Housing structure for RFID tag, installation structure for RFID tag, and communication using such RFID tag

• US 7,088,249 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanex Co., Ltd. (Vertex Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hanex Co., Ltd. (Vertex Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Jun, Senba, Fujio, Uchiyama, Tomoki, Kida, Shigeru, Hyodo, Nakamaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi C.
• Application Number:
  US10/311,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20040074974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5728, 343/866, 343/872, 343/873, 343/788
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07728 the record carrier comprising means for protection against impact or bending, e.g. protective shells or stress-absorbing layers around the integrated circuit
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07771 the record carrier comprising means for minimising adverse effects on the data communication capability of the record carrier, e.g. minimising Eddy currents induced in a proximate metal or otherwise electromagnetically interfering object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07777 the antenna being of the inductive type
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• 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 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• 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

A first object of the present invention resides in providing a novel installation structure for an RFID tag, which effectively protects the RFID tag from external stress or impact during the storage, transportation and usage, and allows communication with the external.

A second object of the present invention resides in that providing a novel installation structure for an RFID tag, which enables communication with the external even if the RFID tag is installed on a conductive member such as a metal member, and the surface thereof is covered with a protective member typically made of a metal which has an excellent strength and durability.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a communication method using an RFID tag as being surrounded by a conductive member typically made of a metal.

Even if an RFID tag 1a is housed in a container A typically made of a conductive material such as a metal having a large mechanical strength, the RFID tag 1a can communicate with an external read/write terminal 9 as mediated by leakage magnetic flux if only a flux leakage path 12 composed for example of a gap is formed in such container A.

Claims

1. A housing structure for an RFID tag in which an RFID tag formed in a rod shape as a whole having a cylindrical antenna coil and a control section is housed in a container made of a conductive member and comprised of separable members contacting with each other by separation planes thereof, and in which said container has a flux leakage path on the separation planes for communication with electromagnetic wave by ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) method between the RFID tag and the exterior of the container, wherein the flux leakage path extends from the vicinity of a tip of the RFID tag housed in the container to the exterior of the container.

2. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said separable members composing said container are a main housing portion having an opening and a lid portion capable of closing such opening, and said lid portion is fixed to said housing portion with a fixing means.

3. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lid portion is fixed to said housing portion with said fixing means while being interposed with a spacer made of a non-conductive material.

4. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shock absorber or a heat insulator made of a non-conducive material is provided in contact with said RFID tag.

5. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said separable members are connected with each other using an opening/closing means so as to allow open/close operation.

6. The housing structure for an RFID tag in which said housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1 is installed on an installation plane of a conductive member.

15. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axial direction of the RFID tag is arranged in parallel to the separation planes.

16. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 6, wherein the axial direction of the RFID tag is arranged in parallel to the separation planes.

7. An installation structure for an RFID tag in which a conductive member is formed with an installation groove and in which an RFID tag formed in a rod shape as a whole having a cylindrical antenna coil and a control section is installed in the installation groove,

wherein the axial direction of the RFID tag is, under this situation, installed in parallel to the bottom plane of the installation groove,

wherein the surface side of the RFID tag is covered with a protective member made of a conductive material,

wherein a flux leakage path made of separation planes of the conductive member and the protective member is formed for communication with electromagnetic wave by ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) method between the RFID tag and the exterior of the container, and wherein the flux leakage path extends from the vicinity of a tip of the RFID tag housed in the container to the exterior of the protective member.

8. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 7, wherein said protective member is formed in a plate or cap.

9. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 7, wherein said protective member is composed of a block material having in the surface portion thereof a housing portion, and is set, where housing in such housing portion said RFID tag, in said installation groove so as to oppose the housing portion of the protective member to the installation plane of said conductive member.

10. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 7, wherein said protective member is fixed to said conductive member with a fixing means.

11. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protective member is fixed to said conductive material with said fixing means while being interposed with a spacer made of a non-conductive material.

12. The installation structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 7, wherein a shock absorber or a heat insulator made of a non-conducive material is provided in contact with said RFID tag.

17. The housing structure for an RFID tag as claimed in claim 7, wherein the axial direction of the RFID tag is arranged in parallel to the separation planes.

19. The communication method using an RFID tag as claimed in claim 17, wherein the RFID tag is surrounded by a conductive member comprising an installation member and the protective member, so as to allow the communication between the RFID tag and the exterior of the protective member using magnetic flux leaks through said flux leakage path provided between separation planes of the installation member and the protective member.

13. A communication method using an RFID tag formed in a rod shape as a whole having a cylindrical antenna coil and a control section, as being surrounded by a conductive member and comprised of separable members contacting with each other by separation planes thereof,

wherein said conductive member is provided with a flux leakage path made of a narrow gap is formed for communication with electromagnetic wave by ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) method between the RFID tag and the exterior of the container, and

wherein the flux leakage path extends from the vicinity of a tip of the RFID tag housed in the conductive member to the exterior of the protective member,

wherein communication is performed between said RFID tag and the exterior of the conductive member in utilizing leaked magnetic flux passing through the flux leakage path.

14. The communication method using an RFID tag as claimed in claim 13, wherein said RFID tag is housed in a housing portion formed in a surface portion of a protective member made of a conductive block, and said protective member is installed in an installation groove so as to direct said housing portion to the bottom plane of said installation groove.

18. A communication method for external communication by using an RFID tag formed in a rod shape as a whole having a cylindrical antenna coil and installed in an installation groove in a conductive material, the RFID tag being housed in a container,

wherein the axial direction of the installed RFID tag is, parallel to a bottom plane of the installation groove,

wherein a surface of the RFID tag is covered with a protective member made of a conductive material,

wherein a flux leakage path made of a narrow gap is formed for communication with electromagnetic wave by ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) method between the RFID tag and the exterior of the container, and wherein the flux leakage path extends from the vicinity of a tip of the RFID tag housed in the container to the exterior of the protective member, and

wherein communication is performed between the RFID tag and the exterior of the protective member in utilizing the flux leakage path.