Concentric tag-reader method and system for RFID

• US 20050242958A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brignone, Cyril, Lyon, Geoff M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.700
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07796 arrangements on the record carrier to allow stacking of a plurality of similar record carriers, e.g. to avoid interference between the non-contact communication of the plurality of record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10019 resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers. collision between the communication channels used by wireless communication devices, where the solution is not particularly adapted for RFIDs or the like, H04W74/08
• 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: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system and apparatus for identification of RFID-tagged items includes one or more interrogator units communicating over a network, the interrogator unit comprising a hanger support upon which RFID-tagged items are stored. The apparatus for identification of RFID tagged items includes a solenoid RFID interrogator antenna aligned with the longitudinal axis of an item hanger and a concentric RFID tag antenna wound around an opening in an item package that is hung from the item hanger.

Claims

1. A system for identifying RFID-tagged items, comprising:

one or more interrogator units capable of communicating over a network, the interrogator unit comprising a hanger support further comprising a solenoid RFID interrogator coil aligned with the hanger support'"'"'s longitudinal axis upon which RFID-tagged items are capable of being stored.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each RFID-tagged item is associated with a package and comprises a concentric RFID tag antenna wound around an opening in the package, the opening serving to hang the package upon the hanger support and ensure optimal electromagnetic coupling between the solenoid RFID interrogator coil and the concentric RFID tag antenna.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising, a computer capable of communicating over the network.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising, an inventory database indexable by item identification, including the inventory of the item on the hanger, and capable of communicating over the network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the solenoid RFID interrogator coil is wound around the hanger support.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer queries the interrogator unit as to its inventory.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the computer queries the interrogator unit at time intervals.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer receives a message from the interrogator unit as to a hanger identity and the inventory stored upon it.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein computer receives a message from the interrogator unit when the inventory stored upon it changes.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein computer receives a message from the interrogator unit when the inventory of the item stored upon it differs from a predetermined inventory.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises the Internet.

12. An apparatus for holding a stored item, comprising:

a hanger support upon which items identified with RFID tags are stored; and

a solenoid RFID interrogator coil aligned with the hanger support'"'"'s longitudinal axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising solenoid RFID interrogator coil wound around the hanger support'"'"'s longitudinal axis.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the hanger support cross-section is circular.

15. An RFID tag antenna integrated with an item package, comprising:

a coil comprised of one or more turns of a conductive material wound around an opening in the item package.

16. The RFID tag antenna of claim 15 wherein the conductive material is a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, tin, aluminum, tantalum, silver, gold and platinum.

17. The RFID tag antenna of claim 15 wherein the conductive material is conductive ink.

18. The RFID tag antenna of claim 17 wherein the coil is printed upon the item package.

19. The RFID tag antenna of claim 17 wherein the coil is printed upon a separate medium that is affixed to the item package.

20. The RFID tag antenna of claim 15 wherein the opening in the item package is used to hang the item package from an item hanger incorporating an integral RFID interrogation antenna.

21. The RFID tag antenna of claim 20 wherein the opening in the item aligns the item package and the horizontal plane of the RFID tag antenna substantially perpendicular to the hanger support and its integral RFID interrogation antenna.

22. The RFID tag antenna of claim 21 wherein the opening in the item package touches the hanger support at two points.

23. The RFID tag antenna of claim 22 wherein the opening in the item package is diamond-shaped.

24. A method of manufacturing an item package with RFID capabilities, comprising:

receiving an item package to be hung from an item hanger with an integral RFID interrogator antenna;

positioning an opening in the item package to facilitate hanging the package from the item hanger; and

affixing a concentric RFID tag antenna around the opening to facilitate electromagnetic coupling between the RFID tag antenna and the RFID interrogator antenna during operation.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the item package is for a printer'"'"'s ink cartridge.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the item package comprises a cardboard box with a flap extending from the box to receive the opening to facilitate hanging the package from the item hanger.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the item package comprises a flat sheet of material to which a plastic enclosure is attached to contain an item.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the item package is comprised of a flat sheet of package material prior to being formed into a container.