MXPA01006453A - Apparatus for energizing a remote station and related method - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for remote interaction with an object of interest includes a remote station for obtaining information from the object of interest (12), a base station (2) for transmitting energy (8) in space to, communicating with the remote station (4), and the remote station having conversion means for energizing the remote station responsive to receipt of the transmitted energy. The energy may be of any suitable type including RF power, light, acoustic, magnetic energy, or other form of space transmitted or"radiant"energy.

Description

APPARATUS TO ENERGIZE A REMOTE STATION AND RELATED METHOD 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an apparatus and an associated method for energizing a remote station through energy transmitted in space and, more specifically, it relates to such a system where data regarding an object of interest may be obtained through the remote station and transmitted to the base station after interrogation by the base station. 2. Description of the Prior Art Various applications have been known for a long time to verify conditions of a physical system or a patient and to provide information on the nature of real-time readings of certain conditions. Such systems have typically been connected through a suitable cable to a source of electricity at the desired voltage, such as in-line current or batteries. It is also known to provide such systems in the medical environment with respect to checking or inspecting characteristics such as respiration, heart rate, electrocardiograms and patient temperature, for example. See, in general, US patents. Nos. 4,129,125; 4,308,870; 4,443,731; 4,889,131; and 5,335,551.

It is also known in the medical environment to inspect or verify physiological parameters using sensors, a battery powered system and digital processing elements to effect comparison between the measured conditions and stored values and presenting results. See, patent of E.U.A. No. 4,536,825. The patents of E.U.A. Nos. 5,230,342 and 5,586,555 describe blood pressure monitors employing a pressurizable pressure transduction bladder, a particular emphasis for measuring blood pressure in a supraorbital artery. The patent of E.U.A. No. 4,576,179 describes the use of a chest movement transducer and associated heart rate verification apparatus. Cooperative electronics are provided. The alarm elements or means may be operated under the appropriate conditions of the inspected individual or an indication that the battery voltage has fallen below a preset level. There is an allusion to provide provision for short-range radio transmission of signals to remote verification stations. See also patent of E.U.A. No. 5,022,402. The patent of E.U.A. No. 4,494,553 discloses a breathing and cardiac monitor operated with a battery, wherein a pair of inductance coils are employed in conjunction with the transmission of VHF / FM signals. Despite the above known systems, there is a need for a remote unit that can be used in various environments and at several distances from the base station, said remote unit will be adapted to be remotely energized in order not to require wiring systems or batteries in the remote unit. There is also the lack of such systems where the remote unit can be configured in a miniature form in order to have numerous potential uses.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention satisfies the needs described above. In the present invention, an apparatus for remote interaction with an object of interest includes a remote station for obtaining information from the object of interest and a base station for transmitting energy in space to the remote station in order to communicate with the remote station. The remote station has a conversion element to energize the remote station using the transmitted energy. The base station can transmit energy as radio frequency energy, light energy, acoustic, magnetic, or other suitable forms of energy transmitted in space or "radiant". A power supply is provided to energize the base station with first antenna elements being provided in the base station and second antenna elements being provided in the remote station. Sensing elements or other elements that provide information allow the remote station, when energized by the base station, transmit information to the base station with respect to the object of interest and certain conditions of the remote station. This can be done in real time. The remote station may be provided with a plurality of transponders each of which may be interrogated by the base station sequentially to provide separate international packets. A method of the present invention provides remote interaction with an object of interest, including providing the remote station and a station operatively associated therewith, with energy being transmitted in space from the base station to the remote station, and energy thus transmitted being converted, by the remote station, to electrical power to energize the remote station. The remote station can be provided with a plurality of transponders, each of which will be a source of different information from the other. The system eliminates the need for batteries in the remote station or the use of wiring systems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote station, which is adapted to provide information to a base station when an interrogation is initiated by the base station. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system, wherein the remote station is not required to contain an energy storage device, such as a battery, or to be part of a wiring or printed circuit system. Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the energy transmitted in space, such as radiofrequency energy or light, will be converted to DC power or AC power at the remote station to operate the remote station. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system, wherein the radio frequency energy can be used to initiate the operation of the remote station without considering whether light is present. It is a further object of the present invention to provide said remote station, which will transmit dynamic measurements in real time to a base station. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system, wherein the remote station can be configured as a miniature and does not require frequent maintenance. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system, wherein the remote station may have a plurality of passive intelligent transponders. These and other objects of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of one form of the present invention showing a base station, a remote station and a plurality of sensors that provide information.

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a base station that can be used in the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a remote station and associated sensor that can be used in the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the present invention employing a plurality of transponders at the remote station. Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of the base station interrogator and the corresponding time sequence for interrogating a plurality of transponders. Figure 6 is a schematic view of a plurality of electrocardiogram sensors and associated transponders, as well as the base station, which is in communication in space with them. Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of a base station in communication in space with a combination of sensors and remote station secured to the hand of an individual to provide patient verification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES As used herein, the term "object of interest" means any animated or non-animated article from which information can be obtained by the remote station. As used herein, the term "in space" means that the energy or signals are being transmitted through the air or a similar means without considering whether the transmission is inside or partially within an enclosure, in contrast to the transmission of electrical energy per wiring board or printed circuit board. As used herein, the term "patient" means members of the animal kingdom including humans. Referring to Figure 1, a schematic illustration of the apparatus of the present invention is shown here, which facilitates remote sensing and / or measurement. A base station 2 is within the communication distance D of a remote station 4.

In a form that will be further on, the base station 2 transmits energy which may be radio frequency energy, light energy, acoustic, magnetic or other suitable forms of energy transmitted in space or "radiant", for example, is generally indicated by the faded line 8 to the remote station 4. Within the remote station 4, the received energy is converted to DC power, which serves to operate the remote station 4. In the illustrated manner, an object of interest 12 has a plurality of sensors 16, 18, 20 operatively associated therewith and supplying sensor readings on lines 24 26, 28 respectively, to remote station 4, which in turn, in a manner that will be described below, transmits data through of the space as indicated by the double-headed arrow 30 to the base station 2. The power supplied to the remote station 4 can also energize the sensors 16, 18, 20 through the cables s 24, 26, 28. Radio frequency energy can also be used to energize the sensors, 16, 18, 20 without the cables 24, 26, 28. The distance D will vary according to the design parameters of the system and, depending on the of the application, it can be a few millimeters, several meters or several light years. The faded arrow 30 also shows data that is being transmitted from the base station 2 to the remote station 4. One of the advantages of the present invention is that the power source for the remote station 4 is the base station 2 and, therefore, there is no need for wiring or physical connections of printed circuit with the remote station 4. There is also no need for the remote station 4 to carry an electrical storage device such as a battery. As a result, the activation and energization of the remote station 4 will be achieved through the activation of the base station 2. As a result, there will be no need for periodic maintenance at remote station 4 in order to verify the battery resistance and replace the battery or other power source. It is also facilitated that the remote station is encapsulated within a suitable protective material, such as a resinous plastic. For example, suitable materials for such purposes are homopolymers (including thermoplastic polymers), elastomers and silicon dioxide. In addition, this facilitates the miniaturization of the remote station and placement of the remote station into functionally desirable locations, which do not need to be easily accessible. The remote station, for example, can be implemented in a patient. It will be appreciated that the remote station 4 may be interrogated by the base station 2, for example, to provide, through the remote station 4, a reading of an electronic or mechanical sensor such as 16, 18, 20, which it is operatively associated with the remote station 4. Referring to Figure 2 in greater detail, a schematic diagram of a shape of the base station 2 usable in the present invention is shown. The base station 2, in the form shown, is powered by a 120 VAC utility power source 40 although other sources of energy, such as batteries, alternators, and inverters, for example, may be employed if desired. The power source is in communication with and supplies power to the power supply 42, which in turn, outputs DC power to the desired level for the operation of the base station 2. If desired, AC power can be used to energize the power. remote station 4. A microcontroller 50, which can take the form of a microprocessor or smart microchip, which receives input from an analog-to-digital converter, a transducer using an electronic element (such as sound, light, temperature, humidity or the like). ) or a program in memory, logic in cables, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASCI), from a wireless link, a satellite or cable, as in television, for example. A computer 52, which can be any type of personal computer or modem if the unit is in a network, through the serial interface 54 provides two-way communication with the microcontroller 50. The memory 58 of the data logger is in Two-way communication with the microcontroller 50 and functions to provide the microcontroller 50 with any desired comparison standard, basic data and calibration information. The keyboard and screen 60 are in two-way communication with the microcontroller 50 and provide the keyboard input to the microcontroller 52 and display the information obtained by the base station 2. The base station 2 has an ISM band antenna (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) 70, which transmits radiofrequency signals emitted by the energy transmitter ISM 72 sensitive to signals received from the microcontroller 50. This serves to transmit the radiofrequency energy in the space towards the remote station 4. In the case of the that the light would be the transmitted energy. The source of energy transmitted may be sunlight, a room (incandescent or fluorescent) or laser light, for example. This transmission of an address is shown by the line of the faded arrow 8 in Figure 1. The base station 2 has a data transmitter 74, which has data transmitted through the data band antenna 76 to the remote station 4. The transmitted data can be versions of control, configuration, identification and processed versions of said data. The microcontroller 50 controls the data transmitter 74. The data receiver 80 receives data from the remote station 4 through the data band antenna 76 and inserts them into the microcontroller 50. It will be appreciated that in this way the power supplied in the base station 2 not only serves to operate the base station 2, but it provides the elements to transmit the energy in space to the remote station 4 to operate it and transmit data to receive data from the remote station 4. Referring to Figure 3 in greater detail, a remote station form is shown 4 which, in the manner shown, cooperates with a measurement sensor 90 which senses an object of interest, through a sensor interface 92, interacts with the microcontroller 94, which preferably has a non-volatile memory and through a Analog to digital converter, direct digital measurement arrangement and other sampling device, provides the digital input to the microcontroller 94. This microcontroller 94 controls the operation of the remote station 4. A dual band 100 resonant antenna receives both power transmissions as data transmissions from the base station 2. The power transmission is received in the converter 102, which converts The radio frequency energy to DC power, which serves to power the remote station 4. In the alternative, a device to convert the radio frequency energy to AC power can be used to activate the remote station 4. This replaces the need to provide a wiring system or have an energy storage device in the remote station. The data received from the base station 2 is supplied through the antenna 100 to the data receiver 108, which in turn supplies the same to the microcontroller 94. These data initiate an operation cycle of the remote station 4 and serve as the interrogation elements. The data can also be data to control other functions such as On / Off switching, calibration, remote control, or configuration control. The data processed by the microcontroller 94 and received in the form shown of the measurement sensor 90 are transmitted by the data transmitter 110 through a double band resonant antenna 100 to the base station 2 as indicated by the faded arrow of double head 30 in Figure 1. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the placement of the remote station 4 with respect to the base station 2 will greatly depend on the intended application and will involve the design of the system to provide adequate and sufficient radio frequency energy antenna capacity to maintain the desired level of energy for the remote station 4 and efficient data communication between the remote station 4 and the base station 2. Numerous end-use applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, for example, in many applications, the distance D in Figure 1 will be less than 6.09 meters. In medical applications such as, for example, where the sensors 16, 18, 20 can be EKG sensors, a plurality of remote stations, each having a sensor developed therein or operatively associated therewith, can be applied to the object of interest 12 which, in that case, can be a patient, so that cables are not provided. In the alternative, in the manner shown in Figure 1, there is no need to provide cables between the remote station 4 and the base station 2. Many other types of medical applications where sensors or an apparatus for gathering information are used, such as monitors cardiac monitors, brain monitors, pulse monitors, blood pressure monitors, oxygen monitors as well as monitors that verify the functioning of the patient's support equipment, such as ventilators, intravenous delivery systems, renal dialysis machines, Oxygen and cardiac bypass devices can be beneficially employed in the invention. Depending on the end use, it may be desirable to have an activated alarm in addition to visual presentation or computer storage or hard copy presentation of the information obtained from the system. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, uses to manufacture processes in order to verify the operation of the equipment or manufacture of the product may find uses advantageously for the present invention. The system can also be used to verify equipment noise and provide communication for Computer Numerical Control (CMC), for example. In some cases, when identification is desired, such as for security purposes, the remote unit may provide information to allow the base unit to confirm that an item or an individual is as represented. In retail stores, the products may have remote stations of the present invention secured thereto, in which in the cash register they will supply information to a base station thereby eliminating the need for bar codes and the like. This can be used to aggregate the loads for a specific customer as well as good inventory control and maintain customer preference records. There are also applications that involve external space, where the remote station provides information to a base station mounted on the ground. Other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art. A key aspect is that the present system avoids the need to rely on batteries and cable systems as a source of energization of a remote station. Both the power supply to the remote station and the two-way data transmission between the remote station and the base station are facilitated. Referring to Figure 4, a system is shown in which the base station 120 and its associated microprocessor 122, which may be a personal computer or modem, cooperate with the antenna 124 to provide the power supply and data communication of two. addresses with remote station 130. As shown in Figure 4, this modality contemplates the use of a plurality of transponders, such as 140, 142, which, in the form shown, number in number 16. It is contemplated in this modality that each transponder will be operatively associated with a sensor receiving a type of information and will provide the base station with the sequential interrogation of each transponder 140. 142 to receive from the same information in real time with an adequate time interval between each interrogation. Depending on the application, instead of the sensor information, the interrogation may be to determine product codes or personal identification of some individual. Referring to Figure 5, a communication protocol suitable for use in the system of the present invention is shown. The base station 120 provides an element to identify the specific transponder, which is the source of the data that is being received and does this by recording each m transponder in sequence. The energy signal sent by the base station 120 can be used as a means to provide a signal to identify the start of the registration operation. Depending on the address of the transponder system, the data sent back will be sent at a single time. The energy interrogator ISM 148 after an initial delay period generally indicated by the reference number 149, each transponder, such as the transponder 140, which will be interrogated between the times ti and t2 and the transponder 142 will be interrogated between the times t2 and t3. In this way, the data packets received from the various transponders will be provided sequentially with identification as for the source. It is preferred that a short dead time be provided between the successive transponder data packets in order to avoid collisions. The transponder data packets can contain both sensor data and status information. The sensor data will be the information provided by the sensor through the system described above. The status information may include information such as the specific transponder address identification, the internal DC bus voltage and, if desired, discrete digital inputs. The base interrogator will use the status information to verify the integrity of the communication links and have the ability to alter the ISM power if necessary. Referring to Figure 6, the record of a patient 180 is shown with a plurality of sensors and associated remote stations, 190, 198, 204, with a symbolic representation of the communications in space as through the radiofrequency signals. , 200, 206, with the base station 184. In the R / X and X / R representations, the "R" indicates the reception capacity and the "X" indicates transmission capacity. Referring to the Figure, a schematic illustration of a base station 220 in contact in space is shown through the radiofrequency energy transmission shown schematically at 230 to the hand 222, which contains a sensor for medical information such as pulse , blood pressure or temperature, for example, operatively associated with the remote station 224.

EXAMPLE In order to provide a further view of the invention an example is provided. A system of the type discussed with respect to Figures 1-3 may have a base station base interrogator unit energized by the standard commercial 120 VAC installation or equivalent UPS. If the ISM energy is limited to 16 batios, then the total input energy does not need to exceed 20 batios. The ISM power transmitter 72 will preferably be capable of producing less than one beat or 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 batys of radiofrequency energy as determined by the microcontroller 50. This will facilitate the flexibility with respect to the power for the instructions of the program and setting parameters. An asynchronous serial port serves to connect the station to the personal computer or modem 52 through an RS 232 type interface. A suitable microcontroller 50 may be that sold under the commercial designation of "Intel 8051". The keyboard and screen 60 allows the user to verify measurement and status data of the transponders of the system. The keyboard switches allow the user to walk through a menu triggered on the screen to several parameters. The keyboard can also have a keyword function to provide security for the restricted setting of system parameters. The data logger memory 58 allows the base station to have the ability to bias multiple transponder devices in a typical system configuration. A non-volatile memory facilitates the stamped transponder data of the recording time in a file storage buffer which can be used to direct and download data through the serial interface 54. The non-volatile memory can be directly connected to the busbar of the microcontroller as the SRAM module with a real-time clock. The serial 54 interface allows connection to either a personal computer or a modem. The software, firmware, ASCI or cable logic resident in the base station can include units for an ASCII station communication protocol in order that the system can be configured through a PC GUI menu system. The modem units will allow the base station to remain alone and accept, as well as generate telephone communications. The system firmware, non-volatile parameters and data logger memory are all accessible through the series interface 54. The power supply 42 serves to convert the installation input from 120 VAC to low voltage DC to operate the control circuit system and radiofrequency transmitter. The power supply must produce a scale of 5 VDC (± 5%) well regulated for the logic circuits and a 12-24 VDC output to operate the ISM 72 power transmitter. The remote station, as shown in Figure 3 , it can be miniaturized and preferably have maximum dimensions of approximately 12.7 cm by 5.08 cm by 2.54 cm. The size can be reduced to the point where the remote station can be implanted in the human body. A limiting factor in miniaturization is the antenna and as a result it is preferred to raise the operating frequency to the highest level so that it is practical. The transponders can have a diameter of approximately 1.27 cm and have a thickness of approximately 0.081661 centimeters. The remote station does not contain any energy storage device since all the energy is derived from the base station. Experimental results have indicated that at least 20 mw of usable useful C energy can be obtained at the remote station through the system described here. The transponder has an analog input directly coupled to interconnect with the measurement sensors. The analog to digital converter can have an input scale of 0-2.5 VDC. The ISM field E at the remote station can be about 3 V / m with the specific field depending on the effective antenna gain. With respect to the telemetry link, the data is returned through a communication link that operates outside the ISM band. The data receiver of the base station can have a sensitivity of the order of 3 VDC. The radio frequency output of the data link of the remote station will generally be less than 10 mw, which facilitates reliable communications over the required scale. The converter serves to transform the radio frequency energy from ISM to the busbar voltage of C of the order 0.5 wv / m. The radiofrequency energy coupled to the antenna of the remote station is at an AC voltage that varies at the carrier frequency. The RF to DC converter circuit rectifies and filters the RF voltage AC to a usable DC form. The rectifier and filter circuit preferably has an impedance several times smaller than the total antenna, with the antenna having a characteristic impedance of the order of 37 ohms and the rectifier circuit having an impedance less than | 0 ohms. A suitable microcontroller for use in the remote station is that sold under the trade name of Microchip PIC. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the present invention provides an effective element for establishing a system wherein a base system cooperates with a remote station by exchanging data in both directions, the remote station serving to provide transmitted power that serves to energize the remote station to allow its operation. As a result, there is no need to have a wiring system connecting the remote station with a power source or to take it to an energy storage unit. This allows remote systems with little or no maintenance, which can be implemented in individuals used for other medical purposes, used in space, industry, security and a wide variety of other uses. All this is achieved in a simple and efficient way employing the apparatus and methods of the present invention. Although for the sake of simplicity of description primary attention has been directed to a system using radio frequency energy as the source of energy supplied to the remote station, and this is currently the preferred aspect, and it will be appreciated that other alternative sources of energy can be employed . A light beam, for example, with means for being able to receive light on the remote station and convert it to a sensitive electrical outlet, such as an appropriate DC voltage can be employed. Converting devices such as CMOS or TTL can provide voltages at desired levels and currents of the order of milliamps to energize the device. Although the particular embodiments of the invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations to the details may be made without departing from the invention as described in the appended claims.

Claims (46)

1. An apparatus for remote interaction with an object of interest, comprising: a remote station for obtaining information of the object of interest, a base station for transmitting energy in space and communicating with the remote station, the remote station having a conversion element to energize the remote station that responds to the reception of said transmitted power, and the remote station not having a power storage device to energize the remote station after terminating the transmission of the base station power to the remote station.

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base station has elements to transmit the energy as radio frequency energy.

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base station has elements to transmit the energy as light.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, which includes a power supply for energizing the base station.

The apparatus according to claim 4, which includes a first controller element for controlling the operation of the base station.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, which includes the first controller element having microprocessor means.

The apparatus according to claim 6, including first antenna element operatively associated with the base station for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the remote station.

The apparatus according to claim 6, which includes a second antenna element operatively associated with the remote station to receive signals from the first antenna element and transmit signals to the first antenna element.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the remote station has elements for converting the transmitted energy to DC energy to immediately energize the remote station.

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the remote station has a second controller element for processing the information received from the base station and for transmitting the information in space to the base station.

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second controller element has means for receiving information from the sensor element by verifying the object of interest.

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the remote station is structured to be operatively associated with the object of interest, which is a patient.

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sensor element has an apparatus for verifying a condition of the body or a function of the body of said patient.

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the remote station does not have a power storage device physically secured thereto.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base station and the remote station have no cable connection between them.

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the remote station has at least one transponder to receive the value of a parameter measured by the sensor element and transmit the same to the base station.

The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the sensor element has a plurality of sensors, and the transponder is operatively associated with each sensor.

The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the base station has elements for sequentially polling said transponders.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the base station transmits both energy signals and data signals to the remote station.

The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the remote station has maximum dimensions of approximately 12.7 cm by 5.08 cm by 2.54 cm.

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the remote station has converting elements for converting radio frequency energy to DC or AC energy.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, where the sensors are EKG sensors.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the remote station is sealed with a resinous plastic material.

24. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the remote station is sealed within a material selected from a group consisting of homopolymers, elastomers and silicon dioxide.

25. A method for remote interaction with an object of interest, comprising: providing a remote station and a base station operatively associated therewith, transmitting energy in the space of the base station to the remote station, converting the received energy by the remote station to electric power to energize the remote station, and perform the remote interaction without requiring that said remote station have an energy storage device secured thereto to energize the remote station after the termination of the transmission to the base station and the energy conversion.

26. The method according to claim 25, which includes transmitting said energy as radiofrequency energy.

27. The method according to claim 25, which includes transmitting said energy as light.

28. The method according to claim 25, which includes energizing said base station through a power supply.

29. The method according to claim 28, which includes converting the transmitted energy to DC power in the remote station.

30. The method according to claim 25, which includes employing said method in an object of interest that is a patient.

The method according to claim 30, which includes verifying said patient through the sensor element and supplying information of the sensor element to at least one transponder in the remote station.

32. The method according to claim 25, which includes employing the transmitted energy as the sole source of energy for the remote station.

The method according to claim 25, which includes employing a plurality of transponders in the remote station, and sequentially interrogate the transponders to provide a response thereof to the base station.

34. The method according to claim 30, which includes employing said method to verify a condition of the body or function of the body of said patient.

35. The method according to claim 25, which includes transmitting both power signals and data signals from the base station to the remote station.

36. The method according to claim 35, which includes transmitting data signals in the space from the remote station to the base station.

37. The method according to claim 36, which includes employing said remote station without having an energy storage device.

38. The method according to claim 37, which includes employing antenna elements to communicate between the base station and the remote station.

39. The method according to claim 38, which includes creating a remote station having maximum dimensions of 12.7 cm by 5.08 cm by 2.54 cm.

40. The method according to claim 37, which includes employing a first microprocessor element to control the operation of the base station.

41. The method according to claim 40, which includes employing a second microprocessor element to control the remote station.

42. The method according to claim 41, which includes employing a sensor element that emits an electrical signal to the transponders.

43. The method according to claim 30, which includes placing the remote station at 6.096 meters from the base station.

44. The method according to claim 25, which includes employing the method to confirm the identification of an object of interest.

45. The method according to claim 44, which includes employing the method in a security system.

46. The method according to claim 28, which includes converting the transmitted energy to AC power in the remote station.