Backscatter interrogators, communication systems and backscatter communication methods

• US 6,459,726 B1
• Filed: 04/24/1998
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Ovard, David K., Greeff, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Luther, William
• Application Number:
  US09/066,610
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 375/200, 375/206, 375/219, 375/220, 375/208, 340/572, 340/573, 340/824.54
• US Class Current: 375/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/22 Scatter propagation systems , e.g. ionospheric, tropospheric or meteor scatter
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0022 PN, e.g. Kronecker

Abstract

The present invention provides backscatter interrogators, communication systems and backscatter communication methods. According to one aspect of the present invention, a backscatter interrogator includes a data path configured to communicate a data signal; a signal generator configured to generate a carrier signal; and a modulator coupled with the data path and the signal generator, the modulator being configured to spread the data signal to define a spread data signal and amplitude modulate the carrier signal using the spread data signal, the modulator being further configured to phase modulate the carrier signal.

Claims

1. A backscatter interrogator comprising:

a data path configured to communicate a data signal;

a signal generator configured to generate a carrier signal; and

a modulator coupled with the data path and the signal generator, the modulator being configured to spread the data signal to define a spread data signal and to both amplitude modulate and phase modulate the carrier signal using the spread data signal before communication of the carrier signal.

2. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the modulator includes a mixer and circuitry configured to apply a tri-level signal to the mixer to implement the amplitude modulation and the phase modulation of the carrier signal.

3. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the modulator is configured to spread the data signal using a pseudo-noise sequence.

4. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the modulator is configured to invert the spread data signal.

5. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the modulator is configured to invert the spread data signal using a pseudo-noise sequence responsive to the spread data signal being a predetermined value.

6. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the modulator includes a filter configured to band limit the spread data signal.

7. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the signal generator is configured to output a microwave carrier signal.

47. The interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the modulator is configured to amplitude modulate the carrier signal using ON OFF key modulation using the spread data signal.

48. The interrogator according to claim 1 wherein the modulator is configured to phase modulate the carrier signal by selectively inverting the phase of the carrier signal using the spread data signal.

8. A backscatter interrogator comprising:

a data path configured to communicate a data signal;

a signal generator configured to output a microwave carrier signal; and

a modulator coupled with the data path and the signal generator, the modulator being configured to spread the data signal to define a spread data signal and selectively invert the spread data signal, the modulator being further configured to band limit the inverted spread data signal and modulate the carrier signal using the band limited data signal.

9. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 8 wherein the modulator is configured to invert the spread data signal responsive to the spread data signal being a predetermined value.

10. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 8 wherein the modulator is configured to randomly invert the spread data signal.

11. The backscatter interrogator according to claim 8 wherein the modulator is configured to amplitude modulate and phase modulate the carrier signal.

12. A backscatter communication system comprising:

an interrogator configured to spread a data signal to define a spread data signal, amplitude modulate a carrier signal using the spread data signal, phase modulate the carrier signal using the spread data signal, and output the amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal; and

an electronic communication device configured to output a backscatter reply signal responsive to reception of the amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal.

13. The backscatter communication system according to claim 12 wherein the interrogator is configured to output a microwave amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal and the electronic communication device is configured to output a microwave reply signal.

14. The backscatter communication system according to claim 12 wherein the interrogator is configured to band limit the spread data signal.

49. The system according to claim 12 wherein the interrogator is configured to amplitude modulate the carrier signal using ON OFF key modulation using the spread data signal.

50. The system according to claim 12 wherein the interrogator is configured to phase modulate the carrier signal by selectively inverting the phase of the carrier signal using the spread data signal.

15. A communication system comprising:

an interrogator including;

a data path configured to communicate a data signal;

a signal generator configured to output a carrier signal; and

a modulator configured to spread the data signal to define a spread data signal, filter the spread data signal to define a filtered data signal, amplitude modulate the carrier signal using the filtered data signal, phase modulate the carrier signal using the filtered data signal, and output the amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal; and

an electronic communication device configured to receive the amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal and output a reply signal responsive to reception of the amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal.

16. The communication system according to claim 15 wherein the interrogator is configured to output a microwave amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal and the electronic communication device is configured to output a microwave reply signal.

17. The communication system according to claim 15 wherein the communication system comprises a backscatter communication system.

18. The communication system according to claim 15 wherein the modulator is configured to invert the spread data signal responsive to the spread data signal being a predetermined value.

51. The system according to claim 15 wherein the modulator is configured to amplitude modulate the carrier signal using ON OFF key modulation using the data signal.

52. The system according to claim 15 wherein the modulator is configured to phase modulate the carrier signal by selectively inverting the phase of the carrier signal using the data signal.

19. A backscatter communication method comprising:

providing a data signal;

providing a carrier signal;

spreading the data signal to define a spread data signal;

amplitude modulating the carrier signal using the spread data signal;

phase modulating the carrier signal; and

communicating the amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising selectively inverting the spread data signal.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the phase modulating is responsive to the inverting.

22. The method according to claim 20 further comprising synchronizing the inverting with the spread data signal.

23. The method according to claim 19 further comprising randomly inverting the spread data signal using a pseudo-noise sequence.

24. The method according to claim 19 further comprising band limiting the spread data signal.

25. The method according to claim 19 wherein the spreading comprises encoding a pseudo-noise sequence with the data signal.

53. The method according to claim 19 wherein the amplitude modulating comprises modulating using ON OFF key modulation using the spread data signal.

54. The method according to claim 19 wherein the phase modulating comprises modulating by selectively inverting the phase of the carrier signal using the spread data signal.

26. A method of communication in a backscatter system including an interrogator and a communication device comprising:

providing a data signal;

providing a carrier signal;

spreading the data signal to define a spread data signal;

modulating the carrier signal using the spread data signal to suppress the carrier signal during communication of the carrier signal; and

communicating the modulated carrier signal.

27. The method according to claim 26 further comprising band limiting the spread data signal.

28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the modulating comprises amplitude modulating and phase modulating using the data signal.

29. A backscatter communication method comprising:

providing a data signal;

providing a carrier signal;

spreading the data signal to define a spread data signal;

selectively inverting the spread data signal;

amplitude modulating the carrier signal using the data signal; and

communicating the modulated carrier signal.

30. The method according to claim 29 herein the providing comprises providing a microwave carrier signal.

31. The method according to claim 29 further comprising phase modulating the carrier signal responsive to the inverting.

32. The method according to claim 29 further comprising phase modulating the carrier signal using a tri-level signal corresponding to the inverted data signal.

33. The method according to claim 29 wherein the inverting comprises random inverting using a pseudo-noise sequence.

34. The method according to claim 29 further comprising band limiting the spread data signal.

55. The method according to claim 30 wherein the amplitude modulating comprises modulating using ON OFF key modulation using the data signal.

35. A backscatter communication method comprising:

providing a data signal;

providing a microwave carrier signal;

providing a first code and a second code;

spreading the data signal according to the first code to define a spread data signal;

inverting the spread data signal according to the second code;

band limiting the spread data signal;

amplitude modulating the carrier signal using the band limited data signal;

phase modulating the carrier signal using the band limited data signal; and

communicating the amplitude modulated and phase modulated carrier signal.

36. The method according to claim 35 further comprising synchronizing the inverting with the spread data signal.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the synchronizing comprises inverting responsive to the spread data signal being a predetermined value.

38. The method according to claim 35 wherein the providing the first code and the second code comprise providing respective pseudo-noise sequences.

39. The method according to claim 35 wherein the phase modulating is responsive to the inverting.

56. The method according to claim 35 wherein the amplitude modulating comprises modulating using ON OFF key modulation using the data signal.

57. The method according to claim 35 wherein the phase modulating comprises modulating by selectively inverting the phase of the carrier signal using the data signal.

40. A method of communication in a backscatter system including an interrogator and a communication device comprising:

providing a data signal;

providing a microwave carrier signal; and

modulating the microwave carrier signal using a tri-level signal corresponding to the data signal.

41. The method according to claim 40 further comprising spreading the data signal to define a spread data signal.

42. The method according to claim 41 further comprising band limiting the spread data signal.

43. The method according to claim 40 further comprising selectively inverting the data signal.

44. The method according to claim 40 further comprising spreading the data signal into a plurality of chips individually corresponding to one of two values.

45. The method according to claim 44 further comprising inverting chips of the data signal.

46. The method according to claim 45 further comprising synchronizing the inverting and the spreading.