Combined interrogator and transponder with an omnidirectional antenna

A communication circuit, comprising:

• a transmit chain configured to adjust a carrier frequency of an interrogator or a transponder transmission or a transponder response over a spectrum of frequencies;
• and
• multiple receive chains associated with different carrier frequencies in the spectrum of frequencies, wherein a given receive chain is associated with a given carrier frequency;
• wherein the communication circuit is configured to selectively electrically couple the transmit chain or the multiple receive chains in parallel to at least an omnidirectional antenna;
• wherein the communication circuit is configured to dynamically and temporally interleave the interrogator or the transponder transmission with the transponder response to a second interrogator or a second transponder transmission associated with an electronic device;
• and
• wherein the communication circuit is configured to provide functions of an interrogator and a transponder by performing bidirectional communication comprising:
• transmitting the interrogator or the transponder transmission;
• receiving the second interrogator or the second transponder transmission;
• or
• transmitting the transponder response to the second interrogator or the second transponder transmission, wherein the communication circuit is configured to interleave transmission of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) message with an instance of the transponder response;
• and
• wherein the ADS-B message is not in response to an instance of the interrogator or the transponder transmission.

A method for communicating using a communication circuit, comprising:

• transmitting, using a transmit chain in a communication circuit, an interrogator or a transponder transmission having a first carrier frequency, wherein the interrogator or the transponder transmission is transmitted using at least an omnidirectional antenna in the communication circuit or selectively electrically coupled to the communication circuit;
• receiving, using one of multiple receive chains in the communication circuit that is selectively electrically coupled to at least omnidirectional antenna, a second interrogator or a second transponder transmission associated with an electronic device, wherein the second interrogator or the second transponder transmission has a second carrier frequency, wherein, when receiving the second interrogator or the second transponder transmission, the transmit chain is electrically decoupled from at least the omnidirectional antenna;
• transmitting, using the transmit chain that is selectively electrically coupled to at least omnidirectional antenna, a transponder response having a third carrier frequency, wherein, when transmitting the transponder response, the receive chains are electrically decoupled from at least the omnidirectional antenna;
• and
• interleaving transmission of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) message with an instance of the transponder response, wherein the ADS-B message is not in response to an instance of the interrogator or the transponder transmission.