Apparatus and method for ranging of a wireless transceiver with a switching antenna
First Claim
1. A sensor comprising:
- a transceiver configured to receive a wireless signal from an interrogator and to reflect the wireless signal back; and
an antenna-switching modulator configured to modulate a radar cross-section of the sensor by repeatedly switching an antenna between two of a short-circuit position, an open-circuit position, and an operational circuit position;
wherein the antenna-switching modulator is configured to select at least one characteristic of the modulation of the sensor'"'"'s radar cross-section based on one or more of;
a perceived level of interference and a transmission power; and
wherein the antenna-switching modulator is further configured to modulate the antenna switching with a sinusoidal waveform pattern that is phase locked to the received wireless signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor includes a transceiver configured to receive a wireless signal from an interrogator and to reflect the wireless signal back. The sensor also includes an antenna-switching modulator configured to modulate a radar cross-section of the sensor by repeatedly switching an antenna between, for example, a short-circuit position and an operational circuit position. The operational circuit position could be associated with an impedance matched receiver, and the short-circuit position could be associated with ground. Also, the sensor could be further configured to transmit the wireless signal to a second sensor and to receive a reflected wireless signal from the second sensor, and the sensor could further include a phase comparator configured to compute a phase difference between the transmitted wireless signal and the reflected wireless signal. The phase comparator could be further configured to compute a distance between the sensor and the second sensor based on the phase difference.
50 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A sensor comprising:
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a transceiver configured to receive a wireless signal from an interrogator and to reflect the wireless signal back; and an antenna-switching modulator configured to modulate a radar cross-section of the sensor by repeatedly switching an antenna between two of a short-circuit position, an open-circuit position, and an operational circuit position; wherein the antenna-switching modulator is configured to select at least one characteristic of the modulation of the sensor'"'"'s radar cross-section based on one or more of;
a perceived level of interference and a transmission power; andwherein the antenna-switching modulator is further configured to modulate the antenna switching with a sinusoidal waveform pattern that is phase locked to the received wireless signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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receiving a wireless signal from an interrogator at a sensor; selecting at least one characteristic for a modulation of a radar cross-section of the sensor based on one or more of;
a perceived level of interference and a transmission power;modulating the radar cross-section of the sensor by repeatedly switching an antenna between two of a short circuit position, an open-circuit position, and an operational circuit position, wherein the modulating has the at least one identified characteristic; returning a reflected wireless signal back to the interrogator; and modulating the antenna switching with a sinusoidal waveform pattern that is phase locked to the received wireless signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system comprising:
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a sensor configured to (i) receive a wireless signal, (ii) select at least one characteristic of a modulation of a radar cross-section of the sensor based on one or more of;
a perceived level of interference and a transmission power, (iii) modulate the radar cross-section of the sensor by repeatedly switching an antenna between two of;
a short circuit position, an open circuit position, and an operational circuit position, and (iv) reflect the wireless signal back, wherein the modulating has the at least one identified characteristic; andan interrogator configured to (i) send the wireless signal to the sensor, (ii) receive the reflected wireless signal from the sensor, (iii) determine a phase difference between the wireless signal and the reflected wireless signal, and (iv) compute a distance between the sensor and the interrogator using the determined phase difference; wherein the sensor is further configured to modulate the antenna switching with a sinusoidal waveform pattern that is phase locked to the received wireless signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification