Door with integral antenna

• US 20080024304A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Bergman, Adam Scott, Chiasson, Denis
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/14 for wire or other non-rigid radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A door and method of constructing a door whereby antenna coils are routed through channels that are incorporated within the frame of the door, and completely or partially hidden from sight. The door includes channels and or troughs that are sized to retain at least a portion of the antenna therein. The door can be purchased with the antenna wires already embedded therein and hidden from sight and installed at a facility without the need to mount the antenna wires on a pedestal or dig up floors and/or walls to embed the antenna coils. Existing doors can be retrofitted to install the antenna wires. Such antennas may be used, for example, in an RFID marker system or a magneto-acoustic EAS marker system.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a door having an embedded antenna therein, the method comprising:

providing a door;

incorporating one or more channels within the door, each channel being sized to retain at least a portion of the antenna; and

inserting at least a portion of the antenna within the one or more channels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after insertion within the one or more channels, no portion of the antenna is visible.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the door is made of wood.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the door is made of metal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing an air gap in the metal door frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the door is made of glass.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing opposing panes of glass, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is inserted between the panes of glass.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting a resonating capacitor board within a recessed area of the door.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more channels is sized to retain multiple antenna coils.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more channels is sized to retain a single antenna coil.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna is part of an EAS interrogation system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna is part of an RFID interrogation system.

13. A door having an embedded antenna therein, the door comprising one or more antenna retention channels, wherein at least one channel is sized to retain at least a portion of the antenna.

14. The door of claim 13, wherein no portion of the antenna is visible.

15. The door of claim 13, wherein the door is made of wood.

16. The door of claim 13, wherein the door is made of metal.

17. The door of claim 16, further comprising an air gap in the metal door frame.

18. The door of claim 13, wherein the door is made of glass.

19. The door of claim 18, further comprising opposing panes of glass, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is inserted between the panes of glass.

20. The door of claim 13, wherein at least one channel is sized to retain a portion of a resonating capacitor board.

21. The door of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more channels is sized to retain multiple antenna coils.

22. The door of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more channels is sized to retain a single antenna coil.

23. The door of claim 13, wherein at least one of the one or more channels receives a plurality of antenna coils.

24. The door of claim 13, wherein the antenna is part of an EAS interrogation system.

25. The door of claim 13, wherein the antenna is part of an RFID interrogation system.