Wireless communication systems, interrogators and methods of communicating within a wireless communication system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A wireless communication system comprising:
- an interrogator including;
a housing including circuitry configured to generate a forward link communication signal, the circuitry comprising a microcontroller and a Radio Frequency (RF) section including RF circuitry and switching circuitry;
a plurality of communication circuitry, with each configured to communicate the forward link communication signal intermediate the housing and one of a plurality of communication stations remotely located with respect to the housing, with each station having a separate communication range, and each station individually configured to receive the forward link communication signal from one of the communication circuitry and to radiate a forward link wireless signal corresponding to the forward link communication signal, wherein the wireless signal is to be radiated within the communication range of the respective communication station, and the microcontroller of the housing is to control the switching circuitry to selectively couple one of the communication circuitry with the RF circuitry; and
a remote communication device configured to receive the forward link wireless signal, wherein the circuitry of the housing comprises a transmitter configured to generate the forward link communication signal comprising a modulated signal.
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Abstract
A wireless communication system includes an interrogator including a housing including circuitry configured to generate a forward link communication signal; communication circuitry configured to communicate the forward link communication signal; and a communication station remotely located with respect to the housing and configured to receive the forward link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to radiate a forward link wireless signal corresponding to the forward link communication signal; and at least one remote communication device configured to receive the forward link wireless signal.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A wireless communication system comprising:
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an interrogator including; a housing including circuitry configured to generate a forward link communication signal, the circuitry comprising a microcontroller and a Radio Frequency (RF) section including RF circuitry and switching circuitry; a plurality of communication circuitry, with each configured to communicate the forward link communication signal intermediate the housing and one of a plurality of communication stations remotely located with respect to the housing, with each station having a separate communication range, and each station individually configured to receive the forward link communication signal from one of the communication circuitry and to radiate a forward link wireless signal corresponding to the forward link communication signal, wherein the wireless signal is to be radiated within the communication range of the respective communication station, and the microcontroller of the housing is to control the switching circuitry to selectively couple one of the communication circuitry with the RF circuitry; and a remote communication device configured to receive the forward link wireless signal, wherein the circuitry of the housing comprises a transmitter configured to generate the forward link communication signal comprising a modulated signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:
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a housing including circuitry configured to generate a forward link communication signal; a plurality of communication circuitry outside of the housing and coupled with the circuitry of the housing, each communication circuitry respectively configured to communicate the forward link communication signal intermediate the housing and one of a plurality of communication stations remotely located with respect to the housing; the plurality of communication stations including an antenna coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to radiate a forward link wireless signal corresponding to the forward link communication signal; and wherein the circuitry of the housing comprises a transmitter configured to generate the forward link communication signal comprising a modulated signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:
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a housing including circuitry configured to generate a forward link communication signal, and switching circuitry to select at least one of a plurality of communication stations to receive the forward link communication signal; a plurality of communication circuits individually configured to communicate the forward link communication signal intermediate the housing and one of the communication stations, the plurality of communication stations remotely located with respect to the housing and individually configured to receive the forward link communication signal from the housing and radiate a forward link wireless signal corresponding to the forward link communication signal; and wherein the circuitry of the housing is configured to generate the forward link communication signal comprising a modulated signal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of communicating within a wireless communication system comprising:
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providing an interrogator and a plurality of remote communication devices; generating a forward link communication signal using circuitry within a housing of the interrogator; selecting at least one of a plurality of communication circuitry, using switching circuitry of the housing, to transmit the forward link communication signal from the housing to a corresponding one of a plurality of communication stations, each communication station having a separate communication range, each of the communication circuitry configured to communicate the forward link communication signal intermediate the housing and one of the communication stations; communicating the forward link communication signal from the housing a selected communication circuitry; the communication station receiving the forward link communication signal from the selected communication circuitry, the communication station of the interrogator remotely located from the housing; radiating a forward link wireless signal corresponding to the forward link communication signal using the communication station, wherein the wireless signal is radiated within a respective communication range of the communication station; receiving the forward link wireless signal within at least one of the plurality of remote communication devices; and wherein the generating comprises generating the forward link communication signal comprising a modulated signal using the circuitry within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of communicating within a wireless communication system comprising:
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providing an interrogator having a housing and a plurality of communication stations remotely located from the housing; generating a forward link communication signal using circuitry within the housing; communicating the forward link communication signal from the housing at least one of a plurality of communication paths, each communication path intermediate the housing and a corresponding one of the plurality of communication stations; receiving the forward link communication signal from the communication circuitry within one of the plurality of communication stations; radiating a forward link wireless signal corresponding to the forward link communication signal using the communication station; and wherein the generating comprises generating the forward link communication signal comprising a modulated signal using the circuitry within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A communications method comprising:
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generating a polling signal using circuitry of a source; modulating the polling signal using a radio frequency transmitter of the source, the modulating providing a modulated polling signal of a first communication medium type; first communicating the modulated polling signal of the first communication medium type externally of the source to one of a plurality of communication stations remotely located with respect to the source, including using a switch of the source to select one of a plurality of communication circuits, with each communication circuit intermediate the source and a corresponding one of the plurality of communication stations, and each communication station having a separate communication range; receiving the modulated polling signal of the first communication medium type within the communication station; converting the modulated polling signal from the first communication medium type to a second communication medium type different than the first communication medium type using circuitry of the communication station; and second communicating the modulated polling signal of the second communication medium type to a transponder remotely located with respect to the source and the communication station. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification