Radio frequency data carrier and system for reading data stored therein

• US 6,922,146 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inksure RF Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inksure RF Incorporated
• Inventors: Yogev, Amnon, Dukler, Shlomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US10/421,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20040211840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.2, 340/572.2, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/10.42, 235/436, 235/491, 310/313.R
• US Class Current: 340/568.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/027 the material being suitable for use as a textile, e.g. woven-based RFID-like labels designed for attachment to laundry items markings attached to laundry items in general D06F93/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0672 with resonating marks
• 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 13/2474 Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2485 Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) data carrier and method and system for reading information stored in the data carrier are presented. The data carrier comprises a collection of circuitries defining together a predetermined information code. Each circuitry includes: (a) a code circuit configured to have a certain RF frequency response to a powering signal and thus defining a certain symbol of the predetermined information code, and (b) a delay circuit configured to provide a phase delay of a predetermined value to said powering signal associated with the respective code circuit to thereby define a location of this symbol in the information code. The data carrier further comprises a power unit operable to produce said powering signal to actuate the delay circuit. The power unit comprises at least one inductance coil responsive to alternation of an external magnetic field for generating said powering signal as an electromotive force voltage as a result of intersecting windings of the coil with magnetic flux lines of the external magnetic field.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) data carrier comprising:

(a) a collection of circuitries defining together a predetermined information code, each circuitry including;

(a) a code circuit configured to have a certain RF frequency response to a powering signal and thus defining a certain symbol of the predetermined information code, and (b) a delay circuit configured to provide a phase delay of a predetermined value to said powering signal associated with the respective code circuit to thereby define a location of this symbol in the information code; and

(b) a power unit operable to produce said powering signal to actuate the delay circuit, said power unit comprising at least one inductance coil responsive to alternation of an external magnetic field for generating said powering signal as an electromotive force voltage as a result of intersecting windings of the coil with magnetic flux lines of the external magnetic field.

2. The RF data carrier of claim 1 wherein said alternation of the magnetic field has a frequency lower than an RF frequency range.

3. The RF data carrier of claim 1 wherein said power unit and said collection of circuitries are constructed from conductive material printed on a substrate layer.

4. The RF data carrier of claim 1 wherein said power unit and a portion of said collection of circuitries are constructed from conductive material printed on a first substrate layer and another portion of said collection of circuitries constructed from conductive material printed on one another substrate layer, the substrate layers being separated from each other by a shielding layer made of a metal containing material.

5. The RF data carrier of claim 1 wherein said power unit and said collection of circuitries are constructed from conductive material incorporated into an article carrying said RF data carrier.

6. The RF data carrier of claim 1 wherein the circuitry further comprises a tunnel switch arranged between said delay circuit and said code circuit.

7. The RF data carrier of claim 6 wherein the tunnel switch includes a monolayer of insulating high molecular weight material placed between two conductive terminals.

8. A system for reading data stored in at least one RF data carrier of claim 1, the system comprising a magnetic field source for actuating the power unit of the data carrier, and a detector sensitive to the RF responses of the at least one data carrier, the system being operable to produce the alternation of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said magnetic field source includes a fixed assembly of magnets arranged in a place enclosing a route of data carriers'"'"' movement between opposite poles of the magnets.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said magnets are permanent magnets.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said magnets are DC electro-magnets.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said magnetic field source includes at least two magnetic coils extended along opposite sides of a data carrier containing site, the magnetic coils being operable to generate an alternating magnetic field.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said magnetic field source includes a set of magnetic coils extended along opposite sides of a data carrier containing site, said the entire data carrier containing site being simultaneously irradiated by magnetic field generated by the magnetic coils.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said magnetic field source includes a set of magnetic coils extended along opposite sides of a data carrier containing site, said data carrier containing site being segmented by moving a magnetic field region generated by the magnetic coils from segment to segment of the data carrier containing site.

15. The system of claim 8 comprising a stage for supporting said at least one data carrier while being read, the stage being driven for movement with a certain speed with respect to the magnetic field source.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said magnetic field source comprises an array of the pairs of coils arranged so as to be associated with successive regions of the data carrier containing site.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said array of coil pairs are sequentially operated to thereby sequentially create an AC magnetic field in successive regions of the data carrier containing site.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein said magnetic field source is configured to create a rotating magnetic field.

19. A power unit for use with a system for reading data stored in at least one RF data carrier of claim 1, the power unit comprising a magnetic field source operable to create an alternating magnetic field of a predetermined frequency within a data carrier containing site.

20. A method of reading data stored in at least one RF data carrier of claim 1, the method comprising:

producing a magnetic field of a predetermined frequency within a site containing said at least one data carrier and providing an alternation of said magnetic field so as to induce said electromotive force voltage for powering the data carrier to produce a predetermined sequence of the frequency responses;

detecting the data carrier responses and generating data indicative of the information code stored in the data carrier.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said alternation of the magnetic field is created by producing the alternating magnetic field.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said alternation of the magnetic field is created by providing a relative displacement between the data carrier and a magnetic field source.