Radio frequency identification transponder having a spiral antenna

• US 6,118,379 A
• Filed: 11/13/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Duan, Dah-Weih, Brady, Michael John, Kodukula, Venkata S. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/191,641
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.7, 340/572.4, 340/572.1, 340/825.54, 343/793, 343/895, 343/872, 343/867, 343/873, 343/700 MS, 343/845, 343/844
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• 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: G08B 13/2414 using inductive tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2442 Tag materials and material properties thereof, e.g. magnetic material details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder (tag) includes a spiral over ground plane antenna. The RFID tag includes a RFID circuitry that may be implemented as an RFID tag integrated circuit and may be mounted on one surface of a substrate such as a printed circuit board. The RFID tag circuitry may be electrically connected to an impedance matching circuit printed on the same side of printed circuit board. The matching circuit is electrically connected to a spiral antenna that may be mounted on same side of the printed circuit board as the tag circuit and matching circuit. The spiral antenna is held a prescribed distance from the ground plane in order to maximize the gain of the RFID tag and to thereby maximize the range of the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency identification transponder (RFID tag) comprising:

a spiral antenna;

RF tag circuitry having at least one antenna input, the tag circuitry disposed on a substrate and electrically coupled to the spiral antenna, and

a ground plane spaced from the spiral antenna by a predetermined distance, said spiral antenna thereby providing substantially circular polarization.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the tag circuitry comprises an integrated circuit.

4. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the spiral antenna comprises a predetermined spiral pattern of conductive material disposed on the substrate.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the spiral antenna comprises a wire that is affixed to the substrate in a predetermined spiral pattern.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1 further comprising an impedance-matching circuit connected between the spiral antenna and the at least one antenna input of the RFID tag circuitry.

7. The RFID tag of claim 6 further comprising a quarter-wave transformer, wherein the at least one antenna input further comprises first and second antenna inputs, the first antenna input being coupled to the spiral antenna and the second antenna input being connected to the quarter-wave transformer.

8. The RFID tag of claim 7 wherein the spiral antenna, the impedance matching circuit, the RFID tag circuitry, and the quarter-wave transformer are all disposed on the same surface of the substrate.

9. The RFID tag of claim 8 wherein the ground plane is disposed on an opposite side of the substrate from that to which the impedance matching circuit, the RFID tag circuitry, and the quarter-wave transformer are disposed, the ground plane thereby underlying these elements of the RFID tag.

10. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the ground plane is disposed parallel to a plane defined by the spiral antenna.

11. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the spiral antenna further comprises a spiral pattern including slightly more than one turn, a length of the spiral antenna thereby being approximately 20% longer than a corresponding wavelength of operation of the RFID tag.

12. The RFID tag of claim 11 wherein the spiral antenna is spaced from the ground plane by approximately one quarter wavelength of operation of the RFID tag.

13. An RFID system including:

an RFID base station; and

an RFID tag that includes a spiral antenna, RFID tag circuitry having at least one antenna input, the tag circuitry disposed on a substrate and electrically coupled to the spiral antenna, and a ground plane spaced from the spiral antenna by a predetermined distance, the spiral antenna thereby providing substantially circular polarization.

14. The RFID system of claim 13 wherein the spiral antenna comprises a predetermined spiral pattern of conductive material disposed on the substrate.

15. The RFID system of claim 13 wherein the spiral antenna comprises a wire that is affixed to the substrate in a predetermined spiral pattern.

16. The RFID system of claim 15 further comprising a quarter-wave transformer, wherein the at least one antenna input further comprises first and second antenna inputs, the first antenna input being coupled to the spiral antenna and the second antenna input being coupled to the quarter-wave transformer.

17. The RFID system of claim 16 wherein the spiral antenna, the impedance matching network, the tag circuitry and the quarter-wave transformer are all disposed on the same surface of the substrate.

18. The RFID tag of claim 16 wherein the ground plane is disposed on the opposite side of the substrate from that on which the impedance matching circuit, the tag IC, and the quarter-wave transformer are disposed, the ground plane thereby underlying these elements of the RFID tag.

19. The RFID system of claim 13 further comprising an impedance-matching circuit connected between the spiral antenna and the at least one antenna input of the RFID tag circuitry.

20. The RFID system of claim 13 wherein the ground plane is provided parallel to a plane defined by the spiral antenna and is disposed on a second substrate spaced a predetermined distance from the spiral antenna.

21. A method of reading an RFID tag comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a querying signal from an RFID base station;

(b) receiving the querying signal by an RFID tag that includes a spiral antenna disposed over a ground plane, the spiral antenna providing substantially circular polarization;

(c) modulating the received querying signal by the RFID tag; and

(d) sending the modulated signal from the RFID tag to the base station.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein step (d) further comprises backscattering of RF energy from the RFID tag.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the RFID tag further comprises an active RFID tag, and wherein step (d) further comprises transmitting RF energy by the active RFID tag.