Wireless communication systems, interrogators and methods of communication within a wireless communication system
First Claim
1. A wireless communication system comprising:
- at least one remote communication device configured to communicate a return link wireless signal responsive to a forward link wireless signal; and
an interrogator including;
a communication station configured to output the forward link wireless signal, to receive the return link wireless signal outputted from the remote communication device and to generate a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal;
communication circuitry coupled with the communication station and configured to communicate the return link communication signal, said communication circuitry comprising a plurality of wireless transceivers that collectively comprise a plurality of communication paths and a plurality of associated communication ranges; and
a housing remotely located with respect to the communication station and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to process the return link communication signal;
wherein the communication circuitry is controlled by a controller that can switch between communications paths after all return link communications have been received within a respective communications path.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to wireless communication systems, interrogators and methods of communicating within a wireless communication system. One aspect of the present invention provides a wireless communication system including at least one remote communication device configured to communicate a return link wireless signal; an interrogator including: a communication station configured to receive the return link wireless signal and to generate a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal; communication circuitry coupled with the communication station and configured to communicate the return link communication signal; and a housing remotely located with respect to the communication station and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to process the return link communication signal.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A wireless communication system comprising:
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at least one remote communication device configured to communicate a return link wireless signal responsive to a forward link wireless signal; and an interrogator including; a communication station configured to output the forward link wireless signal, to receive the return link wireless signal outputted from the remote communication device and to generate a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal; communication circuitry coupled with the communication station and configured to communicate the return link communication signal, said communication circuitry comprising a plurality of wireless transceivers that collectively comprise a plurality of communication paths and a plurality of associated communication ranges; and a housing remotely located with respect to the communication station and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to process the return link communication signal; wherein the communication circuitry is controlled by a controller that can switch between communications paths after all return link communications have been received within a respective communications path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:
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a plurality of communication stations positioned in different locations and individually configured to output a forward link wireless signal, to receive a return link wireless signal responsive to the outputting, and to generate a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal; communication circuits individually coupled with the communication stations and configured to communicate respective ones of the return link communication signals; and a housing remotely located with respect to the communication stations and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signals from the communication circuits and to process the return link communication signals; wherein the communication circuits are controlled by a controller that can switch between a plurality of communication paths after return link communication signals have been received within a respective communications path. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:
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a plurality of communication stations individually configured to output forward link wireless signals, to receive return link wireless signals responsive to the outputting and to generate return link communication signals corresponding to the return link wireless signals;
a plurality of communication circuits individually coupled with the communication stations and configured to communicate respective ones of the return link communication signals; anda housing remotely located with respect to at least one of the communication stations and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signals from the communication stations and to process the return link communication signals; wherein the plurality of communication circuits are controlled by a controller that can switch between the plurality of communication stations after return link communication signals have been received within a respective communications path. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of communicating within a wireless communication system comprising:
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providing an interrogator having a housing and a plurality of communication stations remotely located from the housing; communicating forward link wireless signals using the communication stations of the interrogator; receiving return link wireless signals within the respective communication stations of the interrogator responsive to the communicating the respective forward link wireless signals; generating return link communication signals within the communication stations corresponding to the return link wireless signals; communicating the return link communication signals from the communication stations using respective communication circuits; and receiving the return link communication signals within the housing from the communication circuits; wherein the act of communicating forward link wireless signals using the communication stations further comprises switching between the communication stations after all return link wireless signals have been received in response to a communicated forward link wireless signal. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification