Use of a tag and reader antenna for a simulated Theremin effect

• US 10,311,259 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Otis, Brian, Pletcher, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/861,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20180189525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10217 parameter settings controlling the transmission power of the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for providing an audible feedback based on a proximity or a link quality between an external reader and a tag. The external reader transmits power to the tag with a radio frequency electromagnetic signal. The tag may rectify the radio frequency electromagnetic signal and create a rectified voltage. This rectified voltage may be used to power various components of the tag. Once it receives power from the reader, the tag may communicate information back to the external reader. The information communicated back to the reader is communicated by modulating an antenna impedance of the tag. By modulating the impedance, the tag will backscatter radiation transmitted by the reader. The reader is able to create an audio output based on determining the proximity or link quality from the reader to the tag based on the backscatter radiation it receives from the tag.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an antenna configured to;

transmit electromagnetic radiation having a power level, and

receive backscatter electromagnetic radiation from a sensing device configured to take measurements; and

a control unit configured to interpret an indication of a supply voltage in the sensing device from the received backscatter electromagnetic radiation and generate a signal based on the indication of the supply voltage in the sensing device; and

a visual indicator configured to generate a visual output based on the generated signal.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an audio unit configured to generate an audio output based on the generated signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to alter the generated signal based on a change in the supply voltage.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the backscatter electromagnetic radiation provides data and the control unit determines the supply voltage based on the data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to alter the power level based on at least one of (i) a proximity between the sensing device and the device and (ii) a link quality between the sensing device and the device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated signal provides an indication of a functionality of the sensing device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is an eye-mountable device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a wearable device.

9. A method comprising:

transmitting electromagnetic radiation having a power level via an antenna;

receiving backscatter electromagnetic radiation from a sensing device configured to take measurements via the antenna;

interpreting an indication of a supply voltage in the sensing device from the received backscatter electromagnetic radiation; and

generating a visual signal based on the indication of the supply voltage in the sensing device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting an audio signal based on the generated signal.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising altering the visual signal based on a change in the supply voltage.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the supply voltage is determined based on data provided by the backscatter electromagnetic radiation.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising altering the power level based on at least one of (i) a proximity between the device that caused the backscatter electromagnetic radiation and a reader and (ii) a link quality between the device that caused the backscatter electromagnetic radiation and the reader.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the generated visual signal provides an indication of a functionality of the device that caused the backscatter.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensing device is an eye-mountable device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the visual signal provides an indication when the supply voltage is too low for correction system functionality.

17. An non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor in a radio-frequency system, cause the radio-frequency system to:

transmit electromagnetic radiation having a power level via an antenna;

receive backscatter electromagnetic radiation from a sensing device configured to take measurements via the antenna;

interpret an indication of a supply voltage in the sensing device from the received backscatter electromagnetic radiation and

generate a signal based on the indication of the supply voltage in the sensing device to cause a visual indicator to output a visual signal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor in a radio-frequency system, cause the radio-frequency system to generate an audio signal based on the generated signal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor in a radio-frequency system, cause the radio-frequency system to alter the signal based on a change in the supply voltage.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the supply voltage is determined based on data provided by the backscatter electromagnetic radiation.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor in a radio-frequency system, cause the radio-frequency system to alter the power level based on at least one of (i) a proximity between the sensing device and a reader and (ii) a link quality between the sensing device and the reader.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the generated signal provides an indication of a functionality of the sensing device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the sensing device is an eye-mountable device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the signal provides an indication when the supply voltage is too low for correction system functionality.