Radio frequency identification transceiver and antenna

• US 6,078,791 A
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Communications, Inc. (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R., Lake, Rickie C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US08/908,134
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/90, 455/128, 455/129, 455/269, 455/344, 455/346, 455/347, 455/348, 455/349, 455/351, 455/73, 455/84, 343/702, 343/762, 343/797
• US Class Current: 455/90.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/758 using a signal generator powered by the interrogation signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/2402 Laminated, e.g. MCM-L type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24051 Conformal with the semiconductor or solid-state device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24226 the HDI interconnect connecting to the same level of the item at which the semiconductor or solid-state body is mounted, e.g. the item being planar
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24998 Reinforcing structures, e.g. ramp-like support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73267 Layer and HDI connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/82007 involving a permanent auxiliary member being left in the finished device, e.g. aids for holding or protecting a build-up interconnect during or after the bonding process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92244 the second connecting process involving a build-up interconnect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49855 for flat-cards, e.g. credit cards cards per se G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5389 the chips being integrally enclosed by the interconnect and support structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/24 : of an individual high density interconnect connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/82 : by forming build-up interconnects at chip-level, e.g. for high density interconnects [HDI] interconnection structure between a plurality of semiconductor chips H01L23/5389
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01004 : Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 : Yttrium [Y]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01072 : Hafnium [Hf]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 : Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 : by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 : used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• 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 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 : Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 : Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 : Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 : involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 : for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 : Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 : Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 : by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use

Abstract

An enclosed transceiver includes an integrated circuit and a battery together laminated between two films. Printed conductors on each film couple operative power to the integrated circuit. Other printed conductors form an antenna coupled to the transceiver for sending and receiving signals. In a preferred embodiment, the integrated circuit has three terminals. The first terminal is connected to a first side of a thin film battery. The second terminal is connected to a first side of a printed loop antenna. The third terminal serves two purposes being connected to the second side of the battery and to the second side of the loop antenna. The enclosing films are treated with silicon nitride for hermeticity. Enclosed transceivers of the present invention are suitable for mass production in web, sheet, and tape formats. Such transceivers are useful as stamps, labels, and tags in object tracking systems including systems for mail delivery, airline baggage tracking, and inventory control.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver comprising:

a thin, substantially planar substrate;

an RFID transceiver circuit mounted on the substrate, including

a receiver circuit having a first antenna contact, and

a transmitter circuit having a first antenna contact connected to the first antenna contact of the receiver circuit; and

first and second dipole antennas lying substantially in the plane of the substrate, the first dipole antenna being substantially perpendicular to the second dipole antenna, wherein the two dipole antennas intersect at their respective centers;

wherein the first dipole antenna has a first antenna contact connected to the first antenna contact of the receiver circuit and to the first antenna contact of the transmitter circuit; and

wherein the second dipole antenna has a first antenna contact connected to the first antenna contact of the receiver circuit and to the first antenna contact of the transmitter circuit.

2. A transceiver according to claim 1, wherein the RFID transceiver circuit is positioned adjacent the intersection of the dipole antennas.

3. A transceiver according to claim 1, wherein:

the first dipole antenna further includes a second antenna contact connected to a second antenna contact of the receiver circuit and to a second antenna contact of the transmitter circuit; and

the second dipole antenna further includes a second antenna contact connected to the second antenna contact of the receiver circuit and to the second antenna contact of the transmitter circuit.

4. A radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver comprising:

a thin, substantially planar substrate;

an RFID transceiver circuit mounted on the substrate, the transceiver circuit having first and second antenna terminals for connecting the transceiver circuit to an antenna; and

first and second thin, flat batteries mounted on the substrate, each battery having first and second terminals, the first terminal of the first battery being connected to the first antenna terminal of the transceiver circuit, and the first terminal of the second battery being connected to the second antenna terminal of the transceiver circuit;

wherein each of the two batteries is shaped approximately as a thin, planar triangle lying in the plane of the substrate, each of the two triangles having an apex, and the two batteries being positioned so that the apex of each battery is adjacent the apex of the other battery, so that the two batteries form a bow tie antenna.

5. A transceiver according to claim 4, wherein the RFID transceiver is mounted on the substrate between the apex of the first battery and the apex of the second battery.

6. A radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver comprising:

a thin, substantially planar, square substrate having four corners consecutively designated as the first, second, third and fourth corners, so that the first and third corners are diagonally opposite each other, and so that the second and fourth corners are diagonally opposite each other;

a first dipole antenna extending between the first and third corners and lying substantially in the plane of the substrate;

a second dipole antenna extending between the second and fourth corners and lying substantially in the plane of the substrate, so that the the two dipole antennas are perpendicular and intersect at their respective centers; and

an RFID transceiver circuit mounted on the substrate and connected to the two dipole antennas.

7. A transceiver according to claim 6, wherein the RFID transceiver circuit is positioned adjacent the intersection of the dipole antennas.

8. A transceiver according to claim 6, further comprising:

a thin, substantially planar battery electrically connected to the RFID transceiver;

wherein the battery has a substantially planar surface mounted on a substantially planar surface of the substrate; and

wherein said surface of the battery has first, second, third and fourth corners adjacent to the first, second, third and fourth corners, respectively, of the substrate so that said respective surfaces of the battery and the substrate are substantially equal in area.

9. A radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver comprising:

a thin, substantially planar substrate;

first and second dipole antennas lying substantially in the plane of the substrate, the first dipole antenna being substantially perpendicular to the second dipole antenna, wherein the two dipole antennas intersect at their respective centers;

a receiver circuit connected to the first and second dipole antennas; and

a transmitter circuit connected to the first and second dipole antennas.

10. A transceiver according to claim 9, wherein:

the first dipole antenna includes first and second antenna terminals, wherein both terminals of the first dipole antenna are connected to the receiver circuit and to the transmitter circuit; and

the second dipole antenna includes first and second antenna terminals, wherein both terminals of the second dipole antenna are connected to the receiver circuit and to the transmitter circuit.