Radio frequency identification tag with thin-film battery for antenna

• US 6,700,491 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Shafer, Gary Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LAM P
• Application Number:
  US10/172,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/572.1, 340/7.32, 340/7.33, 340/7.37, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 343/700.R, 343/726-728, 343/795
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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 19/07749 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 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2422 using acoustic or microwave tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• 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 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An active RFID label is provided in which the antenna also forms the battery for the RFID chip that is part of the label. The antenna can be made of one or both of the electrodes forming a thin-film lithium-ion battery. The RFID chip, antenna and battery can all be placed upon the same substrate, and because the antenna and battery are co-located, the substrate can be made relatively flexible.

Claims

1. An active radio frequency identification label, comprising:

a radio frequency identification chip disposed on a substrate;

a battery connected to said radio frequency identification chip, said battery disposed on said substrate, wherein at least a portion of said battery forms an antenna for said radio frequency identification chip;

wherein a radio frequency identification electromagnetic field powers said radio frequency identification chip whenever power available from said field is substantially greater than power available from said battery, and wherein said battery powers said radio frequency identification chin whenever the power available from said field is substantially less than the power available from said battery.

2. The label of claim 1 wherein said antenna is a dipole antenna adapted for operation at microwave frequencies.

3. The label of claim 1 wherein said antenna operates at 8 MHz or 13.56 MHz.

4. The label of claim 1 wherein said battery is a thin-fun battery.

5. The label of claim 4 wherein said tin-film battery is a lithium-ion battery.

6. The label of claim 5 wherein said battery includes two electrodes separated by an electrolyte, said antenna is formed from at least one of said electrodes.

7. The label of claim 1 wherein said antenna and said battery are substantially co-located on said substrate.

8. The label of claim 1 wherein said substrate is relatively flexible.

9. The label of claim 1, wherein said battery is charged whenever the power available from said radio frequency identification electromagnetic field is greater than the power available from said battery.

10. A method of powering a radio frequency identification label, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification label including a radio identification chip disposed on a substrate and including a thin-film battery, a portion of said battery forming an antenna for said radio frequency identification chip;

placing said radio frequency identification label in a radio frequency identification electromagnetic field Conned by a radio frequency identification reader, wherein said radio frequency identification electromagnetic field powers said radio frequency identification chip whenever the power available from said field is greater than the power available from said battery, and wherein said battery powers said radio frequency identification chip whenever the power available from said field is less than the power available from said battery.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising charging said battery whenever the power available from said radio frequency identification electromagnetic field is greater than the power available from said battery.