RFID printer and antennas
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A printer for printing on a web of record members having RFID transponders disposed at spaced locations along the length of the web, comprising:
- a print head capable of printing on the web, a read and/or write antenna disposed upstream of the print head, a shield disposed downstream of the print head to prevent the antenna assembly from affecting or being affected by any RFID transponder at a location downstream of the shield.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A shielded antenna system is provided for reading from and/or writing to an RFID transponder wherein the energy radiated from the antenna system has a narrow beam width so that only one RFID transponder in a record member along a web of record members, each having an RFID transponder, is read from and/or written to without affecting or being affected by any other RFID transponder along the web.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A printer for printing on a web of record members having RFID transponders disposed at spaced locations along the length of the web, comprising:
- a print head capable of printing on the web, a read and/or write antenna disposed upstream of the print head, a shield disposed downstream of the print head to prevent the antenna assembly from affecting or being affected by any RFID transponder at a location downstream of the shield.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A printer for printing on a web of record members having RFID transponders disposed at spaced locations along the length of the web, comprising:
- a print head capable of printing on the web, a read and/or write antenna assembly including an antenna and a conductive shield for the antenna, and the shield having an opening adjacent the web of record members so that the field of the antenna is directed to one of the transponders at a time.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A printer for printing on a composite label web of record members having RFID transponders disposed at spaced locations along the length of the web, the web including a carrier web and labels releasably adhered to the carrier web, comprising:
- a thermal print head, a platen roll cooperable with the print head, an antenna disposed upstream of the print head, the printer having space in which a roll form of the composite web can be supported and from which the web can pass by the antenna before passing between the print head and platen roll and beyond, a delaminator downstream of the platen roll at which labels are delaminated from the carrier web, a shield including the delaminator to prevent the antenna from affecting or being affected by any RFID transponder at a location downstream of the delaminator.
- View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A printer for printing on a web having RFID transponders disposed at spaced locations along the length of the web, comprising:
- a print head capable of printing on a web, and an antenna assembly including a read and/or write microstrip antenna for RFID transponders and an RF shield to direct RF energy so that only one RFID transponder at a time is written to and/or read.
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20. In combination:
- a printer and an antenna assembly in the printer including a read and/or write microstrip antenna for RFID transponders, the antenna assembly further including an RF shield to limit the energy to or from the antenna with respect to one and only one RFID transponder at a time in a web of longitudinally spaced RFID transponders.
- View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. An antenna assembly, comprising:
- a microstrip antenna for reading and/or writing to RFID transponders, and an RF shield to direct RF energy so that only one RFID transponder in a web of longitudinally spaced RFID transponders can be read and/or written to at any one time.
- View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. An antenna assembly, comprising:
- a microstrip antenna for reading and/or writing to RFID transponders, and an RF shield to limit the read and/or write energy to or from the antenna to one and only one RFID transponder at a time.
- View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. An antenna for use in a system that writes to and/or reads an RFID transponder on a record member, comprising:
- a sripline antenna that provides energy to write to and/or read RFID transponders; and
a conductive enclosure having contiguous side walls and at least one opening, the antenna being supported in the enclosure such that the energy radiated from the enclosed antenna is sufficient to write to an RFID transponder in a record member aligned with the opening of the enclosure, and the side walls of the enclosure blocking a portion of the radiated energy from a record member adjacent to the aligned record member. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- a sripline antenna that provides energy to write to and/or read RFID transponders; and
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32. An antenna for use in a system that writes to and/or reads an RFID transponder in a record member, comprising:
- a microstrip antenna to radiate energy to write to and/or read an RFID transponder;
a conductive enclosure having side walls and at least one opening, the antenna being supported in the enclosure such that the side walls extend beyond a plane of the antenna towards the opening, the energy radiated from the enclosed antenna being sufficient to write to and/or read one and only one RFID transponder in a record member aligned with the opening of the enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
- a microstrip antenna to radiate energy to write to and/or read an RFID transponder;
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35. An antenna for use in a system that writes to and/or reads an RFID record member formed in a web of RFID record members, each RFID record member containing an RFID transponder, the antenna, comprising:
- a microstrip antenna that radiates energy to write to and/or read an RFID transponder in a record member; and
a conductive enclosure having side walls, at least one opening and a wall opposite the opening, the antenna being supported in the enclosure so that the side walls extend beyond a plane of the antenna towards the opening of the enclosure and the antenna radiates sufficient energy to write to and/or read an RFID transponder in a record member aligned with the opening of the enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
- a microstrip antenna that radiates energy to write to and/or read an RFID transponder in a record member; and
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38. An antenna for use in a system that writes to and/or reads an RFID record member in a web of RFID record members, each RFID record member containing an RFID transponder, the antenna comprising:
- a microstrip antenna that radiates energy to write and/or read an RFID transponder in a record member, a conductive enclosure having at least one opening, the antenna being supported in the enclosure spaced from the opening, wherein the antenna radiates sufficient energy to write to and/or read an RFID transponder in a record member aligned with the opening.
- View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A system for writing to and/or reading an RFID transponder in a record member formed in a web of record members without affecting the RFID transponder in an adjacent, downstream record member, comprising:
- an antenna radiating energy to write to and/or read from an RFID transponder in a record member;
a shield having a first portion supporting the antenna so that the antenna is generally parallel to a record member to be written to and/or read and the shield having a second portion extending at an angle from the first portion towards the web so that at least a part of the second portion is adjacent the web to shield an RFID transponder in a record member downstream of the part from energy radiating from the antenna. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
- an antenna radiating energy to write to and/or read from an RFID transponder in a record member;
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51. A printer for printing on a web of record members having RFID transponders deposed at spaced locations along the length of the web, comprising:
- a print head capable of printing on a web, a read and/or write loop antenna disposed upstream of the print head, wherein the loop antenna is in a generally rectangular configuration with the long dimension extending laterally of the web, the antenna being generally planar with spaced end edges along the long dimensions, the printer having space for a web supply roll, the antenna being positioned so that the transponders pass into and out of alignment with one end edge of the antenna as the web passes from the supply roll to the print head.
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52. In combination:
- an antenna that radiates energy to write to and/or read an RFID transponder, a conductive enclosure having an opening, a microstrip antenna being disposed in the enclosure in spaced relationship to the opening, and the enclosure blocking a portion of the radiated energy of the antenna.
- View Dependent Claims (53)
Specification