ANTENNA STRUCTURE FOR A RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) READER, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF, RFID READER AND RFID SYSTEM

• US 20180006355A1
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research (Government of Singapore)
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research (Government of Singapore)
• Inventors: QING, Xianming, CHEN, Zhining, GOH, Chean Khan
• Granted Patent: US 10,938,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

There is provided an antenna structure for a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. The antenna structure includes a substrate, and an antenna structure disposed on the substrate. The antenna includes a peripheral frame portion, a first strip section disposed at a first side of the peripheral frame portion, and a second strip section disposed at a second side of the peripheral frame portion. In particular, the first strip section and the second strip section each includes multiple spaced-apart strip portions extending from a first part of the peripheral frame portion to a second part of the peripheral frame portion. There is also provided a method of manufacturing the antenna structure, an RFID reader system including the antenna structure, and an RFID system including the RFID reader system and an RFID tag.

Claims

1. An antenna structure for a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the antenna structure comprising:

a substrate; and

an antenna disposed on the substrate, the antenna comprising;

a peripheral frame portion;

a first strip section disposed at a first side of the peripheral frame portion; and

a second strip section disposed at a second side of the peripheral frame portion,

wherein the first strip section and the second strip section each comprises a plurality of spaced-apart strip portions extending from a first part of the peripheral frame portion to a second part of the peripheral frame portion.

2. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first part is a lower part of the peripheral frame portion and the second part is an upper part of the peripheral frame portion.

3. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side, and the first strip section disposed at the first side and the second strip section disposed at the second side define an opening therebetween in the antenna.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the spaced-apart strip portions in the first strip section and/or the second strip section are substantially parallel to each other.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first strip section and the second strip section are substantially symmetrical with respect to a central axis of the antenna passing through the first and second parts of the peripheral frame portion.

6. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first strip section and the second strip section are asymmetrical with respect to a central axis of the antenna passing through the first and second parts of the peripheral frame portion.

7. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein each adjacent pair of the spaced-apart strip portions in the first strip section is spaced apart by a first distance and each adjacent pair of the spaced-apart strip portions in the second strip section is spaced apart by a second distance, and wherein the first distance and the second distance are substantially the same.

8. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein each adjacent pair of the spaced-apart strip portions in the first strip section is spaced apart by a first distance and each adjacent pair of the spaced-apart strip portions in the second strip section is spaced apart by a second distance, and wherein the first distance and the second distance are different.

9. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the adjacent pairs of the spaced-apart strip portions in the first strip section is spaced apart by a distance which is different to that of another adjacent pair of the space-apart strip portions in the first strip section, and/or

at least one of the adjacent pairs of the spaced-apart strip portions in the second strip section is spaced apart by a distance which is different to that of another adjacent pair of the space-apart strip portions in the second strip section.

10. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein widths of the spaced-apart strip portions in the first strip section and/or widths of the spaced-apart strip portions in the second strip section are substantially the same.

11. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the spaced-apart strip portion in the first strip section has a width which is different to a width of another spaced-apart strip portion in the first strip section, and/or

at least one of the spaced-apart strip portion in the second strip section has a width which is different to a width of another spaced-apart strip portion in the second strip section.

12. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral frame portion forms a dosed shape.

13. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral frame portion forms a shape selected from the group consisting of circle, oval, and polygon.

14. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral frame portion and the plurality of spaced-apart strip portions in the first strip section and the second strip section are made of conductive metallic strips and/or conductive wires.

15. The antenna structure according to claim 1, further comprising another antenna disposed on the substrate, said antenna and said another antenna being disposed on opposite sides of the substrate, said another antenna comprising:

a peripheral frame portion;

a first strip section disposed at a first side of the peripheral frame portion; and

a second strip section disposed at a second side of the peripheral frame portion,

wherein the first strip section and the second strip section each comprises a plurality of spaced-apart strip portions extending from a first part of the peripheral frame portion to a second part of the peripheral frame portion,

wherein said antenna and said another antenna are electrically coupled to each other.

16. A method of manufacturing an antenna structure for a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming an antenna on the substrate, the antenna comprising;

a peripheral frame portion;

a first strip section disposed at a first side of the peripheral frame portion; and

a second strip section disposed at a second side of the peripheral frame portion,

wherein the first strip section and the second strip section each comprises a plurality of spaced-apart strip portions extending from a first part of the peripheral frame portion to a second part of the peripheral frame portion.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the peripheral frame portion and the plurality of spaced-apart strip portions in the first strip section and the second strip section are made of conductive metallic strips and/or conductive wires.

18. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader system, comprising an antenna structure configured to communicate with an RFID tag through an inductive coupling, wherein the antenna structure comprises:

a substrate; and

an antenna disposed on the substrate, the antenna comprising;

a peripheral frame portion;

a first strip section disposed at a first side of the peripheral frame portion; and

a second strip section disposed at a second side of the peripheral frame portion,

wherein the first strip section and the second strip section each comprises a plurality of spaced-apart strip portions extending from a first part of the peripheral frame portion to a second part of the peripheral frame portion.

19. The RFID reader system according to claim 18, further comprising:

an RFID reader comprising a radio frequency source for generating a radio frequency signal, wherein the radio frequency signal is coupled to the antenna structure, and the antenna structure is configured to generate a magnetic field based on the radio frequency signal for communicating with the RFID tag, and

an impedance matching circuit coupled to the antenna structure for enhancing impedance matching between the antenna structure and the RFID reader.

20. (canceled)