Configuring Signal Devices in Thermal Processing Systems
First Claim
1. A material processing head for reducing communication interference between data tags and an antenna, the material processing head comprising:
- a body;
the antenna disposed within the body;
a first tag, associated with a first consumable component, disposed within a flux communication zone of the body at a first distance from the antenna, the first tag having a first resonant frequency; and
a second tag, associated with a second consumable component, disposed within the flux communication zone of the body at a second distance from the antenna, the second tag having a second resonant frequency that is different than the first resonant frequency,wherein the first and second resonant frequencies are tuned based upon at least one of;
i) a difference between the first distance and the second distance;
or ii) a characteristic (e.g., shape) of the flux communication zone in which the first tag and/or the second tag is disposed.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In some aspects, material processing head can include a body; an antenna disposed within the body; a first tag, associated with a first consumable component, disposed within a flux communication zone of the body at a first distance from the antenna, the first tag having a first resonant frequency; and a second tag, associated with a second consumable component, disposed within the flux communication zone of the body at a second distance from the antenna, the second tag having a second resonant frequency that is different than the first resonant frequency, where the first and second resonant frequencies are tuned based upon at least one of: i) a difference between the first distance and the second distance; or ii) a characteristic (e.g., shape) of the flux communication zone in which the first tag and/or the second tag is disposed.
51 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A material processing head for reducing communication interference between data tags and an antenna, the material processing head comprising:
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a body; the antenna disposed within the body; a first tag, associated with a first consumable component, disposed within a flux communication zone of the body at a first distance from the antenna, the first tag having a first resonant frequency; and a second tag, associated with a second consumable component, disposed within the flux communication zone of the body at a second distance from the antenna, the second tag having a second resonant frequency that is different than the first resonant frequency, wherein the first and second resonant frequencies are tuned based upon at least one of;
i) a difference between the first distance and the second distance;
or ii) a characteristic (e.g., shape) of the flux communication zone in which the first tag and/or the second tag is disposed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of facilitating communication, and reducing communication interference, between an RFID tag reader of a material processing head of a material processing system and two or more RFID tags associated consumable components disposed within the material processing head, the method comprising:
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positioning a first RFID tag attached to a first consumable component within the material processing head at a first distance from the RFID tag reader, the first RFID tag having a first resonant frequency; positioning a second RFID tag attached to a second consumable component within the material processing head at a second distance from the RFID tag reader that is greater than the first distance, the second RFID tag having a second resonant frequency; broadcasting a reader frequency from the RFID tag reader to the first and second RFID tags, the reader frequency being closer to the second resonant frequency than to the first resonant frequency. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A material processing head having a consumable component with a ring-shaped RFID tag, for reducing communication interference between the ring-shaped RFID tag and an antenna, the processing head comprising:
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a processing head body; the antenna located on or within the body; a consumable removably installed in the processing head body; and a ring-shaped RFID tag associated with the consumable and located adjacent a substantially metallic component, wherein the tag; a) is removable from the processing head body, b) comprises a conductive coil that can be energized by the antenna, and c) is located within a flux communication zone defined by at least one of;
(a) a region unobstructed by magnetic field inhibiting materials between the antenna and the tag, or (b) the presence of a magnetic field amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for improving RFID communication, and reducing communication interference, between a data tag of a consumable component of a material processing system and a data tag reader of a material processing head of the material processing system, the method comprising:
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establishing a flux communication zone in a region of the material processing head adjacent a site for an antenna coil of the data tag reader by at least one of; reducing a volume of magnetic field inhibiting materials in the region adjacent the site for the antenna coil;
ordisposing a magnetic field amplifying materials along one or more surfaces of the magnetic field inhibiting materials in the region surrounding the site for the antenna coil, the flux communication zone reorienting a magnetic field produced by the antenna coil disposed in the site to be substantially toroidal about the antenna coil. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification