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The Best High Altitude Resorts in The Alps
139 The Best High Altitude Resorts in The Alps
For those looking for early or late season skiing vacations, high-altitude ski resorts are the best bet. High-altitude skiing resorts almost always have enough snow, even before the season begins and after it ends. The alpine valleys have several skiing resorts at high altitudes which are fairly snow-sure, and the snow stays longer even when the temperatures begin to thaw.
The spectacular La Plagne skiing region is located in the Tarentaise Alpine valley, at a height of 1970 metres (going up to 3416 m), and has more than 100 square km (39 sq mi) of skiing area spread across Aime, Macot-la-Plagne, Champagny-en-Vanoise and Bellentre. It has eleven villages, each of which functions like a mini-resort.
The region has a wide variety of skiing options, particularly at the higher altitudes. It caters to beginners as well as experts, and is known for off-piste skiing. Experts enjoy the nearly-vertical drop off the Bellecote Glacier (at 2,000 metres). Snowfall is fairly certain, and there are cable cars that take tourists to the nearby Les Arcs. There are also many childcare and kindergarten facilities, particularly evident at thechalets in La Plagne that abound.
L'Alpe d'Huez
At 1860 metres, the Alpe d'huez in the Central French alps, is a popular choice among experienced skiers and novices alike. It gained popularity when it hosted the 1968 winter Olympics, and is today one of the world's largest ski resorts, with 294 km of skiing tracks, and more than 80 ski lifts. It has some very easy slopes, which are preferred by beginners and hobbyists.
Many resorts have been set up in the area, and it now boasts of good intermediate and advanced trails; being at a high altitude, it draws tourists who are into steep skiing. The longest ski trail on this region measures about 16 kilometres – one of the longest in the Alps. Apart from being a popular skiing region, it is also known as an excellent cycling trail, having hosted some stages of past Tour De France championship.
Val d'lsere
Val d'Isere in South Eastern France is known for its dense concentration of skiing resorts. It is located at a height of 1850 metres (with pistes going up to 3,550 metres), and heavy snowfall which makes for a great skiing experience. The region has pistes spread across a large region, and which cater to skiers of different experience levels. It is known as one of the best ski resorts for expert skiers.
The ski runs for beginners are gentle and easy, and are not overcrowded – so it isn't a bad place to start! Most of the region is pedestrian-only, and tourists can explore the region and look at the traditional chalet-like architecture that gives it an old-world charm and feel. Ski season runs from November to May – although summer skiing is available on the Grande Motte Glacier above neighbouring Tignes. The restaurants and nightlife offer tourists many options, making it one of the best locales for a great vacation.
Expert skiers will be spoilt for choice, as these high-altitude skiing reading offer plenty of pistes to choose from. For beginners though, thorough research on the pistes is advised before choosing the right location – as some may require some more testing descents from altitude. That said, the French Alps have, arguably, the finest resorts in the world – so simply spending a little time there is often a pleasure in itself.
This artlicle was brought to you by VIP SKI – expert providers of luxury ski holidays. Visit their website for chalets in La Plagne and other locations across France and Switzerland.
[IMAGE ATTRIBUTES]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99123936@N00/ – courtesy of madcowk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmcowley/ – courtesy of cowley_mail
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22771452@N05/ – courtesy of wichtelfraulein
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Емі Майнцер (,  2 січня 1974) — американська жінка-астроном, що спеціалізується на астрофізичній апаратурі та інфрачервоній астрономії. Вона є заступником наукового керівника проєкту WISE і головним дослідником проєкту Neowise з вивчення малих планет і запропонованої місії космічного телескопа Near-Earth Object Camera.

Життя
Майнцер отримала ступінь бакалавра наук з фізики у Стенфордському університеті з відзнакою (1996), магістра з астрономії у Каліфорнійському технологічному інституті (2000 р.) і доктора астрономії у Каліфорнійському університеті у Лос-Анджелесі (2003).

Її наукові інтереси включають астероїди, коричневі карлики, планетарні атмосфери, залишкові диски, зореутворення, а також розробку та побудову нової наземної та космічної апаратури.

Вона з'являється в декількох епізодах серіалу «Загадки Всесвіту» телеканалу History. Вона також з'являється в документальному фільмі «Зоряна картографія: на Землі», включеному до домашнього відеорелізу серіалу «Зоряний шлях: Покоління» (березень 2010). Майнцер також присутня у документальному фільмі 2016 року «Задля любові до Спока» () про життя Леонарда Німоя та вплив Спока на популярну культуру, режисером якого був син Леонарда Німоя Адам Німой. Станом на початок 2016 року, вона виступає науковим консультантом та ведучою вставок з живими акторами серіалу «Ready Jet Go!» на каналі PBS Kids.

Нагороди та відзнаки

 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (2012)
 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal (2011)
 Numerous group achievement awards for Spitzer, WISE, NEOWISE
 Lew Allen Award for Excellence (2010)
 NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship (2001—2003)
 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship(1996—1999 рр.)

Астероїд
Астероїд 234750 Amymainzer, відкритий астрономами програми NEAT в Паломарській обсерваторії 2002 р., був названий на честь неї. Офіційне посилання на іменування було опубліковано Центром малих планет 26 липня 2010 року ().

Примітки

Посилання

 Емі Майнцер в лабораторії реактивного руху

Випускники Стенфордського університету
Випускники Каліфорнійського технологічного інституту
Народились 1974
Майнцер
Американські жінки-астрономи

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Alabama Living is an informative magazine published every month exclusively for electric cooperative members. Important co-op news is communicated through the magazine to members on topics ranging from operations and electrical safety to special features written about CEC members and community events. The magazine also contains a widely popular recipe section that features the recipes of co-op members all over the state.


Shocked onlookers watched in horror as a jumper plunged 876ft after his parachute failed to open properly.
Christopher Brewer, 27, miraculously survived despite hitting the water at between 60 and 80mph in Fayetteville, West Virginia.
The BASE jumper's wingsuit, designed to allow him to glide forward instead of dropping straight down, probably slowed his fall and saved his life.
Remember, always watch on both side when you cross the road!
A father died when he became trapped by a clothes horse as he hung his washing out to dry.
Brian Depledge, 38, was asphyxiated after tripping and falling backwards into the plastic drying rack, trapping his neck between its rungs, an inquest heard yesterday.
A shocked coroner said Mr Depledge had stood a greater chance of being killed by 'lightning or a meteorite'.
The inquest in Bradford was told how the father-of-two fell into the clothes horse after tripping over a stool, and his neck and chest became wedged in its rungs as it collapsed.
He struggled to free himself but created a 'cat's cradle effect' that only made the compression worse, the hearing heard. The coroner, Professor Paul Marks, said: 'I have never come across a case like this.
Detective Inspector Mark Long said it appeared Mr Depledge had tried to untangle himself by putting his right arm through one of the airer's segments following the accident in February.
But by pushing down on the bars it tightened the grip 'like a concertina', he added.
And as clothes on top of the airer were still wet, he explained, their weight would have put even more pressure on his neck.
Asked how Mr Depledge could have fallen into the drier, he suggested that it was possible he had tripped over a stool in his living room, which was found at his feet.
Dr Philip Batman, a consultant pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination, said: 'Mr Depledge was found in his living room with the clothes horse on top of him and blood on his face.
He appeared to have fallen and got stuck between the rungs of the airer. The drier gave way, but Brian's struggles to release himself would have resulted in more suffocation.
'Deep indentations were found on his chest on the right hand side, along with an indentation on the right side of his neck.
Mr Depledge leaves behind an 18-year-old daughter, Shawni, and an 11-year-old son, Ryan.
Other family members added that Ryan is finding it hard to come to terms with his father's death.
The youngster's grandmother, June Evans, said: 'I don't think it's really sunk in with him. He keeps asking "When can I see my dad? I want to see my dad".
Mr Depledge was unemployed and estranged from the mother of his two children.
The road with the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous road in the world is without doubt the Bolivian 'Death Road'. The North Yungas Road, which is nearly 70 kilometres long, runs between Coroico and La Paz, plunging down over more than 3.5 kilometres of incredibly narrow hairpin bends and almost a kilometre drop near-misses.
With a fatal accident occurring fortnightly, roughly 200 people lose their lives on this road annually. The carcasses of trucks, lorries and cars litter the ravine along route and there is little margin for error, as the dust track is barely 3 metres across at its widest point.
Built in the 1930s by Paraguayan POW's who died attempting the construction of the road, it is now mainly Bolivians who perish by the thousands on the single track road that has no guard rails to prevent them from plunging to their deaths.
A replacement route, which took over 20 years to complete, was opened in 2006 and features modern construction and safety features. As a result of this replacement route, the original road is now far less used and this has resulted in far fewer fatalities along the road in recent years. This however has now resulted in the road being increasingly used by bikers travelling it for thrills as an extreme sport.
With motorists and cyclists still killed regularly throughout the year travelling on the North Yungas Road, the route is definitely one of the most dangerous roads in the world.
Connecting Yakutsk to Moscow is the Russian Federal Highway and the poor visibility and heavy ice and snow make winter driving, for ten months of the year, very hazardous.
This is nothing compared to the two summer months, when the snow and ice melt and heavy summer rains turn the highway into a mud-bath.
Traffic jams of over a thousand cars long are the norm and to while away the hours, some upstanding Siberian citizens, affectionately known as mud pirates, use the time to loot, beat and kidnap other travellers.
With accidents occurring and the threat of 'mud pirates', the Russian National Highway is another dangerous route that you may want to avoid.
China has many dangerous roads and fatalities from car accidents have doubled over the past two decades. One of these is the unusual Guoliang Tunnel that connects Guoliang Village to the rest of China.
This tunnel has been carved into the side of the Taihang Mountains and in places right through, in order to facilitate access to Guoliang Village, located in a deep valley amongst soaring mountains that completely cut it off from the rest of civilization.
In the 1970s, 13 villagers started construction of the tunnel, which is just over a kilometre long and has a width of 4 metres and a height of 5 meters. Several villagers died during the construction of the tunnel and it took over 5 years to complete.
Known as the 'Tunnel of Death', the Guoliang Tunnel sees more than its fair share of accidents, some of which are fatal.
Running over 650 kilometres through the arctic tundra of Alaska is the Dalton Highway, a gravel road built as a supply road to Prudhoe Bay. Originally a permit was required to drive on this road and although since 1995 this is no longer the case, it is still not recommended that private individuals drive here.
As this is still the supply road, it is mainly populated by large truck rigs, which speed along and reduce visibility to almost nothing. Large potholes are numerous, while services, repairs and fuel are almost non-existent.
The danger of the road is such that car hire companies do not permit their vehicles to be driven on the Dalton Highway. In fact, the journey should not even be considered without a 4x4 vehicle, CB radio and extra supplies of food, fuel and tyres because conditions can get so bad.
Despite the roads dangers, many people including motorcyclists continue to drive along this route.
Sadly, this resulted in a death recently as a 60 year old man died after his motorcycle slipped on the wet road despite wearing full safety gear. The same section of the road near the Yukon River Bridge saw another accident just a couple of months earlier which resulted in serious injury leading many to question whether the road should be closed to motorcyclists.
Only 12 kilometres long, Route Irish is the military code name for the road linking the Baghdad Airport to the heavily fortified International Zone in the city's centre. The only route out and in, the road is a shooting gallery for terrorists and during the height of the Iraq conflict there was an average of one attack on the road every day in the form of suicide bombers, roadside bombs and drive-by shootings.
The nature of the road and the danger faced by those travelling results in drivers making a high speed dash along the road, dubbed Route Irish Racing, hoping for the best. Extensive and aggressive patrols of the route by the American 69th Infantry Regiment have made it much more reliable and far safer over the past few years.
Whilst the danger of the road isn't down to steep cliffs or icy roads like some of the other roads mentioned, the Route Irish road is still extremely dangerous to travel along.
Most of those killed on the road have been Iraqi's who were innocently caught up in attacks aimed at non-Iraqi people. However, there have been a number of deaths of other nationalities including Americans and Brits.
Tomáš Čeman, a 22 year old fan of Spartak Trnava, died this morning in bizarre accident.
A DRIVER who crashed off a clifftop road was dragged to safety yesterday - after 20 HOURS teetering above a 300ft drop.
Lyn, who suffered leg injuries in the crash, spent the night staring death in the face.
But at 9.30am yesterday, her grey car was spotted by holidaying jogger Ben Stafford, 25. He slithered down to find her bloodied but conscious, then raised the alarm by shouting to a man walking on the clifftop at St Agnes Head near Newquay, Cornwall.
A delicate rescue operation described as "very precarious" was launched involving coastguards, firemen, cops and paramedics.
They secured the car in position with a winch line before finally releasing Lyn at noon. She was stretchered up the cliff and flown to hospital in Truro, where she was treated for shock, exhaustion and gashes to her legs and torso.
Ben said: "It is only by the grace of God that her car stopped by the cliff edge."
07.07.2011. A man attending a Texas Rangers game with his young son died after falling out of the stands and about 20 feet to the ground while trying to catch a baseball.
One construction worker was killed and 14 others injured by falling steel and rubble when part of a stadium's roof in the city of Enschede collapsed during renovation work on Thursday.
"A large part of the roof has collapsed. A substantial number of people got trapped and there is one dead victim as far as we know," Enschede mayor Peter den Oudsten told reporters.
The incident was probably related to construction work at the stadium, police said, adding that workers were the only people in the stadium at the time.
"We were at the third level and we were frightened. There was noise, everyone was running everywhere. We were working below the floor. There was panic, everyone was running away. Then we looked if there were injured people," a construction worker told public broadcaster NOS.
Among the injured, two were serious, Den Oudsten said. Ten people were hospitalised and authorities were checking if any people were still trapped.
Enschede is located in the east of the Netherlands close to the German border and photos on Dutch media showed several ambulances and a fire truck at the scene. There were reports that a trauma helicopter was also deployed.
Football club FC Twente, the Dutch top division's runners-up last season and champions in 2009-10, play at the stadium where work to expand seating to 30,000 is scheduled for completion by August 1 in time for the start of the new season.
A man and woman were killed in a bizarre motorway accident when an airborne 21stone black bear smashed through their windscreen and exited through the back window.
Their car was travelling east on Highway 148 just outside Quebec, Canada, at around 10.30pm on Monday night.
A vehicle travelling in the opposite direction hit the bear, sending it flying into the air across the other lane.
It was then struck by the second car, killing the 25-year-old female driver and her friend Steven Leon, 40, who was sat in the back seat.
The driver, a student dietitian who was due to graduate in September, has not been named at the request of her family.
Her boyfriend, 28, who was in the front passenger seat, was taken to hospital with injuries to his upper body but they are not thought to be life-threatening.
The occupants of the vehicle that originally hit bear were unharmed, though the bear was killed.
'Add the weight of the bear, about a 300-pound (136Kg) bear, plus the speed of the vehicle, it's a deadly impact,' Constable Martin Fournel, a spokesperson for MRC-des-Collines-de-l'Outaouais police, told CTV Ottawa.
Police investigating the very unusual accident near the town of Luskville say it is the first time anyone has died in a road accident involving a bear.
However, locals said it was the second such accident in recent weeks, but that no-one had been injured in the previous incident.
They believe the bears are being drawn to the motorway by a bear bait station that has been set up nearby. Bear-hunting is illegal in Quebec but people are free to lay bait.
Congo (Africa) - 18 people were killed when the airplane crashed in the residental area.
Here are some incredible, but true statements which all appeared on claim forms submitted to car insurance companies by policyholders who had been involved in car accidents.
* The car in front hit the pedestrian but he got up so I hit him again.
* A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.
* I saw her look at me twice. She appeared to be making slow progress when we met on impact.
* When I saw I could not avoid a collision I stepped on the gas and crashed into the other car.
* The accident occurred when I was attempting to bring my car out of a skid by steering it into the other vehicle.
* I was backing my car out of the driveway in the usual manner, when it was struck by the other car in the same place it had been struck several times before.
* Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don't have.
* I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and headed over the embankment.
* I saw two kangaroos having it off in the middle of the road. So I hit them, which caused me to ejaculate through the sunroof.
* The telephone pole was approaching. I was attempting to swerve out of the way when I struck the front end.
* The claimant had collided with a cow. The questions and answers on the claim form were - Q: What warning was given by you? A: Horn. Q: What warning was given by the other party? A: Moo.
* No one was to blame for the accident but it would never have happened if the other driver had been alert.
* I didn't think the speed limit applied after midnight.
* I was going at about 70 or 80 mph when my girlfriend reached over and grabbed my testicles so I lost control.
* I left for work this morning at 7am as usual when I collided straight into a bus. The bus was 5 minutes early.


Twenty One Pilots perform at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on July 21, 2016. Photo: Paige K. Parsons.
Alt-rockers Twenty One Pilots and R&B superstar Childish Gambino will join the previously announced legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon as headliners at the 2019 Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival.
The three will be supported by Kacey Musgraves, the big winner at this year's Grammy Awards, Australian producer Flume, roots rock band The Lumineers, pop-punk trio Blink-182, rappers Anderson .Paak and Lil Wayne, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, soul crooner Leon Bridges, EDM artist Kygo and about 70 other artists on the lineup.
Outside Lands will again be produced by Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly, and Starr Hill Presents, and will include best-in-class dining, beer and wine options as well as Grass Lands, an area focused on cannabis; and The Barbary, with comedians, podcasts and D.A.V.E. series (Discussions About Virtually Everything). Those lineups and participants will be announced at a later date. No initial announcement was made about the GastroMagic food entertainment stage.


Does Talk Therapy Help Dementia?
At this year's International Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC), the University of Exeter presented their findings from a large-scale trial for Goal-oriented Cognitive Rehabilitation. In the study, participants in early-stage Alzheimer's or related dementia from eight care facilities in England and Wales partook of cognitive rehabilitation therapy. These participants showed significant improvement in cognitive abilities.
Cognitive rehabilitation effectively supports people to achieve the goals that matter to them most. Researchers look forward to expanding these findings and may be able to quantify benefits for delays in the need for people to go into care homes.
Alzheimer's Society funded a pilot study for this work and is now funding an implementation study to validate the methods and findings. All involved understand the value of personalized care, owing to how unique dementia is for each individual. Read the full article here.
Tailored approaches to care show clear benefits and OPICA has been utilizing this approach for over 35 years. If you or a loved one needs support, we encourage you to reach our therapy programs click HERE.


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Helmer Strømbo (19 June 1948 – 28 March 2022) was a Norwegian curler.

He was a champion of the first-ever European Curling Championships, played  and a two-time Norwegian men's curling champion.

Teams

References

External links

 Ni års fengsel for hasjsmugling - Dagbladet

1948 births
2022 deaths
Norwegian male curlers
European curling champions
Norwegian curling champions
Sportspeople from Oslo
20th-century Norwegian people


The current oil price environment has had a negative impact on oil investments, hurt energy efficiency and boosted the share of oil produced in the Middle East.
"The Future Growth and Wellhead Pressure Management Project represents an excellent opportunity for the company," said Chevron Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Watson. "The project builds on a record of strong performance at Tengiz and will add value for Chevron and its stockholders."
The company said this week in a presentation on its website that the decision on expanding the Tengiz development in Kazakhstan will be made in mid-2016. Installing 4,500 camp beds for construction crews is done and port dredging 25 percent complete, it said. The project may cost as much as $40 billion and add crude supply equivalent to that of Libya. The investment was put on hold last year after cost estimates ballooned amid plunging oil prices.
Azerbaijan is hoping in the best case for profits in excess of $50bn from the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC). State oil company Socar told that even the gloomiest outlook showed that Azerbaijan's share in the profit of SGC would be at least $30bn over the 25 years' duration of the sales and purchase agreements.
The Kashagan oilfield development project has been marred by delays and cost overruns. It first began producing in September 2013 but was halted two weeks later due to gas leaks.


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— Prime Butterfly Areas in Bulgaria
English · Български
[36] Skrino Gorge
Kyustendil District
Coordinates: 22° 55' 55'' E, 42° 9' 2'' N — Altitude: 608 m — Area: 11945 ha
Description: The region is situated between the villages of Nevestino and Boboshevo in the Skrino Gorge of the Struma River. The gorge is about 20 km long and belongs to the Struma Subregion of the Osogovo-Belasitsa physical geographic zone. It is composed mainly of pre-Palaeozoic and Palaeozoic metamorphytes, young Palaeozoic granites, Mesozoic and Palaeogene sediments, young vulcanites and Quaternary deposits. The uneven height of the relief in the area, its considerable indentation and exposition affect the coming air currents and bring about a variety of climatic conditions. The valley of the Struma River is characterised by well-defined features of the transitional continental climate. The region is characterised by a main winter maximum of snow thawing and by a longer influence of the north slopes snow cover on the surrounding mountains. The Skrino Gorge is part of the Northern Struma River Valley floristic region. Almost the whole Struma River in the Skrino Gorge is grown with natural river bank vegetation. Some parts are covered by scarce Typha angustifolia and Typha latifolia or Phragmites australis communities. The original vegetation of the Skrino Gorge from the village of Chetirtsi to the village of Vukovo is composed of deciduous forests of Quercus dalechampii, Quercus virgiliana, and Carpinus orientalis, in some places interspersed with well represented Paeonia peregrina. The rocky parts of the Gorge, which offer no conditions for the development of wood vegetation, are sporadically covered by derivative vegetation of xerothermic grass communities consisting of Dichanthium ischaemum, Poa bulbosa, Chrysopogon gryllus, and ephemerals. The bush vegetation has some Mediterranean elements like Juniperus oxycedrus and Paliurus spina-christi mixed with Fraxinus ornus. Some parts of the sunlit slopes are abundantly grown with Astragalus onobrychis. The banks of the Struma River are covered by tree species like Alnus glutinosa, which forms river bank forests of up to 60-year-old trees with a subforest and which does not grow outside the borders of the river banks. These parts are predominantly grown over with Alnus glutinosa, which mainly determines the character of the original vegetation. The Gorge also comprises some river bank strips of Salix alba and Populus alba of up to 60-year-old trees with a subforest. The white poplars form a habitat whose northernmost locality known up to now is the Skrino Gorge. It is not certain whether the Platanus orientalis strips growing in some places are of natural origin.
The region is very poorly investigated, but very promising. The reason for including the region is the presence of important populations of 4 of the target species [see a list below], especially Zerynthia polyxena.
— Target species: Zerynthia polyxena, Pseudophilotes vicrama, Scolitantides orion, Glaucopsyche alexis.
Meadows near Struma River in Skrino Gorge (Photo: S. Beshkov, May 2006).
Rocks in Skrino Gorge (Photo: S. Beshkov, 2006).
Protection & threats: The Skrino Gorge is not legally protected under the national conservation legislation. At the proposal of the National Museum of Natural History, BAS, the Skrino Gorge was chosen for a NATURA 2000 area. In 2005 a procedure for declaring it a protected area was started with excellent documentation and public discussions and with the full support of the local inhabitants. Nevertheless, the region was returned for revision to the Bulgarian Government without any argumentation. The one-year ban issued by the Minister of Environment and Water on all activities damaging the region has already expired. One of the threats to the region are the human activities, connected with the exploitation of the meadows and the pastures. The most serious threats are the mowing and cultivation of the meadows. The changes in the hydrological regime of the region lead to changes in the humidity of the meadows. There were and still there are investment intentions for the construction of cascades of small hydropower plants along the Struma River, which will cause irreparable damages to the river ecosystem and the river bank habitats.
Other remarks: Ten conservationally important and protected by law plant species and 6 species included in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria have been found in this region. The species Polypodium cambricum has been recorded only from the Skrino Gorge. Paeonia peregrina is put under a preservation regime. Some tree species of conservation importance are 60-year-old trees of white poplar, Alnus glutinosa, walnut, beech, etc. In 2002 the territory was declared an area of ornithological importance by BirdLife International. Despite the fact that the region is poorly investigated, there have been established 118 species protected under the Biodiversity Law, 127 species — under the Bern Convention, 41 species — under the Habitats Directive of the European Union, 56 species — under SPEC, 2 — under the Ramsar Convention, 22 — under the Washington Convention, 37 — under the Bonn Convention, 17 — under EMERALD, 6 — under the European Red Books, 7 — under IUCN, 20 — under the Red Books of Bulgaria, and 5 — under the CORINE BIOTOPES. The region is extremely rich in historical and cultural monuments of national and world importance and is very attractive to tourists. Because of the great number of ancient churches and monasteries, the region (where the birthplace of saint Ivan Rilski is) is also known by the name of the Bulgarian Sveta Gora. The ecological, research, and village tourism has already started to develop offering possibilities for the overall development of the region. Some of the projects are operating. There have been built ecopaths, visitors' centres, sign and information panels, larger accommodation. The Struma River is used for water sports and fishing. The moths are not sufficiently investigated. The following more interesting moth species have been established up to now: Poecilocampa alpina, Phyllodesma ilicifolia, Neognopharmia stevenaria, Dasycorsa modesta, Lycia graecarius, Cilix asiatica, Peridea korbi, Simyra dentinosa, Autophila ligaminosa, Egira anatolica, Orthosia opima, Perigrapha i-cinctum, Perigrapha rorida, Euxoa conspicua, Arctia festiva. Many other species of conservation importance are expected to be found.
Map of Skrino Gorge area.
Prime Butterfly Areas in Bulgaria
Authors: [text] Stanislav Abadjiev, Stoyan Beshkov; [maps] Ivan Alexiev
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US9231292B2 - Multi-antenna signaling scheme for low-powered or passive radio communications - Google Patents
Multi-antenna signaling scheme for low-powered or passive radio communications Download PDF
Gregory Koo
Yenpao Lu
Gregory D. Durgin
Georgia Tech Research Corp
2011-02-01 Application filed by Georgia Tech Research Corp filed Critical Georgia Tech Research Corp
2012-10-05 Assigned to GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION reassignment GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KOO, GREGORY ANDRE, DURGIN, GREGORY D., LU, YENPAO
2014-08-12 Assigned to NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION reassignment NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION CONFIRMATORY LICENSE (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH FOUNDATION
230000011664 signaling Effects 0 abstract claims description title 12
230000000051 modifying Effects 0 abstract claims description 37
230000001965 increased Effects 0 abstract claims description 13
230000001429 stepping Effects 0 abstract claims description 6
230000015654 memory Effects 0 claims description 9
238000003306 harvesting Methods 0 claims description 8
239000004452 animal feeding substances Substances 0 claims description 4
230000035611 feeding Effects 0 claims description 4
230000000694 effects Effects 0 claims description 2
239000002609 media Substances 0 description 15
239000003990 capacitor Substances 0 description 2
239000000470 constituents Substances 0 description 2
239000011159 matrix materials Substances 0 description 2
230000033228 biological regulation Effects 0 description 1
-1 element Chemical compound 0 description 1
230000036545 exercise Effects 0 description 1
238000005204 segregation Methods 0 description 1
H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
H01Q1/22—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles
H01Q1/2208—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems
H01Q1/2225—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
G06K—RECOGNITION OF DATA; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
G06K19/0701—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
G06K19/0713—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management the arrangement including a power charge pump
G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
G06K19/07749—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
G06K19/07773—Antenna details
H01Q1/24—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set
H01Q1/248—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
H01Q3/26—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture
H01Q3/30—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array
H01Q3/34—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means
H01Q3/36—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means with variable phase-shifters
H01Q3/38—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means with variable phase-shifters the phase-shifters being digital
Y02B60/50—
A multi-antenna signaling scheme, system and method for passive or low-powered RF devices, such as a radio frequency identification tag, are herein described. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed subject matter discloses a Retrodirective Array Phase Modulator which is configured to allow RFID tags to return higher-powered signals with higher data rates back to an RFID interrogator or reader unit. In some configurations, pattern strobing is used which is an array-based transmission technique for stepping or sweeping an RF waveform through space so that passive radio devices may more efficiently harvest energy without increasing transmit power. In some configurations, the presently disclosed subject matter may also use a Staggered Pattern Charge Collector to boost the collection of microwave power.
This application is a US National Stage of International Application No. PCT/US2011/023381, filed 1 Feb. 2011, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/300,186, filed Feb. 1, 2010, both entitled "Multi-Antenna Signaling Scheme for Low-Powered or Passive Radio Communications", each of which is incorporated herein by reference as if set forth below.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
This invention was made with U.S. Government support under Agreement No. ECS-0546955, awarded by the National Science Foundation. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
The present system relates generally to radio frequency identification devices.
The field of radio frequency identification ("RFID") devices has shown that it is possible to exchange data with UHF or microwave devices, e.g. an RFID tag, that have little or no on-board power supply. RFID tags are often used to track inventory and to determine the location of objects. For example, a department store may place an RFID tag on a piece of clothing. An RFID interrogator may be placed at the entrance and/or exit of the department store. If the RFID tag indicates that the clothing has not been purchased, upon interrogation by the RFID interrogator, an alarm may sound when the article of clothing passes by the interrogator, thus helping to reduce theft.
There are two types of RFID tags: passive and active. An active RFID tag has an on-board power supply and transmits data stored on the tag to a receiving station. These types of tags are typically used when a local power supply is available and, because these tags are typically more expensive than passive RFID tags, when cost of each tag is not the primary factor. Passive RFID tags may or may not have an onboard power supply. The primary difference between the active and passive RFID tag is that the passive RFID tag employs backscatter signal modulation to reflect back a data signal when interrogated by an RFID interrogator, whereas the active RFID tag transmits according to preprogrammed schema and uses an RF transmission chain to create and send its data signal. The active RFID tag may also be configured to transmit a data signal when interrogated.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
Briefly described, and according to one embodiment, aspects of the present disclosure generally disclose a multi-antenna signaling scheme, system and method for passive or low-powered RF devices that are configured to increase the distance in which data may be transmitted and received using multiple antennas at both the transmitter, receiver, and RF tag. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed subject matter discloses a Retrodirective Array Phase Modulator ("RAPM") which is configured to allow RF tags to return higher-powered signals with higher data rates back to an RFID interrogator or reader unit.
In some configurations, the presently disclosed subject matter also uses pattern strobing which is an array-based transmission technique for stepping or sweeping an RF waveform through space so that passive radio devices may more efficiently harvest energy without increasing transmit power (and violating spectrum regulations) or sacrificing broadcast coverage. Further, in some configurations, the presently disclosed subject matter may also use, alone or in combination with the RAPM or pattern strobing technique, a Staggered Pattern Charge Collector (SPCC). The SPCC is a circuit that is configured to boost the collection of microwave power by an energy-harvesting RF tag using multiple antennas.
In one exemplary and non-limiting embodiment, a radio frequency identification tag is disclosed. The RFID tag has a retrodirective array phase modulator configured for quadrature phase shift keying. The retrodirective array phase modulator has a retrodirective antenna array with at least one antenna pair and at least one microcontroller for controlling a plurality of switches that change a phase length of a transmission line between the at least one antenna pair. The RFID tag of the present example further comprises a memory for storing data. In some examples, the antenna array may be configured to be spatially strobed by sweeping, rotating or stepping the main pattern lobe. In some examples, the RFID tag may also use a charge collector for harvesting energy from an incident electromagnetic wave.
When used alone or in various combinations, these techniques and accompanying systems work together to preferably increase transmission range between an RFID tag and a reader unit. Further, because in some configurations the collection of energy at the RFID tag is increased, the amount of data transmitted or the rate of data transmitted may be increased.
The foregoing summarizes only a few aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter and is not intended to be reflective of the full scope of the presently disclosed subject matter as claimed. Additional features and advantages of the presently disclosed subject matter are set forth in the following description, may be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the presently disclosed subject matter. Moreover, both the foregoing summary and following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the presently disclosed subject matter as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate multiple embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the presently disclosed subject matter; and, furthermore, are not intended in any manner to limit the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter. Any headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed presently disclosed subject matter. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary radio frequency tag system.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic for a radio frequency tag which modulates information on a backscattered waveform according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary four-element retrodirective array according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary two element retrodirective array phase modulator according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 5 illustrates a 2-antenna element, quadrature phase shift keying ("QPSK")-modulator RAPM board according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 6 is a graphical illustration of phase versus time for a slowly-modulated, 2-antenna element QPSK RAPM board according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 7 is an example of a 4-step strobed pattern for an antenna array according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 8 a is an exemplary 2×2 staggered-pattern charge collector with patch antenna elements according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 8 b is an illustration showing a comparison of total gain patterns for a single antenna element in the half space and the 2×2 staggered-pattern charge collector of FIG. 8 a according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 9 is an exemplary method for multi-antenna signaling.
The subject matter of the various embodiments is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, it has been contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or elements similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the term "step" may be used herein to connote different aspects of methods employed, the term should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly required. It should be understood that the explanations illustrating data or signal flows are only exemplary. The following description is illustrative and non-limiting to any one aspect.
It should also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to a component is intended also to include composition of a plurality of components. References to a composition containing "a" constituent is intended to include other constituents in addition to the one named. Also, in describing preferred embodiments, terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each term contemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in the art and includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" or "approximately" one particular value and/or to "about" or "approximately" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, other exemplary embodiments include from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. The terms "comprising" or "containing" or "including" mean that at least the named compound, element, particle, or method step is present in the composition or article or method, but does not exclude the presence of other compounds, materials, particles, method steps, even if the other such compounds, material, particles, method steps have the same function as what is named.
It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more method steps does not preclude the presence of additional method steps or intervening method steps between those steps expressly identified. Similarly, it is also to be understood that the mention of one or more components in a composition does not preclude the presence of additional components than those expressly identified. To facilitate an understanding of the principles and features of the presently disclosed subject matter, embodiments are explained hereinafter with reference to implementation in an illustrative embodiment.
Additionally, although the presently disclosed subject matter is described below using the 5.8 GHz unlicensed ISM microwave band, it should be noted that this is merely for purposes of describing the disclosed subject matter and not an explicit or implicit intention to limit the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter to that frequency.
Backscatter communication is a relatively low-powered method for exchanging radio information. Backscatter communication's most common use today is in the field of radio frequency identification where a transceiver unit (i.e. reader) retrieves identification information from an RF tag that backscatters a waveform as it adds modulated data. This technique requires little power at the RF tag, enabling the ability to run the tag electronics from energy scavenged from the impinging RF waveform.
A passive RF tag system consists of an RF tag and an RF reader or interrogator. A common RF tag contains 3 basic components: an antenna, a modulating circuit, and a memory. These components work together to form a passive device that is capable of modulating information on backscattered radio waves. The RF reader contains a transmitter and a receiver, e.g. a transceiver.
The operation of an RFID or RF tag system 100 as is known in the present art is illustrated in FIG. 1. The RF Signal Generator 102, which is a transmitter unit, in the interrogator 104 radiates a continuous wave signal 112 towards RF tag 106, which is attached to object 108. The tag 104 then re-radiates the signal with modulation that contains the object's 108 identification or telemetry data. This modulated backscatter 110 is received by the receiver unit 114, the RFID reader, along with many unmodulated multipath waves 116 scattered from the nearby environment, i.e. emissions that bounce off of objects around tag 104 rather than emissions that are transmitted by tag 104. The receiver unit 114 will process the total signal, backscatter 110 and multipath waves 116, and extract the desired information.
The inner circuitry of a conventional RF tag, such as RFID 104 of FIG. 1, is relatively simple and is illustrated in FIG. 2. The RFID tag circuit 200 has an antenna 202 that is connected to either a matched load 204 or an electrical short load 206 by a transmission line 208. When the matched load 204 is connected, all power received by the antenna 202 is transmitted into load 204 without reflection; in other words, the received power is substantially or completely absorbed by RFID tag circuit 200. When the short load 206 is connected, the transmission line 208, in theory, may experience perfect reflection; received power is completely reflected, reradiated and emitted through the antenna 202.
By switching between different loads, it is possible to modulate data onto the backscattered radio waves. For the case of RFID, the RFID tag circuit 200 is preferably configured to modulate a unique sequence of 1s and 0s—the object identification code—onto the backscattered waves. Thus, the modulation controlled by modulation block 218 may be driven by a non-volatile memory 212 requiring a relatively small DC power supply 214 that is taken from an on-board charge pump 216, which uses an array of capacitors to rectify and step-up the voltage of an incident RF wave.
To increase the probability that the reradiated signal from antenna 202 reaches a base station or interrogator, it may be preferable to have the reradiated energy be transmitted in the direction from which the incident RF wave came. This helps to reduce the power requirements for transmission and can increase the likelihood that a base station receives the signal. In some configurations, a retrodirective array (RA) may be used to retransmit a signal. An RA is a device or setup that provides for the ability to reradiate an incident or impinging waveform back in the general direction that the waveform arrived. This trait helps improve non-line-of-sight communication and reduces necessary array hardware required for active beam-steering. For example, a beneficial use of the passive beamforming capability of an RA may be in backscatter sensors. Due to the weak signal power that is common in a backscatter communication link, the higher gain of an array in conjunction with passive beam-steering typically may yield greater operational distances for such sensors.
FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the operation of a retrodirective array. FIG. 3 has a four element RA 300 constructed with four identical antennas, 302 a-d. Beginning with the inner antenna pair, 302 b and 302 c, an arbitrary length transmission line, "d", 304 is connected between antennae 302 b and 302 c. Further, a second transmission line of length, "(n*lambda)+d", 306 is connected between antennae 302 a and 302 d. Additional antenna pairs thereafter are then connected by a transmission line of equal or integer multiple lengths of the full electrical wavelength at the frequency of interest, lambda, plus the length "d" of the innermost antenna pair. This constraint arises from a need to maintain the relative phase offset that occurs between the antenna pairs when an oblique wavefront impinges on the array. Without substantially identical line lengths, assuming any line with additional phase length of 360 degrees or any integer multiple of 360 degrees is deemed identical, interference may occur when the wave is reradiated and retrodirectivity no longer holds.
In FIG. 3 as the wavefront of wave 308 sweeps over array 300, each antenna element 302 a-d incurs an additional phase delay with respect to the delay of antenna 302 a. The wavefront of wave 308 then propagates down each interconnecting line and is reradiated by the antennas 302 a-d on the opposing side. After the wavefront of wave 308 crosses the middle of the array 300, the same event occurs. In the case of FIG. 3, wave 308 is absorbed by antennas 302 a and 302 b and reradiated by antennas 302 c and 302 d, respectively.
Antennas 302 c and 302 d then absorb the wavefront of wave 308 at a later point in time while antennas 302 a and 302 b reradiate the wave 308. After this complete cycle, the uniform wavefront of wave 308 propagates back toward the direction of arrival. For this retrodirectivity to occur, each antenna pair, 302 b,c and 302 a,d, maintains a relative phase difference that is created due to the angle of incidence of wave 308 and the spatial separation of the antennas 302 a-d. It is these phase offsets that serve to steer wave 308 back toward the direction of arrival. This mechanism of beam-steering that occurs during the re-radiation process can be paralleled to that of conventional beam-steering with phase shifters.
It is also possible to alter the phase of an incoming wavefront by implementing switches to allow different predetermined line lengths to be interchanged between the two antennas in a pair. By switching the line lengths of the antenna pairs simultaneously, one can then achieve phase shift keying of the reradiated wave. FIG. 4 is an illustration that shows the phase modulation block for an antenna pair, such as antennae 302 b and 302 c, in an RA. Each additional antenna pair would consist of the same block. A retrodirective array phase modulator, an example of which is shown in FIG. 4, can be configured to perform quadrature phase shift keying. By using microcontroller 400, two switches, 402 a and 402 b, can be controlled simultaneously to switch between lines lengths of: λ/4, λ/2, 3λ/4, and λ, where λ□ is wavelength of radiation. Electrical line lengths λ/4, λ/2, 3λ/4, and λ induce phase shifts in the reradiated signal of 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360°, respectively. The general signaling matrix for a lossless RAPM can be shown by way of example in Equation 1:
S _  ( t ) =  0 P 0 0 … P 0 0 0 0 0 0 P 0 0 P 0 ⋮ ⋱  , where   P = ⅇ - j   2  π λ  l  ( t ) . Equation   1
For an exemplary QPSK scenario, l(t) can be lengths of L+λ/4, L+λ/2, L+3λ/4, and L+λ, resulting in a signaling matrix with 90° phase rotations between the four different states. An advantage that a RAPM has, according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, over conventional backscatter communication hardware is that more incident signal energy is backscattered due to additional array gain, retrodirectivity, and phase modulation. With conventional modulation techniques, one or more antennas are switched between resistive or reactive loads to modulate the magnitude or phase of a backscattered signal. Although conventional techniques can achieve equivalent peak gains to that of RAPMs, they typically do not achieve the beamwidth of an RAPM without the use of array processing hardware. For the passive or low-powered backscatter sensors, the power requirements for such array processing hardware may be unfeasible.
FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exemplary and non-limiting QPSK RAPM circuit 500. For example, and not by way of limitation, QPSK RAPM circuit 500 may be fabricated on 7 mil FR4 circuit card 502 using two 4-throw switches 504, antenna array 510 and a low-powered Texas Instruments microcontroller 506. Microcontroller 506 may have a memory having instructions stored thereon for control of 4-throw switches 504. It should be noted that instructions stored on or used by one or more components of the presently disclosed subject matter may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable storage media may comprise computer storage media and communication media.
Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the an onboard computer.
Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
The phase shifting capabilities of a RAPM according to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter were tested using testing communication lines 508 for a 1 kHz switching rate using an Agilent E5071B network analyzer. The relative phase differences between the four states of the RAPM were found to be: 88.3°, 79.2°, 98.2°, and 94.3°, as shown in FIG. 6.
In some configurations, the RAPM of the presently disclosed subject matter may increase the power of the backscattered information link and/or may reduce to the power required by electronics to perform a data exchange. By using higher-order m-ary PSK modulation, the integrated circuitry on the RF tag can spend less time transmitting a data packet. Since the time that modulation circuitry is "on" instead of "asleep" is one of the largest sources of power drain for an RF tag, reducing the time required to transmit a digital data packet will reduce the power requirements of the device by a similar factor.
The amount of power into a passive, energy-harvesting UHF/microwave RF tag may be increased using spatial strobing of transmitted UHF/microwave power. In some configurations, this can be accomplished without increasing overall transmission power from a base station or regulatory restrictions on transmission. Problematically, antenna gain in one direction comes at the expense of gain in another direction. In an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed subject matter, the microwave excitation of passive devices may be strobed through space by either sweeping (swept) or stepping the antennas, such as antennae 510 of FIG. 5, main pattern lobes.
At first, this may seem like a zero-sum exercise: increasing the gain by a factor of A would require increased sweeping to maintain complete coverage, reducing the duty cycle of excitation by an equivalent factor of A. The nonlinear charge pump circuitry operates more efficiently under higher excitation levels with increased duty cycles than under continuous excitation of the same average power level.
While the pattern may be either swept or stepped, the hardware involved in selecting several discrete configurations of an array's feed networks is relatively simpler than a fully-steerable array. Furthermore, the series of stepped, discrete antenna patterns need not be a well-defined single beam shape; rather, the patterns must simply have complete coverage in the desired region, such as the example in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, a two-lobed energy transmission or reception pattern may be rotated, shown as Steps 1-4. The two-lobed pattern in FIG. 7 can be generated from transmitter array elements that are farther apart than a typical λ/2-spaced array and, advantageously, less prone to near-field "hot-spots" that violate the FCC's safety requirements for maximum microwave field strength from an intentional radiator.
The ability to add antenna gain to a transmitter gain is particularly valuable for microwave readers in the 5.8 GHz band. Unlike other ISM radio spectrum, there is no FCC requirement to reduce power into a fixed transmit antenna array if the gain is increased past 6 dBi, corresponding to the 6 dBW of maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power ("EIRP") allowed with the 1 Watt maximum power input into a transmit antenna.
It may be useful or necessary to provide for an increased power supply available to a passive, energy-harvesting RF tag. In an exemplary embodiment, a staggered pattern charge collector ("SPCC") may be used. FIG. 8 a is an illustration of an exemplary SPCC. SPCC 800 has a 2×2 array of patch antennas 802. The top pair 804 of patch antennas 802 is electrically connected to charge pump 806 with phases that point the total peak radiation pattern toward the −Φ azimuth direction. The bottom pair of patch antennas 808 is electrically connected to charge pump 810 with phases that point the total peak radiation pattern toward the +Φ□ azimuth direction. In the present configuration, each sub-array pair of patch antennas, 804 and 808, could experience approximately +3 dB of gain in their peak directions when compared to a regular patch antenna. Collectively, the two sub-arrays 804 and 808 can still cover the full half-space of a single patch antenna, providing nearly +5 dB gain in substantially all directions.
For microwave frequencies, an array of patch antennas could be made small enough so that a separate antenna or set of antennas could be used for backscatter signaling. This segregation of space can help to simplify the RF tag design process. Conversely, a set of low-powered field effect transistor ("FET") switches can disengage the SPCC charge pumps after sufficient or predetermined amount of charge has been collected, and engage backscatter signaling circuitry (such as the RAPM network) for the duration of data transmission. Or, in another configuration, a single SPCC charge pump can engage a set of low-powered FET switches that change the feed points of the other sub-array charge pumps, aligning their corresponding antenna patterns towards the direction that provided the fastest, or a predetermined time, charge-to-threshold.
FIG. 8 b is an illustration showing the difference in how a basic 2×2 SPCC, such as 2×2 SPCC 802 of FIG. 8 a, array performs when compared to an array of 4 individual patch antenna elements connected to separate charge pumps. If threshold voltage of charge pump diodes is the primary concern for powering a device, then the SPCC delivers two big gains. First, there is an average +3 dB gain in antenna pattern that doubles the power into one of the SPCC charge pumps, increasing the likelihood that it will actually turn-on. Second, the two SPCC antennas will have an effective radiation impedance of half a single patch antenna. This drop in impedance means that, with twice the received power, the amplitude of the microwave voltage into the charge pump may be doubled, resulting in an increase in the ability to turn on the power-harvesting circuitry as well as a boost in the conversion efficiency. FIG. 8 b illustrates the gains of the 2×2 SPCC by graphing the peak voltage output of one SPCC sub-array (the one pointing in the RF direction of arrival) and the peak voltage output of a single patch antenna.
FIG. 9 is an exemplary method for multi-antenna signaling that may be used in conjunction with an RFID tag or other device. It should be noted that the method of FIG. 9 and the presently disclosed subject matter, above, are not limited to an RFID tag. A device using the presently disclosed subject matter, such as an RFID tag, receives 900 an interrogation signal. The interrogation signal is typically in the form of a transmitted electromagnetic wave, i.e. the device is not hardwired to the base station or transceiver transmitting the interrogation signal, though this is not always the case. In some examples, it may be preferable to use a retroactive array phase modulator configured for quadrature phase shift, as described above. Thus, the phase length of various transmission lines may be changed 902 between at least one antenna pair of the retrodirective array.
To better receive a signal, the main pattern lobes of one of the antennas of the retrodirective array may be spatially strobed 904. For example, the lobe may be strobed in a sweeping or rotating pattern. To power the device, the energy of the incident electromagnetic wave, or energy from another wave, may be harvested 906. After the energy is harvested, the device may be configured to reradiate the interrogation signal as a modulated interrogation signal carrying data stored on a memory on the device.
To increase the amount of energy harvested at step 906, the device may have one or more charge pumps engaged 910 with an array of patch antennas. The electromagnetic energy induces a charge on the charge pumps, which in turn charge a capacitor bank, providing energy to the device. Once the charging cycle is complete, the charge pumps may be disengaged 912. To further increase the probability of charging or to reduce the charge-to-threshold time (i.e. the time required to reach a potential), the antenna patterns of the charge pumps may be aligned 914 in the direction of the charge pump with the lowest charge-to-threshold time.
While the present disclosure has been described in connection with a plurality of exemplary aspects, as illustrated in the various figures and discussed above, it is understood that other similar aspects can be used or modifications and additions can be made to the described aspects for performing the same function of the present disclosure without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited to any single aspect, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.
1. A radio frequency identification tag, comprising:
a retrodirective array phase modulator configured for quadrature phase shift keying comprising:
a retrodirective antenna array comprising at least one antenna pair; and a staggered pattern charge collector for harvesting energy from an incident electromagnetic wave, comprising:
an array of patch antennas; and
a plurality of charge pumps in electrical communication with each of the array of patch antennas, wherein the plurality of charge pumps are configured to collect a charge;
at least one switch configured to selectively engage and disengage the retrodirective array phase modulator, wherein the at least one switch is configured to disengage at least one of the plurality of charge pumps after the at least one of the plurality of charge pumps has collected a predetermined amount of charge, the at least one switch is further configured to engage the retrodirective array phase modulator after the at least one switch disengage at least one of the plurality of charge pumps; and
a memory for storing data.
2. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, wherein the quadrature phase shift keying is higher-order M-ary phase shift keying modulation configured to reduce a transmission time of data.
3. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, wherein a main pattern lobe is spatially strobed.
4. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 3, wherein the antenna array of the retrodirective array phase modulator is spatially strobed by sweeping, rotating or stepping the main pattern lobe.
5. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of 4 throw switches configured to change a phase length of a transmission line between the at least one antenna pair.
6. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, further comprising at least one microcontroller for controlling a plurality of switches that change a phase length of a transmission line between the at least one antenna pair.
7. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, wherein the array of patch antennas are configured so that a total peak radiation pattern of each of the array of patch antennas point in different directions.
8. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of charge pumps is configured to engage one or more switches to change a feed point of the remaining plurality of charge pumps to align at least one antenna pattern of at least one charge pump of the remaining plurality of charge pumps towards a direction that provided a predetermined charge-to-threshold time.
9. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, wherein the plurality of charge pumps are configured to be nonlinear to increase the efficiency of the plurality of charge pumps under higher excitation levels with increased duty cycles.
10. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 9, further comprising at least one low power field effect transistor switch.
11. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, further comprising a data switch configured to switch from a matched load to eliminate reradiation of at least a portion of the energy of an incident wave to an electrical short load to reradiate at least a portion of the energy of the incident wave.
12. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 11, wherein the data switch is controlled by the retrodirective array phase modulator.
13. A method for multi-antenna signaling, comprising:
receiving, at a radio frequency identification tag, an incident electromagnetic wave comprising an interrogation signal;
changing a phase length of a transmission line between at least one antenna pair of a retrodirective array at the radio frequency identification tag;
spatially strobing a main pattern lobe of at least one antenna of the at least one antenna pair of the retrodirective array;
selectively engaging and disengaging, with at least one switch, the retrodirective array;
when the at least one switch is engaged, harvesting energy from the incident electromagnetic wave by a plurality of charge pumps;
disengaging, by the at least one switch, the least one charge pump of the plurality of charge pumps when a certain charge is harvested; and
engaging a retrodirective array phase modulator after the disengaging of the at least one charge pump of the plurality of charge pumps.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising modulating and reradiating the interrogation signal.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising aligning at least one antenna pattern of at least one patch antenna in a direction of at least one charge pump of the plurality of charge pumps having the lowest charge-to-threshold time.
16. A multi-channel signaling system, comprising:
a radio frequency identification tag comprising a retrodirective array phase modulator configured for quadrature phase shift keying, comprising:
a retrodirective antenna array comprising at least one antenna pair, wherein the antenna array of the retrodirective array phase modulator is spatially strobed by sweeping, rotating or stepping the main pattern lobe; and
at least one microcontroller for controlling a plurality of switches that change a phase length of a transmission line between the at least one antenna pair;
a staggered pattern charge collector for harvesting energy from an incident electromagnetic wave, wherein the staggered pattern charge collector comprises:
a plurality of arrays comprising a plurality of patch antennas; and
a plurality of charge pumps, wherein at least one of the plurality of charge pumps are in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of arrays, wherein the plurality of charge pumps are configured to collect a charge;
a memory for storing data; and
a data switch configured to switch between a matched load that substantially eliminates the reradiation of at least a portion of the energy of the incident electromagnetic wave to an electrical short load that causes the reradiation of at least a portion of the energy of the incident electromagnetic wave.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the array of patch antennas are configured so that a total peak radiation pattern of each of the array of patch antennas point in different directions.
18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of switches to disengage at least one of the plurality of charge pumps after the at least one of the plurality of charge pumps has collected a predetermined amount of charge.
19. The system of claim 16, wherein the feed point of at least one of the plurality of arrays is configured to point in a plurality of directions.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein one of the plurality of directions is a direction providing the fastest charge-to-threshold for one of the plurality of charge pumps.
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text:
South Dakota commissioners dismiss petition opposing wind project
Posted: May 2, 2019 / 07:19 PM CDT / Updated: May 2, 2019 / 07:19 PM CDT
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — A petition complaining about a wind project proposed in northeastern South Dakota was dismissed Thursday by the state Public Utilities Commission.
Opponent Garry Ehlebracht and five others, all from the Goodwin area, had attorney Arvid.J. Swanson of Canton file the petition April 15 against Crowned Ridge II.
They said it would hurt their health, safety and welfare, infringe on their property rights and threaten serious injury to the environment and the people of the area.
Crowned Ridge II would have up to 132 turbines across parts of Codington, Deuel and Grant counties. The NextEra Energy Resources project would generate up to 300 megawatts of electricity.
Northern States Power, also known as Xcel Energy, will buy the project when it's complete.
Commission staff attorney Kristen Edwards said Thursday the petition didn't seek any specific relief. She asked the commissioners to dismiss it.
"We didn't file this to be coy or not be forthcoming," Edwards said.
Miles Schumacher, a Sioux Falls lawyer representing the project, questioned whether the petition was appropriate.
None of the interveners or their attorney was in the Capitol meeting room or on the conference call.
Commission Chairman Gary Hanson said nuisance and trespass issues should be first handled at the county level.
Hanson noted, "The record will be expanded as we go through the evidentiary hearing process."
A hearing date hasn't been set. NextEra applied for the South Dakota permit April 1. The commission has six months to reach a decision.
Commissioner Chris Nelson said zoning issues covered in the petition should be resolved at the ballot box or in circuit court. He said the Legislature sets the laws that govern South Dakota's permit process.
The commission and some staff will travel to the Watertown Event Center for a Wednesday, May 22 public-input meeting that starts at 5:30 p.m. to hear from citizens about the project. The center is at 1901 Ninth Avenue SW.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Latest on a Dutch Supreme Court ruling on the 1995 Srebrenica massacre (all times local):


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And many more examples that will surprise people. In addition, and not unlike GDPR, most businesses that processes, store, or transmit personal financial, banking or economic data, or even advises and provides access to such services is a covered entity.
Taking additional clues from the NYDFS regulation, the new GLBA bill would require covered entities to appoint a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who will be charged with the accountability for overseeing the entity's complete information security program.
That information security program must be developed following a formal security risk assessment which must be conducted on a regular frequency and the results addressed with specific controls, policies and remediations to assure that both systems and data are protected with appropriate safeguards.
The program must contain controls for access authentication and authorization, data encryption both in transit and at risk, fairly rigorous secdevops processes to assure secure application development best practices and methodologies are integrated into development and deployment processes (both internal and external), a requirement for MFA implementation, auditability standards and protocols, data minimization requirements for discarding data no longer necessary for a legitimate business purpose, specific change management procedures, and more.
It reads like an actual recipe for idealized adherence to fundamental best practices as outlined in NIST or one of the many security risk frameworks, and while I applaud it enthusiastically, it will be a giant bridge for most if not all of the companies who will soon discover they are covered entities and that it all applies to them. And by the way, there is not a single specific reference to addressing the largest threat landscape most companies leave exposed, which is the IoT class of vulnerabilities.
So, it is a good start, but it needs to get even tougher.
In addition to process and controls, companies will have to implement operational monitoring systems (SIEM/SOC) to detect both unauthorized access and use of customer information, and any security threats, misconfigured systems, or unpatched vulnerabilities. For slightly larger covered entities that process data on 5,000 or more customers, continuous monitoring and testing must be accompanies by regular and periodic penetration testing and vulnerability assessments. A regular program of security awareness training for all employees is required and must reflect the specific risks identified by the security risk assessments and entities will have to prove that their security team is maintaining current and detailed knowledge of cyber security threats and remediation protocols.
The requirement extends to include third party threat as entities must assess their service providers on a regular frequency to assure their partners are maintaining adequate safeguards to protect customer information they possess or access.
And then the ultimate requirement that no one outside of some larger banks will know how to properly prepare and maintain is an incident response and remediation plan.
So, I have only covered the highlights which pretty much outline fundamental requirements for any best practice set of fundamental information security policies, processes, protocols and technologies, and I am sure that portions will be lobbied out by the time they move to the nest steps toward becoming law, but it is again, a good start.
If you are in any business, the time has come to bite the bullet. Businesses may be unregulated today and for another year or so, but ultimately this sort of legislation will become the default mold for both state level and Federal regulations to come and they are long overdue. We've now seen it in New York and California and 24 other states and some combination of NYDFS, CCPA and GDPR will become the standard for data privacy.
Many will climb on the victim train over business regulations, but the responsibility for giving birth to this class of regulation sits squarely on the shoulders of every company and organization who has allowed themselves to be hacked and have lost customer data in the process.
PS. If anyone is looking for help in understanding how the new regulation affects their business, I recommend Judy Selby, JD – she and her team know this space cold.
Steve King is the CISO and Chief Technology Officer for Blackhawk Cyber Defense, Inc., a global leader in Cybersecurity Services and Managed Detection and Response. Steve is a well-known industry thought leader and analyst, writer and speaker on information and cybersecurity technology. Steve was the co-founder of the Cambridge Systems Group which brought to market the leading Data Security product for IBM mainframe computers. As part of his current role, Steve researches the impact of new developments in Cybersecurity Technology and their implications on security in the enterprise, and oversees the integration of the best new technologies into SecureSpecter®, Blackhawk's award-winning cybersecurity defense system. Steve has founded nine technology product and services start-ups, and raised over $40 million in venture capital.