The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 25, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 03, 1997
Brian G. Palmer, Redmond, WA (US);
Alan F. Jovanovich, Des Moines, WA (US);
Intermec IP Corp., Woodland Hills, CA (US);
Abstract
A multi-mode radio frequency network comprises a first type of computing device having a radio receiver/transmitter adapted for communication over a narrowband frequency range, and a second type of computing device having a radio receiver/transmitter adapted for communication over both the narrowband frequency range and a wideband frequency range. A network access controller is adapted for communication with both types of computing device over respective ones of the narrowband and wideband frequency ranges. The network access controller provides synchronization signals for coordinating the timing of communications over the narrowband and wideband frequency ranges. The second type of computing device may be adapted for either frequency-hopping or direct sequence spread spectrum communication signals over the wideband frequency range. The synchronization signals further comprise periodic beacon signals that define discrete time periods which further include a synchronous portion for communication of the narrowband signals and an asynchronous portion for communication of the wideband signal. The multi-mode radio frequency network may further include data storage/retrieval devices and data collection devices adapted for communication with the first and second types of computing device over the narrowband frequency range.