RFID tag, interrogator and system with improved symbol encoding and decoding

1. An RFID tag, comprising:

at least one antenna element;

signal generation means that operates in a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation to generate a signal that represents a sequence of symbols,

wherein in said first mode of operation the signal is generated in accordance with a first signaling scheme wherein the signal is derived by multiplication of a first-type bi-phase baseband waveform and a square wave, wherein the first-type bi-phase baseband waveform has a first symbol rate SR 1 , wherein the square wave has a rate M*SR 1 , where M is selected from a number of different integer values, and wherein the first-type bi-phase baseband waveform has a phase inversion at least on every symbol boundary, and

wherein in said second mode of operation the signal is generated in accordance with a second signaling scheme wherein the signal comprises a second-type bi-phase baseband waveform having a second symbol rate SR 2 different from said first symbol rate SR 1 , and wherein the second-type bi-phase baseband waveform has a phase inversion at least on every symbol boundary; and

modulation means, operably coupled between the signal generation means and the at least one antenna element, for modulating a backscatter signal transmitted at the at least one antenna element in accordance with the signal generated by the signal generation means.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein:

the selected integer value for M is dictated by command data communicated to the tag as part of an RF signal received at the least one antenna element.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein:

the modulation means varies the impedance of the at least one antenna element in order to modulate a backscatter signal transmitted at the at least one antenna element.

4. The RFID tag of claim 1 , further comprising:

demodulation means, operably coupled to the at least one antenna element, for demodulating an RF signal received at the at least one antenna element to recover a signal encoded therein.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1 , further comprising:

means for generating at least one DC power signal from the RF signal received at the at least one antenna element and for supplying the at least one DC power signal to components of the tag.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein:

said signal generation means includes control logic and clock generation circuitry that cooperate to generate said signal.

7. The RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein:

M is an integer selected from the group including 2, 4, and 8.

8. The RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein:

the first-type bi-phase baseband waveform has a phase inversion in the middle of each data-1 symbol and lacks a phase inversion in the middle of each data-0 symbol.

9. An RFID tag, comprising:

at least one antenna element;

signal generation means that generates a signal employing a bi-phase signaling scheme, wherein the signal is derived by multiplication of a bi-phase baseband waveform and a square wave, wherein the bi-phase baseband waveform has a first symbol rate SR 1 , and wherein the square wave has a rate M*SR 1 , where M is selected from a number of different integer values, and wherein the bi-phase baseband waveform has a phase inversion at least on every symbol boundary; and

modulation means, operably coupled between the signal generation means and the at least one antenna element, for modulating a backscatter signal transmitted at the at least one antenna element in accordance with the signal generated by the signal generation means.

10. The RFID tag of claim 9 , wherein:

the selected integer value for M is dictated by command data communicated to the tag as part of an RF signal received at the least one antenna element.

11. The RFID tag of claim 9 , wherein:

the modulation means varies the impedance of the at least one antenna element in order to modulate a backscatter signal transmitted at the at least one antenna element.

12. The RFID tag of claim 9 , further comprising:

demodulation means, operably coupled to the at least one antenna element, for demodulating an RF signal received at the at least one antenna element to recover a signal encoded therein.

13. The RFID tag of claim 9 , further comprising:

means for generating at least one DC power signal from the RF signal received at the at least one antenna element and for supplying the at least one DC power signal to components of the tag.

14. The RFID tag of claim 9 , wherein:

said signal generation means includes control logic and clock generation circuitry that cooperate to generate said signal.

15. The RFID tag of claim 9 , wherein:

M is an integer selected from the group including 2, 4, and 8.

16. The RFID tag of claim 9 , wherein:

the bi-phase baseband waveform has a phase inversion in the middle of each data-1 symbol and lacks a phase inversion in the middle of each data-0 symbol.

17. The RFID tag of claim 9 , wherein:

the signal generated by the signal generation means lacks transitions at every symbol boundary.

18. The RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein:

the signal generated by the signal generation means in the first mode of operation lacks transitions at every symbol boundary.