1. A wireless communication system comprising:
at least one remote communication device configured to communicate a return link wireless signal;
an interrogator including:
a communication station configured to receive the return link wireless signal and to generate a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal;
communication circuitry coupled with the communication station and configured to communicate the return link communication signal; and
a housing remotely located with respect to the communication station and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to process the return link communication signal.
2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the communication station includes a low noise amplifier configured to increase the power of the return link communication signal.
3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the housing includes adjustment circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to adjust an electrical characteristic of the return link communication signal.
4. The wireless communication system according to claim 3 wherein the adjustment circuitry is configured to output the return link communication signal at a substantially constant level.
5. The wireless communication system according to claim 3 wherein the adjustment circuitry includes automatic gain control circuitry.
6. The wireless communication system according to claim 5 wherein the automatic gain control circuitry is configured to monitor the power of the return link communication signal and to adjust the power of the return link communication signal responsive to the monitoring.
7. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the communication circuitry includes a coaxial RF cable.
8. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the communication circuitry includes a plurality of wireless transceivers individually coupled with one of the housing and the communication station.
9. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 wherein the remote communication device comprises a radio frequency identification device.
10. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:
a communication station configured to receive a return link wireless signal and to generate a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal;
communication circuitry coupled with the communication station and configured to communicate the return link communication signal; and
a housing remotely located with respect to the communication station and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to process the return link communication signal.
11. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the communication station includes a low noise amplifier configured to increase the power of the return link communication signal.
12. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the housing includes adjustment circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to adjust an electrical characteristic of the return link communication signal.
13. The interrogator according to claim 12 wherein the adjustment circuitry is configured to output the return link communication signal at a substantially constant level.
14. The interrogator according to claim 12 wherein the adjustment circuitry includes automatic gain control circuitry.
15. The interrogator according to claim 14 wherein the automatic gain control circuitry is configured to monitor the power of the return link communication signal and to adjust the power of the return link communication signal responsive to the monitoring.
16. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the communication circuitry includes a coaxial RF cable.
17. The interrogator according to claim 10 wherein the communication circuitry includes a plurality of wireless transceivers individually coupled with one of the housing and the communication station.
18. An interrogator of a wireless communication system comprising:
a plurality of communication stations individually configured to receive return link wireless signals and to generate return link communication signals corresponding to the return link wireless signals; and
a housing remotely located with respect to at least one of the communication stations and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signals from the communication stations and to process the return link communication signals.
19. The interrogator according to claim 18 wherein the housing includes adjustment circuitry configured to adjust at least one electrical characteristic of the return link communication signals.
20. The interrogator according to claim 19 wherein the adjustment circuitry includes automatic gain control circuitry.
21. The interrogator according to claim 18 further comprising a plurality of communication circuits configured to communicate the return link communication signals intermediate respective communication stations and the housing.
22. The interrogator according to claim 18 wherein the communication stations are individually positioned to receive return link wireless signals within one of a plurality of communication ranges.
23. An interrogator of a radio frequency identification system comprising:
a communication station including:
an antenna configured to receive a return link wireless signal and to output a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal; and
a low noise amplifier coupled with the antenna and configured to increase the power of the return link communication signal;
a coaxial RF cable coupled with the low noise amplifier of the communication station and configured to communicate the return link communication signal; and
a housing remotely located with respect to the communication station and including:
automatic gain control circuitry coupled with the coaxial RF cable and configured to adjust at least one electrical characteristic of the return link communication signal to output the return link communication signal at a substantially constant level; and
processing circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the automatic gain control circuitry and to process the return link communication signal.
24. A method of communicating within a wireless communication system comprising:
providing an interrogator and at least one remote communication device;
communicating a return link wireless signal using the remote communication device;
receiving the return link wireless signal within a communication station of the interrogator;
generating a return link communication signal within the communication station corresponding to the return link wireless signal;
communicating the return link communication signal from the communication station using communication circuitry; and
receiving the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry within a housing of the interrogator remotely located from the communication station.
25. The method according to claim 24 further comprising amplifying the return link communication signal before the communicating the return link communication signal.
26. The method according to claim 24 further comprising adjusting at least one characteristic of the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.
27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the adjusting provides a return link communication signal having a substantially constant level.
28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting using automatic gain control circuitry.
29. The method according to claim 24 wherein the providing at least one remote communication device comprises providing a radio frequency identification device.
30. The method according to claim 24 further comprising processing the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.
31. A method of communicating within a wireless communication system comprising:
providing an interrogator having a housing and at least one communication station remotely located from housing;
receiving a return link wireless signal within the communication station of the interrogator;
generating a return link communication signal within the communication station corresponding to the return link wireless signal;
communicating the return link communication signal from the communication station using communication circuitry; and
receiving the return link communication signal within the housing from the communication circuitry.
32. The method according to claim 31 further comprising amplifying the return link communication signal before the communicating the return link communication signal.
33. The method according to claim 31 further comprising adjusting at least one characteristic of the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.
34. The method according to claim 33 wherein the adjusting provides a return link communication signal having a substantially constant level.
35. The method according to claim 33 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting using automatic gain control circuitry.
36. The method according to claim 31 wherein the providing comprises providing a plurality of communication stations remotely located from the housing, and the communication stations individually receive return link wireless signals within one of a plurality of communication ranges.
37. The method according to claim 31 further comprising processing the return link communication signal after the receiving the return link communication signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system comprising:
a switching circuit configured to be coupled to a battery;
a first voltage booster coupled to the switching circuit;
a second voltage booster coupled to the switching circuit, the switching circuit configured to apply power to the first voltage booster or the second voltage booster; and
a capacitor coupled to each of the first voltage booster and the second voltage booster.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an onoff switch, and wherein the switching circuit is configured to be coupled to a battery through the onoff switch.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the battery comprises one of: a AA cell battery, a AAA cell battery, a C cell battery, a D cell battery, a 9V battery, a lantern battery, a camera battery, or a button cell battery.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first voltage booster and the second voltage booster are configured to operate with an input voltage of less than 1.5 Volts.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first voltage booster and the second voltage booster comprise oscillating voltage converters.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first voltage booster comprises: a transformer, a transistor, and a diode.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second voltage booster comprises: an inductor, a transistor, and a diode.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit comprises: a transistor and a zener diode.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the switching circuit is configured to switch from supplying power to the first voltage booster to the second voltage booster.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the switching circuit; the first voltage booster, the second voltage booster, and the capacitor are configured to be positioned in a housing.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the housing approximates the shape of a battery.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the battery comprises an AA cell battery, an AAA cell battery, a C cell battery, a D cell battery, a 9V battery, a lantern battery, a camera battery, or a button cell battery.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the housing is configured to replace one or more batteries in a power consuming device.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the switching circuit; first voltage booster, the second voltage booster, and the capacitor are configured to be positioned in a power consuming device.
15. A method comprising:
providing a switching circuit configured to be coupled to a battery;
providing a first voltage booster coupled to the switching circuit;
providing a second voltage booster coupled to the switching circuit, the switching circuit configured to apply power to the first voltage booster and the second voltage booster; and
providing a capacitor coupled to each of the first voltage booster and the second voltage booster.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a housing and wherein each of the switching circuit; first voltage booster, the second voltage booster, and the capacitor are configured to positioned in the housing.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the housing approximates the shape of a battery.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the battery comprises an AA cell battery, an AAA cell battery, a C cell battery, a D cell battery, a 9V battery, a lantern battery, a camera battery, or a button cell battery.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the housing is configured to replace one or more batteries in a power consuming device.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the switching circuit; first voltage booster, the second voltage booster, and the capacitor are configured to positioned in a power consuming device.