RF identification tag configurations and assemblies
First Claim
1. An RF tag comprising a plurality of RF resonant circuits, each of said RF resonant circuits comprising a conductive portion which provides an inductance that determines an electrical resonant frequency for said resonant circuit, said RF resonant circuits being spaced apart and disposed in a three-dimensional array of said RF resonant circuits.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An RF tag (10) includes a plurality of RF resonant circuits (14, 18, 22) which are disposed in a three-dimensional array within a body (30) of solid material. Selected ones of the RF resonant circuits are coated with a conductive ink (36) for programming the RF tag. Non-planar RF resonant circuits (40, 50) provide enhanced directivity. The RF resonant circuits (14, 40, 50) are disposed within an elongated body (72, 82, 94) in spaced apart and substantially axially aligned relation to provide elongated RF tag configurations. An RF tag assembly (110) includes attachment mechanisms (116, 118) for attaching an RF tag (128) to a carrier. A dual mode RF tag assembly (140) is also provided which includes a passive RF circuit (144) and an active RF circuit (142).
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Citations
35 Claims
- 1. An RF tag comprising a plurality of RF resonant circuits, each of said RF resonant circuits comprising a conductive portion which provides an inductance that determines an electrical resonant frequency for said resonant circuit, said RF resonant circuits being spaced apart and disposed in a three-dimensional array of said RF resonant circuits.
- 9. An RF tag comprising a plurality of RF resonant circuits, each of said RF resonant circuits comprising a conductive portion which provides an inductance that determines an electrical resonant frequency for said resonant circuit, said RF resonant circuits being spaced apart and disposed in a three-dimensional array of said RF resonant circuits, wherein said plurality of RF resonant circuits comprise plural sets of said RF resonant circuits, wherein the RF resonant circuits are disposed to form columns of said plural sets of said RF resonant circuits and to form rows of said plural sets of said RF resonant circuits and wherein said plural sets are disposed in substantially parallel and spaced part relation.
- 19. An RF tag comprising a plurality of RF resonant circuits, each of said each RF resonant circuits having a center axis, said plurality of RF resonant circuits being disposed in spaced apart and substantially axially aligned relation, wherein at least one of said plurality of RF resonant circuits includes a cone shaped body having a substantially circular base, an apex and a curved surface tapering to said base from said apex and inductance and capacitance means formed on said curved surface for resonating at a given RF frequency.
- 21. An RF tag comprising a plurality of RF resonant circuits, each of said plurality of resonant circuits having a center axis, said plurality of RF resonant circuits being disposed in spaced apart and substantially axially aligned relation, wherein at least one of said RF resonant circuits includes a spherical shaped body including an equator, a pair of opposite poles, and an arcurately tapered surface extending from said equator to each of said poles, and first inductance and capacitance means formed on said arcurately tapered surface between said equator and one of said poles, said first inductance and capacitance means for resonating at a first RF frequency.
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23. An RF tag comprising a plurality of at least three RF resonant circuits, each of said plurality of RF resonant circuits having a center axis, said plurality of RF resonant circuits being disposed in spaced apart and substantially axially aligned relation, wherein each of said plurality Of RF resonant circuits includes inductance and capacitance means for resonating at a given RF frequency, said inductance means being substantially planar in configuration and said center axis for each of said resonant circuits being normal to the planar configuration of the inductance means.
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24. An RF tag comprising:
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an elongated body of solid materials having an axis; and a plurality of RF resonant circuits disposed within said elongated body in spaced apart relation along said axis, said elongated body being columnar in configuration about its axis and said plurality of resonant circuits forming a columnar array, wherein at least one of said RF resonant circuits includes a cone shaped body having a substantially circular base, an apex, and a curved surface tapering to said base from said apex and inductance and capacitance means formed on said curved surface for resonating at a given RF frequency.
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25. An RF comprising:
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an elongated body of solid materials having an axis; and a plurality of RF resonant circuits disposed within said elongated body in spaced apart relation along said axis, said elongated body being columnar in configuration about its axis and said plurality of resonant circuits forming a columnar array, wherein at least one of said RF resonant circuits includes a spherically shaped body including an equator, a pair of opposite poles, and an arcuately tapered surface extending from said equator to said poles, and first inductance and capacitance means formed on said arcuately tapered surface between said equator and one of said poles, said first inductance and capacitance means for resonating at a first RF frequency. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. An RF tag comprising:
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an elongated body of solid materials having an axis; and a plurality of RF resonant circuits disposed within said elongated body in spaced apart relation along said axis, said elongated body being columnar in configuration about its axis and said plurality of resonant circuits forming a columnar array, wherein at least three of said RF resonant circuits include inductance and capacitance means for resonating at a given RF frequency, and said inductance means being substantially planar in configuration, each of said planar inductance means being positioned in different planes.
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28. An RF tag system comprising:
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an RF tag including an elongated body, having an axis, of solid material and a plurality of RF resonant circuits disposed within said elongated body in spaced apart relation along said axis, each of said RF resonant circuits being resonant at a given predetermined frequency, said elongated body being columnar in configuration about its axis and said plurality of resonant circuits forming a columnar array, wherein at least three of said RF resonant circuits include inductance and capacitance means for resonating at a given RF frequency, and said inductance means being substantially planar in configuration, each of said planar inductance moans being positioned in different planes; and an RF tag reader including a plurality of sensors for sensing the presence of said RF resonant circuits and an elongated slot for receiving said elongated body, said plurality of sensors being disposed adjacent to said elongated slot in spaced apart relation for alignment of each sensor with one of said RF resonant circuits when said elongated body is received by said elongated slot.
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29. An RF tag system comprising:
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an RF tag including an elongated body, having an axis, of solid material and a plurality of RF resonant circuits disposed within said elongated body in spaced apart relation along said axis, each of said RF resonant circuits being resonant at a given predetermined frequency; and an RF tag reader including a plurality of sensors for sensing the presence of said RF resonant circuits and an elongated slot for receiving said elongated body, said plurality of sensors being disposed adjacent to said elongated slot in spaced apart relation for alignment of each sensor with one of said RF resonant circuits when said elongated body is received by said elongated slot, wherein at least one of said RF resonant circuits includes a cone shaped body having a substantially circular base, an apex, and a curved surface tapering to said base from said apex and inductance and capacitance means formed on said curved surface for resonating at a given RF frequency.
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30. An RF tag system comprising:
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an RF tag including an elongated body, having an axis, of solid material and a plurality of RF resonant circuits disposed within said elongated body in spaced apart relation along said axis, each of said RF resonant circuits being resonant at a given predetermined frequency; and an RF tag reader including a plurality of sensors for sensing the presence of said RF resonant circuits and an elongated slot for receiving said elongated body, said plurality of sensors being disposed adjacent to said elongated slot in spaced apart relation for alignment of each sensor with one of said RF resonant circuits when said elongated body is received by said elongated slot, wherein at least one of said RF resonant circuits includes a spherically shaped body including an equator, a pair of opposite poles, and an arcuately tapered surface extending from said equator to each of said poles, and first inductance and capacitance means formed on said arcuately tapered surface between said equator and one of said poles, said first inductance and capacitance means for resonating at a first RF frequency. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A resonant circuit for use in an RF tag, said resonant circuit including a body of solid material having a nonplanar surface and inductance and capacitance means formed on said nonplanar surface for resonating at a given frequency, wherein said body is a spherical shaped body including an equator, a pair of poles, and an arcurately tapered surface extending from said equator to said poles to form said non-planar surface, and wherein said inductance and capacitance means are formed on said arcurately tapered surface between said equator and one of said poles.
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33. An RF tag assembly comprising:
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active RF circuit means for transmitting an identifying RF code signal for identifying said RF tag assembly; passive RF circuit means including a plurality of RF resonant circuits, each said RF resonant circuit being responsive to received RF energy for resonating at a predetermined resonant frequency, the plurality of RF resonant circuits, by their resonant frequencies, together defining a detectable identification code for also identifying said RF tag assembly; and enclosure means for encapsulating said active RF circuit means and said passive RF circuit means together. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification