Amtech Corporation

Richard L Veghte

Curtis Lee Carrender

Jeremy A Landt

Alfred R Koelle

The invention provides a microstrip patch antenna for emitting backscatter-modulated signals in response to a received signal. The antenna has two segments that are connected together by a switch. When the switch is ON, the antenna is a full wave length antenna with its two segments out-of-phase with each other, thus producing minimal backscatter. When the switch is OFF, the two segments of the antenna act in concert with each other to produce a backscatter-modulated signal. Multiple pairs of such antennas can be connected together to make a single antenna with increased signal power.

Modulated backscatter microstrip patch antenna

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.

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Rio Rancho, NM, United States of America

Richard L Veghte