Wireless flywheel synchronization method
First Claim
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1. A wireless flywheel for synchronizing signal transmissions, comprising:
- a master source for periodically transmuting synchronization pulses;
a first reader module having a quartz crystal and a receiver, said first module having a fixed interrogation cycle;
second reader module having a quartz crystal and a receiver, said second module having a different fixed interrogation cycle than said first module; and
wherein said interrogation cycle of said first reader and said interrogation cycle of said second reader is reset upon receipt of a synchronization pulse from said master source resulting in said first reader transmitting interrogation pulses at times other than when the second reader is transmitting interrogation pulses.
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Abstract
The invention is an improved method and apparatus for synchronizing wireless communications utilizing a master source (10) for a transmitting a synchronizing pulse to multiple reader modules (20 and 28) each of which has an internal crystal oscillator (22 and 30). The synchronizing pulse periodically resets the interrogation cycle, the power burst and receive cycle, for all of the reader modules (20 and 28). Between pulses, the internal crystal oscillator (22 and 30) is used to run interrogation cycles, and thus functions as a "flywheel" to absorb fluctuations in the synchronizing pulse such as when a particular synchronizing pulse is missed.
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14 Claims
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1. A wireless flywheel for synchronizing signal transmissions, comprising:
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a master source for periodically transmuting synchronization pulses; a first reader module having a quartz crystal and a receiver, said first module having a fixed interrogation cycle; second reader module having a quartz crystal and a receiver, said second module having a different fixed interrogation cycle than said first module; and wherein said interrogation cycle of said first reader and said interrogation cycle of said second reader is reset upon receipt of a synchronization pulse from said master source resulting in said first reader transmitting interrogation pulses at times other than when the second reader is transmitting interrogation pulses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A wireless flywheel method for synchronizing signal transmissions, comprising the steps of:
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setting a plurality of fixed time intervals for an interrogation cycle for each of a plurality of reader modules relative to a crystal oscillator internal to said reader module; transmitting a synchronizing pulse to a plurality of reader modules; and restarting the interrogation cycle upon detection of the synchronization pulse, thereby resulting in each of said plurality of reader modules transmitting interrogation pulses at different times from each other. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification