INTERROGATORS, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, METHODS OF OPERATING AN INTERROGATOR, METHODS OF OPERATING A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND METHODS OF DETERMINING RANGE OF A REMOTE COMMUNICATION DEVICE
First Claim
1. An interrogator comprising:
- communication circuitry configured to output a plurality of wireless signals toward a radio frequency identification device and to receive a plurality of wireless signals from the radio frequency identification device; and
a processor coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to determine a range of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator responsive to the received wireless signals.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Interrogators, wireless communication systems, methods of operating an interrogator, methods of operating a wireless communication system and methods of determining range of a remote communication device are provided. According to a first aspect, an interrogator includes communication circuitry configured to output a plurality of wireless signals toward a radio frequency identification device and to receive a plurality of wireless signals from the radio frequency identification device; and a processor coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to determine a range of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator responsive to the received wireless signals. A method of operating an interrogator of another aspect includes outputting a plurality of wireless signals toward a radio frequency identification device; receiving a plurality of wireless signals 1s from the radio frequency identification device; and determining range of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator after the receiving.
111 Citations
52 Claims
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1. An interrogator comprising:
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communication circuitry configured to output a plurality of wireless signals toward a radio frequency identification device and to receive a plurality of wireless signals from the radio frequency identification device; and
a processor coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to determine a range of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator responsive to the received wireless signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An interrogator comprising:
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communication circuitry configured to output a plurality of wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies and to receive a plurality of wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies from a remote communication device; and
a processor coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to determine a phase of individual ones of the received wireless signals and to determine a range of the remote communication device relative to the interrogator responsive to the phase determination of the received wireless signals. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An interrogator comprising:
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communication circuitry configured to output a plurality of wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies and to receive a plurality of wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies from a remote communication device, the communication circuitry being further configured to adjust the frequency of the outputted wireless signals and to provide adjustments of increased frequency magnitude over time; and
a processor coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to determine a phase of individual ones of the received wireless signals and to determine a range of the remote communication device responsive to the phase determination of the received wireless signals. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A wireless communication system comprising:
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a remote communication device configured to receive a plurality of forward wireless signals and to output a plurality of return wireless signals responsive to the received forward wireless signals;
an interrogator configured to output the forward wireless signals toward the remote communication device and receive the return wireless signals from the remote communication device, the interrogator being further configured to determine a range of the remote communication device relative to the interrogator; and
wherein the interrogator is configured to output the forward wireless signals comprising a continuous wave signal, and the return wireless signals comprise backscatter modulated wireless signals. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A wireless communication system comprising:
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a radio frequency identification device configured to receive a plurality of wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies and selectively backscatter modulate the received wireless signals; and
an interrogator configured to output the plurality of wireless signals at the plurality of frequencies and receive the backscatter modulated wireless signals from the radio frequency identification device, the interrogator being further configured to determine the phase of the received backscatter modulated wireless signals and to determine a range of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator responsive to the phase determination. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of operating an interrogator comprising:
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outputting a plurality of wireless signals toward a radio frequency identification device;
receiving a plurality of wireless signals from the radio frequency identification device; and
determining distance of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator after the receiving. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
adjusting the frequency of the outputted wireless signals by a plurality of frequency magnitudes; and
increasing the frequency magnitudes during the adjusting.
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30. The method according to claim 26 wherein the outputting comprises outputting a continuous wave signal at the plurality of frequencies and the receiving comprises receiving backscatter modulated signals.
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31. The method according to claim 26 wherein the determining distance comprises utilizing a distance determination corresponding to an initial received wireless signal to determine the distance from a subsequent received wireless signal.
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32. A method of operating an interrogator comprising:
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outputting a plurality of wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies toward a remote communication device;
receiving a plurality of wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies from the remote communication device;
determining phase for individual ones of the received wireless signals; and
determining range of the remote communication device relative to the interrogator responsive to the determining. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
adjusting the frequency of the outputted wireless signals by a plurality of different frequency magnitudes.
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34. The method according to claim 32 further comprising:
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adjusting the frequency of the outputted wireless signals by a plurality of frequency magnitudes; and
increasing the frequency magnitudes during the adjusting.
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35. The method according to claim 32 wherein the outputting comprises outputting a continuous wave signal at the plurality of frequencies and the receiving comprises receiving backscatter modulated signals.
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36. The method according to claim 32 wherein the determining range comprises utilizing the range determination corresponding to an initial received wireless signal to determine the range from a subsequent received wireless signal.
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37. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising:
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first outputting a plurality of forward wireless signals using an interrogator;
first receiving the forward wireless signals from the interrogator using a remote communication device;
second outputting a plurality of return wireless signals using the remote communication device responsive to the receiving;
second receiving the return wireless signals from the remote communication device using the interrogator;
determining the range of the remote communication device relative to the interrogator after the receiving; and
wherein the first outputting comprises outputting a continuous wave signal at the plurality of frequencies and the second receiving comprises receiving backscatter modulated signals. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45)
adjusting the frequency of the outputted forward wireless signals by a plurality of different frequency magnitudes.
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41. The method according to claim 37 further comprising:
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adjusting the frequency of the outputted forward wireless signals by a plurality of frequency magnitudes; and
increasing the frequency magnitudes during the adjusting.
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42. The method according to claim 37 wherein the determining range comprises utilizing the range determination corresponding to an initial received return wireless signal to determine the range from a subsequent received return wireless signal.
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45. The method according to claim 40 further comprising:
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adjusting the frequency of the outputted forward wireless signals by a plurality of frequency magnitudes; and
increasing the frequency magnitudes during the adjusting.
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43. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising:
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outputting a plurality of forward wireless signals using an interrogator;
receiving the forward wireless signals from the interrogator using a radio frequency identification device;
selectively backscatter modulating the forward wireless signals using the radio frequency identification device;
receiving the backscattered wireless signals using the interrogator;
determining the phase of the backscattered wireless signals; and
determining the range of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator after the determining phase. - View Dependent Claims (44, 46)
adjusting the frequency of the outputted forward wireless signals by a plurality of different frequency magnitudes.
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46. The method according to claim 43 wherein the determining range comprises utilizing the range determination corresponding to an initial received return wireless signal to determine the range from a subsequent received return wireless signal.
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47. A method of determining range of a remote communication device comprising:
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outputting a plurality of forward wireless signals toward a remote communication device at a plurality of frequencies using an interrogator;
receiving a plurality of return wireless signals from the remote communication device at a plurality of frequencies using the interrogator;
first determining a phase of individual ones of the received return wireless signals; and
second determining a range of the remote communication device relative to the interrogator after the first determining, wherein the second determining includes utilizing the range determination corresponding to an initial received return wireless signal to determine the range from a subsequent received return wireless signal. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
adjusting the frequency of the outputted forward wireless signals by a plurality of different frequency magnitudes.
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49. The method according to claim 47 further comprising:
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adjusting the frequency of the outputted forward wireless signals by a plurality of frequency magnitudes; and
increasing the frequency magnitudes during the adjusting.
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50. The method according to claim 47 wherein the outputting comprises outputting a continuous wave signal at the plurality of frequencies and the receiving comprises receiving backscatter modulated signals.
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51. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising:
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providing a wireless communication system comprising a coherent interrogator and a radio frequency identification device;
outputting a plurality of wireless signals using the interrogator including;
providing a predefined list of values corresponding to a communication range of the wireless communication system;
outputting a forward link wireless signal;
outputting a continuous wave signal; and
varying the frequency of the continuous wave signal during the outputting according to the predefined list of values;
receiving the forward link wireless signal and the continuous wave signal using the radio frequency identification device;
processing the forward link wireless signal;
selectively outputting a plurality of return link wireless signals using the radio frequency identification device after the processing, the return link wireless signals comprising a plurality of frequencies corresponding to the varying and the outputting the return link wireless signals including backscatter modulating the continuous wave wireless signal;
receiving the backscattered return link wireless signals using the interrogator;
first determining a phase of individual ones of the backscattered return line wireless signals; and
second determining the range of the radio frequency identification device relative to the interrogator after the first determining.
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52. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising:
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first outputting a plurality of forward wireless signals using an interrogator;
first receiving the forward wireless signals from the interrogator using a remote communication device;
second outputting a plurality of return wireless signals using the remote communication device responsive to the receiving;
second receiving the return wireless signals from the remote communication device using the interrogator; and
determining the range of the remote communication device relative to the interrogator after the receiving;
wherein the first outputting includes outputting the forward wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies and the second receiving includes receiving the return wireless signals at a plurality of frequencies, and further comprising determining a phase of individual ones of the received forward wireless signals and the determining range being responsive to the determining phase.
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Specification