Low-power remotely readable sensor
First Claim
1. A remotely readable sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a sensor system having a minimum detectable sensor-apparatus antenna capture area, comprising;
at least one sensing circuit for converting environmental input data to digital data;
a data processor for receiving said digital data and appending additional information thereto to form encoded data;
a memory means for storing said encoded data as a data frame;
a modulation signal generator for receiving said data frame stored in said memory means, forming a data packet therefrom and outputting a modulation sequence;
an RF bi-phase modulator for receiving said modulation sequence; and
a sensor-apparatus antenna having a detectable capture area and a reflection coefficient that is determined by the states of said RF bi-phase modulator;
whereby said RF bi-phase modulator is driven by said modulation sequence to change said reflection coefficient angle by a P-N junction device, and to produce a reflected signal in response to a carrier signal; and
a reader system, comprising;
a reader transmitter for generating said carrier signal;
a reader transmitting antenna for transmitting said carrier signal to said sensor-apparatus and reader receiving antenna for receiving said reflected signal from said sensor-apparatus;
a reader receiver for processing said reflected signal to form a processed reflected signal;
a demodulator for receiving said processed reflected signal and outputting said encoded data;
an information decoder for decoding said encoded data to retrieve said data frame; and
a local memory for storing said data frame.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of remotely readable sensor apparatus and reader systems for collecting data frames from all apparatus within the reader field of view. Each sensor apparatus converts one or more environmental observable into information signals, converts the information signals into digital data and appends other discriminating digital data as desired to form a digital data frame. The state of a diode, connected to an antenna with the digital data frame, is modulated and a timing apparatus controls the digital-data-frame start times. The modulated states of the diode connected to a sensor-apparatus antenna are chosen so the angle of the antenna reflection coefficient is modulated between two values separated by approximately 180 degrees, so a carrier signal received by the antenna effects a bi-phase modulated signal containing the digital data frame that is reflected by the sensor-apparatus antenna toward the reader receiver antenna.
20 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A remotely readable sensor apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor system having a minimum detectable sensor-apparatus antenna capture area, comprising; at least one sensing circuit for converting environmental input data to digital data; a data processor for receiving said digital data and appending additional information thereto to form encoded data; a memory means for storing said encoded data as a data frame; a modulation signal generator for receiving said data frame stored in said memory means, forming a data packet therefrom and outputting a modulation sequence; an RF bi-phase modulator for receiving said modulation sequence; and a sensor-apparatus antenna having a detectable capture area and a reflection coefficient that is determined by the states of said RF bi-phase modulator; whereby said RF bi-phase modulator is driven by said modulation sequence to change said reflection coefficient angle by a P-N junction device, and to produce a reflected signal in response to a carrier signal; and a reader system, comprising; a reader transmitter for generating said carrier signal; a reader transmitting antenna for transmitting said carrier signal to said sensor-apparatus and reader receiving antenna for receiving said reflected signal from said sensor-apparatus; a reader receiver for processing said reflected signal to form a processed reflected signal; a demodulator for receiving said processed reflected signal and outputting said encoded data; an information decoder for decoding said encoded data to retrieve said data frame; and a local memory for storing said data frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for remotely sensing environmental data comprising the steps of:
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collecting a plurality of environmental inputs via at least one sensing means; formatting said plurality of environmental inputs as digital data; collecting said digital data; storing said collected digital data in a memory storage device as a data frame, said memory storage device accessible by a sensor system having a sensor antenna; constructing a data packet from said data frame; encoding said data packet to construct a modulation sequence; driving an RF modulator with said modulation sequence; generating a carrier signal with a reader transmitter and directing said carrier signal at said sensor antenna; receiving said carrier signal at said sensor system via said sensor antenna; bi-phase modulating said received carrier signal to produce a reflected signal; receiving said reflecting signal with a reader receiver; processing said reflected signal to produce a processed signal; decoding said processed signal to produce said data packet; and recovering said data frame from said data packet. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A remotely readable sensor apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor system having a minimum detectable sensor-apparatus antenna capture area, comprising; at least one sensing circuit for converting environmental input data to digital data; a data processor for receiving said digital data and appending additional information thereto to form encoded data; a memory means for storing said encoded data as a data frame; a modulation signal generator for receiving said data frame stored in said memory means, forming a data packet therefrom and outputting a modulation sequence; an RF bi-phase modulator for receiving said modulation sequence; and a sensor-apparatus antenna having a detectable capture area and a reflection coefficient that is determined by the states of said RF bi-phase modulator; whereby said RF bi-phase modulator is driven by said modulation sequence to change said reflection coefficient angle by a P-N junction device, and to produce a reflected signal in response to a carrier signal; and a reader system, comprising; a local signal of opportunity for generating said carrier signal; a reader transmitting antenna for transmitting said carrier signal to said sensor-apparatus and reader receiving antenna for receiving said reflected signal from said sensor-apparatus; a reader receiver for processing said reflected signal to form a processed reflected signal; a demodulator for receiving said processed reflected signal and outputting said encoded data; an information decoder for decoding said encoded data to retrieve said data frame; and a local memory for storing said data frame. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification