Radio Frequency Identification Antenna Apparatus

• US 20160350642A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Inventors: Werner, Douglas H., Jiang, Zhihao
• Granted Patent: US 9,710,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07788 the antenna being of the capacitive type
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

Embodiments of an RFID tag antenna apparatus can include a ground plane, a first patch, and a second patch. The first and second patches can be positioned to define a radiating slot that is located between the first and second patches. The radiating slot can be configured to receive an RFID chip for attachment of the RFID chip to the antenna apparatus such that the chip is positioned in the slot between the first and second patches and the ground plane. Embodiments of the RFID tag apparatus may be included in a communication system that utilizes one or more RFID antenna apparatuses and/or a RFID device utilizing one or more RFID antenna apparatuses.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a ground plane;

a first patch spaced apart from the ground plane;

a second patch spaced apart from the ground plane; and

the first and second patches being spaced apart from each other to define a slot between the first and second patches that is spaced apart from the ground plane.

2. The antenna apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second patches and the ground plane define a chamber therebetween, a dielectric substrate being positioned in the chamber.

3. The antenna apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a first sidewall and a second sidewall,

the first sidewall extending from adjacent a first edge of the ground plane to adjacent a first outer edge of the first patch;

the second sidewall extending from adjacent a second edge of the ground plane to adjacent a first outer edge of the second patch, the first edge of the ground plane being opposite the second edge of the ground plane.

4. The antenna apparatus of claim 3, wherein the slot is defined by a gap between a second inner edge of the first patch and a second inner edge of the second patch, the second inner edge of the first patch being opposite the first outer edge of the first patch and the second inner edge of the second patch being opposite the first outer edge of the second patch.

5. The antenna apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first sidewall is comprised of a plurality of spaced apart vias extending between the first edge of the ground plane and the first outer edge of the first patch and the second sidewall is comprised of a plurality of spaced apart vias extending between the second edge of the ground plane and the first outer edge of the second patch.

6. The antenna apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first sidewall is comprised of a conductive material member, the second sidewall is comprised of a conductive material member, the ground plane is comprised of a conductive material member, the first patch is comprised of a conductive material member and the second patch is comprised of a conductive material member.

7. The antenna apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first patch and the second patch are a top of the antenna apparatus.

8. The antenna apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first sidewall extends along a portion of the first edge of the ground plane that is less than an entirety of the first edge of the ground plane and the second sidewall extends along a portion of the second edge of the ground plane that is less than an entirety of the second edge of the ground plane.

9. The antenna apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the first patch has a first side extending between the first outer edge of the first patch and the second inner edge of the first patch and the first patch has a second side extending between the first outer edge of the first patch and the second inner edge of the first patch, the first side of the first patch being opposite the second side of the first patch; and

the second patch has a first side extending between the first outer edge of the second patch and the second inner edge of the second patch and the second patch has a second side extending between the first outer edge of the second patch and the second inner edge of the second patch, the first side of the second patch being opposite the second side of the second patch.

10. The antenna apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first side of the first patch has a cutout region, the second side of the first patch has a cutout region, the first side of the second patch has a cutout region and the second side of the second patch has a cutout region.

11. The antenna apparatus of claim 10, wherein the slot is at a center of a top of the antenna apparatus.

12. The antenna apparatus of claim 10, comprising:

a radio frequency identification chip positioned in a center of the slot between a middle portion of the first inner edge and a middle portion of the second inner edge.

13. The antenna apparatus of claim 10, comprising:

a chip positioned in the slot.

14. A communication system comprising:

a computer device having non-transitory memory and a processor connected to the memory;

a reader device communicatively connected to the computer device; and

an identification device having the antenna apparatus of claim 1.

15. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

an antenna apparatus comprising;

a ground plane;

a first patch spaced apart from the ground plane;

a second patch spaced apart from the ground; and

the first and second patches being spaced apart from each other to define a slot between the first and second patches that is spaced apart from the ground plane; and

a radio frequency identification chip positioned in the slot, the chip being electrically connected to the first patch and the chip being electrically connected to the to the second patch.

16. The RFID device of claim 15, wherein the antenna apparatus also comprises:

a first sidewall extending from adjacent a first edge of the ground plane to adjacent a first outer perimeter edge of the first patch;

a second sidewall extending from adjacent a second edge of the ground plane to adjacent a first outer perimeter edge of the second patch, the first edge of the ground plane being opposite the second edge of the ground plane; and

wherein the slot is defined by a gap between a second inner edge of the first patch and a second inner edge of the second patch, the second inner edge of the first patch being opposite the first outer perimeter edge of the first patch and the second inner edge of the second patch being opposite the first outer perimeter edge of the second patch.

17. The RFID device of claim 16, wherein the first and second patches, the first and second sidewalls, and the ground plane define a chamber therebetween, a substrate being positioned in the chamber.

18. The RFID device of claim 17, wherein:

the first patch has a first side extending between the first outer perimeter edge of the first patch and the second inner edge of the first patch and the first patch has a second side extending between the first outer perimeter edge of the first patch and the second inner edge of the first patch, the first side of the first patch being opposite the second side of the first patch; and

the second patch has a first side extending between the first outer perimeter edge of the second patch and the second inner edge of the second patch and the second patch has a second side extending between the first outer perimeter edge of the second patch and the second inner edge of the second patch, the first side of the second patch being opposite the second side of the second patch.

19. The RFID device of claim 18, wherein the first side of the first patch has a cutout region, the second side of the first patch has a cutout region, the first side of the second patch has a cutout region and the second side of the second patch has a cutout region.

20. The RFID device of claim 19, wherein the slot is at a center of a top of the antenna apparatus and wherein the radio frequency identification chip is at a center of the slot.