Wake up device for communications system

• US 7,912,442 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Rotzoll, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong; Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US11/598,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/226.1, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/151.1, 455/151.2, 455/353, 455/574, 370/311, 340/10.1, 340/10.33, 340/10.34
• US Class Current: 455/343.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0293 having a sub-controller with a low clock frequency switching on and off a main controller with a high clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention teaches a communications system comprising a first communications device for receiving data and a wake up signal. The first communications device comprises an active mode of operation and a sleep mode of operation for reducing power consumption. Further, the system comprises means for switching the first communications device to and from sleep mode in response to receiving the wake up signal. Further, the system comprises a second communications device for transmitting data to the first device during its active mode, while transmitting the wake up signal to the first device during its sleep mode.

Claims

1. A method of tracking inventory, the method comprising:

positioning an interrogator unit in a first region, the interrogator unit comprising one or more transceivers communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, the interrogator unit being configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals;

transmitting by the interrogator unit via at least one of the one or more transceivers a first RF signal;

receiving by a first RFID tag the first RF signal;

transitioning to a first mode by the first RFID tag when the first RFID tag determines the first RF signal is at a first frequency and a first data rate; and

transitioning to a second mode by the first RFID tag when the first RFID tag determines the first RF signal is at a second frequency and a second data rate, the first RFID tag remaining in the first mode until transitioning into the second mode upon receipt of the first RF signal at the second frequency and the second data rate, and the first RFID tag remaining in the second mode until transitioning into the first mode upon receipt of the first RF signal at the first frequency and the first data rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is substantially equivalent to the second frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RFID tag determines a frequency and a data rate of the first RF signal via one or more bandpass filters and one or more envelope detectors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RFID tag consumes less power in the first mode than the second mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode comprises operating states in which the first RFID tag requires more power than operating states of the second mode.

6. A system to track inventory, the system comprising:

an interrogator unit positioned in a region, the interrogator unit comprising one or more transceivers communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, the interrogator unit being configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) wake up signal via at least one of the one or more transceivers over the one or more antennas; and

at least one RFID tag to receive the RF wake up signal, the at least one RFID tag configured to transition out of a sleep mode when the at least one RFID tag detects the RF wake up signal according to a predetermined frequency and a predetermined data rate, wherein the at least one RFID tag is configured to remain in the sleep mode until receipt of the RF wake up signal according to the predetermined frequency and the predetermined data rate.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the RF wake up signal includes a singular frequency signal carried via a radio frequency signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the RF wake up signal is in a frequency range from 200 MHz to 10 GHz.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the RFID tag comprises at least one bandpass filter to detect the singular frequency signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to detect a singular frequency without harmonics.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the RFID tag is configured to detect a predetermined frequency in the RF wake up signal to determine the presence of the RF wake up signal.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the RFID tag consumes less power in the sleep mode than being out of the sleep mode.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the interrogator unit is configured to transmit data via radio frequency signals to the RFID tag;

and the RFID tag is configured to store the data.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the interrogator unit and the RFID tag are configured to communicate an ID number via radio frequency signals.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the ID number is modulated on a carrier via shift keying.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the RFID tag is configured to call up the ID number from a memory and transmit the ID number to the interrogator unit via radio frequency signals.

17. An interrogator, comprising:

at least one antenna; and

at least one transceiver communicatively coupled to the at least one antenna, the at least one transceiver to transmit a first radio frequency (RF) signal to at least one RFID tag via the at least one antenna, the at least one transceiver to transmit the first RF signal according to a first frequency and a first data rate to bring the at least one RFID tag out of a sleep mode, the at least one transceiver to transmit a second radio frequency (RF) signal via the at least one antenna to the RFID tag to cause the RFID tag to call up an ID number stored in a memory and to transmit the ID number;

wherein the at least one RFID tag is configured to remain in the sleep mode until receipt of the first RF signal in accordance with the first frequency and the first data rate.

18. The interrogator of claim 17, wherein the first RF signal includes a singular frequency signal provided on a radio frequency carrier.

19. The interrogator of claim 18, wherein the second RF signal includes data modulated on the radio frequency carrier via a shift keying technique.

20. The interrogator of claim 19, wherein the shift keying technique is based on binary phase shift keying.

21. The interrogator of claim 17, wherein the interrogator unit is configured to transmit data via radio frequency signals to the RFID tag after transmitting the first RF signal;

and the RFID tag is configured to store the data in the memory.

22. A method of transitioning between modes, the method comprising:

positioning an interrogator unit in a first region, the interrogator unit comprising one or more transceivers communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, the interrogator unit being configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals;

transmitting by the interrogator unit via at least one of the one or more transceivers a first RF signal;

receiving by a first radio frequency device the first RF signal;

transitioning to a first mode by the first radio frequency device when the first radio frequency device determines the first RF signal is at a first frequency and a first data rate; and

transitioning to a second mode by the first radio frequency device when the first radio frequency device determines the first RF signal is at a second frequency and a second data rate, the first radio frequency device remaining in the first mode until transitioning into the second mode upon receipt of the first RF signal at the second frequency and the second data rate, and the first radio frequency device remaining in the second mode until transitioning into the first mode upon receipt of the first RF signal at the first frequency and the first data rate.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first frequency is substantially equivalent to the second frequency.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first radio frequency device determines a frequency and a data rate of the first RF signal via one or more bandpass filters and one or more envelope detectors.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first radio frequency device consumes less power in the first mode than the second mode.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first mode comprises operating states in which the first radio frequency device requires more power than operating states of the second mode.

27. A system for waking up a radio frequency device, the system comprising:

an interrogator unit positioned in a region, the interrogator unit comprising one or more transceivers communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, the interrogator unit being configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) wake up signal via at least one of the one or more transceivers over the one or more antennas; and

at least one radio frequency device to receive the RF wake up signal, the at least one radio frequency device configured to transition out of a sleep mode when the at least one radio frequency device detects the RF wake up signal according to a predetermined frequency and a predetermined data rate, wherein the at least one radio frequency device is configured to remain in the sleep mode until receipt of the RF wake up signal according to the predetermined frequency and the predetermined data rate.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the RF wake up signal includes a singular frequency signal carried via a radio frequency signal.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the RF wake up signal is in a frequency range from 200 MHz to 10 GHz.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the radio frequency device comprises at least one bandpass filter to detect the singular frequency signal.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to detect a singular frequency without harmonics.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the radio frequency device is configured to detect a predetermined frequency in the RF wake up signal to determine the presence of the RF wake up signal.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the radio frequency device consumes less power in the sleep mode than being out of the sleep mode.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the interrogator unit is configured to transmit data via radio frequency signals to the radio frequency device; and

the radio frequency device is configured to store the data.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the interrogator unit and the radio frequency device are configured to communicate an ID number via radio frequency signals.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the ID number is modulated on a carrier via shift keying.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the radio frequency device is configured to call up the ID number from a memory and transmit the ID number to the interrogator unit via radio frequency signals.