Multi-band wireless communication device and method

• US 7,623,834 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun; Eugene
• Application Number:
  US11/302,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20060160513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 455/272, 455/275, 455/226.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/333, 455/101, 455/274, 455/277.1, 455/279.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.42
• US Class Current: 455/272
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/45 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wireless communication device, such as a transponder, that has a plurality of antennas for multi-frequency usage. The wireless communication device comprises a control system, communication electronics, memory, and the aforementioned antennas. A wireless communication device having a pole antenna may be used with one or more loop conductor antennas to achieve the desired operating frequencies. A wireless communication device having a dipole antenna may be coupled across a loop conductor antenna to provide different loop conductor configurations depending on the frequency.

Claims

1. A method of testing data output from a wireless identification communication device comprising at least two separate and separately interrogatable chips, wherein each chip is associated with a respective memory, and wherein the wireless identification communication device is configured to communicate the data output in response to an interrogation, the method comprising:

interrogating the wireless identification communication device with a first interrogation reader at a first frequency to query a first memory associated with a first one of the at least two chips and receiving a first data output therefrom;

interrogating the wireless identification communication device with a second interrogation reader at a second frequency to query a second memory associated with a second one of the at least two chips and receiving a second data output therefrom; and

comparing the first and second data outputs received from the first and second memories using a controller coupled to the first and the second interrogation readers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the first and second data outputs in the associated memories of the at least two chips.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said synchronizing comprises sending an instruction to one of the at least two chips to update information stored in the memory associated therewith.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising archiving both of the first and second data outputs prior to synchronizing the first and second data outputs.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising comparing date stamps respectively associated with each of the first and second data outputs.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said sending an instruction comprises sending the data output having a later date stamp to the chip whose data output is associated with an earlier date stamp.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising archiving both of the first and second data outputs if the outputs are not synchronous.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an instruction to one of the at least two chips to update information stored in the memory associated therewith.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said sending an instruction comprises sending the data output having a later date stamp associated therewith to the chip whose data output is associated with an earlier date stamp.

10. A method of testing data output from a wireless identification communication device comprising at least two separate sets of separately interrogatable wireless communication electronics, wherein the wireless identification communication device is configured to communicate the data output in response to an interrogation, and wherein each set of wireless communication electronics is associated with a respective memory, the method comprising:

using a first interrogation reader of a dual reader/writer communication device to interrogate the wireless identification communication device at a first frequency to query a first memory associated with a first one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics and to receive a first data output therefrom;

using a second interrogation reader of the dual reader/writer communication device to interrogate the wireless identification communication device at a second frequency to query a second memory associated with a second one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics and to receive a second data output therefrom; and

using a controller of the dual reader/writer communication device to compare the first and second data outputs received from the first and second memories.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising synchronizing the first and second data outputs in the associated memories of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said synchronizing comprises sending an instruction to one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics to update information stored in the respective memory associated therewith.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising archiving both of the first and second data outputs prior to synchronizing the first and second data outputs.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising comparing date stamps respectively associated with each of the first and second data outputs.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said sending an instruction comprises sending the data output having a later date stamp to the one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics whose data output is associated with an earlier date stamp.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising archiving both of the first and second data outputs if the outputs are not synchronous.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending an instruction to one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics to update information stored in the memory associated therewith.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said sending an instruction comprises sending the data output having a later date stamp to the one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics whose data output is associated with an earlier date stamp.

19. An apparatus for testing data output from a wireless identification communication device comprising at least two separate sets of separately interrogatable wireless communication electronics, wherein the wireless identification communication device is configured to communicate the data output in response to an interrogation, and wherein each set of wireless communication electronics is associated with a respective memory, the apparatus comprising:

a first means for interrogating the wireless identification communication device at a first frequency to query a first memory associated with a first one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics and for receiving a first data output therefrom;

a second means for interrogating the wireless identification communication device at a second frequency to query a second memory associated with a second one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics and for receiving a second data output therefrom; and

means for controlling the first and second means and for comparing the first and second data outputs received from the first and second memories.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for synchronizing the first and second data outputs in the associated memories of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for synchronizing comprises means for sending an instruction to one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics to update information stored in the respective memory associated therewith.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for archiving both of the first and second data outputs prior to synchronizing the first and second data outputs.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for comparing date stamps respectively associated with each of the first and second data outputs.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for sending an instruction comprises means for sending the data output having a later date stamp to the one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics whose data output is associated with an earlier date stamp.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for archiving both of the first and second data outputs if the outputs are not synchronous.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for sending an instruction to one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics to update information stored in the memory associated therewith.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for sending an instruction comprises means for sending the data output having a later date stamp to the one of the at least two sets of wireless communication electronics whose output is associated with an earlier date stamp.