Automated antenna trim for transmitting and receiving semiconductor devices

• US 20050062607A1
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Keystone Technology Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Cathey, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,253,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.700
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0726 the arrangement including a circuit for tuning the resonance frequency of an antenna on the record carrier
• 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: H01Q 1/2208 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 methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• 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 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

A radio frequency communication device and methods of testing and tuning an antenna attached thereto are disclosed. A radio frequency communication device comprises internal circuitry and an antenna having a plurality of antenna segments associated therewith. Each antenna segment is associated with the antenna in either series or parallel relation through at least one of a fuse and an antifuse. In testing and tuning, a comparison is made to indicate whether the antenna is too short or too long. If the antenna is too short, an antenna segment may be attached to the antenna by initiating an antifuse. If the antenna is too long, an antenna segment may be detached from the antenna by blowing a fuse. If it is indeterminate whether the antenna is too short or too long, an antenna segment may be either attached or detached, the test repeated, and the results of the repeated test compared with the prior test to determine whether the correct action was taken.

Claims

1. A method of tuning an antenna of a radio frequency communication device, the method comprising:

evaluating an antenna response to at least one test signal; and

in response to an evaluation result;

accepting the radio frequency communication device when the evaluation meets a first criteria;

rejecting the radio frequency communication device when the evaluation result meets second criteria;

coupling an antenna segment to the antenna using an antifuse when the evaluation result meets third criteria; and

detaching an antenna segment from the antenna using a fuse when the evaluation result meets fourth criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting the radio frequency communication device occurs when the evaluation indicates the antenna meets specified criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rejecting the radio frequency communication device occurs when the evaluation indicates the antenna is too long and there is no antenna segment coupled to the antenna through a fuse.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein rejecting the radio frequency communication device occurs when the evaluation indicates the antenna is too short and there is no antenna segment associated with the antenna through an uninitiated antifuse.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the antenna segment to the antenna occurs when the evaluation indicates the antenna is too short and there is an antenna segment associated with the antenna through an uninitiated antifuse.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the antenna segment to the antenna occurs when the evaluation is indeterminate as to whether the antenna is too short, too long, or meets specified criteria.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

re-evaluating the antenna response with the coupled antenna segment in response to at least another test signal;

comparing a re-evaluation response with the evaluated antenna response; and

performing at least one of;

accepting the radio frequency communication device;

rejecting the radio frequency communication device;

coupling an antenna segment to the antenna when the comparison indicates that the re-evaluation response improved but the antenna response is still not within the specified criteria; and

detaching an antenna segment from the antenna when the comparison indicates that the re-evaluation response did not improve.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detaching the antenna segment from the antenna occurs when the evaluation indicates the antenna is too long and there is an antenna segment coupled to the antenna through a fuse.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detaching the antenna segment from the antenna occurs when the evaluation is indeterminate as to whether the antenna is too short, too long, or meets specified criteria.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

re-evaluating the antenna with a coupled antenna segment in response to at least another test signal;

comparing a re-evaluation response with the evaluated antenna response; and

performing at least one of;

accepting the radio frequency communication device;

rejecting the radio frequency communication device;

coupling an antenna segment to the antenna when the comparison indicates that the re-evaluation response did not improve; and

detaching an antenna segment from the antenna when the comparison indicates that the re-evaluation response improved but the antenna response is still not within the specified criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating an antenna response to at least another test signal if the evaluation of the antenna response to the at least one test signal did not indicate that the radio frequency communication device was accepted or rejected.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, in response to an evaluation result from the evaluation of the antenna response to the at least another test signal, performing one of:

accepting the radio frequency communication device;

rejecting the radio frequency communication device;

coupling an antenna segment to the antenna; and

detaching an antenna segment from the antenna.

13. A method of testing a radio frequency communication device comprising:

comparing at least one characteristic of an antenna response to at least one test signal with at least one specification value; and

initiating a fuse blow sequence to detach an antenna segment associated with an antenna when the comparison yields a first criteria and initiating an antifuse initiation sequence to attach an antenna segment associated with the antenna if the comparison yields a second criteria.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising accepting the radio frequency communication device when the comparison indicates that the at least one characteristic is within an acceptable variance from the at least one specification value.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising rejecting the radio frequency communication device when the comparison indicates that the at least one characteristic is not within an acceptable variance and an appropriate adjustment to a length of the antenna is unavailable.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein when the comparison does not indicate whether the at least one characteristic is within an acceptable variance of the at least one specification value, after initiating one of the fuse blow sequence and the antifuse initiation sequence, comparing at least one characteristic of an antenna response to at least one test signal with at least one specification value being repeated as a result of a repeated comparison being compared with a result of a first comparison, and making a determination as to whether the result of a second comparison is better than the result of a first comparison.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, when the result of a second comparison is better than the result of a first comparison, initiating another fuse blow sequence when the fuse blow sequence was initiated in response to a first comparison, and initiating another antifuse initiation sequence when the antifuse initiation sequence was initiated in response to a first comparison.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising, when the at least one characteristic was not within an acceptable variance of the at least one specification value:

comparing the at least one characteristic of the antenna response to at least another test signal with at least one specification value; and

again initiating one of the fuse blow sequence to attach and the antifuse initiation sequence to detach an antenna segment associated with the antenna in response to the comparing the at least one characteristic of the antenna response to the at least another test signal.