Amtech Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Amtech Technology Corp.

Alfred R Koelle

Jeremy A Landt

Donald F Speirs

David A Eckhardt

Curtis Lee Carrender

Peter L Hendrick

Richard L Veghte

Steven W Depp

Robert W Freyman

Howard A Baldwin

A reader interrogates a transponder attached to a remote object. The transponder includes a microstrip patch antenna having two segments connected together by a switch, each segment being one-half wavelength, the antenna being a full wavelength at the frequency of the interrogating signal. In response to a control signal, the switch is opened and closed, thereby coupling and decoupling the two segments of the microstrip antenna. When the switch is in the closed position, the two segments are out-of-phase with one another, thereby producing a maximum reflected signal. When the switch is in the open position, the two segments act in concert to produce a minimum backscattered signal. The backscatter signal is thus modulated in accordance with the control signal and is received at the reader where it is subsequently decoded to identify the remote object.

Transponder employing modulated backscatter microstrip double patch

The invention provides a circuit for analyzing backscatter-modulated RF signals received from a remote transponder to determine whether the transponder is stationary or moving toward the reader or away from it and, if moving, the rate at which the transponder is coming or going. The circuit of the invention can be integrated with existing readers of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,328 and requires only a single antenna. In response to the signal received from a transponder, the invention circuit generates three signals, each having a different phase. By analyzing the pattern and frequency of signal state changes in the three signals, the invention can determine the transponder's speed and direction of movement.

Single antenna location and direction finding system

The invention provides a reader-transponder system that prevents reading of undesired transponder signals. The reader generates a low-frequency signal that is used to supply power to the transponder. The same low-frequency signal also is used to generate a clock signal for the transponder. The reader varies the frequency of the low-frequency power signal according to a code that is unique to the reader. Because the transponder clock signal is derived from the encoded low-frequency power signal, it also varies in accordance with the reader's code. The coded transponder clock signal is contained in the modulation of the RF signal produced by the transponder. When the reader receives and decodes the RF signal, it also extracts the transponder clock signal from the received RF signal and compares variations in the extracted transponder clock signal to the code that was applied to the low-frequency power signal transmitted by the reader. If the pattern of variations in the transponder clock signal matches the reader's code, then the reader senses that the RF signal it has received is from a transponder being powered by that reader and no other.

System for preventing reading of undesired RF signals

A low power circuit which detects low level RF signals and RF signals of varying strength and, upon detection, activates or 'wakes up' RF equipment, such as an automatic vehicle identification tag, that is normally kept in a dormant state to conserve operating power between active operations. The circuit converts a detected RF signal from a dc voltage signal to an ac voltage signal by 'chopping' the dc signal to a 'chopped dc' square wave, the amplitude of which is proportional to that of the original dc signal voltage, which in turn is proportional to the level of the received RF signal. The chopped dc square wave is then linearly combined with a threshold reference level signal of opposite polarity and the combined signals form the input to an ac-coupled limiting amplifier. The polarity of the amplified signal is identical to that of the larger of its two input signals. A phase detector determines the polarity of the amplified signal. When the phase detector discerns the detected RF activation signal, it activates the RF equipment.

Low level RF threshold detector

The subject invention relates to a system for identifying, for writing data into and reading data out of electronic tags which may be attached to moving and moveable objects. An interrogator sends an RF signal to a remote tag, the signal including data intended to be received and stored in the tag. The tag backscatter-modulates the received signal with data temporarily and permanently stored in the tag, including data indicating the identity of the object to which the tag is attached. The interrogator has the capability of (1) recognizing the identity of the tagged object from the returned backscatter-modulated signal and (2) transmitting data to the tag only if it has data to be transmitted to that particular tagged object. This permits data to be selectively transmitted to a tag and received and stored by that tag only after the tag has been identified as a correct one to receive that data. The tag, in addition, may have the capability of increasing its sensitivity to the receipt of transmitted data after receiving a signal from the interrogator of sufficient strength to be capable of transmitting data to that tag.

System for reading and writing data from and into remote tags

Briefly, the range limiting system of the invention is capable of differentiating desired received signals having an amplitude above a predetermined threshold level and at least one other recognizable predetermined characteristic, from other received signals below that predetermined threshold amplitude. The system has a means for combining the received signal, which is of unknown amplitude which may be above or below the predetermined threshold amplitude, with a known signal of the predetermined threshold amplitude having at least one other predetermined characteristic which is distinguishable from the other recognizable characteristic of the received signal. The output of the combining means passes to a signal processing means which produces an output signal whose other recognizable characteristic is determined by the received signal only when the received signal is above the predetermined threshold amplitude, and by the known signal when the received signal is below the predetermined threshold amplitude. The presence or absence of the desired signal is determined on the basis of analysis of the other predetermined characteristic of the output signal of the signal processing means.

Range limiting system

The invention provides a system for discriminating between modulated backscattered signals based upon transmission-to-reception time delay. The system employs a carrier, phase-modulated with a modulating signal, having characteristics which provide unity output when correlated with itself with zero time shift and a substantially lower output level when correlated with itself with a significant time shift. The system works with a backscatter-modulator located a finite distance from the transmitter for receiving and modulating the backscatter of the carrier. A receiver/detector receives and detects the modulated backscattered phase-modulated signal, the detector being phase-sensitive and having as a reference signal the transmitted phase-modulating carrier signal, and having as an input signal the phase modulated backscattered carrier. The detector provides an output signal whose averaged amplitude is substantially dependent upon the degree of phase correlation between the phase of the modulation returned input signal and the reference signal. Finally, the output signal from the detector is selectively processed only when its averaged amplitude is above a threshold level. In a preferred embodiment, the transmitted signal is a spread spectrum signal.

Signal discrimination system

This invention relates to an improved signal reader for reading signals from transponders placed on moveable objects such as ship containers, automobiles or railroad cars. The reader sends out a continuous signal, which is modified by the information contained in the transponder attached to the moveable object. Multiple antennas, each of which receive separate signals, may be multiplexed at the reader. The improved circuit of the invention provides quick recognition of the receipt of a valid signal from a transponder or, in the alternative, the absence of such a valid signal.

Rapid signal validity checking apparatus

A reader transmits interrogating rf signals to a transponder including an antenna having a particular impedance. The signals received by the antenna are converted to a direct voltage which is introduced to a first terminal of a switch such as an emitter of a semi-conductor device having conductive and non-conductive states of operation. A second terminal of the switch, such as the base of the semi-conductor device, receives a voltage variable between first and second magnitudes in accordance with a pattern of binary 1's and 0's in a data source such as a read-only memory (ROM). This pattern of binary 1's and 0's is individual to an object identified by the transponder. The variable voltage on the base of the semi-conductor device causes the emitter-collector current of the semi-conductor device to vary between first and second amplitudes. When this current has the first amplitude, the impedance of the semi-conductor device and the ROM substantially matches the antenna impedance. When this current has the second amplitude, the impedance of the semi-conductor device and the ROM is substantially greater than the antenna impedance. Capacitance may be connected to the collector of the semi-conductor device and the ROM to store energy in accordance with the current flow through the semi-conductor device. This stored energy provides for an energizing of the semi-conductor device and the ROM. A diode may be connected between the emitter and collector of the semi-conductor device to increase the second amplitude of the current through the semi-conductor device.

Transponder useful in a system for identifying objects

A reader interrogates an object. The object has a tag with a data source such as a read-only memory (ROM) which produces an identifying sequence of binary 1's and 0's in an individual pattern and transmits these signals to the reader. Each '1' or '0' is converted to a plurality of signal cycles at first and second harmonic frequencies. For example, a '1' may be identified by two signal cycles at the second frequency (e.g. 40 kHz) and then one signal cycle at the first frequency (e.g. 20 kHz) and a '0' may be identified by a signal cycle at the first frequency and then two signal cycles at the second frequency. The transponder also produces a plurality of signal cycles in an individual code (different from any combination of '1's' and '0's') to indicate the end of the transmission of the signal cycles identifying the object and the start of another transmission. The reader receives the signal cycles identifying the object and delays these signal cycles by (a) a first time such as 1/4 period of a cycle at the second frequency, (b) a second time such as 1/2 of such period and (c) a third time corresponding to such period. The reader compares the received signals and the first delayed signals to produce first phase-locked signals. The reader compares the received signals and the second delayed signals to produce additional phase-locked signals at the times that the first phase-locked signals are not produced. The reader then produces clock signals from the first and additional phase-locked signals. The reader produces information signals from a comparison of the received signals and the third delayed signals. The reader synchronizes the information signals with the lock signals to identify the object.

System for identifying particular objects

An instrument is disclosed for mapping vertical conductive fractures in a resistive bedrock, magnetically inducing eddy currents by a pair of vertically oriented, mutually perpendicular, coplanar coils. The eddy currents drive magnetic fields which are picked up by a second, similar pair of coils.

Induction logging device with a pair of mutually perpendicular bucking

The specification relates to a telemetering apparatus comprising a generator which generates at least a single frequency rf signal, a transponder for receiving that signal and for amplitude modulating it in accordance with information selected for transmission, an antenna on the transponder for reflecting the amplitude modulated signal, and a receiver which is preferably located at the generator. The receiver processes the signal to determine the information carried thereby.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Fe, NM, United States of America

Alfred R Koelle