Radio Frequency Identification Device And Method
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention teaches a method of manufacturing an enclosed transceiver, such as a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag. Structurally, in one embodiment, the tag comprises an integrated circuit (IC) chip, and an RF antenna mounted on a thin film substrate powered by a thin film battery. A variety of antenna geometries are compatible with the above tag construction. These include monopole antennas, dipole antennas, dual dipole antennas, a combination of dipole and loop antennas. Further, in another embodiment, the antennas are positioned either within the plane of the thin film battery or superjacent to the thin film battery.
42 Citations
77 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:
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a first layer of flexible material having a bottom surface and an opposing top surface; one or more dipole antennas disposed on the top surface of the first layer, the one or more dipole antennas having connection terminals adjacent a mounting portion on the top surface; a radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit disposed on the layer of flexible material adjacent the mounting portion, and electrically coupled to the connection terminals; and a power source for the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit; wherein the RFID tag has a non-uniform thickness of not more than ten thousandths of an inch, with the greatest thickness in the mounting portion. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:
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a layer of flexible material, the layer having a bottom surface and an opposing top surface; one or more antennas disposed on the top surface of the layer and having connection terminals adjacent a mounting portion on the layer; a radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit disposed on the layer adjacent the mounting portion comprising a spread spectrum radio frequency receiver, a spread spectrum radio frequency transmitter for communicating radio frequency signals by reflecting received radio frequency signals, and having a memory for storing and retrieving data; electrical connections coupling the connection terminals and the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit; and a capacitively coupled power supply circuit operable to provide power to the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit in the presence of radio frequency signals; wherein the RFID tag has a non-uniform thickness of not more than ten thousandths of an inch with the greatest thickness in the mounting portion. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:
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a first layer of flexible material having a bottom surface and an opposing top surface; one or more dipole antennas disposed on the top surface of the first layer, the one or more dipole antennas having connection terminals adjacent a mounting portion on a portion of the top surface; a radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit disposed on the first layer adjacent the mounting portion, electrically coupled to the connection terminals, and operable to transmit a spread spectrum radio frequency signal over at least one of the one or more dipole antennas; and a battery operable to supply power to the integrated circuit; wherein the RFID tag has a non-uniform thickness of not more than ten thousandths of an inch with the greatest thickness in the mounting portion. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A radio frequency identification (RFID) apparatus comprising:
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a layer of a flexible material having a bottom surface and an opposing top surface; one or more dipole antennas disposed on the top surface of the layer, the one or more dipole antennas having connection terminals adjacent a mounting portion on the layer; a radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit disposed on the layer adjacent the mounting portion and electrically coupled to the connection terminals, the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit comprising a radio frequency receiver operable to receive spread spectrum modulation signals, a transmitter operable to communicate spread spectrum radio frequency signals by reflection, and having a memory to store and retrieve data; and a capacitively coupled power supply circuit operable to supply power to the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit in the presence of radio frequency signals; wherein the RFID apparatus has a non-uniform thickness with the greatest thickness in the mounting portion, the greatest thickness being less than ten thousandths of an inch. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:
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a first layer of a flexible material having a bottom surface and an opposing top surface and having a mounting portion on one of the top and bottom surfaces; a spread spectrum radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit disposed on the first layer adjacent the mounting portion, the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit comprising a wake circuit operable to supply signals to the remainder of the radio frequency transceiver circuit in the presence of radio frequency signals, the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit further operable to transmit a spread spectrum radio frequency signal responsive to the wake circuit and having a non-volatile memory; electrical connections coupling connection terminals to the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit; a battery formed from thin layers coupled to supply power to the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit; and a cover layer of flexible material having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface and having one or more antennas disposed on it; wherein the first layer and the cover layer are joined in a region bounding the mounting portion to form an RFID tag and the antennas are coupled to the electrical connections, the layers joined to form a hermetic seal around the integrated circuit, the RFID tag having a non-uniform thickness of not greater than ten thousandths of an inch. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:
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a base layer of flexible material having a bottom surface and an opposing top surface and having a mounting portion; a radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit disposed on the base layer adjacent the mounting portion operable to receive spread spectrum radio frequency signals and to communicate spread spectrum radio frequency signals by reflection, and having a memory to store and retrieve data; a capacitively coupled power circuit for supplying power to the radio frequency integrated circuit in the presence of radio frequency signals; a cover layer of flexible material; wherein the base layer and the cover layer are joined together in an area surrounding the mounting portion thereby forming the RFID device, and the RFID device is coupled to a dipole antenna through the electrical connections and forms a label having a non-uniform thickness not greater than ten thousandths of an inch and having the greatest thickness in the mounting portion. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A radio frequency identification (RFID) apparatus comprising:
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a backing having a first surface adapted to carry visible indicia and a second opposing surface, the backing having a length and a width that determines the length and the width of an RFID label; a first layer of polyethylene film having a length and a width, and having a mounting portion; one or more antennas disposed on the first layer for transmitting and for receiving radio frequency signals at frequencies greater than 800 MHz; a radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit disposed adjacent the mounting portion and comprising a receiver and a transmitter for radio frequency signals coupled to at least one of the one or more antennas, a controller, a memory operable to store digital data, and a wake circuit operable to cause the radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit to transition from a low-power sleep mode to a higher-power wake mode when predetermined radio frequency signals are detected; a thin-film battery disposed on the first layer and having a non-uniform thickness not greater than ten thousandths of an inch, wherein the first layer, conductors, radio frequency transceiver integrated circuit and thin-film battery are joined, thereby forming an RFID device, the RFID device being disposed on the second surface of the backing so that a surface of the first layer forms at least a portion of an exterior surface; and an adhesive disposed over at least a portion of the second surface of the backing and at least a portion of the exterior surface of the RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification