IP Library Granted Patent US 7,873,121
Granted Patent B2
US 7,873,121 · App. 11/741,651 · Granted Jan 18, 2011

Oversampling and digitally filtering RFID signals

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,873,121
App. No.
11/741,651
Granted
Jan 18, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure includes a system and method for oversampling and digitally filtering RFID signals. In some implementations of the present disclosure, an RF receiver includes an ADC, a comb filter, and a mask filter. The ADC is operable to directly sample an RF signal independent of a band pass filter and convert the RF signal to a digital signal. The RF signal is sampled at a rate greater than or equal to 60 MHz. The comb filter is coupled to the ADC. The mask filter is coupled to the comb filter. The comb filter and frequency mask filter are configured to filter out-of-band noise in the digital signal.

Claims (37)

1. A Radio Frequency (RF) receiver, comprising:

an analog filter receiving an RF signal filtering several frequencies from the RF signal;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the analog filter operable to convert the filtered signal to a digital signal by directly sampling the filtered RF signal independent of initially downconverting the filtered RF signal:

a comb filter coupled to the ADC and configured to generate a comb structure in a frequency domain using the RF signal; and

a mask filter coupled to the comb filter and configured to pass a frequency band in the comb structure, the comb filter and frequency mask filter operable to filter out-of-band noise in the digital signal.

2. The RF receiver of claim 1 , further comprising a conversion module coupled to the ADC and operable to directly sample and down convert the digital signal to baseband signal.

3. The RF receiver of claim 1 , wherein the mask filter is operable to pass a channel and substantially reject other structures in a frequency domain generated by the comb filter.

4. The RF receiver of claim 1 , wherein the comb filter and the mask filter are integrated into a single comb-mask filter.

5. The RF receiver of claim 4 , wherein the single comb-mask filter comprises at least one of a FM0 comb-mask filter, a Miller-2 comb-mask filter, a Miller-4 comb-mask filter, or a Miller-8 comb-mask filter.

6. The RF receiver of claim 1 , wherein the RF signal includes a backscattered signal from a transponder.

7. The RF receiver of claim 1 , further comprising a decimator operable to decrease a number of samples of the digital signal.

8. The RF receiver of claim 1 , wherein the comb filter and the mask filter are operable to decrease a shape factor associated with the digital signal.

9. An RF receiver, comprising:

an ADC operable to directly sample an RF signal independent of a band pass filter and convert the RF signal to a digital signal, wherein the RF signal is sampled at a rate greater than or equal to 60 MHz;

a comb filter coupled to the ADC and configured to generate a comb structure in a frequency domain using the RF signal; and

a mask filter coupled to the comb filter and configured to pass a a frequency band in the comb structure, the comb filter and frequency mask filter operable to filter out-of-band noise in the digital signal.

10. The RF receiver of claim 9 , wherein the sample rate is approximately 244 MHz.

11. A method, comprising:

filtering several frequencies from an RF signal and passing an RF band;

directly sampling the RF band for converting the RF band to a digital signal independent of initially downconverting the filtered RF signal;

generating a comb structure in a frequency domain based, at least in part, on the digital signal; and

masking structures in the comb to filter out-of-band noise in the digital signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising down converting the digital signal to a baseband signal.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein masking the comb structure comprises:

passing a channel; and

substantially rejecting other structures in the frequency domain.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the comb structure and masking out-of-band structures is performed by a comb-mask filter.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the single comb-mask filter comprises at least one of a FM0 comb-mask filter, a Miller-2 comb-mask filter, a Miller-4 comb-mask filter, or a Miller-8 comb-mask filter.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the RF signal includes a backscattered signal from a transponder.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising decreasing a number of samples of the digital signal.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising decreasing a shape factor associated with the digital signal.

19. A method, comprising:

directly sampling, at a rate greater than or equal to 60 MHz, an RF signal independent of a band pass filter;

converting the RF signal to a digital signal;

generating a comb structure in a frequency domain based, at least in part, on the digital signal; and

masking structures in the comb to filter out-of-band noise in the digital signal.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the sample rate is approximately 244 MHz.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2017
From: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
To: NEOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 043508/0104 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 027395 FRAME 0623. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER DOCUMENT. Recorded Jan 11, 2013
From: SIRIT TECHNOLOGIES INC.
To: SIRIT INC.
Reel/Frame 029610/0643 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2012
From: SIRIT INC.
To: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 029277/0188 →
RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT OF PATENTS Recorded Feb 24, 2012
From: BANK OF MONTREAL
To: SIRIT CORP.
Reel/Frame 027756/0785 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 15, 2011
From: SIRIT TECHNOLOGIES INC.
To: SIRIT INC.
Reel/Frame 027395/0623 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 10, 2011
From: SIRIT CORP.
To: BANK OF MONTREAL, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 026254/0216 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2007
From: FREDERICK, THOMAS J.; SCHAFFER, JAMES M.; REPKE, JOSEPH P.
To: SIRIT TECHNOLOGIES INC., A CORPORATION OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 019577/0202 →