Remote communications devices, wireless communications systems, and wireless communications methods

• US 7,317,382 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Morgan, Gary B., Lind, Michael A., Hughes, Michael A., Pratt, Richard M., Scott, Jeffrey Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI T
• Application Number:
  US11/011,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20060139168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 340/428, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 340/10.4, 340/447, 340/445, 340/442, 731/465, 737/56
• US Class Current: 340/428
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Remote communications devices, wireless communications systems, and wireless communications methods are described. In one aspect, a remote communications device includes communication circuitry configured to communicate wireless communication signals externally of the remote communications device, sensor circuitry configured to sense at least one condition with respect to the remote communications device, and wherein the communication circuitry is coupled with the sensor circuitry and is configured to determine a plurality of different moments in time responsive to criteria originating within the remote communications device and to communicate data indicative of the at least one sensed condition externally of the remote communications device to a reader using the wireless communication signals at the different moments in time.

Claims

1. A remote communications device comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicate wireless communication signals externally of the remote communications device;

sensor circuitry configured to sense at least one condition with respect to the remote communications device;

wherein the communication circuitry is coupled with the sensor circuitry and is configured to determine a plurality of different moments in time responsive to criteria originating within the remote communications device and to communicate data indicative of the at least one sensed condition externally of the remote communications device to a reader using the wireless communication signals at the different moments in time; and

wherein the communication circuitry is configured to determine some of the moments in time according to a first rate during a first period of time and to determine others of the moments in time according to a second rate during a second period of time, and the first and second rates are different.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the communications circuitry is configured to implement radio frequency identification device communications.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the data is communicated at the different moments in time independent of communications from the reader.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to determine the different moments in time according to a plurality of different periods.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate an identifier of the device with the data.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition is sensed during a first period of time and the communication circuitry is configured to communicate the data at a second period of time.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to detect a triggering event, and wherein the communication circuitry is configured to commence the communication of the data responsive to the detection.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to detect a triggering event, and wherein generation of the data indicative of the at least one sensed condition is commenced responsive to the detection.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to detect a triggering event, and wherein the data is generated according to a third rate before the triggering event and a fourth rate different than the third rate after the triggering event.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to:

initiate operations of the remote communications device in a first mode at a first moment in time;

detect a triggering event; and

initiate operations of the remote communications device in a second mode having increased power consumption compared with the first mode at a second moment in time and responsive to the detection, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate the data during the second mode.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein processing circuitry of the communication circuitry is operable between the first and the second modes.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the sensor circuitry is operable between the first and the second modes.

13. The device of claim 1 further comprising an energy source configured to supply operational energy to the communication circuitry.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a beacon and the communication circuitry is incapable of processing wireless communications received by the remote communications device.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication signals comprise a plurality of transmitted wireless communication signals which are outputted from the remote communications device, and the communication circuitry is configured to receive and to process a plurality of received wireless communication signals which are received by the remote communications device.

16. A remote communications device comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicate wireless communication signals externally of the remote communications device;

sensor circuitry configured to sense at least one condition with respect to the remote communications device and to generate data indicative of the at least one sensed condition; and

wherein the communication circuitry is coupled with the sensor circuitry and is configured to communicate the data generated by the sensor circuitry externally of the remote communications device using the wireless communication signals, and wherein the communicated data comprises data sampled according to a first rate during a first period of time and sampled according to a second rate different than the first rate during a second period of time.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to monitor for a presence of a triggering event and to change the sampling from the first rate to the second rate responsive to the presence of the triggering event.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to periodically communicate the data.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to periodically communicate the data according to different periods during the first and second periods of time.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein the first and the second rates are periodic.

21. The device of claim 16 wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to sense the at least one condition comprising a plurality of conditions including humidity of an environment about the remote communications device, temperature of an environment about the remote communications device, tilt of the remote communications device, and electrical continuity of a circuit associated with the remote communications device.

22. The device of claim 16 wherein the wireless communication signals comprise a plurality of transmitted wireless communication signals which are outputted from the remote communications device, and the communication circuitry is configured to receive and to process a plurality of received wireless communication signals which are received by the remote communications device.

23. A remote communications device comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicate wireless communication signals;

sensor circuitry configured to sense at least one condition with respect to the remote communications device and to generate data indicative of the at least one sensed condition; and

wherein the communication circuitry is coupled with the sensor circuitry and is configured to receive and to process some of the wireless communication signals and to output the data generated by the sensor circuitry externally of the remote communications device using others of the wireless communication signals at a plurality of different moments in time determined independently of the some of the wireless communication signals received within the remote communications device.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to output the data at the different moments in time according to a period.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein the communication circuitry is configured to process the some of the wireless communication signals responsive to the some of the wireless communication signals comprising an identifier which matches an identifier of the remote communications device.

26. A wireless communications system comprising:

a reader configured to receive first wireless communication signals comprising data generated externally of the reader and to output second wireless communication signals; and

a plurality of remote communications devices comprising radio frequency identification devices configured to output the first wireless communication signals and to receive and to process the second wireless communication signals, wherein the remote communications devices are individually configured to sense at least one condition with respect to the respective remote communications device and to communicate data corresponding to the at least one sensed condition at a plurality of moments in time responsive to criteria originating within the respective remote communications device.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the criteria is a substantially constant period.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the remote communications devices are configured to detect a triggering event, and wherein the remote communications devices are configured to commence the communication of the data responsive to the detection.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the remote communications devices are configured to detect a triggering event, and wherein generation of the data indicative at the at least one sensed condition is commenced responsive to the detection.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the remote communications devices are configured to detect a triggering event, and wherein the remote communications devices are configured to communicate the data obtained according to a first rate before the triggering event and a second rate different than the first rate after the triggering event.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein the remote communications devices are individually configured to communicate the data at the moments in time responsive to the criteria which is independent of the second wireless communication signals of the reader.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein the remote communications devices are individually configured to communicate the data to the reader using the first wireless communication signals.

33. The system of claim 26 wherein the remote communication devices are configured to process the second wireless communication signals responsive to identifiers of the second wireless communication signals matching identifiers of respective ones of the remote communications devices.

34. A wireless communications method comprising:

sensing a condition with respect to a remote communications device at a plurality of first moments in time;

providing data regarding the sensed condition at the first moments in time;

outputting a plurality of first wireless communication signals using the remote communications device;

receiving the first wireless communication signals using a reader;

outputting a plurality of second wireless communication signals using the reader;

receiving and processing the second wireless communication signals using the remote communications device; and

using the first wireless communication signals, communicating the data externally of the remote communications device at a plurality of second moments in time determined according to criteria independent of operations of the reader.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the plurality of second moments in time are determined using criteria originating using the remote communications device.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the first moments in time are periodic.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the second moments in time are periodic.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein the second wireless communications signals comprise an identifier of the remote communications device.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the second moments in time are determined independent of the second wireless communication signals received from the reader.

40. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

detecting a triggering event; and

changing a rate of the sensing responsive to the detecting.

41. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

detecting a triggering event; and

changing a rate of the communicating responsive to the detecting.

42. The method of claim 34 wherein the remote communications device comprises a radio frequency identification device transponder.

43. The method of claim 34 wherein the processing the second wireless communication signals comprises processing the second wireless communication signals responsive to the second wireless communication signals comprising identifiers which match an identifier of the remote communications device.

44. A wireless communications method comprising:

sensing a condition with respect to a remote communications device at a plurality of moments in time;

providing data regarding the sensed condition at the moments in time;

outputting a plurality of wireless communication signals using the remote communications device;

using the wireless communication signals, outputting the data regarding the sensed condition at a plurality of moments in time; and

adjusting a number of times the condition is sensed with respect to time.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising receiving the wireless communication signals using a reader.

46. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

detecting a triggering event; and

changing a rate of the sensing responsive to the detecting.

47. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

detecting a triggering event; and

changing a rate of the outputting of the data responsive to the detecting.

48. The method of claim 44 wherein the wireless communication signals comprise an identifier which uniquely identifies the remote communications device.

49. The method of claim 44 wherein the outputting comprises outputting independent of communications of a reader.

50. The method of claim 44 wherein the wireless communication signals comprise a plurality of transmitted signals, and further comprising receiving and processing a plurality of additional wireless communication signals using the remote communications device.

51. A remote communications device comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicate wireless communication signals externally of the remote communications device;

sensor circuitry configured to sense at least one condition with respect to the remote communications device;

wherein the communication circuitry is coupled with the sensor circuitry and is configured to determine a plurality of different moments in time responsive to criteria originating within the remote communications device and to communicate data indicative of the at least one sensed condition externally of the remote communications device to a reader using the wireless communication signals at the different moments in time; and

wherein the communication circuitry is configured to;

initiate operations of the remote communications device in a first mode at a first moment in time;

detect a triggering event; and

initiate operations of the remote communications device in a second mode having increased power consumption compared with the first mode at a second moment in time and responsive to the detection, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate the data during the second mode.

52. The device of claim 51 wherein processing circuitry of the communication circuitry is operable between the first and the second modes.

53. The device claim 51 wherein the sensor circuitry is operable between the first and the second modes.