Abstract: A communication system includes a reference station and a mobile station. The reference station is operable to: receive GPS signals; generate GPS assisting data from the received GPS signals; receive SBAS signals; obtain SBAS data from the received SBAS signals; combine the GPS assisting data and the SBAS data to produce combined GPS data; and transmit the combined GPS data via a terrestrial wireless communication. The mobile station is operable to: receive the GPS signals; receive the combined GPS data via the terrestrial wireless communication; and generate positioning data from the mobile received GPS signals and the combined GPS data.

Abstract: An RFID system includes an RFID tag, an RFID reader, and a server. The RFID tag communicates to the server via encrypted information. The information may be encrypted with synchronized encryption keys. In this manner, the reader need not decrypt the information from the RFID tag. The effectiveness of malicious readers is thereby reduced, resulting in improved RFID tag security.

Abstract: An integrated RFID reader and wireless communication device is realized by a radio frequency (RF) front end operable, in a first mode, to generate a radio frequency identification system (RFID) outbound radio frequency (RF) signal, to receive an RFID inbound RF signal responsive to the RFID outbound RF signal and to convert the RFID inbound RF signal to an RFID near baseband signal, and operable in a second mode, to generate a transceiver outbound radio frequency (RF) signal, to receive a transceiver inbound RF signal and to convert the transceiver inbound RF signal to a transceiver near baseband signal.

Abstract: A communication system includes a reference station and a mobile station. The reference station is operable to: receive GPS signals; generate GPS assisting data from the received GPS signals; receive SBAS signals; obtain SBAS data from the received SBAS signals; combine the GPS assisting data and the SBAS data to produce combined GPS data; and transmit the combined GPS data via a terrestrial wireless communication. The mobile station is operable to: receive the GPS signals; receive the combined GPS data via the terrestrial wireless communication; and generate positioning data from the mobile received GPS signals and the combined GPS data.

Abstract: A radio device that is capable of positioning itself using one or more available positioning techniques includes a selection parameter defined to enable selection of at least one of the available positioning techniques supported by the radio device for use in calculating the location of the radio device. At least one of the positioning techniques supported by the radio device is a broadcast positioning technique that uses broadcast radio signals broadcast from radio stations to calculate the location of the radio device.

Abstract: A radio device that is capable of positioning itself within a broadcast radio system includes a radio receiver operable to receive a plurality of broadcast radio signals, each broadcast from a respective one of a plurality of broadcast radio signal sources, and a GPS receiver coupled to receive a broadcast parameter determined using the broadcast radio signals and operable to calculate a GPS location of the radio device using the broadcast parameter.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include radio frequency identification location systems and methods. In one embodiment, RF signals are transmitted from one or more RFID readers, and in accordance therewith, backscattered signals are received from a tag to be located. A plurality of measured position parameters are used to determine a location of the tag. In one embodiment, one reader may transmit and three readers may receive signals to determine the position of a tag. In other embodiments, multiple readers may transmit and receive. In another embodiment, one reader may transmit from different positions to locate a tag. Embodiments of the invention may be used to track a moving tag. A reader's position may be determined using GPS, reference tags, or the reader may be positioned in a known location. A map may be provided to a user to display the location or movement of a tag or a corresponding item.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a method of determining a distance between an RFID reader and an RFID tag comprising transmitting two or more signals having two or more corresponding frequencies from said reader and measuring a phase difference between backscattered signals from said tag. A distance between the tag and reader may be determined using the measured phase difference. In one embodiment, multiple frequency pairs may be used and an average distance may be generated.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) decoding subsystem includes a pre-decode module and a decode module. The pre-decode module is coupled to process down-converted RFID signals into at least one of pre-decoded baseband data and corresponding decoding information. The decode module is coupled to process the pre-decoded baseband data into decoded RFID data, where the processing of the pre-decoded baseband data is based on the corresponding decoding information when the corresponding decoding information is produced by the pre-decoder module.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) decoding subsystem includes a pre-decode module and a decode module. The pre-decode module is coupled to process down-converted RFID signals into pre-decoded baseband data. The decode module is coupled to: enable a counting process based on the pre-decoded baseband data to produce a count resultant; and compare the count resultant with a threshold at a data bit interval to produce decoded RFID data.

Abstract: A communication system includes a reference station and a mobile station. The reference station is operable to: receive GPS signals; generate GPS assisting data from the received GPS signals; receive SBAS signals; obtain SBAS data from the received SBAS signals; combine the GPS assisting data and the SBAS data to produce combined GPS data; and transmit the combined GPS data via a terrestrial wireless communication. The mobile station is operable to: receive the GPS signals; receive the combined GPS data via the terrestrial wireless communication; and generate positioning data from the mobile received GPS signals and the combined GPS data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for utilizing backscattering techniques in wireless applications. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of wirelessly controlling a device comprising, in a first electronic device, generating a first command, modulating the first command, and transmitting the modulated first command over a first communication channel using an RF signal. In a second electronic device, the RF signal is received over the first communication channel, and the modulated first command is demodulated and executed. In one embodiment, the second electronic device absorbs and uses at least some power from the RF signal transmitted by the first electronic device. In one embodiments, data generated by the second device may be transmitted back to the first electronic device using backscattering.

Abstract: A wireless communication device is provided with both a transceiver and a low-cost RFID reader. The RFID reader is operable to generate a first outbound radio frequency (RF) signal from first outbound data, to receive a first inbound RF signal responsive to the outbound RF signal and to convert the first inbound RF signal into inbound RFID digital data. The transceiver is operable to generate a second outbound radio frequency (RF) signal, to receive a second inbound RF signal and to convert the second inbound RF signal into inbound transceiver data.

Abstract: A highly integrated and low-cost reader for a radio frequency identification (RFID) system is realized by providing a transmitter operable to generate an outbound radio frequency (RF) signal and a receiver operable to receive an inbound RF signal having a frequency similar to a frequency of the outbound RF signal on a single integrated circuit. Since the inbound RF signal may include not only a modulated RF signal produced by an RFID tag responsive to the outbound RF signal, but also a blocking signal corresponding to the outbound RF signal, the receiver additionally includes a block cancellation module operable to substantially cancel the blocking signal from the inbound RF signal using the outbound RF signal and to substantially pass the modulated RF signal before down-conversion of the modulated RF signal.

Abstract: An integrated RFID reader and wireless communication device is realized by a radio frequency (RF) front end operable, in a first mode, to generate a radio frequency identification system (RFID) outbound radio frequency (RF) signal, to receive an RFID inbound RF signal responsive to the RFID outbound RF signal and to convert the RFID inbound RF signal to an RFID near baseband signal, and operable in a second mode, to generate a transceiver outbound radio frequency (RF) signal, to receive a transceiver inbound RF signal and to convert the transceiver inbound RF signal to a transceiver near baseband signal.

Abstract: A transceiver for combining RFID amplitude-modulated data with wireless phase-modulated data is realized by a processing module operably coupled to generate outbound non-amplitude modulated symbols from first outbound data, to generate outbound amplitude modulated symbols from second outbound data, to generate first inbound data from inbound non-amplitude modulated symbols, and to generate second inbound data from inbound amplitude modulated symbols, a combiner operably coupled to modulate the amplitude modulated symbols onto a signal carrying the non-amplitude modulated symbols to produce a combined outbound RF signal and a splitter operably coupled to convert a combined inbound RF signal into inbound non-amplitude modulated symbols and into inbound amplitude modulated symbols.

Abstract: A method for decoding bi-phase encoded data begins by interpreting a first bit boundary of a bit of the bi-phase encoded data to produce a first boundary value. The method continues by interpreting a second bit boundary of the bit of the bi-phase encoded data to produce a second boundary value. The method continues by comparing the first boundary value to the second boundary value to produce a decoded bit.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a wireless access point that acquires and processes radio frequency identification (RFID) information. The wireless access point may be coupled to a network of RFID readers over a wireless network. The RFID readers may read a plurality of RFID tags and transmit information to one or more readers. The readers may, in turn, transmit the RFID information to a wireless access point. The wireless access point may include a middleware layer for performing a variety of RFID data processing functions. In one embodiment, the wireless RFID reader network may be used to improve positioning of readers and tags, and may include a GPS system or position assisted GPS system at the reader and/or tag level.