Multi-band wireless communication device and method

• US 6,975,834 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US09/678,630
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 455/101, 455/272, 455/274, 455/275, 455/277.1, 455/277.2, 455/279.1, 343/728, 343/729, 343/732, 343/737, 343/751, 343/764, 343/866, 343/853, 343/855
• US Class Current: 455/277.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/45 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wireless communication device, such as a transponder, that has a plurality of antennas for multi-frequency usage. The wireless communication device comprises a control system, communication electronics, memory, and the aforementioned antennas. A wireless communication device having a pole antenna may be used with one or more loop conductor antennas to achieve the desired operating frequencies. A wireless communication device having a dipole antenna may be coupled across a loop conductor antenna to provide different loop conductor configurations depending on the frequency.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication electronics;

a first loop conductor antenna operating at a first frequency, said first loop conductor antenna operatively connected to said communication electronics;

a second loop conductor antenna operating at a second frequency, said second loop conductor antenna operatively connected to said communication electronics; and

a pole antenna operating at a third frequency, said pole antenna operatively connected to said communication electronics;

said communication electronics receives a signal from a remotely positioned interrogator through one of said antennas when said remotely positioned interrogator generates a frequency signal that is at an operating frequency of said one of said antennas.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said first loop conductor antenna operating at a first frequency comprises a first loop conductor antenna operating at 868 MHz.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said first loop conductor antenna operating at a first frequency comprises a first loop conductor antenna operating at 13.56 MHz.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a third loop conductor antenna operating at a fourth frequency.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein said first loop conductor antenna, said second loop conductor antenna, and said third loop conductor antenna share a loop conductor.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 5, wherein said first loop conductor antenna operates at 868 MHz, said second loop conductor antenna operates at 915 MHz, and said third loop conductor antenna operates at 13.56 MHz.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said pole antenna operates at 2.45 GHz.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said pole antenna comprises a dipole antenna and second communication electronics, said first communication electronics associated with one of said loops and said second communication electronics associated with said dipole antenna.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said pole antenna is positioned between said first loop conductor antenna and said second loop conductor antenna and capacitively couples to said first and second loop conductor antennas.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said pole antenna is positioned across said first and second loop conductor antennas.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said pole antenna comprises at least one tab.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein said pole antenna further comprises a ground plane and said tab comprises a monopole antenna.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein said pole antenna comprises two tabs to form a dipole antenna.

14. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication device coupled to a loop conductor antenna operating at a first operating frequency;

a second wireless communication device coupled across said loop conductor antennas on one side of said first wireless communication device;

said second wireless communication device couples to said loop conductor antenna including said first wireless communication device at a second operating frequency and couples to said loop conductor antenna excluding said first wireless communication device at a third operating frequency; and

a remotely positioned interrogator that generates a signal at one of said operating frequencies, wherein said signal is communicated to said first wireless communication device if said signal is at said first operating frequency, and wherein said signal is communicated to said second wireless communication device if said signal is at said second operating frequency or said third operating frequency.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14, further comprising an interrogator operating at one of said frequencies and interrogating one of said wireless communication devices.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 14, further comprising an article to be tracked by one said wireless communication devices, said article attached to one of said wireless communication devices.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein said first wireless communication device operates at 13.56 MHz.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein said second wireless communication device operates at 868 MHz and 915 MHz.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein said second wireless communication device further comprises a dipole antenna operating at a fourth frequency.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein said dipole antenna operates at 2.45 GHz.

21. A method of tracking an item, comprising:

interrogating a wireless communication device at a first frequency through a first loop conductor antenna coupled to the wireless communication device;

interrogating the wireless communication device at a second frequency through a dipole antenna coupled to the wireless communication device;

interrogating the wireless communication device at a third frequency through a second loop conductor antenna coupled to the wireless communication device; and

receiving a signal from a remotely positioned interrogator through one of said antennas when said remotely positioned interrogator generates a frequency signal that is an operating frequency of said one of said antennas.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein interrogating the wireless communication device at a second frequency through a dipole antenna on the wireless communication device comprises interrogating the wireless communication device at a second frequency through a dipole antenna capacitively coupled to said first and second loop conductor antennas.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein interrogating the wireless communication device at a second frequency through a dipole antenna on the wireless communication device comprises interrogating the wireless communication device at a second frequency through a dipole antenna positioned across said first and second loop conductor antennas.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising interrogating the wireless communication device at a fourth frequency through a third loop conductor antenna on the wireless communication device.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising communicating from an interrogator to a central control system.

26. A transponder, comprising:

a dipole antenna;

a first loop conductor antenna;

a second loop conductor antenna, said first and second loop conductor antennas positioned on opposite sides of said dipole antenna and capacitively coupled thereto;

said dipole antenna, said first loop conductor antenna, and said second loop conductor antenna each operatively coupled to a communication electronics;

said communication electronics adapted to receive a signal from a remotely positioned interrogator through one of said antenna s when said signal is communicated at an operating frequency that is the operating frequency of one of said antennas, wherein the operating frequency of each of said antennas is different from each other.

27. The transponder of claim 26, further comprising communication electronics communicatively coupled to said antennas.

28. The transponder of claim 26, wherein said dipole antenna is adapted to operate at 2.45 MHz, said first loop conductor antenna is adapted to operate at 915 MHz, and said second loop conductor antenna is adapted to operate at 868 MHz.

29. A wireless communication device comprising:

a wireless communication electronics;

dipole antenna operatively connected to said wireless communication electronics, said dipole antenna operative at a first operating frequency; and

a loop antenna operatively coupled to said wireless communication electronics and wherein said dipole antenna is capacitively coupled to said loop antenna such that said loop antenna forms a first effective loop antenna operation at a second operating frequency said a second effective loop antenna operative at a third operating frequency;

said wireless communication electronics adapted to receive a signal from a remotely positioned interrogator through one of said dipole, first effective loop or second effective loop antennas when said remotely positioned interrogator generates a frequency signal that is an operating frequency of said one of said dipole, first effective loop or second effective loop antennas.

30. The wireless communication device of claim 29 wherein said dipole antenna is asymmetrical.

31. The wireless communication device of claim 29 further comprising a ground plane operative with said dipole antenna.

32. The wireless communication device of claim 31 wherein said ground plane is slotted.

33. The wireless communication device of claim 29 wherein said dipole antenna is operative at a microwave frequency.

34. The wireless communication device of claim 29 wherein said loop antenna is operative at a low frequency.

35. The wireless communication device of claim 34 further comprising a second loop antenna operatively coupled to said wireless communication electronics and wherein said dipole antenna is capacitively coupled to said second loop antenna such that said loop antenna is operative at a further operating frequency;

said wireless communication electronics additionally adapted to receive a signal from a remotely positioned interrogator through said second loop antenna when said remotely positioned interrogator generates a frequency signal that is an operating frequency of said second loop antenna.

36. The wireless communication device of claim 29 wherein said at least one loop antenna comprises a nested part to increase bandwidth reception on said at least one loop antenna.