A power receiving-type information acquisition and transmission device is provided with one or more power receivers that receive power supply waves that can supply power, one or more power storage means that store power obtained by the power receiving means, one or more information acquisition means that acquire information by expending at least part of the aforementioned power of the power receiver and/or the power storage means, and one or more information transmission means that utilize the power from the power storage means to transmit information externally. This enables regular or steady information collection, and enables externally transmitting the information stably and remotely, on a permanent basis, i.e., either over a short or long distance.

A transceiver may wirelessly transmit a communication signal at a first frequency and a sensing signal at a second frequency. The communication signal may include a command that causes a backscatter node to modulate impedance of an antenna, and thereby modulate reflectivity of the backscatter node. The communication signal may also deliver wireless power to the backscatter node. While the impedance is being modulated in response to the command, the transceiver may transmit the sensing signal and measure wireless reflections. The power of the sensing signal may be much lower than that of the communication signal. The transceiver may frequency hop the sensing signal in a wide band of frequencies and take measurements at each frequency in the hopping. Based on the measurements, a computer may determine time-of-flight or phase of a reflected signal from the backscatter node and may estimate location of the backscatter node with sub-centimeter precision.

Embodiments generally relate to robots and enabling robots to locate objects in a physical environment. In some embodiments, a method includes charging a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag with an RFID reader, where the RFID tag is coupled to an object, and where the RFID reader is coupled to a robot arm. The method further includes receiving a plurality of responses from the RFID tag, where each response includes a power value to which the RFID tag was charged and a time value for charging the RFID tag to the power value. The method further includes moving the RFID reader to a plurality of RFID reader positions using the robot arm, where each RFID reader position is associated with one of the responses of the plurality of responses. The method further includes determining a plurality of distances from the RFID reader to the RFID tag based on power values and the time values of the respective responses at the respective RFID reader positions. The method further includes determining a location of the RFID tag based on the plurality of distances.

This power receiving-type information acquisition and transmission device 101 is provided with one or more power receiving means 110 which receive power supply waves that can supply power, one or more power storage means 120 which store power obtained by the power receiving means, one or more information acquisition means 130 which acquire information by expending at least part of the aforementioned power of the power receiving means 110 and/or the power storage means 120, and one or more information transmission means 140 which utilize the power from the power storage means 120 to transmit information externally. This enables regular or steady information collection, and enables transmitting said information stably, on a permanent basis and remotely, i.e., either over a short or long distance externally.

An identification device that provides identification information is described. This identification device includes a set of radar reflectors that reflect radar signals having a fundamental wavelength. The set of radar reflectors may be arranged in a pattern corresponding to the identification information. For example, the set of radar reflectors may be passive and retrodirective, where a given radar reflector reflects a radar signal back along its prior direction of propagation. Moreover, the pattern may include regions that reflect the radar signals and second regions that do not reflect or scatter the radar signals. During operation, the identification device may receive the radar signals, and then may selectively reflecting the radar signals using the set of radar reflectors to provide the identification information.

A multi-protocol, multi-band array antenna system may be used in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system reader and sensory networks. The antenna array may include array elements with an integrated low noise amplifier. The system may employ digital beam forming techniques for transmission and steering of a beam to a specific sensor tag or group of tags in a cell. The receive beam forming network is optimized for detecting signals from each sensor tag. Narrow and wideband interferences may be excised by an interference nulling algorithm. Space division multiplexing may be used by the antenna system to enhance system processing capacity.

A method of determining a rate of penetration of a downhole tool. The method comprises introducing a downhole tool including a drill bit configured to drill through a subterranean formation in a wellbore, the downhole tool comprising at least one reader configured to communicate with identification tags using electromagnetic radiation. The method includes advancing the wellbore with the drill bit and placing, with a component of a bottomhole assembly of the downhole tool, a first identification tag at a first location proximate the wellbore and at least a second identification tag at a second location proximate the wellbore and separated from the first location by a distance. An interrogation signal is transmitting from the at least one reader toward a wall of the wellbore and response signals from the identification tags are received by the at least one reader to determine proximity of the identification tags to the reader. A rate of penetration of the downhole tool is determined, using a processor and associated memory, based at least in part on a distance between identification tags and an amount of time between receiving response signals from a first identification tag and at least a second identification tag. Downhole systems for determining a rate of penetration and other methods are also disclosed.

The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for gauging tanks. A computer-implemented method includes generating, using an interrogator, a radio frequency signal directed towards a radio frequency identification (RFID) device that is freely floating on the liquid stored within the tank, receiving a return signal from the RFID device, the return signal being associated to a location of the RFID device, processing the return signal to determine a height of the liquid stored within the tank based on a triangulation algorithm, and determining a result data based on the height of the liquid stored within the tank and one or more tank characteristics.

Techniques for operating a self-driving or driver-assist vehicle or other autonomous or semi-autonomous machines are provided. A method according to these techniques includes transmitting a first signal, via an ultra-high frequency (UHF) band, to one or more markers; receiving return signals, at a radar transceiver via a second frequency range different from the UHF band, from the one or more markers; and determining one or more estimate locations of the navigation system based on the return signals.

The application relates to methods and a driver for communication with a transponder,

in particular a driver for installation in a motor vehicle and for communication with a mobile transponder for a vehicle access and/or start system of a motor vehicle, wherein the driver is designed so that, after a first transmission at a first transmission frequency and after driver-side reception of a response of a transponder at the transponder resonance frequency thereof, and after driver-side determination of the response frequency of the response using a frequency detection apparatus,
said response frequency is set, in particular by changing transmission pauses, at the driver as the second transmission frequency, corresponding to the measured transponder resonance frequency, at which the driver is then intended to transmit, wherein the driver has a resonant circuit (2, 3, 4), which has a higher driver resonant frequency than the mentioned first transmission frequency and than the mentioned second transmission frequency of the driver.