ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION PACKAGE

• US 20130063254A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hanks, Carl J., Fonda, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electronic identification package and methods are disclosed. The electronic identification package comprises an electronic identifier operable to provide an identification. A ground conductive contact is coupled to the electronic identifier and is operable to conductively couple to a conductive body. An insulator is operable to insulate the electronic identifier from the conductive body, and a reader conductive contact is coupled to the electronic identifier and is operable to electronically couple to an electronic identification reader.

Claims

1. An electronic identification package comprising:

an electronic identifier operable to provide an identification;

a ground conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to conductively couple to a conductive body;

an insulator operable to insulate the electronic identifier from the conductive body; and

a reader conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to electronically couple to an electronic identification reader.

2. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the electronic identification package is located in a cavity in the conductive body.

3. The electronic identification package of claim 2, wherein the cavity comprises the insulator.

4. The electronic identification package of claim 2, wherein the cavity is sized according to a depth and a diameter of the electronic identification package.

5. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a metal, an alloy, tungsten carbide, and silicon carbide.

6. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

epoxy, plastic, ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), glass, fiberglass, thermoplastics, acrylic, a gap filled with a gas, a gap with a vacuum, and polymide (Kapton).

7. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the electronic identifier comprises a read only memory (ROM), a serial number, and a cyclic redundancy code (CRC).

8. A method for providing an electronic identification package, the method comprising:

providing an electronic identifier operable to provide an identification;

providing a ground conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to conductively couple to a conductive body;

providing an insulator operable to insulate the electronic identifier from the conductive body; and

providing a reader conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to electronically couple to an electronic identification reader.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a cavity in the conductive body;

placing the electronic identification package in the cavity; and

conductively coupling the electronic identification package to the conductive body.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising flush aligning the reader conductive contact with a surface of the conductive body.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising sizing the cavity according to a depth and a diameter of the electronic identification package.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a manufacturing tool, an auto part, an aircraft part, a bullet, an explosive, and an artillery shell.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a metal, an alloy, tungsten carbide, and silicon carbide.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the insulator comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

epoxy, plastic, ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), glass, fiberglass, thermoplastics, acrylic, a gap filled with a gas, a gap with a vacuum, and polymide (Kapton).

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic identifier comprises a read only memory (ROM), a serial number and a cyclic redundancy code (CRC).

16. A method for identifying a conductive body, the method comprising:

providing an electronic identification capsule comprising;

an electronic identifier operable to provide identification information;

a ground conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier; and

a reader conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier;

embedding the electronic identification capsule in the conductive body;

coupling the ground conductive contact to the conductive body using a conductive coupling;

communicatively coupling the reader conductive contact to an electronic identifier reader; and

reading the identification information of the conductive body from the electronic identifier by the electronic identifier reader.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the identification information and tracking the conductive body therewith.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a manufacturing tool, an auto part, an aircraft part, a bullet, an explosive, and an artillery shell.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a metal, an alloy, tungsten carbide, and silicon carbide.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of embedding comprises:

providing a cavity in the conductive body;

placing the electronic identification capsule in the cavity; and

conductively coupling the electronic identification capsule to the conductive body.