Method and apparatus for full duplex sideband communication

• US 6,463,039 B1
• Filed: 04/24/1998
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Ideation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Ideation Incorporated
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P., Peters, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US09/065,838
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 370/276-277, 370/310, 375/219-221, 375/270, 375/301, 375/321, 455/42, 455/45-47, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.34, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/572.1, 340/572.2, 340/572.4, 340/572.5, 342/42, 342/44, 342/51, 342/410-414, 342/116
• US Class Current: 370/277
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving

Abstract

The invention is an apparatus and method for using electromagnetic energy as the means of automatic data collection (ADC). The communication system that comprises the invention utilizes frequency modulated (“FM”) sideband electromagnetic energy to enable full duplex communication with another communication device. In one embodiment one of the communication devices is passive and the carrier is used to power the passive device. In another embodiment the communication devices are active and the carrier is suppressed to increase range or decrease power constraints, as the application requires.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a first frequency-modulated data encoded on a first sideband of a predetermined frequency;

a transponder adapted to receive the encoded data on the first sideband and to transmit a second frequency-modulated data encoded on a second sideband of the predetermined frequency, wherein the second sideband is distinct from the first sideband; and

a receiver adapted to receive the second frequency-modulated data encoded on the second sideband transmitted from the transponder, and to decode the second frequency-modulated data therefrom.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 further comprising an interrogator in which the transmitter and the receiver are disposed.

3. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the first frequency-modulated data is disposed within the second frequency-modulated data.

4. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the transponder is passive.

5. The communication system according to claim 4 wherein the transmitter transmits a carrier signal from which and the transponder is adapted to draw energy from the carrier signal.

6. The communication system according to claim 4 wherein the transponder is adapted to draw energy from ambient radiation.

7. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the first sideband is the upper sideband.

8. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the second sideband is the lower sideband.

9. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the communication system provides full-duplex communication.

10. The communication system according to claim 1 further comprising suppression means to suppress a carrier signal thereby augmenting transmission range.

11. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the first frequency-modulated data is video.

12. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the transponder further comprises an antenna and the antenna is coated with a radiation absorbing coating.

13. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the transmitter transmits data using frequency modulation.

14. An interrogator comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a signal on a predetermined frequency to a remote communication device which draws power from the signal;

a receiver adapted to receive a signal on a first frequency-modulated sideband of the predetermined frequency from the remote communication device; and

a decoder in electrical communication with the receiver for decoding information from the received signal,

wherein the transmitted signal is transmitted on a second frequency-modulated sideband of the predetermined frequency having a nondestructive relationship with the first frequency-modulated sideband and having frequency-modulated data encoded thereon.

15. A communication system comprising:

a first communication device having a first transmitter and a first receiver disposed therein, the first transmitter being adapted to transmit a first signal having first frequency-modulated data encoded on a first sideband, the first receiver being adapted to receive signal transmitted on a second sideband of the predetermined frequency and to decode second frequency-modulated data therefrom; and

a second communication device having a second receiver and a second transmitter disposed therein, the second receiver being adapted to receive signal transmitted on the first sideband of the predetermined frequency, the second transmitter being adapted to transmit on the second sideband a second signal having second frequency-modulated data encoded.

16. The communication system according to claim 15 wherein the first sideband and the second sideband have a nondestructive relationship.

17. The communication system according to claim 15 wherein the second frequency-modulated data comprises the first frequency-modulated data.

18. A method of radio frequency communication comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first signal having a carrier and a first sideband which is frequency modulated with origination information that identifies the source of the transmission;

drawing energy from the carrier sufficient to power a passive device;

encoding data onto a second sideband where the data comprises the origination information;

transmitting the encoded data on the second sideband;

receiving the encoded data on the second sideband; and

decoding the received encoded data.