Method, apparatus and article for detection of transponder tagged objects, for example during surgery
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of operating a transponder detection device, the method comprising:
- responsive to communicably coupling an antenna circuit to the transponder detection device, automatically determining a first adjustment to spread energy across a first frequency band during a wand initialization mode, which includes determining a first tuning adjustment that increases an equalization of a spread of energy in the first frequency bank, the wand initialization mode preceding a scan mode during which the transponder detection device looks at a first time for a response to a signal transmitted in the respective first frequency band;
responsive to communicably coupling the antenna circuit to the transponder detection device, automatically determining a second adjustment to spread energy across a second frequency band, which includes determining a second tuning adjustment that increases an equalization of a spread of energy in the second frequency band;
transmitting a signal in the first frequency band during a first time;
transmitting a signal in the second frequency band during a second time;
receiving a response, if any, to the transmission of the signal in the first frequency band; and
receiving a response, if any, to the transmission of the signal in the second frequency band.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system determines the presence or absence of objects by interrogating or exciting transponders coupled to the objects using pulsed signals over a number of wide band frequency bands with dynamic tuning about a center frequency of each band and less sensitivity to noise fluctuation.
273 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of operating a transponder detection device, the method comprising:
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responsive to communicably coupling an antenna circuit to the transponder detection device, automatically determining a first adjustment to spread energy across a first frequency band during a wand initialization mode, which includes determining a first tuning adjustment that increases an equalization of a spread of energy in the first frequency bank, the wand initialization mode preceding a scan mode during which the transponder detection device looks at a first time for a response to a signal transmitted in the respective first frequency band; responsive to communicably coupling the antenna circuit to the transponder detection device, automatically determining a second adjustment to spread energy across a second frequency band, which includes determining a second tuning adjustment that increases an equalization of a spread of energy in the second frequency band; transmitting a signal in the first frequency band during a first time; transmitting a signal in the second frequency band during a second time; receiving a response, if any, to the transmission of the signal in the first frequency band; and receiving a response, if any, to the transmission of the signal in the second frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 35)
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15. A transponder detection device, comprising:
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adjustment determination means for automatically determining, responsive to the communicable coupling of an antenna circuit to the transponder detection device, at least a first adjustment to spread energy across a first frequency band centered around a first center frequency during a wand initialization mode, the wand initialization mode preceding a scan mode during which the transponder detection device looks at a first time for a response to a signal transmitted in the respective first frequency band and a second adjustment to spread energy across a second frequency band centered around a second center frequency during the wand initialization mode preceding the scan mode during which the transponder detection device looks at a second time for a response to a signal transmitted in the respective second frequency band; transmitting means for transmitting signals in at least the first frequency band during a first time and in the second frequency band during a second time; adjusting means for increasing an equalization of the spread of energy across the first frequency band and the second frequency band in response to the adjustment determination means; and receiving means for receiving a response, if any, from transponders, if any, to the transmissions of the signals in at least the first and the second frequency bands. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A transponder detection device, comprising:
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a transmitter circuit configured to produce signals in a plurality of frequency bands; a dynamic tuning circuit coupled to the transmitter circuit and configured to, responsive to the communicable coupling of an antenna circuit to the transponder detection device, tune about a respective center channel within each of the plurality of frequency bands to increase an equalization of a distribution of energy in the respective frequency band during a wand initialization mode, the wand initialization mode preceding a scan mode during which the transponder detection device looks at a plurality of respective times for a response to a signal transmitted in each of the respective plurality of frequency bands; and a receiver circuit configured to receive signals returned by a transponder in response to the signals in the plurality of frequency bands. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of operating a transponder detection device, the method comprising:
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obtaining a backward looking noise sample during a first time; transmitting an interrogation signal in a first frequency band during a second time; obtaining a signal sample at a second time sufficiently close in time to the interrogation signal such that the obtained signal sample represents a return signal, if any, returned in response to the interrogation signal; obtaining a forward looking noise sample during a third time sufficiently spaced in time from the transmitting of the interrogation signal such that the forward looking sample does not represent the return signal, if any, returned in response to the interrogation signal; and comparing the signal sample to a greater of the forward and the backward looking noise samples to determine whether the signal sample contains the return signal. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A method of operating a transponder detection device, the method comprising:
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automatically adjusting at least one antenna circuit parameter to elicit a peak voltage response at a first center frequency and automatically determining a first adjustment to an antenna circuit to increase the equalization of a spread of energy across a first frequency band about the first center frequency during a wand initialization mode, the wand initialization mode preceding a scan mode during which the transponder detection device looks at a first time for a response to a signal transmitted in the respective first frequency band; automatically adjusting the at least one antenna circuit parameter to elicit a peak voltage response at a second center frequency and automatically determining a second adjustment to the antenna circuit to increase the equalization of a spread of energy across a second frequency band about the second center frequency during the wand initialization mode preceding the scan mode during which the transponder detection device looks at a second time for a response to a signal transmitted in the respective second frequency band; responsive to the equalization of the spread of energy across the first frequency band and to the equalization of the spread of energy across the second frequency band, transmitting a plurality of signals in the first frequency band during at least one first time interval and transmitting a plurality of signals in the second frequency band during at least one second time interval; receiving the response, if any, to the transmission of the signal in the first frequency band; and receiving the response, if any, to the transmission of the signal in the second frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification