Patent ID: 8457798
Filing Date: 2013-06-04
Classification: G05B,H04L,H04W,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A wireless control system for controlling a plurality of devices via a central controller, said wireless control system comprising: a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RF apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, and a network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules each in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules comprising a module antenna and configured for operative association with one or more of said devices and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight and with a peak transmitter output power less than or equal to 15 dBm, wherein said first antenna is vertically polarized, wherein the module antenna of at least one of said RFTC modules is horizontally polarized, the first antenna which is vertically polarized being used for wireless communication with the module antenna of the at least one of said RFTC modules which is horizontally polarized, wherein the first antenna and the module antenna have opposite antenna polarizations, the RFTC modules each having only horizontally polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation and the RF apparatus having only vertically polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation, wherein said RFTC modules actuate or de-actuate said plurality of devices in response to commands from said central controller transmitted via RF signals, and wherein at least some of the RF signals transmitted from the RF apparatus to the at least one RFTC module convey the commands at a data rate of at least 3 kpbs, the RF signals being adequately received and demodulated by the RFTC module having a receiver sensitivity of at least −120 dBm.