Wireless communication systems, interrogators and methods of communication within a wireless communication system

• US 20020090958A1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Ovard, David K., Greeff, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

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.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

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.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the communication station includes a low noise amplifier configured to increase the power of the return link communication signal.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the housing includes adjustment circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to adjust an electrical characteristic of the return link communication signal.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 3 wherein the adjustment circuitry is configured to output the return link communication signal at a substantially constant level.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 3 wherein the adjustment circuitry includes automatic gain control circuitry.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 5 wherein the automatic gain control circuitry is configured to monitor the power of the return link communication signal and to adjust the power of the return link communication signal responsive to the monitoring.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the communication circuitry includes a coaxial RF cable.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the communication circuitry includes a plurality of wireless transceivers individually coupled with one of the housing and the communication station.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the remote communication device comprises a radio frequency identification device.

10. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:

a communication station configured to receive a 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.

11. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the communication station includes a low noise amplifier configured to increase the power of the return link communication signal.

12. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the housing includes adjustment circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to adjust an electrical characteristic of the return link communication signal.

13. The interrogator according to claim 12 wherein the adjustment circuitry is configured to output the return link communication signal at a substantially constant level.

14. The interrogator according to claim 12 wherein the adjustment circuitry includes automatic gain control circuitry.

15. The interrogator according to claim 14 wherein the automatic gain control circuitry is configured to monitor the power of the return link communication signal and to adjust the power of the return link communication signal responsive to the monitoring.

16. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the communication circuitry includes a coaxial RF cable.

17. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the communication circuitry includes a plurality of wireless transceivers individually coupled with one of the housing and the communication station.

19. The interrogator according to claim 18 wherein the housing includes adjustment circuitry configured to adjust at least one electrical characteristic of the return link communication signals.

20. The interrogator according to claim 19 wherein the adjustment circuitry includes automatic gain control circuitry.

21. The interrogator according to claim 18 further comprising a plurality of communication circuits configured to communicate the return link communication signals intermediate respective communication stations and the housing.

22. The interrogator according to claim 18 wherein the communication stations are individually positioned to receive return link wireless signals within one of a plurality of communication ranges.

25. The method according to claim 24 further comprising amplifying the return link communication signal before the communicating the return link communication signal.

26. The method according to claim 24 further comprising adjusting at least one characteristic of the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the adjusting provides a return link communication signal having a substantially constant level.

28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting using automatic gain control circuitry.

29. The method according to claim 24 wherein the providing at least one remote communication device comprises providing a radio frequency identification device.

30. The method according to claim 24 further comprising processing the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.

18. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication stations individually configured to receive return link wireless signals and to generate return link communication signals corresponding to the return link wireless signals; and

a 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.

23. An interrogator of a radio frequency identification system comprising:

a communication station including;

an antenna configured to receive a return link wireless signal and to output a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal; and

a low noise amplifier coupled with the antenna and configured to increase the power of the return link communication signal;

a coaxial RF cable coupled with the low noise amplifier of 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;

automatic gain control circuitry coupled with the coaxial RF cable and configured to adjust at least one electrical characteristic of the return link communication signal to output the return link communication signal at a substantially constant level; and

processing circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the automatic gain control circuitry and to process the return link communication signal.

24. A method of communicating within a wireless communication system comprising:

providing an interrogator and at least one remote communication device;

communicating a return link wireless signal using the remote communication device;

receiving the return link wireless signal within a communication station of the interrogator;

generating a return link communication signal within the communication station corresponding to the return link wireless signal;

communicating the return link communication signal from the communication station using communication circuitry; and

receiving the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry within a housing of the interrogator remotely located from the communication station.

31. A method of communicating within a wireless communication system comprising:

providing an interrogator having a housing and at least one communication station remotely located from housing;

receiving a return link wireless signal within the communication station of the interrogator;

generating a return link communication signal within the communication station corresponding to the return link wireless signal;

communicating the return link communication signal from the communication station using communication circuitry; and

receiving the return link communication signal within the housing from the communication circuitry.

32. The method according to claim 31 further comprising amplifying the return link communication signal before the communicating the return link communication signal.

33. The method according to claim 31 further comprising adjusting at least one characteristic of the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.

34. The method according to claim 33 wherein the adjusting provides a return link communication signal having a substantially constant level.

35. The method according to claim 33 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting using automatic gain control circuitry.

36. The method according to claim 31 wherein the providing comprises providing a plurality of communication stations remotely located from the housing, and the communication stations individually receive return link wireless signals within one of a plurality of communication ranges.

37. The method according to claim 31 further comprising processing the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.