Application for a radio frequency identification system

• US 6,600,420 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Tsai, Ching-Long, Goff, Edward D., Gonzalez, Bernard A., Piotrowski, Chester
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US09/908,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20020011967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/878, 343/879, 343/895, 340/572.4, 340/572.6, 340/572.7
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• 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 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• 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 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

Antenna shelf tape is disclosed for use with items having radio frequency identification elements or tags associated with items of interest.

Claims

1. An antenna system for use with items that each include an RFID element, wherein the antenna system comprises (a) multiple antennae, at least one of which can be selected to facilitate the interrogation of RFID elements adjacent a selected antenna(e), and (b) a control system for addressing antennas sequentially, so that the antenna system can determine the order of the items in a storage area.

6. The system of and one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the antennas are provided in the form of a longitudinally extending tape.

7. The antenna system of claim 6, wherein the antennae overlap along the length of the tape.

8. The system of any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the system comprises a power source separate from power supplied by an RFID interrogation source.

9. The system of any of claims 1 through 5, wherein the system further comprises:

(c) a multiplexing circuit for selectively activating one or more antenna(e) for interrogation.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the system determines the order of the items.

11. The system of any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the system includes an RF amplifier to increase the power of the signal produced.

12. The system of any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the items are library materials.

13. The system of any one of claims 1 through 5, in combination with an RFID interrogation source and software for processing information obtained from the items.

14. The combination of claim 13, wherein the software includes an algorithm for determining whether the interrogated items are in a predetermined order.

2. An antenna system for use with items that each include an RFID element, wherein the antenna system comprises multiple antennae, at least one of which can be selected to facilitate the interrogation of RFID elements adjacent a selected antenna(e), wherein an initialization system determines how many antennae are present when the system is first used.

3. The antenna system of claim 2, wherein the initialization system sets circuit addresses when the system is first used.

4. An antenna system for use with items that each include an RFID element, wherein the antenna system comprises multiple antennae, at least one of which can be selected to facilitate the interrogation of RFID elements adjacent a selected antenna(e), and wherein the antenna system supplies RF energy to the RFID elements to enable them to be read by a portable RFID reader.

5. An antenna system for use with items that each include an RFID element, wherein the system comprises multiple antenna, at least one of which can be selected to facilitate the interrogation of RFID elements adjacent a selected antenna(e), and inventory is conducted to determine information regarding the presence or absence of items, and that information is available in real time to an operator.