Multi-band wireless communication device and method

• US 7,623,835 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun; Eugene
• Application Number:
  US11/514,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 455/101, 455/272, 455/274, 455/275, 4552771-2772, 455/279.1, 343/728, 343/729, 343/732, 343/737, 343/751, 343/764, 343/866, 343/853, 343/855
• US Class Current: 455/272
• 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:

communication electronics;

a first loop conductor antenna configured to operate at a first frequency, a second loop conductor antenna configured to operate at a second frequency, and a pole antenna configured to operate at a third frequency, wherein the first, second, and third frequencies are different;

wherein the pole antenna is operatively connected to the communication electronics;

wherein the first loop conductor antenna and the second loop conductor antenna are both operatively connected to the communication electronics via the pole antenna;

wherein the communication electronics are configured to selectively communicate with a remotely positioned interrogator through at least one of the first loop conductor antenna, the second loop conductor antenna, or the pole antenna at least one of the respective first, second, or third frequencies; and

wherein the first loop conductor antenna and the second loop conductor antenna are capacitively coupled to the pole antenna to operate respectively at the first and second operating frequencies.

2. A wireless communication device comprising:

wireless communication electronics;

a pole antenna operatively connected to the wireless communication electronics, wherein the pole antenna is configured to operate at a first operating frequency; and

a loop antenna capacitively coupled to the pole antenna;

wherein the loop antenna is capacitively coupled to the pole antenna to form a first effective loop antenna configured to operate at a second operating frequency and to form a second effective loop antenna configured to operate at a third operating frequency;

wherein the wireless communication electronics are coupled to the loop antenna via the capacitive coupling of the loop antenna to the pole antenna; and

wherein the wireless communication electronics are configured to communicate with a remote interrogator through any one of the pole antenna, the first effective loop antenna, or the second effective loop antenna.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the pole antenna is a dipole antenna.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the pole antenna is positioned across the loop antenna to form the first and second effective loop antennas.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the pole antenna further comprises a ground plane.

6. A system of antennas for operating at multiple frequencies, the system comprising:

at least one of a first type of antenna, wherein the first type of antenna is a pole antenna;

at least one of a second type of antenna, wherein the second type of antenna is a loop antenna;

at least one integrated circuit coupled with the at least one of the first type of antenna; and

a capacitive coupling between the at least one of the first type of antenna and the at least one of the second type of antenna, wherein the capacitive coupling is configured to divide the at least one of the second type of antenna into at least two effective antennas of the second type of antenna, and wherein each of the at least one of the first type of antenna and the at least two effective antennas are resonant at a different respective frequency.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the pole antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the dipole antenna comprises two tabs, and wherein each tab is capacitively coupled to one of two points on the loop antenna.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the loop antenna is divided into an upper effective loop antenna and a lower effective loop antenna, wherein the upper effective loop antenna includes one of two parts of the loop antenna, the dipole antenna, and the at least one integrated circuit, and wherein the lower effective loop antenna includes the other of the two parts of the loop antenna, the dipole antenna, and the at least one integrated circuit.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the capacitive coupling comprises a dielectric material placed between the at least one of the first type of antenna and the at least one of the second type of antenna.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the loop antenna and the at least two effective loop antennas are each configured to operate at different frequencies.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the loop antenna comprises tuned coils, and wherein the capacitive coupling between the dipole antenna and the loop antenna is configured to substantially electrically short the coils at a frequency to create a single loop antenna resonant at the frequency.

13. A method of providing a transponder for operating at a plurality of frequencies, the method comprising:

providing at least one of a first type of antenna, wherein the first type of antenna is a pole antenna;

providing at least one of a second type of antenna, wherein the second type of antenna is a loop antenna;

coupling at least one integrated circuit to the at least one of the first type of antenna; and

providing a capacitive coupling between the at least one of the first type of antenna and the at least one of the second type of antenna, wherein the capacitive coupling is configured to divide the at least one of the second type of antenna into at least two effective antennas of the second type of antenna, and wherein each of the at least one of the first type of antenna and the at least two effective antennas are resonant at a different respective frequency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pole antenna is a dipole antenna comprising two tabs.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each tab has one of a plurality of lengths and shapes.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said providing at least one of a second type of antenna comprises providing a plurality of loop antennas that are capacitively coupled with the dipole antenna.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said providing a capacitive coupling comprises creating at least one composite antenna that is formed using a portion of the at least one of the first type of antenna and a portion of the at least one of the second type of antenna.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said providing a capacitive coupling further comprises varying a frequency of a communication signal to a resonant frequency to substantially electrically short together the at least one of the first type of antenna and the at least one of the second type of antenna.