Radio frequency identification device with movable antenna

• US 20050156040A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Two Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Two Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Young, David H., Walsh, Michael Francis, Mick, Roger Wayne, Turco, Vincent A. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,250,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• 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 preferred embodiment of a hand-held radio frequency identification reader includes a first casing suitable for being grasped by a user, a second casing, and a transceiver housed within one of the first and second casings. The reader also includes an antenna housed within the second casing and communicatively coupled to the transceiver for communicatively coupling the reader to a radio frequency identification tag. The second casing is movably coupled to the first casing so that the second casing can be aligned with the radio frequency identification tag to substantially maximize a read distance of the reader while the first casing is held in a substantially fixed position in relation to the radio frequency identification tag.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification device, comprising:

a first and a second casing;

a transceiver housed within one of the first and the second casings, the transceiver comprising a transmitter for generating a radio frequency carrier signal and a receiver for detecting modulation of the radio frequency carrier signal caused by a radio frequency identification tag;

an antenna housed within the first casing and communicatively coupled to the transceiver for broadcasting the radio frequency carrier signal, and sensing the radio frequency carrier signal after the radio frequency carrier signal is modulated by the radio frequency identification tag; and

a controller housed within the second casing and communicatively coupled to the transceiver for interpreting information encoded in the radio frequency carrier signal by the radio frequency identification tag, wherein the first casing is movably coupled to the second casing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first casing is movably coupled to the second casing by way of a hinge.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a hinge frame secured to the second casing and having a pin-receiving member formed therein, wherein the first casing includes a pin, and the pin-receiving member receives the pin so that the pin can rotate in relation to the pin-receiving member.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the transceiver is communicatively coupled to the processor by wiring and the wiring is routed through the hinge.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the wiring is multi-strand wiring.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the hinge is formed from plastic.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first casing can rotate through an arc of approximately one-hundred eighty degrees in relation to the second casing.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board housed within the first casing, wherein the antenna and the transceiver are mounted on the printed circuit board.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a loop antenna.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a multi-layer, multi turn antenna.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for restraining the first casing in relation to the second casing.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first casing is movably coupled to the second casing by way of a pin.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first casing is movably coupled to the second casing by way of a rail.

14. The device of claim 2, wherein the hinge comprises a pin-receiving member and a pin rotatably disposed within the pin-receiving member.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein an end of the pin has an indented surface and the pin-receiving member has a complementary indented surface that restrains the pin from rotating in relation to the pin-receiving member.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a spring for biasing the indented surface of the pin toward the indented surface of the pin-receiving member.

17. A hand-held radio frequency identification reader, comprising:

a first casing suitable for being grasped by a user;

a second casing;

a transceiver housed within one of the first and second casings; and

an antenna housed within the second casing and communicatively coupled to the transceiver for communicatively coupling the reader to a radio frequency identification tag, wherein the second casing is movably coupled to the first casing so that the second casing can be aligned with the radio frequency identification tag to substantially maximize a read distance of the reader while the first casing is held in a substantially fixed position in relation to the radio frequency identification tag.

18. The reader of claim 17, wherein the reader comprises a hinge for movably coupling the second casing to the first casing.

19. The reader of claim 18, further comprising a hinge frame secured to the first casing and having a pin-receiving member formed therein, wherein the second casing includes a pin, and the pin-receiving member receives the pin so that the pin can rotate in relation to the pin-receiving member.

20. The reader of claim 18, wherein the transceiver is communicatively coupled to the processor by wiring and the wiring is routed through the hinge.

21. The reader of claim 20, wherein the wiring is multi-strand wiring.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the hinge is formed from plastic.

23. The reader of claim 17, wherein the first casing can rotate through an arc of approximately one-hundred eighty degrees in relation to the second casing.

24. The reader of claim 17, wherein the antenna is a loop antenna.

25. The reader of claim 17, wherein the antenna is a multi-layer, multi turn antenna.

26. The reader of claim 17, further comprising means for restraining the first casing in relation to the second casing.

27. The reader of claim 17, wherein the first casing is pivotally coupled to the second casing by way of a pin.

28. The reader of claim 17, wherein the first casing is slidably coupled to the second casing by way of a rail.

29. The reader of claim 17, further comprising a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver for decoding data from the radio frequency identification tag, and a keypad and a display communicatively coupled to the processor.

30. The reader of claim 29, wherein the first casing has a relatively narrow portion suitable for being grasped by the user and having the keypad mounted thereon, and a relatively wide portion having the display mounted thereon.

31. A method for interrogating a radio frequency identification tag with a radio frequency identification device, comprising restraining a body of the radio frequency identification device in relation to the radio frequency identification tag while moving an antenna of the radio frequency identification device relation to the radio frequency identification tag to substantially optimize a read distance of the radio frequency identification device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein moving an antenna of the radio frequency identification device relation to the radio frequency identification tag to substantially optimize a read distance of the radio frequency identification device comprises moving the antenna so that the antenna is substantially parallel to an antenna of the radio frequency identification tag.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein restraining a body of the radio frequency identification device in relation to the radio frequency identification tag comprises grasping the body manually.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein restraining a body of the radio frequency identification device in relation to the radio frequency identification tag comprises placing the radio frequency identification device in a holder for the radio frequency identification device.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein moving an antenna of the radio frequency identification device relation to the radio frequency identification tag comprises rotating the antenna in relation to the body.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein moving an antenna of the radio frequency identification device relation to the radio frequency identification tag comprises sliding the antenna in relation to the body.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein moving an antenna of the radio frequency identification device relation to the radio frequency identification tag comprises moving a casing that houses the antenna.

38. A method for interrogating a plurality of radio frequency identification tags disposed on a plurality of items using a radio frequency identification reader, comprising:

holding a portion of the radio frequency identification reader in a fixed position in relation to a first of the radio frequency identification tags disposed on a first of the items;

moving an antenna of the radio frequency identification reader in relation to the first of the radio frequency identification tags so that the antenna is substantially parallel to an antenna of the first of the radio frequency identification tags;

communicatively coupling the radio frequency identification reader and the first of the radio frequency identification tags to obtain information from the first of the radio frequency identification tags;

holding the radio frequency identification reader in a fixed position in relation to a second of the radio frequency identification tags disposed on a second of the items so that the antenna of the radio frequency identification reader is substantially parallel to an antenna of the second of the radio frequency identification tags, the fixed position in relation to a second of the radio frequency identification tags being substantially the same as the fixed position in relation to a first of the radio frequency identification tags; and

communicatively coupling the radio frequency identification reader and the second of the radio frequency identification tags to obtain information from the second of the radio frequency identification tags.