Method and Apparatus Pertaining to a Placement of a Radio-Frequency Identification Tag

• US 20130256175A1
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,487,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/459.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/563 Laminated linings; Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An RFID tag is secured to an electrically-conductive object having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the object meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material. By one approach the RFID tag is secured to the first non-coplanar side of the object at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna proximally overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the object while a second portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna does not proximally overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the object. Determining the size of the first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna that will overlie the first non-coplanar side of the object comprises tuning the capacitive coupling between the first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna and the object to thereby achieve a desired range and/or degree of RFID tag performance.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a package having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the package meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material;

securing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to the first non-coplanar side of the package at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna proximally overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the package and a second portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna does not proximally overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the package.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the package comprises a parallelepiped.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the parallelepiped comprises a rectangular cuboid.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag comprises a planar substrate that supports the antenna.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the planar substrate is parallel to the first non-coplanar side of the package and perpendicular to the second non-coplanar side of the package.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the planar substrate comprises a substantially transparent material.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the planar substrate comprises a resilient material.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the size of the first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna to overlie the first non-coplanar side of the package to thereby tune capacitive coupling between the first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna and the package to achieve a desired range of performance.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the desired range of performance comprises, at least in part, a desired range of radio frequency performance by the RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the package includes a substantially coextensive metal liner.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the metal liner of the package serves as a plate of a capacitor having a remaining plate that comprises the first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a package having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the package meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag secured to the first non-coplanar side of the package at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna proximally overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the package and a second portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna does not overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the package.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the package comprises a rectangular cuboid.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the RFID tag comprises a planar substrate that supports the antenna.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the planar substrate is parallel to the first non-coplanar side of the package and perpendicular to the second non-coplanar side of the package.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the planar substrate comprises a substantially transparent material.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the planar substrate comprises a resilient material.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the size of the first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna that overlies the first non-planar side of the package is selected to tune capacitive coupling between the first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna and the package to achieve a desired range of RFID tag performance.

19. A method comprising:

providing an electrically-conductive object having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the object meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material;

securing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to the first non-coplanar side of the object at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna proximally overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the object and a second portion of the RFID tag'"'"'s antenna does not proximally overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the object.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the object comprises one of:

a part of a shelf;

a container.