Communication system, and interrogator and transponder of the system
First Claim
1. A wireless communication system comprising:
- a plurality of interrogators each operable to transmit an interrogating wave, with each interrogating wave having a mutually different frequency, for interrogating at least one transponder, and to transmit a communication wave for communicating with the other of said interrogators; and
said at least one transponder operable, upon reception of the interrogating wave transmitted from each of said interrogators, to respond to said each of said interrogators with a reflected wave which is generated by modulating the interrogating wave;
frequency bands of the communication wave transmitted from one interrogator to other of said interrogators lying on respective opposite sides of the frequency of the interrogating wave of the one interrogator among the plurality of interrogators, and the frequency of the communication wave of each interrogator being set such that a frequency band of a communication wave transmitted from one of two interrogators having adjacent frequencies to the other of the two interrogators, and a frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from the other of the two interrogators to the one interrogator, overlap,wherein;
a frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted from said at least one transponder to said each of said interrogators is separated from a frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators to the other of said interrogators and a frequency band of the interrogating wave, and the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted from said at least one transponder to said each of said interrogators is closer to a frequency band of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators to said at least one transponder than the frequency band of the communication wave;
each of said interrogators is operable to communicate with the other of said interrogators in a wireless manner,one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a first difference value,one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a second difference value, andthe first difference value is at least substantially twice as large as the second difference value.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system including: (a) a plurality of interrogators; and (b) at least one transponder operable, upon reception of an interrogating wave transmitted from each of the interrogators, to respond to the interrogator with a reflected wave which is generated by modulating the interrogating wave. Each of the interrogators is operable to communicate with the other of the interrogators in a wireless manner. A frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted from the transponder to each of the interrogators is preferably separated from a frequency band of a communication wave transmitted from the interrogator to the other of the interrogators, and is preferably closer to a frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from the interrogator to the transponder, than the frequency band of the communication wave.
7 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A wireless communication system comprising:
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a plurality of interrogators each operable to transmit an interrogating wave, with each interrogating wave having a mutually different frequency, for interrogating at least one transponder, and to transmit a communication wave for communicating with the other of said interrogators; and said at least one transponder operable, upon reception of the interrogating wave transmitted from each of said interrogators, to respond to said each of said interrogators with a reflected wave which is generated by modulating the interrogating wave; frequency bands of the communication wave transmitted from one interrogator to other of said interrogators lying on respective opposite sides of the frequency of the interrogating wave of the one interrogator among the plurality of interrogators, and the frequency of the communication wave of each interrogator being set such that a frequency band of a communication wave transmitted from one of two interrogators having adjacent frequencies to the other of the two interrogators, and a frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from the other of the two interrogators to the one interrogator, overlap, wherein; a frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted from said at least one transponder to said each of said interrogators is separated from a frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators to the other of said interrogators and a frequency band of the interrogating wave, and the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted from said at least one transponder to said each of said interrogators is closer to a frequency band of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators to said at least one transponder than the frequency band of the communication wave; each of said interrogators is operable to communicate with the other of said interrogators in a wireless manner, one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a first difference value, one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a second difference value, and the first difference value is at least substantially twice as large as the second difference value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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8. An interrogator providing each of a plurality of interrogators which cooperate with at least one transponder to constitute a wireless communication system, in which each of said interrogators is operable to transmit a main carrier wave to the transponder and to transmit a communication wave to the other of said interrogators in a wireless manner, while the transponder is operable, upon receipt of the main carrier-wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, to respond with a reflected wave generated by modulating the main carrier wave with a response data signal, said interrogator comprising:
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a transmission data signal generator operable to generate a transmission data signal based on information that is to be transmitted to the other of said interrogators, such that a frequency band of the generated transmission data signal is different from a frequency band of the response data signal, which is different from a frequency band of the main carrier wave; a main carrier modulator operable to generate a transmission-data-signal modulated wave, by modulating the main carrier wave transmitted from the interrogator to the responder with the transmission data signal which has been supplied from said transmission data signal generator; a transmitter operable to transmit the communication wave containing the main carrier wave and the transmission-data-signal modulated wave which have been supplied from said main carrier modulator; the plurality of interrogators transmitting interrogating waves each having a mutually different frequency; a receiver operable to receive the reflected wave which has been transmitted from the transponder, and to receive the communication wave which has been transmitted from the other of said interrogators in the wireless manner, frequency bands of the communication wave transmitted from one interrogator to other of said interrogators lying on respective opposite sides of the frequency of the interrogating wave of the one interrogator among the plurality of interrogators transmitting the interrogating waves each having a mutually different frequency, and the frequency of the communication wave of each interrogator being set such that a frequency band of a communication wave transmitted from one of two interrogators having adjacent frequencies to the other of the two interrogators, and a frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from the other of the two interrogators to the one interrogator, overlap; wherein; one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a first difference value, one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a second difference value, and the first difference value is at least substantially twice as large as the second difference value. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 15)
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12. An interrogator providing each of a plurality of interrogators which cooperate with at least one transponder to constitute a wireless communication system, in which each of said interrogators is operable to transmit a main carrier wave to the transponder and to transmit a communication wave to the other of said interrogators in a wireless manner, while the transponder is operable, upon receipt of the main carrier wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, to respond with a reflected wave generated by modulating the main carrier wave with a response data signal, said interrogator comprising:
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a transmission data signal generator operable to generate a transmission data signal based on information that is to be transmitted to the other of said interrogators; a main carrier modulator operable to generate a transmission-data-signal modulated wave, by modulating the main carrier wave with the transmission data signal which has been supplied from said transmission data signal generator, and to output the main carrier and the generated transmission-data-signal modulated wave having components whose respective frequency bands lie on opposite sides of a frequency of the main carrier wave; a filter operable to pass, among an output supplied from the main carrier modulator, the main carrier wave and one of the components of the transmission-data-signal modulated wave, and to reject the other of the components of the transmission-data-signal modulated wave; a transmitter operable to transmit the communication wave containing the main carrier wave and the one of the components of the generated modulated wave, which have been supplied from said filter; the plurality of interrogators transmitting interrogating waves each having mutually different frequencies; a receiver operable to receive the reflected wave which has been transmitted from the transponder, and to receive the communication wave which has been transmitted from the other of said interrogators in the wireless manner, frequency hands of the communication wave transmitted from one interrogator to other of said interrogators lying on respective opposite sides of the frequency of the interrogating wave of the one interrogator among the plurality of interrogators transmitting the interrogating waves each having a mutually different frequency, and the frequency of the communication wave of each interrogator being set such that a frequency band of a communication wave transmitted from one of two interrogators having adjacent frequencies to the other of the two interrogators, and a frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from the other of the two interrogators to the one interrogator, overlap. wherein; one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is closer to the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the communication wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a first difference value, one of upper and lower limit values defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators than the other of the upper and lower limit values and the one of upper and lower limit values that is more distant from the frequency of the interrogating wave defining the frequency band of the reflected wave transmitted to respond to said each of said interrogators is different from the frequency of the interrogating wave transmitted from said each of said interrogators, by a second difference value, and the first difference value is at least substantially twice as large as the second difference value. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification