Rfid tag housing structure, rfid tag installation structure and rfid tag communication method

• US 20040074974A1
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanex Co., Ltd. (Vertex Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hanex Co., Ltd. (Vertex Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Jun, Hyodo, Nakamaro, Senba, Fujio, Uchiyama, Tomoki, Kida, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07728 the record carrier comprising means for protection against impact or bending, e.g. protective shells or stress-absorbing layers around the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07771 the record carrier comprising means for minimising adverse effects on the data communication capability of the record carrier, e.g. minimising Eddy currents induced in a proximate metal or otherwise electromagnetically interfering object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07777 the antenna being of the inductive type
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

A first object of the present invention resides in providing a novel installation structure for an RFID tag, which effectively protects the RFID tag from external stress or impact during the storage, transportation and usage, and allows communication with the external.

A second object of the present invention resides in that providing a novel installation structure for an RFID tag, which enables communication with the external even if the RFID tag is installed on a conductive member such as a metal member, and the surface thereof is covered with a protective member typically made of a metal which has an excellent strength and durability.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a communication method using an RFID tag as being surrounded by a conductive member typically made of a metal.

Even if an RFID tag 1a is housed in a container A typically made of a conductive material such as a metal having a large mechanical strength, the RFID tag 1a can communicate with an external read/write terminal 9 as mediated by leakage magnetic flux if only a flux leakage path 12 composed for example of a gap is formed in such container A

Claims

1. A housing structure for an RFID tag in which an RFID tag having an antenna coil and a control section is housed in a container made of a conductive member, and said container has a flux leakage path.

2. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container is composed of a plurality of separable members, and said flux leakage path is provided to the separation planes thereof or in at least one of such separable members.

3. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 2, wherein said separable members composing said container are a main housing portion having an opening and a lid portion capable of closing such opening, and said lid portion is fixed to said housing portion with a fixing means.

4. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 3, wherein said lid portion is fixed to said housing portion with said fixing means while being interposed with a spacer made of a non-conductive material.

5. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shock absorber or a heat insulator made of a non-conducive material is provided in contact with said RFID tag.

6. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 2, wherein said separable members are connected with each other using an opening/closing means so as to allow open/close operation.

7. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said antenna coil is formed in a cylindrical shape or concentric disk shape.

8. The installation structure for an RFID tag in which said housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 is installed on an installation plane of a conductive member.

9. The installation structure for an RFID tag in which an RFID tag having an antenna coil and a control section is installed on a conductive member, wherein

said RFID tag is installed on an installation plane of a conductive member, and covered on the surface thereof with a protective member made of a conductive material, and a flux leakage path is provided between said conductive member and said protective member, or in at least either thereof.

10. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 9, wherein said conductive member has an installation groove, and said RFID tag is installed on the bottom plane, which corresponds to said installation plane, of such installation groove.

11. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protective member is formed in a plate or cap.

12. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protective member is composed of a block material having in the surface portion thereof a housing portion, and is set, while housing in such housing portion said RFID tag, in said installation groove so as to oppose such housing portion to the installation plane of said conductive member.

13. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein said RFID tag has a cylindrical antenna coil so as to have a rod shape as a whole, and is installed so as to align the axial direction thereof in parallel to the installation plane of said conductive member, and so as to approximately come into contact with such installation plane.

14. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 10, wherein said RFID tag has a cylindrical antenna coil so as to have a rod shape as a whole, and is installed so as to align the axial direction thereof obliquely to the installation plane of said conductive member.

15. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 10, wherein said RFID tag has a concentric disc-shaped antenna coil and is installed so as to align the antenna coil plane thereof in parallel to the installation plane of said conductive member, and said protective member is provided with a flux leakage path.

16. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein said protective member is fixed to said conductive member with a fixing means.

17. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 16, wherein said protective member is fixed to said conductive material with said fixing means while being interposed with a spacer made of a non-conductive material.

18. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein a shock absorber or a heat insulator made of a non-conducive material is provided in contact with said RFID tag.

19. A communication method using an RFID tag, having an antenna coil and a control section, as being surrounded by a conductive member, wherein said conductive member is provided with a flux leakage path, and communication is effected between said RFID tag and an external device provided outside said conductive member as being mediated by a magnetic flux leaks through such flux leakage path.

20. The communication method using an RFID tag as claimed in claim 19, wherein said RFID tag is installed to an installation member made of a conductive material, and is covered on the surface side thereof with a protective member made of a conductive material, to thereby make such RFID tag surrounded by a conductive member comprising said installation member and the protective member, so as to allow said communication using magnetic flux leaks through said flux leakage path provided between said installation member and said protective member, or in at least either thereof.

21. The communication method using an RFID tag as claimed in claim 20, wherein said installation member has an installation groove formed therein, and said RFID tag is installed in such installation groove.

22. The communication method using an RFID tag as claimed in claim 21, wherein said RFID tag is housed in a housing portion formed in the surface portion of said protective member made of a conductive block, and said protective member is installed in said installation groove so as to direct said housing portion to the bottom plane of said installation groove.

23. The communication method using an RFID tag as claimed in claim 19, wherein said RFID tag is housed in a container made of a conductive material to thereby surround such RFID tag with a conductive member comprising such container, and said communication is effected using magnetic flux leaks through said flux leakage path provided to said container.

24. A communication method using an RFID tag having an antenna coil and a control section and respectively installed to each of a plurality of planar conductive members stacked with each other, wherein a flux leakage path is formed between each adjacent conductive members, and communication is effected between said RFID tag and an external device provided outside said conductive member as being mediated by a magnetic flux leaks through such flux leakage path.