Combined RF tag and SAW sensor

• US 20060055531A1
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Dale, Richard L., Cook, James D.
• Application Number:
  US10/940,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.220
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0672 with resonating marks
• 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

Abstract

Sensors and transponders combined on a single semiconductor substrate package. The invention includes an RFID tag and a sensor commonly assembled onto a common substrate. The substrates can be provided in the form of a flex circuit or printed circuit board. The flex circuit would be fabricated using standard flex circuit fabrication methods. It is a polymer/metal laminate film structure and incorporates the antenna pattern for the sensor and RFID tag system on the circuit. The flex circuit can also combine antennas for the sensor and the RFID tag onto a single flex circuit substrate, thus eliminating the need for separate antennas.

Claims

1. A monitoring and reporting system, comprising:

a substrate;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder mounted on the substrate; and

a sensor mounted on the substrate with the RFID transponder.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the monitoring and reporting system is adapted for use in a pressure vessel application.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a flex circuit adapted to support the sensor and the RFID transponder provided as a chip tag system.

4. The system of claim 3 including a flex circuit antenna on the flex circuit.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a printed circuit board adapted to support the sensor and the RFID transponder.

6. The system of claim 5 including at least one antenna on the printed circuit board for at least one of the RFID transponder and the sensor.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein the monitoring and reporting system is adapted for use in at least one of:

vessel pressure determination, temperature determination, light determination, chemical identification, biological agent identification, security breach detection, environmental measurements, water measurement, and vapor measurement.

14. The invention of claim 1 wherein the monitoring and reporting system is adapted for use in at least one of:

vessel pressure determination, temperature determination, light determination, chemical identification, biological agent identification, security breach detection, environmental measurements, water measurement, and vapor measurement.

8. A monitoring and reporting system, comprising:

a substrate;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder mounted on the substrate; and

a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor mounted on the substrate with the RFID transponder.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein the monitoring and reporting system is adapted for use to determine the pressure inside a vessel.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said substrate comprises a flex circuit adapted to support the SAW sensor and the RFID transponder chip tag system.

11. The system of claim 10 including a flex circuit antenna on the flex circuit.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said substrate comprises a printed circuit board adapted to support the SAW sensor and the RFID transponder chip tag system.

13. The system of claim 12 including an antenna on the printed circuit board.

15. A tagsensor, comprising:

a substrate provided in the form of a flex circuit;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder and associated RFID transponder antenna mounted on the substrate; and

a sensor and associated sensor antenna mounted on the substrate with the RFID transponder.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein the monitoring and reporting system is adapted for use in at least one of:

vessel pressure determination, temperature determination, light determination, chemical identification, biological agent identification, security breach detection, environmental measurements, water measurement, and vapor measurement.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said substrate comprises a flex circuit adapted to support the sensor and the RFID transponder provided as a chip tag system.

18. The system of claim 17 including a mounting hole formed through the substrate.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said substrate comprises a printed circuit board adapted to support the sensor and the RFID transponder.

20. The system of claim 19 including at least one antenna on the printed circuit board for at least one of the RFID transponder and the sensor.