Short range communication system
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- from an interrogator held near a person, interrogating multiple transponders in the vicinity of the person, and as a result of the interrogating, receiving information separately from the multiple transponders at either the interrogator or one of a plurality of coupling ports, wherein the method further comprises invoking an anti-collision protocol when multiple transponders transmit information simultaneously.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Short range communication systems and techniques are described. In an implementation an interrogator held near a person interrogates multiple transponders and receives information separately from the transponders. The interrogator and/or the transponders may be held in an article of clothing or in a personal effect of the person. The transponders may transmit identifying information and/or information associated with the states of the articles of clothing or personal effects of the person. Such a system enables the clothes worn by a person to communicate with a plurality of items and obtain useful information. In addition, a network system may be configured so that any particular transponder may communicate with another transponder or group of transponders of other locales to activate functions, cause actions or otherwise share data and/or information.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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from an interrogator held near a person, interrogating multiple transponders in the vicinity of the person, and as a result of the interrogating, receiving information separately from the multiple transponders at either the interrogator or one of a plurality of coupling ports, wherein the method further comprises invoking an anti-collision protocol when multiple transponders transmit information simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
radiating an interrogation field over less than a predetermined distance from a radiator, from at least one position within the predetermined distance, carrying energy associated with the interrogation field along at least one respective conducive element to at least a first location that is farther than the predetermined distance from the radiator, and at each location, radiating an interrogation field using energy that has been carried along the conductive element.
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9. The method of claim 8 in which the radiator comprises the interrogator.
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10. The method of claim 8 in which the interrogation field comprises a radio frequency field.
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11. The method of claim 8 in which a transponder is located within a predetermined second distance of at least one location.
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12. The method of claim 8 in which the conductive element comprises at least one electrical conductor.
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13. The method of claim 8 further comprising deriving the energy carried along the conductive elements inductively from the interrogation field.
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14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
from a position that is within a predetermined second distance from at least the first location, carrying energy associated with the interrogation field along at least one additional pair of conductive elements to at least a third location.
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15. The method of claim 14 in which the at least two respective conductive elements also carry modulations of the interrogation field from the first and second locations to the positions that are within the predetermined distance of the radiator.
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16. A short-range communication system, comprising:
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an interrogator incorporated in an article of clothing or personal effect;
a network of coupling ports;
communication lines connecting the coupling ports to the interrogator; and
at least one transponder associated with an object, for establishing communications with at least one of the coupling ports, another transponder, and the interrogator, wherein the coupling ports, transponders, and interrogator are capable of generating signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A short-range communication method, comprising:
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creating a network of coupling ports in a material;
connecting an interrogator to the network; and
activating the coupling ports to interrogate at least one transponder. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification