WIRELESS AUTONOMOUS DEVICE DATA TRANSMISSION

• US 20070258535A1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Original Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Inventors: Mickle, Marlin H., Cain, James T., Mi, Minhong, Sammel, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/262
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0713 the arrangement including a power charge pump
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 7/10029 the collision being resolved in the time domain, e.g. using binary tree search or RFID responses allocated to a random time slot

Abstract

A method of communicating information from a wireless autonomous device (WAD) to a base station. The WAD has a data element having a predetermined profile having a total number of sequenced possible data element combinations. The method includes receiving at the WAD an RF profile transmitted by the base station that includes a triggering portion having a number of pulses, wherein the number is at least equal to the total number of possible data element combinations. The method further includes keeping a count of received pulses and wirelessly transmitting a piece of data, preferably one bit, to the base station when the count reaches a value equal to the stored data element'"'"'s particular number in the sequence. Finally, the method includes receiving the piece of data at the base station and using the receipt thereof to determine which of the possible data element combinations the stored data element is.

Claims

1. A method of communicating information from a wireless autonomous device to a base station, said wireless autonomous device having a stored data element having the form of a predetermined profile, said predetermined profile having a total number of possible data element combinations, said possible data element combinations having a sequence, said stored data element being one of said possible data element combinations and being a particular number in the sequence, the method comprising:

receiving at said wireless autonomous device RF energy in the form of an RF transmitting profile transmitted by said base station, said RF transmitting profile including a triggering portion comprising a plurality of pulses, the number of said pulses being at least equal to said total number of possible data element combinations;

keeping a count of received pulses at said wireless autonomous device by counting each of said pulses when said pulses are received by said wireless autonomous device;

wirelessly transmitting a piece of data to said base station from said wireless autonomous device when said count of received pulses reaches a value equal to said particular number in the sequence;

receiving said piece of data at said base station; and

using the receipt of said piece of data at said base station to determine which of said possible data element combinations said stored data element is.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined profile is a fixed length bit profile, wherein said stored data element is a particular fixed length bit string, and wherein said possible data element combinations are possible bit string combinations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said RF transmitting profile further includes a preamble portion prior to said triggering portion, said method further comprising using said preamble portion to determine when to begin said step of keeping a count of received pulses.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said preamble portion includes device identifying information, said method further comprising determining at said wireless autonomous device whether said device identifying information identifies said wireless autonomous device, wherein said keeping and transmitting steps are only performed if it is determined that said device identifying information identifies said wireless autonomous device.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said preamble portion comprises pulsed RF energy.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said preamble portion comprises continuous wave RF energy.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said using step comprises using the timing of the receipt of said piece of data at said base station to determine which of said possible data element combinations said stored data element is.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein said fixed length bit profile is an 8-bit bit profile and wherein said total number of possible data element combinations is 256.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using said RF energy in the form of an RF transmitting profile to provide power to said wireless autonomous device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said step of using said RF energy in the form of an RF transmitting profile to provide power to said wireless autonomous device comprises converting at least a portion of said RF energy to DC power and using said DC power to provide power to one or more components of said wireless autonomous device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless autonomous device is structured to make a measurement and wherein said stored data element represents said measurement.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising keeping a count of transmitted pulses on said base station by counting the pulses transmitted by said base station as part of said triggering portion of said RF transmitting profile as said pulses are transmitted, wherein said step of using the receipt of said piece of data at said base station to determine which of said possible data element combinations said stored data element is uses a value of said count of transmitted pulses when said piece of data is received by said base station to determine which of said possible data element combinations said stored data element is.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said piece of data is one bit of data.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said piece of data includes one or more bits of data.

15. A wireless autonomous device system, comprising:

a base station; and

at least one wireless autonomous device, said at least one wireless autonomous device having a stored data element having the form of a predetermined profile, said predetermined profile having a total number of possible data element combinations, said possible data element combinations having a sequence, said stored data element being one of said possible data element combinations and being a particular number in the sequence;

wherein said base station is structured to transmit to said wireless autonomous device RF energy in the form of an RF transmitting profile, said RF transmitting profile including a triggering portion comprising a plurality of pulses, the number of said pulses being equal to said total number of possible data element combinations;

wherein said wireless autonomous device is structured to receive said RF energy, keep a count of received pulses by counting each of said pulses when said pulses are received, and wirelessly transmit a piece of data to said base station when said count reaches a value equal to said particular number in the sequence; and

wherein said base station is structured to receive said piece of data and use the receipt of said piece of data to determine which of said possible data element combinations said stored data element is.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said base station is structured to use the time of receipt of said piece of data at said base station to determine which of said possible data element combinations said stored data element is.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said base station is structured to keep a count of the pulses transmitted as part of said triggering portion of said RF transmitting profile as said pulses are transmitted and use a value of said count of the pulses transmitted when said piece of data is received by said base station to determine which of said possible data element combinations said stored data element is.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein said predetermined profile is a fixed length bit profile, wherein said stored data element is a particular fixed length bit string, and wherein said possible data element combinations are possible bit string combinations.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein said wireless autonomous device includes a sensor structured to make a measurement and wherein said stored data element represents said measurement.

20. The system according to claim 15, wherein said wireless autonomous device includes energy conversion circuitry, said energy conversion circuitry converting at least a portion of said RF energy to DC power, said DC power being used to provide power to one or more components of said wireless autonomous device.