Universal communication system

• US 5,252,979 A
• Filed: 11/23/1992
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cedcom Network Systems Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Lane Holdings Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nysen, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US07/979,968
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 370/53, 375/7, 342/50, 455/19, 455/73
• US Class Current: 342/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A communication system for use in an area having a human environment delimited from below by a floor and from above by an overhead environment substantially clear of human presence. The communication system includes a first information source operative to independently generate first information; a plurality of second information sources, each operative to independently generate second information; a plurality of controllers, each coupled to the first information source and arranged in the overhead environment, for producing a substantially downwardly directed communication beam at a prescribed carrier frequency, imparting the first information to the beam, receiving a reradiated version of the beam and detecting therefrom the second information, the controllers being arranged such that the beams substantially contiguously irradiate a region of said human environment; and a plurality of communicators, each coupled to one of the second information sources and arranged in the human environment. Each communicator includes means for receiving one of the beams, detecting the first information from the one beam and supplying the first information to an information user. Each communicator further includes means for reradiating the one beam in the direction of the controller that produced it and means for imparting the second information to the reradiated version of the beam. According to the invention each of said communicators further include a first means for generating a carrier signal at substantially the same frequency as the prescribed carrier frequency; a second means, coupled to the first means, for modulating the carrier signal with the second information signal to produce a modulated carrier signal; a third means for transmitting the modulated carrier signal substantially omni-directionally within the human environment; and a fourth means for controlling the operation of at least one of the first, second and third means. Each of said communicators is thereby operative to receive the modulated carrier signal and to reproduce the second informational signal.

Claims

1. In apparatus for two-way communication between a first transmitter/receiver unit, called a controller, and a plurality of second transmitter/receiver units, called communicators,

said controller comprising:

(a) first means for generating a first carrier signal;

(b) second means for modulating said first carrier signal with a first informational signal to produce a first modulated carrier signal;

(c) third means including a first antenna for transmitting said first modulated carrier signal as a first electromagnetic wave signal to said communicator;

(d) fourth means including said first antenna for receiving a second electromagnetic wave signal transmitted by said communicator to reproduce a second modulated carrier signal; and

(e) fifth means for demodulating said second modulated carrier signal to reproduce a second informational signal;

each of said communicators comprising;

(f) sixth means including a second antenna for receiving said first electromagnetic wave signal transmitted by said controller to reproduce said first modulated carrier signal;

(g) seventh means for demodulating said first modulated carrier signal to reproduce said first informational signal;

(h) eighth means for backscatter modulating said first modulated carrier signal with a second informational signal to produce said second modulated carrier signal; and

(i) ninth means including said second antenna for transmitting said second modulated carrier signal as said second electromagnetic wave signal;

the improvement wherein each of said communicators further comprises;

(j) tenth means for generating a second carrier signal at substantially the same frequency as said first carrier signal;

(k) eleventh means, coupled to said ninth means, for modulating said second carrier signal with a third informational signal to produce a third modulated carrier signal for transmission by said ninth means as a third electromagnetic wave signal; and

(l) twelfth means for controlling the operation of at least one of said tenth and eleventh means to enable the transmission of said third modulated carrier signal;

wherein said sixth means and said seventh means in each of said communicators are operative to receive said third modulated carrier signal and to reproduce said third informational signal.

2. The communication apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said twelfth means controls the operation of at least one of said tenth and eleventh means in dependence upon the presence or absence of the receipt of said first electromagnetic wave signal to enable the transmission of said third modulated carrier signal only during periods in which said first electromagnetic wave signal is not received.

3. In a communication system for use in an area having a human environment delimited from below by a floor and from above by an overhead environment substantially clear of human presence, said communication system comprising:

(a) a first information source operative to independently generate first information;

(b) a plurality of second information sources, each operative to independently generate second information;

(c) a plurality of controllers, each coupled to said first information source and arranged in said overhead environment, for producing a substantially downwardly directed communication beam at a prescribed carrier frequency, imparting said first information to said beam, receiving a reradiated version of said beam and detecting therefrom said second information, the controllers being arranged such that the beams substantially contiguously irradiate a region of said human environment; and

(d) a plurality of communicators, each coupled to one of said second information sources and arranged in said human environment, each communicator including means for receiving one of said beams, detecting said first information from said one beam and supplying said first information to an information user, each communicator further including means for reradiating said one beam in the direction of the controller that produced it and means for imparting said second information to the reradiated version of said beam;

the improvement wherein each of said communicators further includes;

(e) first means for generating a carrier signal at substantially the same frequency as said prescribed carrier frequency;

(f) second means, coupled to said first means, for modulating said carrier signal with said second information signal to produce a modulated carrier signal;

(g) third means for transmitting said modulated carrier signal substantially omni-directionally within said human environment; and

(h) fourth means for controlling the operation of at least one of said first, second and said third means

wherein each of said communicators is operative to receive said modulated carrier signal and to reproduce said second informational signal.

4. The communication system defined in claim 3, wherein said third means transmits said modulated carrier signal substantially omni-directionally within said human environment.