Conveyor bed with openings for capacitive coupled readers

• US 6,107,921 A
• Filed: 01/05/1999
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Quaderer, James Gerard, Eberhardt, Noel H., Vega, Victor Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/225,760
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/551, 340/826.54, 235/440, 343/720, 343/764, 343/765, 343/766, 343/866
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• 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 19/07788 the antenna being of the capacitive type
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10069 the collision being resolved in the frequency domain, e.g. by hopping from one frequency to the other frequency hopping or spread spectrum techniques H04B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10435 the interrogation device being positioned close to a conveyor belt or the like on which moving record carriers are passing conveying in accordance with bodily destination marks, see B65G47/46, sorting of objects carrying identity markings, see B07C5/34
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip

Abstract

Identification tags are secured to parcels moving upon a conveyor belt. The identification tags each contain a transponder circuit in electrical communication with a transponder antenna. The transponder circuit contains a unique digital code containing data relating to the parcel. When the identification tag is located beneath a parcel, at least one reader circuit is positioned beneath the conveyor belt in alignment with a selected aperture extending through the. One or more apertures in alignment with the reader antenna provide electrical communication with the reader antenna. The reader circuit generates a signal in the presence of an identification tag, which is transmitted to the transponder antenna located on the identification tag. The signal energizes the transponder circuit in the identification tag, which sends a unique digital code via the transponder antenna back to the reader antenna. The digital code is transmitted from the reader antenna to the reader circuit, where the digital code is analyzed to identify the contents of the parcel.

Claims

1. A conveyor apparatus for identifying a parcel having an identification tag positioned beneath said parcel, comprising:

a) a conveyor frame for supporting a conveyor support plate thereon, the conveyor support plate having at least one aperture there-through, a non-conductive endless conveyor belt supported upon said conveyor support plate, said conveyor belt positioned for moving a plurality of parcels thereon;

b) a first reader antenna and a second reader antenna, each of said first and second reader antennas in electrical communication with a reader circuit sending an opposing, alternating polarity signal to said first and second reader antennas, said first and second reader antennas positioned beneath said conveyor belt in proximity to said aperture provided in said conveyor support plate;

c) each said identification tag having a first transponder antenna and a second transponder antenna in electrical communication with a transponder circuit, said first and second reader antennas in signal communication with said first and second transponder antennas located in said identification tag, said reader circuit and said transponder circuit to provide identification of said parcel as it passes along said conveyor.

2. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor support plate is conductive.

3. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor support plate is non-conductive, and a conductive pattern is secured upon said conveyor support plate.

4. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of side-by-side apertures are provided in spaced relation upon said conveyor support plate, said side-by-side apertures extending in substantially offset alignment across the width of said conveyor belt, and said first and second reader antenna are disposed in opposed polarity relation with at least one reader antenna polarity located in at least one adjacent side-by-side aperture located in said conveyor support plate.

5. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of transverse apertures extend in spaced parallel relation substantially across the width of said conveyor support plate.

6. The conveyor apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one reader antenna is positioned within at least one of said transverse apertures in said conveyor support plate to provide signal communication between said reader antenna and said transponder antenna located on said identification tag positioned beneath said parcel.

7. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one continuous aperture is positioned in an inclined zig-zag pattern extending substantially back and forth across the width of the conveyor support plate, isolating a first support plate side from a second support plate side.

8. The conveyor apparatus of claim 7, wherein said first support plate side is of opposite polarity to said second support plate side.

9. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conveyor support plate comprises a plurality of transverse rollers, and at least one reader antenna is positioned in a space provided between adjacent transverse rollers to provide signal communication between said reader antenna and said transponder antenna as said parcel passes along the transverse rollers on the conveyor apparatus.

10. The conveyor apparatus of claim 9, wherein said plurality of transverse rollers each comprises a plurality of side-by-side rollers to form a row of electrically isolated side-by-side rollers, with each of said side-by-side rollers of opposing polarity, and adjacent rows of side-by-side rollers are aligned in staggered relation to the polarity of side-by-side rollers on adjacent rows, and wherein the reader circuit is in electrical communication with said side-by-side rollers.

11. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first reader antenna is connected to a negative polarity, and a first transponder antenna is connected to a negative polarity.

12. A conveyor apparatus for identifying a parcel having an identification tag positioned beneath said parcel, comprising:

a) a conveyor frame for supporting a conductive conveyor support plate, a plurality of transverse apertures extending through the conveyor support plate, said conveyor support plate connected to ground, with an endless, non-conductive conveyor belt positioned upon said conveyor support plate, said conveyor belt for moving said parcel thereon;

b) a plurality of reader circuits, each said reader circuit in electrical communication with ground and at least one reader antenna, each of said reader antennas positioned beneath said conveyor belt in proximity to a selected one of said plurality of transverse apertures provided in said conveyor support plate;

c) each said identification tag having a first transponder antenna and a second transponder antenna, with a transponder circuit in electrical communication with said first and second transponder antennas, said first transponder antenna connected to ground, and said second transponder antenna in signal communication with one of said reader antenna, to transmit data identifying said parcel, as said second transponder antenna passes along said conveyor belt in proximity to said at least one reader antenna.

13. The conveyor apparatus of claim 12, wherein said plurality of transverse apertures are aligned substantially across the width of said conveyor support plate, and at least one reader antenna is positioned within a selected one of said transverse apertures.

14. The conveyor apparatus of claim 12, wherein said plurality of transverse apertures each comprise a plurality of side-by-side apertures which are positioned in spaced, substantially offset alignment across the width of said conveyor support plate, and said reader antenna are positioned in adjacent side-by-side apertures in said conveyor support plate.

15. The conveyor apparatus of claim 12, wherein said ground connection to said reader circuit is connected to said conveyor support plate.

16. The conveyor apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conveyor support plate is made of non-conductive material, and a conductive pattern is secured upon the non-conductive conveyor support plate, and wherein said conductive pattern is connected to ground.

17. The conveyor apparatus of claim 12, wherein said plurality of transverse apertures in said conveyor support plate comprises a continuous, inclined zig-zag aperture extending substantially back and forth across the width of the conveyor support plate to form a first conveyor support plate side and a second conveyor support plate side, and said continuous, inclined zig-zag aperture electrically isolates said first conveyor support plate side from said second conveyor support plate side, and one of said first conveyor support plate side and said second conveyor support plate side are connected to ground.

18. The conveyor apparatus of claim 17, wherein said reader circuit is connected between said first conveyor support plate side and said second conveyor support plate side.

19. The conveyor apparatus of claim 12, wherein said conveyor support plate includes a plurality of transverse rollers, and said reader antenna are positioned between each of said plurality of transverse rollers in spaced relation to provide signal communication between said reader antenna and said transponder antenna, as the parcel passes in proximity to the reader antenna.

20. The conveyor apparatus of claim 19, wherein said plurality of transverse rollers each comprise a plurality of side-by-side rollers of a conductive material supported upon a roller shaft, and adjacent side-by-side rollers are electrically isolated and of alternating positive opposing polarity.

21. The conveyor apparatus of claim 20, wherein the side-by-side rollers are each of a negative polarity.

22. The conveyor apparatus of claim 20, wherein the side-by-side rollers are each of a positive polarity.

23. The conveyor apparatus of claim 20, wherein the side-by-side rollers are of an alternating positive polarity and negative polarity.

24. A conveyor apparatus for identifying a parcel having an identification tag, comprising:

a) a conveyor frame for supporting a non-conductive conveyor support plate thereon, said non-conductive conveyor support plate having a conductive pattern secured thereon, said conveyor support plate further having a plurality of transverse apertures extending in spaced relation substantially across the width of said the conveyor support plate for supporting a non-conductive endless conveyor belt thereon, said conveyor belt positioned for moving said parcel thereon, said parcel having an identification tag positioned beneath said parcel;

b) a plurality of reader circuits, each reader circuit in electrical communication with a first reader antenna connected to ground, and a second reader antenna positioned in a selected transverse aperture in said conveyor support plate,

c) each identification tag on said parcel having a transponder circuit in electrical communication with a first transponder antenna and a second transponder antenna, said first transponder antenna in signal communication with said first reader antenna, and said second transponder antenna in signal communication with said second reader antenna, to transmit data between said reader circuit and said transponder circuit to identify said parcel located on said conveyor belt.

25. The conveyor apparatus of claim 24, wherein said transverse apertures each extend substantially across the width of said conveyor support plate.

26. The conveyor apparatus of claim 24, wherein said plurality of apertures extend substantially across the width of said conveyor support plate, and wherein adjacent rows of apertures are aligned in staggered relation thereto.

27. The conveyor apparatus of claim 24, wherein one said aperture is positioned in an inclined zig-zag pattern extending substantially back and forth across the width of the conveyor support plate, electrically isolating said conveyor support plate into a first conveyor support plate side and a second conveyor support plate side, and wherein said reader circuit is connected in opposite polarity between said first conveyor support plate side and said second conveyor support plate side.

28. The conveyor apparatus of claim 24, wherein said conveyor includes a plurality of rollers forming said conveyor support plate, and said plurality of reader antenna are positioned for alignment between said rollers to provide signal communication between said reader antenna and said transponder antenna.

29. The conveyor apparatus of claim 24, wherein a plurality of side-by-side rollers are aligned in a row extending between opposing sides of said conveyor, and said side-by-side rollers are electrically isolated from adjacent rollers and electrically connected to said reader circuit in alternating opposing positive polarity and negative polarity.

30. The conveyor apparatus of claim 24, wherein said side-by-side rollers are each of a negative polarity.

31. The conveyor apparatus of claim 24, wherein said side-by-side rollers are each of a positive polarity.