Methods and systems of changing antenna polarization

• US 7,932,867 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US12/906,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20110032171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 343/756, 343/893, 343/905, 343/758
• US Class Current: 343/758
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• 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 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence

Abstract

A switch assembly selectively couples an antenna communication circuit to a first feed point of a first antenna, and selectively couples the antenna communication circuit to a second feed point of a second antenna. Each feed point is selected based on polarization of an electromagnetic wave to be radiated from or received by the corresponding antenna.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first antenna having a first feed point;

a second antenna having a second feed point;

an antenna communication circuit configured to selectively tune and de-tune at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna; and

a switch assembly that selectively couples the antenna communication circuit to the first feed point of the first antenna, and that selectively couples the antenna communication circuit to the second feed point of the second antenna,

wherein the first antenna transmits an electromagnetic wave having a first polarization when the first antenna is selectively tuned and de-tuned with respect to the first feed point, and

wherein the second antenna transmits an electromagnetic wave having a second polarization when the second antenna is selectively tuned and de-tuned with respect to the second feed point.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the switch assembly further comprises a mechanical switch whose switch positions are changed by physical manipulation.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the switch assembly further comprises an electrically controlled switch.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the switch assembly is one or more selected from the group consisting of:

solenoid operated relay, field effect transistor, junction transistor, and silicon controlled rectifier pair.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the switch assembly comprises a first switch and a second switch;

and wherein the antenna communication circuit controls a switch position of each of the first and second switches.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first antenna and the second antenna each further comprises:

an antenna element that defines a perimeter;

a ground plane; and

a radiative element suspended over the ground plane,

wherein the corresponding feed point is one or more selected from the group consisting of;

within the perimeter and disposed on the perimeter.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the first antenna and the second antenna each further comprises a dielectric material disposed between the radiative element and the ground plane.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the antenna communication circuit is one or more selected from the group consisting of:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader and a RFID circuit within an RFID tag.

9. A system comprising:

a first reading antenna having a first feed point associated with a first polarization of the first reading antenna;

a second reading antenna having a second feed point associated with a second polarization of the second reading antenna;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader circuit configured to generate an interrogation signal; and

a switch assembly that selectively couples the RFID reader circuit to the first feed point of the first reading antenna, and that selectively couples the RFID reader circuit to the second feed point of the second reading antenna,

wherein when the interrogation signal is applied to the first reading antenna through the first feed point, the first reading antenna produces electromagnetic radiation with the first polarization, and

wherein when the interrogation signal is applied to the second reading antenna through the second feed point, the second reading antenna produces electromagnetic radiation with the second polarization.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein when the interrogation signal is applied to the first feed point, the interrogation signal is not applied to the second feed point.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein when the interrogation signal is applied to the second feed point, the interrogation signal is not applied the first feed point.

12. The system according to claim 9 wherein the switch assembly comprises a first switch and a second switch, and wherein the RFID reader circuit controls the switch position of each of the first and second switches.

13. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:

a first tag antenna;

a second tag antenna;

a RFID circuit configured to generate a responsive signal, wherein the responsive signal is responsive to an interrogation of the RFID tag; and

a switch assembly that selectively couples the RFID circuit to a first feed point of the first tag antenna, and that selectively couples the RFID circuit to a second feed point of the second tag antenna,

wherein the first feed point is associated with a first polarization of the first tag antenna, and the second feed point is associated with a second polarization of the second tag antenna,

wherein when the responsive signal is applied to the first tag antenna by way of the first feed point, the first tag antenna produces electromagnetic radiation with the first polarization, and

wherein when the responsive signal is applied to the second tag antenna through the second feed point, the second tag antenna produces electromagnetic radiation with the second polarization.

14. The RFID tag according to claim 13 wherein when the responsive signal is applied to the first feed point, the responsive signal is not applied to the second feed point.

15. The RFID tag according to claim 14 wherein when the responsive signal is applied to the second feed point, the responsive signal is not applied the first feed point.

16. The RFID tag according to claim 13 wherein the switch assembly comprises a first switch and a second switch, and wherein the RFID reader circuit controls the switch position of each of the first and second switches.

17. A system comprising:

a first antenna having a first feed point;

a second antenna having a second feed point;

a first antenna communication circuit configured to produce an electrical signal proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident upon the first antenna;

a second antenna communication circuit configured to produce an electrical signal proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident upon the second antenna; and

a switch assembly that selectively couples the first antenna communication circuit to the first feed point, and that selectively couples the second antenna communication circuit to the second feed point,

wherein when the electrical signal is conducted between the first feed point and the first antenna communication circuit, the electrical signal is predominantly proportional to electro-magnetic radiation incident on the first antenna having a first polarization, and

wherein when the electrical signal is conducted between the second feed point and the second antenna communication circuit, the electrical signal is predominantly proportional to electro-magnetic radiation incident on the second antenna having a second polarization.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein first polarization is one or more selected from the group consisting of:

vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, right-circular polarization, or left circular polarization.

19. A system comprising:

a first reading antenna having a first feed point associated with a first polarization of the first reading antenna;

a second reading antenna having a second feed point associated with a second polarization of the second reading antenna;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader circuit configured to receive at least one of a first electrical signal from the first reading antenna and a second electrical signal from the second reading antenna, wherein the first electrical signal is proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident upon the first reading antenna and the second electrical signal is proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident upon the second reading antenna; and

a switch assembly that selectively couples the RFID reader circuit to the first feed point of the first reading antenna, and that selectively couples the RFID reader circuit to the second feed point of the second reading antenna,

wherein when the first electrical signal is received through the first feed point of the first reading antenna, the first electrical signal is predominantly proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident on the first reading antenna having the first polarization, and

wherein when the second electrical signal is received through the second feed point, the second electrical signal is predominantly proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident on the second reading antenna having the second polarization.

20. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:

a first tag antenna;

a second tag antenna;

a RFID circuit configured to selectively tune and de-tune the first tag antenna and the second tag antenna; and

a switch assembly that selectively couples the RFID circuit to a first feed point of the first tag antenna, and that selectively couples the RFID circuit to a second feed point of the second tag antenna,

wherein the first feed point is associated with a first polarization of the first tag antenna, and the second feed point is associated with a second polarization of the second tag antenna,

wherein the first tag antenna transmits an electromagnetic wave having the first polarization when the first tag antenna is selectively tuned and de-tuned with respect to the first feed point, and

wherein the second tag antenna transmits an electromagnetic wave having the second polarization when the second tag antenna is selectively tuned and de-tuned with respect to the second feed point.

21. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:

a first tag antenna;

a second tag antenna;

a RFID circuit configured to receive a first interrogating signal from the first tag antenna and a second interrogating signal from the second tag antenna, wherein the first interrogating signal is proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident upon the first tag antenna, and wherein the second interrogating signal is proportional to electromagnetic radiation incident upon the second tag antenna; and

a switch assembly that selectively couples the RFID circuit to a first feed point of the first tag antenna, and that selectively couples the RFID circuit to a second feed point of the second tag antenna,

wherein the first feed point is associated with a first polarization of the first tag antenna, and the second feed point is associated with a second polarization of the second tag antenna,

wherein when the first interrogating signal is received by way of the first feed point, the first interrogating signal is predominantly proportional to the electromagnetic radiation incident on the first tag antenna having the first polarization, and

wherein when the second interrogating signal is received by way of the second feed point, the second interrogating signal is predominantly proportional to the electromagnetic radiation incident on the second tag antenna having the second polarization.