Texas Instruments Corporation

Savi Technology, Inc.

Raytheon Company

Raytheon Ti Systems, Inc.

Vikram Verma

Robert S Reis

Nian Jing Yao

Domingo Antonio Mihovilovic

Quirino Balzano

Richard Kenneth Stevens

Peter Scott Bertrand

Philip J Keleshian

Patrick Peterson

This invention discloses a small slot antenna incorporated within a flat circuit board and having a three dimension omni-directional radiation pattern. In one embodiment, the antenna is formed as an L shaped slot along two edges of the circuit board of a miniature radio transceiver. The antenna is ideally suited for use in applications where radio frequency inventory tags (operating in the high VHF to low UHF frequency ranges of 400 to 500 mHz) are associated with items for which a high level of inventory control is required. It is important that such tags be able to communicate with vertical and horizontal polarized signals with reasonable gain. This invention features a low cost for manufacture and has application in radio communications in general wherever there is a requirement for a small transceiver with an integrated, orientation insensitive antenna.

Small omni-directional, slot antenna

A pager device received paging messages. The user reads a paging message, selects one of a set of stored, predetermine reply messages, and transmits the selected reply message from the pager. The reply signal is received by one of a set of local cellular receivers, which sends the received signal to a computer for interpretation. The computer initiates an action based on interpretation of the received reply signal. The communication system communicates with large numbers of pagers in a time and energy efficient manner. The pagers are associated with items located in a communication region that is interrogated by an interrogator on a one-to-many basis using broadcast commands, on a one-to-one basis using directed commands or on a combination basis using both methods. Messaging occurs through organized transmission and reception of signals between the pagers and the interrogator. A batch collection protocol uses a combined one-to-many and one-to-one communication system that effectively resolves communication contentions. The batch collection protocol employs a plurality of collection periods which communicate with large or unknown numbers of portable pagers.

Personal messaging system and method

An efficient electrically small loop antenna includes a radiation device, an impedance matching network, and a connector that interfaces to associated electronic circuitry. The radiation device includes a conductive planar base element extending in a base plane and a conductive loop connected to the planar base element. The loop connects to the base element so that the electrical current for the antenna flows through both the conductive loop and the planar base element. The impedance matching network matches the radiation device to the associated electronic circuitry. The matching network is integrated into the planar base and is connected to both the conductive loop and the base element so that the electric current supplied to the antenna is conducted through both the base element and the conductive loop.

Efficient electrically small loop antenna with a planar base element

A communication system for identifying, locating, tracking and communicating for other purposes with large numbers of tags in a time and energy efficient manner. The tags are associated with items located in a communication region that is interrogated by an interrogator on a one-to-many basis using broadcast commands, on a one-to-one basis using directed commands or on a combination basis using both methods. Identification occurs through organized transmission and reception of signals between the tags and the interrogator. A batch collection protocol uses a combined one-to-many and one-to-one communication system that effectively resolves communication contentions. The batch collection protocol employs a plurality of collection periods which communicate with large or unknown numbers of portable tags.

Communication system for communicating with tags

A self-contained system containing an antenna, a circuit board, and a power source. The antenna consists of two loop elements mounted perpendicular to each other on a circular metal plate that acts both as part of the radiating system and as a shield between the circuitry and the radiator. The circuit board includes a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuitry for storing information and executing software. The antenna has a high gain, is omnidirectional in two orthogonal polarizations, and has a high degree of isolation between the two loop elements. To achieve omnidirectionality, in one mode, the antenna operates by using each loop element in a time-sequence of brief on/off states. In another mode, the transceiver uses both loop elements simultaneously with the signals on the two loop elements in phase quadrature.

Efficient, dual-polarization, three-dimensionally omni-directional

A communication system that communicates for locating one or more tags in a time and energy efficient manner. The tags are positioned in a communication region and are located by a locator. The tags are located through organized transmission and reception of signals between the tags and the locator. The locator locates and gives directions to tags from the locator using a radio link and a multi-channel ultrasonic acoustic link. The combination of linkages provides the means to determine the unobstructed bearing and distance between the locator and the tag and resolves multipath reflections.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Vikram Verma