbing material arranged to suppress radio frequency coupling between said receiver antennas and said transmitter antennas; said tag is configured to generate said reflected signal by suppressing reflection of said interrogation signal, and generating reflected radiation characterized by a frequency spectrum including at least one return band characterized by a predetermined return band frequency; said interrogator is configured to detect radiation reflected at said return band frequency. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification