Ultra-wide band antenna configuration for physical access control system

Abstract

To provide a reader suitable for a physical access control system.SOLUTION: The reader can include first and second antennas designed or configured for receiving ultra-wide band (UWB) signals. The reader can also include a mounting plane configured for mounting the reader on a surface. An axis where the first and second antennas are positioned can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the mounting plane. A structure can be provided between the first and second antennas. The structure includes a structure having a thickness that defines a distance between the first and second antennas of less than a half wavelength of the UWB signal through air (λA / 2), the structure configured to slow down propagation of electromagnetic waves passing through the structure so as to provide an effective separation distance of the first and second antennas of at least a half wavelength of the UWB signal through air (λA / 2).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Related Applications This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 906,342, filed September 26, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The embodiments described herein relate generally to antenna configurations, and more particularly, to ultra-wideband antenna configurations for physical access control systems. [Background technology]

[0003] Ultra-wide band (UWB) is a radio frequency (RF) technique that uses short, low-power pulses across a wide frequency spectrum. The pulses are on the order of millions of individual pulses per second. The width of the frequency spectrum is typically greater than 500 megahertz, or 20 percent of the arithmetic center frequency.

[0004] UWB can be used for communication, such as by encoding data via time modulation (e.g., pulse position coding), where a symbol is defined by a pulse in a subset of the available set of time units. Other examples of UWB coding include amplitude modulation and / or polar modulation. Wideband transmissions tend to be more robust against multipath fading than carrier-based transmission techniques. Furthermore, the relatively small power of pulses at any given frequency also tends to reduce interference with carrier-based communication techniques.

[0005] UWB can be used in radar operations to provide localization with an accuracy of tens of centimeters. Because the pulses can vary in absorption and reflection of different frequencies, both surface and occluded (e.g. covered) features of objects can be detected. In some cases, localization can provide the angle of incidence in addition to the range. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all possible embodiments, and is not intended to identify key or key elements of all embodiments or to delineate the scope of some or all embodiments.

[0007] Physical access control includes various systems and methods that govern access to secured areas or secured assets, for example, by people. Physical access control includes the identification of authorized users or devices (e.g., vehicles, drones, etc.) and the actuation of gates, doors, or other equipment used to secure an area, or the actuation of controls, for example, physical or electronic / software controls, that allow access to secured assets. A physical access control system (PACS) can include readers (e.g., online or offline readers) that hold authorization data and determine whether a credential (e.g., from a credential or key device, such as a card, fob, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in a personal electronic device such as a mobile phone) is authorized for an actuator or control (e.g., door lock, door opener, software control, turning off an alarm, etc.), or the PACS can include a host server to which readers and actuators are connected (e.g., via a controller) in a centralized configuration. In a centralized configuration, a reader can obtain credentials from a credential or key device and pass those credentials to a host server of the PACS. The host server can then determine whether the credentials grant access to a secured area or secured asset and instruct actuators or other control mechanisms accordingly.

[0008] The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, relates to a reader, such as a reader for a PACS. The reader may include a first antenna and a second antenna, each designed or configured to receive UWB signals. The reader may also include or define a mounting surface configured to mount the reader to a surface, such as a wall (or other boundary that may define a secured area). An axis (e.g., antenna axis) that aligns the first and second antennas may be disposed approximately out-of-plane (e.g., at a non-zero or non-parallel angle) with respect to the mounting surface. In some cases, the antenna axis may be disposed substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface. In some cases, a structure may be disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna. The structure may be disposed at a distance equal to or less than half a wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal through air. A λ 2 / 2), and the thickness of the structure defines a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than at least half a wavelength (λ 2 / 2) of a UWB signal passing through air. A The structure is configured to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves passing therethrough so as to provide an effective separation between the first and second antennas of 0.1 mm to 1.2 mm (0.015 in. / 2).

[0009] The present disclosure further relates in one or more embodiments to a reader, such as a reader for a PACS. The reader may include a first antenna and a second antenna, each designed or configured to receive UWB signals. An axis (e.g., antenna axis) aligning the first and second antennas may be disposed approximately out-of-plane (e.g., at a non-zero or non-parallel angle) with respect to the surface on which the reader is mounted. In some cases, the antenna axis may be disposed substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the reader is mounted. Again, in some cases, a structure may be disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna. The structure may be configured to transmit a half wavelength (λ) of a UWB signal through air. A λ 2 / 2), and the thickness of the structure defines a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than at least half a wavelength (λ 2 / 2) of a UWB signal passing through air. AThe structure is configured to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves passing through the structure to provide a functional separation between the first and second antennas of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0010] The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, also relates to an UWB antenna configuration that includes a first antenna and a second antenna designed or configured to receive UWB signals and a structure between the first antenna and the second antenna, the structure being designed or configured to transmit a half wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal through air. A λ 2 / 2), and the thickness of the structure defines a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than at least half a wavelength (λ 2 / 2) of a UWB signal passing through air. A The structure is configured to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves passing through the structure so as to provide an effective separation between the first and second antennas of 0.1 mm to 1.2 mm (0.015 in. / 2).

[0011] The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, further relates to a method for determining a user's intent to access a secured area secured by a secured access point. The method may include receiving a UWB signal from a credential device at each of a first and a second UWB antenna, determining location estimation data for the credential device based on the UWB signal, determining whether the credential device is outside or inside the secured area based on a time of receiving the UWB signal at each of the first and the second UWB antenna, and determining whether the user is inferred to indicate intent to access the secured area based on the location estimation data and the determination of whether the credential device is outside or inside the secured area. The method may further include receiving credential information from the credential device, verifying the credential information, and allowing a user of the credential device to access the secured area if it is determined that the credential information is valid and indicates the user's intent to access the secured area. In some instances, the step of verifying the credential information is completed after it is determined that the user indicates intent to access the secured area. In some cases, the step of verifying the credential information is completed prior to or simultaneously with determining that the user has indicated intent to access the secured area.

[0012] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be understood, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be modified in various obvious ways, all without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numbers refer to like elements in different figures. Like numbers with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of like elements. Several embodiments are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, by way of example, and not by way of limitation. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an exemplary PACS or portion thereof. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a top cross-sectional view of an exemplary PACS or portion thereof. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of some components of an exemplary PACS reader. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic block diagram of various exemplary components of an exemplary machine that may be used, for example, as a PACS control panel or a PACS host server. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary wall-mounted PACS reader. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the reader of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of an arrangement of multiple UWB antennas and a structure disposed between the UWB antennas and having a dielectric constant selected to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves or fields passing through it, or a structure otherwise selected, designed or configured to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves or fields passing through it. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method for determining a user's intent to access a secured area and granting / denying such access in a PACS that includes access points, such as doors, gates, turnstiles, etc., that control or grant access privileges to the secured area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present disclosure relates generally to antenna configurations, and more specifically to UWB antenna configurations for physical access control systems. The present disclosure further relates generally to UWB antenna configurations for locating a credential, and more specifically to determining on which side of an access point, such as a door, gate, turnstile, etc., a credential is located, which can aid in understanding or determining a user's intent to access a secured area. The present disclosure also relates generally to methods for determining a user's intent to access a secured area, for example, using a device having such a UWB antenna configuration.

[0015] As indicated above, physical access control generally includes various systems and methods governing access, for example, by people to a secured area or secured assets. Physical access control includes the identification of authorized users or devices (e.g., vehicles, drones, etc.) and the operation of gates, doors, or other equipment used to secure an area or the operation of controls, for example, physical or electronic / software controls, that allow access to secured assets. Physical access control systems (PACS) generally include readers (e.g., online or offline readers) that hold authorization data and can determine whether a credential (e.g., from a credential or key device, such as a card, fob, magnetic stripe card, or radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in a personal electronic device such as a mobile phone) is authorized for an actuator or control (e.g., door lock, door opener, software control, turning off an alarm, etc.). Alternatively, the PACS may include a host server to which readers and actuators are connected (e.g., via a controller) in a centralized configuration. In the centralized configuration, the reader may obtain credentials from a credential or key device and pass these credentials to a host server of the PACS. The host server may then determine whether the credentials grant access to a secured area or secured asset and instruct the actuator or other control mechanism accordingly, or instruct the reader to actuate the actuator or other control mechanism accordingly.

[0016] For example, wireless PACS that utilize wireless communication between a reader and a credential or key device can use RFID or personal area network (PAN) technologies such as IEEE 802.15.1, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), near field communications (NFC), ZigBee, GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, etc. Many of these technologies have some drawbacks for a seamless user experience. For example, the range of NFC is very short, so the exchange of credentials does not usually occur until the user is very close to the secured area or asset and attempts to gain access. The transfer of the credential to the reader and the response by the reader or host server may take several seconds, resulting in user frustration. Furthermore, the user typically needs to take the device out of, for example, a pocket and place it at or near the reader to initiate the transaction.

[0017] BLE devices, on the other hand, have a range of tens of meters (e.g., 10-20 meters). Thus, when a user approaches a reader, a credential exchange can take place. However, BLE and many other PAN standards do not provide precise physical tracking of devices (e.g., ranging, location determination, etc.). Thus, it may be difficult for the reader to determine without further evidence of intent whether the user's intent is to actually access a secured area or asset. For example, it is problematic if an authorized user simply walks past a reader in a hall and a door is unlocked or opened. Evidence of intent may include touching a door handle, gesturing a key device, etc. However, this may not be an ideal user experience compared to a user simply walking up to a reader and being granted access to a secured area without any further action or interaction on the user's part.

[0018] To address one or more of these or other issues, location estimation techniques (e.g., using secure UWB ranging) can be used and combined with PAN discovery and key exchange. UWB location estimation techniques can be more accurate than some conventional techniques, and can provide accuracy, for example, on the order of tens of centimeters. UWB location estimation techniques can provide both the range and direction of the credential or key device relative to the reader. This accuracy far exceeds the accuracy of about 10 meters of BLE, etc., when the readers are not coordinated. The precision of UWB precision is a useful tool to seamlessly determine the user's intent (e.g., whether the user is attempting to access a secured area or asset or simply passing by). For example, several zones may be defined, for example, near the reader, at the reader, etc., to understand the user's intent from different perspectives. Additionally or alternatively, tracking precision helps provide an accurate model that can identify the intent from the user's movement or the direction of the user's movement. The reader can thus classify the user's movement as, for example, likely approaching the reader, or simply walking past.

[0019] When an intent trigger occurs, the reader may act on the credentials exchanged, for example, via PAN technology. In the case of an offline reader, e.g., a reader not connected to a control panel or host server, the reader may directly control an actuator or other control mechanism (e.g., an unlocked door lock). In a centralized PACS, the (online) reader may forward the credentials to a control panel or host server to be acted upon.

[0020] 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary PACS 100 or a portion thereof. The PACS system 100 may include a reader device associated with a secured area, access point, or other asset 104, or simply a reader 102. In some cases, such as the example shown in FIG. 1, the secured area 104 is an area secured by an access point 105, such as a door, gate, turnstile, or the like, that controls or allows access privileges to the secured area. The reader 102 may include or be operatively connected to a control mechanism 106, such as a locking mechanism, that controls whether access to the access point 105 is allowed (e.g., can be opened or accessed), or may even control the opening and closing of the access point. The reader 102 may be an offline reader, e.g., a reader that is not connected to a control panel or host server, in which case it may make its own access control decisions and directly operate or instruct the control mechanism 106 accordingly. The reader 102 may be a wireless reader device, which communicates with the credential or key device via wireless technologies such as RFID or PAN technologies such as IEEE 802.15.1, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), near field communications (NFC), ZigBee, GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0021] In some cases, the reader 102 may be wired or wirelessly connected to the control panel 108. In such cases, the reader 102 may transmit credential information to the control panel 108, which may make or participate with the reader in making access control decisions. Based on the access control decisions, the control panel 108 may instruct the reader 102 to operate or command the control mechanism 106 accordingly. Alternatively, the control panel 108 may be directly or wirelessly connected to the control mechanism 106, in which case it may operate or command the control mechanism directly, thus bypassing the reader 102.

[0022] In some examples, the reader 102 and the control panel 108, as well as the control mechanism 106, may be connected to a wired or wireless network 110 and communicate with each other over the network, as described above. Example networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile phone network (e.g., a cellular network), a Plain Old Telephone (POTS) network, a wireless data network (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards called Wi-Fi®, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards called WiMax®), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, and the like. When the PACS 100 is managed by a remote system, the PACS may include a host server 112 that may be connected to the network 110 by a wired or wireless connection and communicate with the reader 102 and / or the control panel 108. In such a case, the reader 102 can transmit the credential information to the host server 112 over the network 110, or can transmit the credential information to the control panel 108, which can transmit the credential information to the host server over the network. The host server 112 can make an access control decision or share with the reader 102 and / or the control panel 108 in making the access control decision. Based on the access control decision, the host server 112 can instruct the reader 102 to operate or command the control mechanism 106 accordingly, either directly or indirectly via the control panel 108. Alternatively, the host server 112 can instruct the control panel 108 to operate or command the control mechanism 106 accordingly.In yet another example, the host server 112 may be connected to the control mechanism 106 via the network 110 and may operate or instruct the control mechanism directly, thus bypassing the reader 102 and control panel 108.

[0023] 3 illustrates a schematic block diagram of several components of an exemplary reader 102. In general, the reader 102 may include one or more of a memory 302, a processor 304, one or more antennas 306, a communication module 308, a network interface device 310, a user interface 312, and a power source or power circuitry 314.

[0024] The memory 302 can be used in connection with the execution of application programming or instructions by the processor 304, and for temporary or long-term storage of program instructions or instruction sets 316 and / or credentials or authorization data 318, such as credential data, credential authorization data, or access control data or instructions. For example, the memory 302 can include executable instructions 316 used by the processor 304 to operate other components of the reader 102 and / or to make access decisions based on the credentials or authorization data 318. The memory 302 can include computer-readable media, which can be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, or transfer data, program code, or instructions used by or in connection with the reader 102. The computer-readable media can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples of suitable computer readable media include, but are not limited to, electrical connections having one or more wires, or tangible storage media such as portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM or flash memory), dynamic RAM (DRAM), any solid-state storage device, typically a compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage device. Computer readable media includes, but is not to be confused with, computer readable storage media, which is intended to cover all physical, non-transitory, or similar embodiments of computer readable media.

[0025] The processor 304 may correspond to one or more computer processing devices or resources. For example, the processor 304 may be provided as silicon, as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), any other type of integrated circuit (IC) chip, a collection of IC chips, etc. As a more specific example, the processor 304 may be provided as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), or multiple microprocessors or CPUs configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the internal memory 320 and / or memory 302.

[0026] The antenna 306 may correspond to one or more antennas and may be configured to provide wireless communication between the reader 102 and the credential or key device. The one or more antennas 306 may be configured to operate using one or more wireless communication protocols and operating frequencies, including but not limited to IEEE 802.15.1, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, RF, UWB, etc. By way of example, the one or more antennas 306 may be one or more RF antennas and thus may transmit / receive RF signals that are received / transmitted by the credential or key device having an RF transceiver via free space. In some examples, at least one antenna 306 is an antenna designed or configured to transmit and / or receive UWB signals (referred to herein simply as a "UWB antenna") such that the reader can communicate using UWB technology.

[0027] The communications module 308 can be configured to communicate with one or more different systems or devices remote or local to the reader 102, such as one or more controls 106 or control panels 108, according to any suitable communications protocol.

[0028] The network interface device 310 includes hardware that enables communication with other devices, such as the control panel 108 or the host server 112, over a communications network, such as the network 110, using any one of a number of transport protocols (e.g., frame relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communications networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile phone network (e.g., a cellular network), a Plain Old Telephone (POTS) network, a wireless data network (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards referred to as Wi-Fi®, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards referred to as WiMax®), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, etc. In some examples, the network interface device 310 may include an Ethernet port or other physical jack, a Wi-Fi card, a network interface card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., antennas, filters, and associated circuitry), etc. In some examples, the network interface device 310 may include multiple antennas to communicate wirelessly using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) techniques.

[0029] The user interface 312 may include one or more input devices and / or display devices. Examples of suitable user input devices that may be included in the user interface 312 include, but are not limited to, one or more buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch-sensitive surface, a stylus, a camera, a microphone, etc. Examples of suitable user output devices that may be included in the user interface 312 include, but are not limited to, one or more LEDs, an LED panel, a display screen, a touch screen, one or more lights, a speaker, etc. It should be appreciated that the user interface 312 may also include combined user input and user output devices, such as a touch-sensitive display, etc.

[0030] The power source 314 may be any suitable internal power source, such as a battery, a capacitive power source, or a similar type of charge storage device, and / or may include one or more power conversion circuits suitable for converting external power to appropriate power for the components of the reader 102 (e.g., converting externally supplied AC power to DC power). The power source 314 may also include some implementations of surge protection circuitry to protect the components of the reader 102 from power surges.

[0031] The reader 102 may also include one or more interlinks or buses 322 operable to transmit communications between the reader's hardware components. The system bus 322 may be any of several types of commercially available bus structures or architectures.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of example components of an example machine 400 that may be used, for example, as the control panel 108 and / or the host server 112. The examples described herein may include or may operate with logic or some components or mechanisms within the machine 400. Generally, a circuit (e.g., processing circuitry) is a collection of circuits implemented within the tangible entity of the machine 400 that includes hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuit membership may be flexible over time. A circuit includes members that may perform a defined operation when operating alone or in combination. In some examples, the hardware of a circuit may be designed (e.g., hardwired) in an immutable manner to perform a particular operation. In some examples, the hardware of a circuit may include physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) connected in a changeable manner that includes a machine-readable medium that is physically altered to encode instructions for a particular operation (e.g., a magnetically and electrically movable arrangement of immutable mass particles, etc.). Upon connecting the physical components, the underlying electrical properties of the hardware components are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor, or vice versa. The instructions enable the embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or a loading mechanism) to create members of a circuit in the hardware through variable connections to perform a portion of a particular operation during operation. Thus, in some examples, the machine-readable medium element is a part of a circuit or is communicatively coupled to other components of a circuit when the device is operating. In some examples, any of the physical components can be used in multiple members of multiple circuits. For example, during operation, an execution unit can be used in a first circuit of a first circuit configuration at one time and reused by a second circuit in the first circuit configuration or a third circuit in the second circuit configuration at a different time. Additional and / or more specific examples of components for machine 400 are provided below.

[0033] In some embodiments, the machine 400 can operate as a stand-alone device or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 400 can operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or in both a server-client network environment. In some examples, the machine 400 can function as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine 400 can be or include a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a web appliance, a network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that define operations to be performed by the machine. Moreover, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should be interpreted to include any collection of machines that individually or cooperatively execute one or more sets of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods described herein, such as cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), or other computer cluster configurations.

[0034] The machine (e.g., computer system) 400 may include a hardware processor 402 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), and a main memory 404, static memory (e.g., firmware, microcode, basic input / output (BIOS), Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), etc.) 406, and / or mass storage 408 (e.g., hard drives, tape drives, flash storage, or other block devices), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 430. The machine 400 may further include a display device 410 and input devices 412 and / or user interface (UI) navigation devices 414. Exemplary input devices and UI navigation devices include, but are not limited to, one or more buttons, a keyboard, a touch-sensitive surface, a stylus, a camera, a microphone, and the like. In some examples, one or more of the display device 410, the input device 412, and the UI navigation device 414 may be a combined unit, such as a touch screen display. The machine 400 may further include a signal generating device 418 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 420, and one or more sensors 416, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensor. The machine 400 may include an output controller 428, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., InfraRed (IR), NFC, etc.) connection, to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.).

[0035] The processor 402 may correspond to one or more computer processing devices or resources. For example, the processor 402 may be provided as silicon, as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), any other type of integrated circuit (IC) chip, a collection of IC chips, etc. As a more specific example, the processor 402 may be provided as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), or multiple microprocessors or CPUs configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the internal memory 422 and / or memories 404, 406, 408.

[0036] Any of the memories 404, 406, 408 can be used in connection with the execution of application programming or instructions by the processor 402, and for temporary or long-term storage of program instructions or instruction sets 424 and / or other data. Any of the memories 404, 406, 408 can include a computer-readable medium, which can be any medium capable of containing, storing, communicating, or transferring data, program code, or instructions 424 used by or in connection with the machine 400. A computer-readable medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples of suitable computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires, or a tangible storage medium, such as a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a solid-state storage device, generally a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage device. As noted above, computer readable medium includes, but is not to be confused with, computer readable storage media, which is intended to cover all physical, non-transitory, or similar embodiments of computer readable media.

[0037] Network interface device 420 includes hardware that enables communication with other devices over a communications network, such as network 110, using any one of a number of transport protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communications networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile phone network (e.g., a cellular network), a Plain Old Telephone (POTS) network, a wireless data network (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards referred to as Wi-Fi®, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards referred to as WiMax®), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, etc. In some examples, the network interface device 420 may include an Ethernet port or other physical jack, a Wi-Fi card, a network interface card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., antennas, filters, and associated circuitry), etc. In some examples, the network interface device 420 may include multiple antennas to communicate wirelessly using at least one of Single-Input Multiple-Output (SIMO), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), or Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) techniques.

[0038] As mentioned above, the machine 400 may include one or more interlinks or buses 430 operable to transmit communications between the hardware components of the machine. The system bus 322 may be any of several types of commercially available bus structures or architectures.

[0039] 1 and 2, in use, when a user having a credential or key device 114 approaches a reader 102 associated with an access point 105, the credential device 114 can communicate user credentials or credential data to the reader, for example, via appropriate RFID or PAN technology. Generally, a credential device is a device that holds the basis for the authority, status, rights, and / or entitlement to privileges of the owner of the credential device. A credential device may be a portable device having a memory 116 that stores one or more user credentials or credential data, and a reader interface (i.e., an antenna and integrated circuit (IC) chip) 118 that allows the credential to exchange data with a reader device, such as the reader 102, via the credential interface of the reader device, such as the antenna 306. One example of a credential device 114 is an RFID smartcard that stores data that allows the owner of the credential device to access a secured area or asset protected by the reader 102, such as secured area 104. Other examples of credential devices include, but are not limited to, proximity RFID-based cards, access control cards, credit cards, debit cards, passports, identification cards, key fobs, NFC-enabled devices, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tags, or other devices that can be configured to emulate a virtual credential.

[0040] If the reader 102, control panel 108, and / or host server 112 determines that the user credential or credential data provided by the credential device 114 is valid and / or authorized, the reader 102, control panel 108, or host server 112 operates the control mechanism 106 to allow a user having the credential device access to the secured area 104. In some examples, the control mechanism 106 may be operated to open or close an access point 105 (e.g., a door, a gate, etc.) for the user.

[0041] However, merely possessing an authorized credential or merely passing an authorized credential to a reader does not necessarily indicate the intent of the user possessing the authorized credential to access a secured area or asset. For example, a user may simply walk past a reader without intending to access a secured area or asset. If an authorized credential is passed from a passing user's credential device to a reader and the secured asset is, for example, unlocked or opened, an unauthorized user may undesirably access the secured area or asset.

[0042] Thus, prior to authorizing a credential or unlocking, opening, or otherwise enabling access to a secured asset or area, it may be desirable to determine whether a user of the authorized credential is presumed to have or otherwise indicate intent to access the secured area or asset. Evidence of intent may include touching a door handle, tampering with a key device, etc. However, these require a motion or interaction by the user of the credential and may be a less than ideal user experience. However, the use of UWB location estimation technology may provide a more seamless user experience, where the user's intent may be determined or inferred based on the location, orientation, and / or angle of incidence or arrival of the credential device. As noted above, UWB location estimation technology is highly accurate and may provide both the range and orientation of the credential or key device relative to the reader. Thus, in some examples, the reader 102 and the credential device 114 may include an antenna designed or configured to transmit and / or receive UWB signals (again, simply referred to herein as a "UWB antenna") such that the reader and the credential device can communicate using UWB technology. Specifically, at least one of the multiple antennas 306 of the reader 102 may be a UWB antenna. Similarly, the reader interface 118 of the credential device 114 may also include a UWB antenna.

[0043] In addition to the location or distance of the credential device relative to the reader, a particularly desirable aspect of a credential device that may be useful in determining user intent in a PACS that includes access points (e.g., doors, gates, turnstiles, etc.) that control access to a secured area, such as secured area 104, may be the angle of incidence or angle of arrival (AoA) of the credential device relative to the reader. In addition to determining the AoA of the credential device, it may also be useful to understand or determine whether a user of the credential device is outside the secured area or already inside the secured area. In some instances, a user who is outside the secured area but within range of the reader (and possibly a user moving towards the reader) may be considered to have intent to enter the secured area, while a user who is inside the secured area and within range of the reader (and possibly a user moving towards the reader) may be ignored or considered to have no intent since they are already within the secured area.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an example reader 502 configured to determine the AoA of a credential device or to determine whether the credential device is outside, inside, or simply outside a secured area 104. The reader 502 may include one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) 504 or other electrical circuitry (referred to simply as “PCBs 504”) that include some or all of the components described with respect to FIG. 3. The PCBs 504 may include additional components as necessary or desired. As part of the one or more antennas 306 described above, the reader 502 may include two UWB antennas 506, 508. The antenna configuration of the UWB antennas 506, 508 may have any suitable known or to be discovered shape or configuration suitable for UWB communications. The UWB antennas 506, 508 may be mounted on opposite sides of, and electrically connected to, a PCB or other hardware component 510 (referred to simply as “PCBs 510”). The PCB 510 and / or the UWB antenna 506 may be operatively and / or electrically coupled to one or more components of the PCB 504. Although shown as being on separate PCBs, in some instances the antennas 506, 508 may be mounted on opposite sides of the PCB 504 and electrically connected to the PCB 504.

[0045] The UWB antennas 506, 508 may be spaced apart by a distance d2 along the antenna axis 512. In some cases, the UWB antennas 506, 508 spaced apart or positioned along the antenna axis 512 may include an axis passing through a central region or center of gravity of each UWB antenna. In some cases, the UWB antennas 506, 508 spaced apart or positioned along the antenna axis 512 may include an axis passing through a non-central region of the UWB antennas, or a combination of a central region of one UWB antenna and a non-central region of the other UWB antenna.

[0046] Accordingly, the PCB 510 (or the PCB 504, as the case may be) may have a thickness of d2. However, in other examples, the distance d2 between the UWB antennas 506, 508 may be greater than the thickness of the PCB 510 (or the PCB 504, as the case may be) by, for example, using additional spacers or spacing materials. In some cases, as shown in the example of FIG. 5, the PCB 510 (or the PCB 504, as the case may be) may be sized and / or configured to occupy substantially the entire area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508 or more. In other cases, the PCB 510 (or the PCB 504, as the case may be) may be sized and / or configured to occupy a portion of the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, or at least 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. Alternatively, the PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) can be sized and / or configured to occupy less than all of the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, less than 99%, less than 90%, less than 75%, or less than 60% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. In some cases, the PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) can be sized and / or configured to occupy an amount of the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, about 35% to about 99%, about 40% to about 95%, about 50% to about 95%, about 75% to about 95%, or about 75% to about 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas, as may be determined to be preferred for a particular application or to provide predictable, preferred, or suitable results.

[0047] In some examples, the PCB 510 (or PCB 504 in some cases) between the UWB antennas 506, 508, or one or more portions thereof, may include one or more material types including a substantially homogenous material disposed approximately evenly between the antennas, a composite material having one or more properties that vary along or perpendicular to the antenna axis 512, or multiple layers or series of materials, such as a core or core layer with one or more additional layers of the same or different material or materials.

[0048] The reader 502 includes a housing 514 having a depth d1. As can be appreciated, the distance d2 can directly affect the depth d1 of the reader housing 514. That is, generally, the greater the distance d2, the greater the depth d1 needs to be.

[0049] The reader 502 can be mounted to a fixed structure, such as a wall 516 (or other boundary that can define a secured area) near or including the access point 105. The reader 502 can include or define a mounting surface 518 configured to mount the reader flat against the wall 516. In some cases, the mounting surface 518 can be flush with the wall 516 or spaced apart from the wall 516. The wall 516 can have a wall axis 516 at least some distance. The UWB antennas 506, 508 can be configured within the reader 502 such that the antenna axis 512 is approximately out-of-plane (e.g., at a non-zero or non-parallel angle) with respect to the mounting surface 518 and / or the wall axis 516. In some cases, the UWB antennas 506, 508 can be configured within the reader 502 such that the antenna axis 512 is approximately perpendicular to the mounting surface 518, and / or the reader 502 can be mounted to the wall 516 such that the antenna axis 512 is approximately perpendicular to the wall axis 516. However, in other cases, as may be desirable, the UWB antennas 506, 508 can be aligned within the reader 502 and / or the reader 502 can be mounted to the wall 516 such that the antenna axis 512 is disposed at another angle relative to the mounting surface 518 and / or wall axis 516, for example, between a 25° angle and a 155° angle relative to the mounting surface 518 or wall axis 516, between a 45° angle and a 135° angle relative to the mounting surface or wall axis, or between a 60° angle and a 120° angle relative to the mounting surface or wall axis. Other suitable non-parallel angles can also be used, as desired.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 6, the UWB antennas 506, 508 can be used to determine the AoA of the credential device 114. In particular, a UWB signal or communication packet 602 can be transmitted from the credential device 114a outside the secured area 104 and received by the UWB antennas 506, 508. Based on the phase difference between the signals received at the UWB antennas 506 and 508, the angle of incidence or angle of arrival (AoA) α of the credential device 114 relative to the antenna axis 512 can be determined. The AoA can be used to determine the intent of the user of the credential device. In addition to the AoA, the configuration of the UWB antennas 506, 508 described above can determine whether the credential device 114 is outside or inside the secured area 104 based on the difference in timing at which the UWB antennas 506 and 508 receive the signal 602. Specifically, if UWB antenna 506 receives signal 602 before UWB antenna 508, then a credential device such as credential device 114a may be determined to be closer to UWB antenna 506 than UWB antenna 508, and thus on the side of reader 510 that is outside of secured area 104. Conversely, a signal or communication packet 604 from credential device 114b will be received by UWB antenna 508 before being received by UWB antenna 506. Thus, credential device 114b may be determined to be closer to UWB antenna 508 than UWB antenna 506, and thus on the side of reader 510 that is inside secured area 104. As noted above, whether a user is outside or inside a secured area may be useful in understanding or determining the user's intent to access the secured area.For example, a user outside the secured area within range of the reader (and possibly a user moving towards the reader) is considered to intend to enter the secured area, while a user inside the secured area and within range of the reader (and possibly a user moving towards the reader) is ignored or considered to be unintended because they are already within the secured area.

[0051] With further reference to FIG. 6, because the antenna axis 512 is approximately perpendicular (or at other non-parallel angles) to the wall axis 516 (and / or the reader mounting surface 518), in certain instances, signals from the credential device 114c may provide the same distance, AoA α, and outside / inside determinations as the credential device 114a. More generally, credential device distance and AoA determinations made within Zone 2 may generally mirror those for Zone 1. The designations of Zone 1 and Zone 2 are shown in FIG. 6 for ease of explanation only and are not intended to define or limit any reader range or functional separation of the reader's multiple zones. However, due to the configuration of the UWB antennas 506, 508, the outside / inside determination continues to distinguish between multiple devices that are outside or inside the secured area 104. That is, despite having the same distance and AoA determination as the credential device 114a, the credential device 114c nevertheless provides an accurate determination that it is outside the secured area 104. In this manner, the outside / inside determination is more beneficial in understanding or determining the user's intent, for reasons already explained. However, if such additional location estimates are desired or required, one or more additional antennas can be added to the reader 502 to distinguish between the credential devices 114a and 114c. Additionally or alternatively, heuristic algorithms can be used to determine the likelihood that a credential device is the credential device 114a or the credential device 114c. Additionally or alternatively, a companion reader, beacon device, or other unit can be used in combination with the reader 502 to provide additional location estimate information.

[0052] However, a potential consideration of the aforementioned configuration of the UWB antennas 506, 508 is that to obtain generally sufficient resolution for AoA and / or outside / inside determination, the UWB antennas 506, 508 should be spaced apart along the antenna axis 512 by a distance d2 that is generally at least as large as half the wavelength (λ) of the signal (i.e., λ / 2). The wavelength is the velocity of the wave in the medium (v) divided by the frequency (f) of the wave, i.e., λ=v / f. Assuming that the medium that constitutes the space between the UWB antennas 506, 508 is air or a structure with a dielectric constant similar to air, at frequencies desired for PACS, the distance d2 is likely to be a dozen millimeters (mm) or more. For example, at frequencies between about 6.3 Ghz and 8 Ghz, the air distance d2 is generally between about 18 mm and 24 mm. For ease of explanation, the wavelength of a signal or electromagnetic wave passing through air or a structure having a dielectric constant similar to air will be referred to herein as the "air wavelength" or "λ A ". As noted above, distance d2 can directly affect the depth d1 of the reader housing 514. For example, at such frequencies between about 6.3 Ghz and 8 Ghz, in readers in which the antenna axis 512 is generally perpendicular to the wall axis 516, the depth d1 will be greater than distance d2, at least 19 mm or 20 mm greater. Other reader housings can have smaller sizes, and it may be desirable for future generations of readers to have a smaller depth d1, since a relatively large reader housing requires more area on a wall or other mounting surface, is more expensive (especially in materials costs) to manufacture, may be more complicated to install, may be more noticeable, and is usually not aesthetically pleasing. As mentioned above, the antenna axis 512 can, but is not necessarily, aligned at other non-parallel angles to the wall axis 516 which serves to reduce the depth d1 of the reader housing 514, but such alignments may increase the cost of the reader and, for example, increase the complexity of the outside / inside determination and, for example, reduce the benefit of the outside / inside determination.

[0053] Thus, to reduce the distance d2 between the UWB antennas 506, 508 while maintaining sufficient resolution for AoA (and / or outside / inside determination), the PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) may be constructed of a material or combination of materials having a dielectric constant (or dielectric constants) selected to slow down the propagation of an electromagnetic wave or field passing therethrough, shortening its wavelength, or a material or combination of materials otherwise selected, designed, or configured to slow down the propagation of an electromagnetic wave or field passing therethrough, shortening its wavelength. For example, the PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) may have a thickness d2 of λ (e.g., if the electromagnetic wave was passing through air or a material with a dielectric constant similar to air). A / 2, the thickness of the PCB ensures that at least λ A λ / 2, or at least λ A Simulate, mimic, resemble, or represent a UWB antenna separation of at least λ / 2. A / 2 UWB antenna separation or at least λ AAlternatively, for a particular AoA resolution that can be achieved between UWB antennas 506, 508 spaced apart by a separation distance SD with air or a material having a dielectric constant similar to air, PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) may be constructed with a thickness d2 of a material or combination of materials having a dielectric constant (or dielectric constants) selected to slow down the propagation of electromagnetic waves sufficiently and shorten the wavelength of electromagnetic waves, or a material or combination of materials otherwise selected, designed, or configured to slow down the propagation of electromagnetic waves sufficiently and shorten the wavelength of electromagnetic waves, such that thickness d2 is less than the separation distance SD and at least substantially the same AoA resolution is obtained or maintained. The thickness d2 may be reduced by a material or combination of materials selected, designed, or configured to slow down the propagation of electromagnetic waves or fields by less than λ. A In some cases, it can be determined how much the thickness d2 can be reduced from λ / 2. A / 2 by 50% or more. For example, PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) may be constructed of FR4 or other dielectric PCB material. FR4, for example, may slow down the propagation of electromagnetic waves by a little more than twice, so that, for example, AoA resolution at an air separation distance of about 17 mm between UWB antennas 506, 508 may similarly be obtained with a distance d2 between UWB antennas 506, 508 on an FR4 PCB that is less than 8 mm and close to 6 mm.

[0054] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of another possible configuration of UWB antennas 506, 508 and a material or combination of materials 702 having a dielectric constant (or dielectric constants) selected to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough and shorten the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves or fields, or a material or combination of materials that is otherwise selected, designed, or configured to do so. In the configuration of FIG. 7, the UWB antennas 506, 508 are mounted on the same side of a PCB or other hardware component 704 (referred to simply as "PCB 704"), rather than on opposite sides of the PCB. Specifically, the UWB antenna 508 can be mounted on the PCB 704, one or more materials 702 of thickness d2 can be disposed, stacked, and / or secured on the UWB antenna 508, and the UWB antenna 506 can be disposed, stacked, and / or secured on the one or more materials 702. The width w1 of the material 702 can be any suitable width desired or required to obtain the desired effect. Additionally, although shown as a layer or thickness of material, the one or more materials 702 can take any suitable shape or form, including any regular shape (e.g., a cube, a rectangular prism, a triangular prism, a disk, etc.) or an irregular shape. Additionally, the one or more materials 702 can have a constant thickness d2 along its width w1, or can have a variable thickness along its width w1 or any other axis. Additionally, the one or more materials 702 can be configured to surround or partially surround the UWB antenna 506 and / or the UWB antenna 508 (e.g., as shown in one example as dashed line 702a in FIG. 7), and are not limited to a constant thickness layer disposed strictly between the UWB antennas 506, 508.

[0055] Further, in some cases, the one or more materials 702 can be sized and / or configured to occupy substantially the entire area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508 or more, as shown in the example of Figure 7. In other cases, the one or more materials 702 can be sized and / or configured to occupy a portion of the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, or at least 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. Alternatively, the one or more materials 702 can be sized and / or configured to occupy less than all of the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, less than 99%, less than 90%, less than 75%, or less than 60% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. In some cases, the one or more materials 702 can be sized and / or configured to occupy an amount of the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, about 35% to about 99%, about 40% to about 95%, about 50% to about 95%, about 75% to about 95%, or about 75% to about 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas, as may be determined to be preferred for a particular application or to provide predictable, favorable, or suitable results.

[0056] In some examples, the one or more materials 702 between the UWB antennas 506, 508, or one or more portions thereof, may include one or more material types including a substantially homogenous material disposed approximately evenly between the antennas, a composite material having one or more properties that vary along or perpendicular to the antenna axis 512, or a core or base with one or more additional layers of the same or different material or materials, or multiple layers or series of materials, such as core or base layers.

[0057] In some cases, a combination of the example configurations shown in Figures 5-7 may be utilized. Specifically, both the PCB (which may include another PCB or PCB material) and material(s) 702 may be disposed at least partially between the UWB antennas 506, 508.

[0058] FIG. 8 illustrates a method 800 for determining a user's intent to access a secured area and granting / denying the access in a PACS that includes access points such as doors, gates, turnstiles, etc. that control or allow access privileges to the secured area. In step 802, a reader of the PACS may receive a UWB signal from a credential device having a UWB antenna, as described herein. The reader may have any of the exemplary configurations described above. Thus, in step 802, the reader receives signals from the credential with (at least) two UWB antennas. In step 804, the reader and / or controller and / or host server of the PACS may determine location estimation data associated with the credential device, such as distance and AoA. Further, in step 806, based on the configuration of the (at least) two UWB antennas and the time at which the signal is received at each of the (at least) two UWB antennas, the PACS reader, controller, and / or host server may determine whether the credential device is outside or inside the secured area. In step 808, based on one or more of the location estimation data and the outside / inside determination, the PACS reader, controller, and / or host server may determine whether the user is inferred to have or indicate an intent to access the secured area. Alternatively, in step 812, which may occur before or at the same time as step 802 of the flowchart of FIG. 8, or at any other time between steps 802 and 812, the PACS reader may receive a credential or credential information from the credential device. In step 814, which may occur any time after the reader receives the credential information, the PACS reader, controller, and / or host server may verify the credential information.In one example, the PACS reader, controller, and / or host server may wait to verify the credential information until it is determined that the user has or indicates intent to access the secured area. In other cases, the PACS reader, controller, and / or host server may verify the credential information before or at the same time as determining whether the user has or indicates intent to access the secured area. If, in step 814, it is determined that the credential information is valid and the user has or indicates intent to access the secured area, the PACS reader, controller, and / or host server may allow the user of the credential device to access the secured area.

[0059] Although described with respect to a PACS, the configuration of UWB antennas 506, 508 in any of the foregoing embodiments and methods of using same in a manner similar or different to that described with respect to Figure 8 may be used in systems other than a PACS. Additionally or alternatively, although described with respect to UWB antennas 506, 508 in particular, other types of suitable antennas, time-of-flight (TOF) enabled sensors, etc. may be used in addition to or in place of UWB antennas 506 and / or UWB antennas 508 in any of the foregoing embodiments and methods of using same, as desired.

[0060] postscript The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, certain embodiments that may be practiced. These embodiments may also be referred to herein as "examples." Such embodiments or examples may include elements in addition to those shown and described. However, the inventors also contemplate examples in which only the elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the inventors also contemplate examples (or one or more aspects thereof) that use any combination or permutation of the elements shown or described in relation to the particular example (or one or aspects thereof) or in relation to any other example (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein. That is, the above-described embodiments or examples, or one or more aspects, features, or elements thereof, may be used in combination with each other.

[0061] The terms "a" or "an" are used herein, as is common in the patent literature, to include one or more, independent of any other instance or usage of "at least one" or "one or more." The term "or" is used herein to mean non-exclusive, unless otherwise noted, or such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B." In the appended claims, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0062] Additionally, unless otherwise indicated, the phrases "at least one of [X] and [Y]" or "at least one of [X] or [Y]" as used herein mean that, where [X] and [Y] are different components that may be included in an embodiment of the present disclosure, an embodiment may include component [X] without component [Y], an embodiment may include component [Y] without component [X], or an embodiment may include both components [X] and [Y]. Similarly, when used in reference to three or more components, such as "at least one of [X], [Y], and [Z]" or "at least one of [X], [Y], or [Z]," the phrase means that an embodiment may include any one of the three or more components, any combination or subcombination of the components, or all of the components.

[0063] As used herein, the term "substantially" or "generally" refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, feature, characteristic, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is "substantially" or "generally" enclosed means that the object is completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact degree of acceptable deviation from absolute completeness may depend on the particular circumstances in some cases. Generally speaking, however, near completeness is such that the overall result would generally be the same as if absolute and total completeness had been obtained. The use of "substantially" or "generally" is equally applicable when used in the negative sense to refer to the complete or nearly complete absence of an action, feature, characteristic, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a component, combination, embodiment, or composition that is "substantially free" or "generally free" of an element may actually include such element, so long as there is generally no significant effect of such element.

[0064] In order to assist readers of the Patent Office and of any patents issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, Applicants note that they do not intend that any of the appended claims or claim elements invoke 35 U.S.C. 352(f) unless the phrase "means for" or "step for" is expressly used in a particular claim.

[0065] In the foregoing description, various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The various embodiments have been chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the present disclosure and their practical application, and to enable those skilled in the art to utilize the various embodiments with various modifications as suited to the particular uses contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.

Claims

1. 1. An ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna arrangement, comprising: a first antenna configured to receive UWB signals; a second antenna configured to receive the UWB signal; A UWB antenna is disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna, and has a wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. Ａ and a structure having a thickness that defines a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than λ / 2, the thickness of the structure defining at least half a wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. Ａ 1. An ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna configuration, wherein the structure is configured to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves passing through the structure so as to provide an effective separation between the first and second antennas of 1 / 2.

2. 10. The UWB antenna configuration of claim 1, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are aligned along an axis that is at an angle between 25 degrees and 155 degrees relative to a surface to which the UWB antenna configuration is mounted.

3. The UWB antenna configuration of claim 2 , wherein the axis passes through a center of gravity of at least one of the first and second antennas.

4. 4. The UWB antenna configuration of claim 3, wherein said axis passes through a center of gravity of each of said first and second antennas.

5. The UWB antenna arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a printed circuit board (PCB).

6. The UWB antenna configuration of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises FR4.

7. The UWB antenna configuration of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises multiple types of materials.

8. The UWB antenna configuration of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a composite material having one or more properties that vary along an axis of the structure.

9. A reader, a first antenna configured to receive an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal; a second antenna configured to receive the UWB signal; A UWB antenna is disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna, and has a wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. Ａ a structure having a thickness that defines a distance d between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than λ / 2, the thickness of the structure providing at least half a wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. Ａ the structure being configured to slow the propagation of electromagnetic waves passing through the structure so as to provide an effective separation between the first antenna and the second antenna of 1 / 2; a housing comprising the first antenna, the second antenna, and a structure disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna, the housing having a depth greater than distance d and less than or equal to 20 mm.

10. The reader of claim 9 , wherein the structure comprises a printed circuit board (PCB).

11. The reader of claim 9 , wherein the structure comprises FR4.

12. The reader of claim 9 , wherein the structure comprises multiple types of materials.

13. The reader of claim 9 , wherein the structure comprises a composite material having one or more properties that vary along an axis of the structure.

14. A reader according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the structure further at least partially surrounds the first antenna.

15. A reader according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the structure further at least partially surrounds the second antenna.

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