RFID device test thresholds systems and methods

• US 20060226983A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J., Weakley, Thomas C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/312 by capacitive methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10465 the interrogation device being capable of self-diagnosis, e.g. in addition to or as part of the actual interrogation process testing of electrical circuits in general G01R31/28

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide RFID device test techniques. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device test system includes an RFID device tester adapted to test RFID devices that are disposed in a closely spaced configuration. The RFID device tester applies a variable threshold, to each of the RFID devices tested, based on characteristics of at least one of the RFID devices neighboring the RFID device being tested.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification device test system comprising:

a radio frequency identification device tester adapted to test radio frequency identification devices that are disposed in a closely spaced configuration; and

wherein the radio frequency identification device tester applies a variable threshold, to each of the radio frequency identification devices tested, based on a characteristic of at least one of the radio frequency identification devices neighboring the radio frequency identification device being tested.

2. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identification device tester comprises a radio frequency identification reader.

3. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identification device tester comprises:

a short-range tester adapted to perform at least one of a read of a corresponding identification code from each of the radio frequency identification devices and a test of each of the radio frequency identification devices to determine if operational;

a long-range tester adapted to perform a test on each of the radio frequency identification devices; and

a controller adapted to control the operation of the short-range tester and the long-range tester.

4. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 3, wherein the short-range tester communicates with each of the radio frequency identification devices by at least one of an electric field and a magnetic field.

5. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the short-range tester and the long-range tester communicates with each of the radio frequency identification devices at a frequency other than a natural resonant frequency of the radio frequency identification devices.

6. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 3, further comprising a marker adapted to provide an identifying mark to each of the radio frequency identification devices that fail to meet performance requirements set by the corresponding variable threshold.

7. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 3, further comprising an optical device adapted to perform an inspection of at least one of the radio frequency identification devices to determine if defective.

8. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 1, wherein the variable threshold for each of the radio frequency identification devices is based on performance test data for the radio frequency identification devices in different configurations, with the neighboring radio frequency identification devices having different operational states for each of the configurations.

9. The radio frequency identification device test system of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identification devices are disposed on at least one of a sheet of a carrier web or a roll of a carrier web.

10. A radio frequency identification system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency identification devices; and

means for testing the radio frequency identification devices, wherein the testing means sets a performance threshold for each of the radio frequency identification devices based on a characteristic of at least one of the radio frequency identification devices neighboring the radio frequency identification device being tested.

11. The radio frequency identification system of claim 10, further comprising means for optically inspecting the radio frequency identification devices.

12. The radio frequency identification system of claim 10, further comprising means for marking the radio frequency identification devices that do not meet their corresponding performance thresholds.

13. The radio frequency identification system of claim 10, wherein the radio frequency identification devices comprise at least one of a tag, a label, a chip, a strap, and an inlay.

14. The radio frequency identification system of claim 10, wherein the performance threshold is provided from at least one of a lookup table and a formula that is based on test data of operational and defective ones of the radio frequency identification devices in various configurations.

15. The radio frequency identification system of claim 10, wherein the radio frequency identification devices are disposed on at least one of a sheet of a carrier web or a roll of a carrier web.

16. A method of testing radio frequency identification devices, the method comprising:

communicating with a first one of the radio frequency identification devices; and

determining a performance threshold for the first one of the radio frequency identification devices based on a characteristic of at least one of the radio frequency identification devices neighboring the first one of the radio frequency identification devices.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the performance threshold is provided from at least one of a lookup table and a formula that is based on test data of operational and defective ones of the radio frequency identification devices in various configurations.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

performing configuration tests for operational and defective ones of the radio frequency identification devices in various configurations; and

calculating the performance threshold for corresponding ones of the configuration tests.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

applying the determined performance threshold for the first one of the radio frequency identification devices; and

marking the first one of the radio frequency identification devices as defective if its performance does not meet the determined performance threshold.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising inspecting optically the first one of the radio frequency identification devices for defects.