RFID tags for enabling batch reading of stacks of cartons
First Claim
1. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for use with a reader that generates activation energy, the RFID tag comprising:
- a pair of antennas for receiving activation energy;
an RFID circuit for modulating tag energy when activation energy is received by at least one of the antennas and for modulating tag energy when tag energy is received by at least one of the antennas, wherein the antennas and the RFID circuit are each disposed on a respective substrate;
a transmission line for operatively coupling the RFID circuit to the antennas, wherein the transmission line includes a plurality of adhesively mountable segments each electrically coupled to a respective one of the antennas and the RFID circuit, the antennas and the RFID circuit being separate adhesively mountable segments;
a first one of the antennas for receiving activation energy;
a second one of the antennas for radiating activation energy received by the first antenna and for receiving tag energy radiated by an antenna of another RFID tag; and
the first antenna for radiating the tag energy received by the second antenna from the other RFID tag;
whereby when a plurality of the RFID tags are positioned in sequence in operative proximity with each other, activation energy is propagated through the sequence from one RFID tag to another in one direction, and tag energy is propagate through the sequence from one RFID tag to another in another direction.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A radio-frequency identification (RFID) system including an RFID tag and an RFID-enabled object. The RFID tag may include first and second antennas and an RFID circuit. The antennas receive activation energy from a reader. The tag may also include a transmission line for operatively coupling the RFID circuit to the antennas. The first antenna may receive activation energy which, in turn, may be radiated by the second antenna. The second antenna may also receive tag energy radiated by an antenna of another RFID tag. The received tag energy may then be radiated by the first antenna. When a plurality of the RFID tags are positioned in sequence in operative proximity with each other, activation energy may be propagated through the sequence from one RFID tag to another in one direction, and tag energy may be propagated through the sequence from one RFID tag to another in another direction.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for use with a reader that generates activation energy, the RFID tag comprising:
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a pair of antennas for receiving activation energy; an RFID circuit for modulating tag energy when activation energy is received by at least one of the antennas and for modulating tag energy when tag energy is received by at least one of the antennas, wherein the antennas and the RFID circuit are each disposed on a respective substrate; a transmission line for operatively coupling the RFID circuit to the antennas, wherein the transmission line includes a plurality of adhesively mountable segments each electrically coupled to a respective one of the antennas and the RFID circuit, the antennas and the RFID circuit being separate adhesively mountable segments; a first one of the antennas for receiving activation energy; a second one of the antennas for radiating activation energy received by the first antenna and for receiving tag energy radiated by an antenna of another RFID tag; and the first antenna for radiating the tag energy received by the second antenna from the other RFID tag; whereby when a plurality of the RFID tags are positioned in sequence in operative proximity with each other, activation energy is propagated through the sequence from one RFID tag to another in one direction, and tag energy is propagate through the sequence from one RFID tag to another in another direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for enabling an object to be read by an RFID reader, the method comprising:
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providing an object having a side with a dimension defined between opposing edges; providing an RFID tag including; a pair of antennas for receiving activation energy; an RFID circuit for modulating tag energy when activation energy is received by one of the antennas; and a transmission line for operatively coupling the RFID circuit to the antennas; a first one of the antennas for receiving activation energy; a second one of the antennas for radiating activation energy received by the first antenna and for receiving tag energy radiated by an antenna of another RFID tag; the first antenna for radiating the tag energy received by the second antenna from the other RFID tag; mounting the RFID tag to the side of the object such that the first antenna is disposed at or near one of the edges of the side of the object and the second antenna is disposed at or near the other edge of the side of the object; wherein the antennas and the RFID circuit are each disposed on a respective substrate with a transmission line segment coupled thereto, thereby defining a pair of antenna sections and an RFID circuit section, the mounting step comprising; mounting the antenna sections to the side of the object; and mounting the RFID circuit section to the side of the object by aligning and overlapping the transmission line segments of the RFID circuit section with the transmission line segments of the antenna sections. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A radio-frequency identification (RFID)-enabled object for use with reader system, the RFID-enabled object comprising:
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an object having a top, a bottom, and four sides each having a top edge and a bottom edge; and RFID tag including; a top antenna disposed at or near the top edge of one of the sides of the object; a bottom antenna disposed at or near the bottom edge of the one side of the object; a transmission line electrically coupled to the antennas; and an RFID circuit electrically coupled to the transmission line for communicating with the reader system when activated by energy from the reader system; whereby when a plurality of the RFID-enabled objects are vertically stacked, the bottom antenna of an upper one of the RFID-enabled objects is positioned within communicative proximity with the top antenna of a lower one of the RFID-enabled objects on which the first RFID-enabled object is stacked causing both the bottom antenna of the upper one of the RFID-enabled objects and the top antenna of the lower one of the RFID-enabled objects to switch from antennas configured for receiving and/or transmitting RF energy to antennas configured for coupling in the near field. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for reading a stack of radio-frequency identification (RFID)-enabled objects, each of the RFID-enabled objects having atop, a bottom, and four sides, the method comprising:
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providing a stack of RFID-enabled objects each including; an object having a top, a bottom, and four sides each having a top edge and a bottom edge; and an RFID tag including; a top antenna disposed at or near the top edge of one of the sides of the object; a bottom antenna disposed at or near the bottom edge of the one side of the object; a transmission line coupled to the antennas; and an RFID circuit electrically coupled to the transmission line for communicating with the reader system when activated by energy from the reader system; wherein the bottom antenna of an upper one of the RFID-enabled objects is positioned within communicative proximity with the top antenna of a lower one of the RFID-enabled objects on which the first RFID-enabled object is stacked; causing both the bottom antenna of the upper one of the RFID-enabled objects and the top antenna of the lower one of the RFID-enabled objects to switch from antennas configured for receiving and/or transmitting RF energy to antennas configured for coupling in the near field.
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31. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for an object, the RFID tag comprising:
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a substrate; a pair of antennas disposed on the substrate; a transmission line electrically coupled to the antennas; and a circuit electrically coupled to the transmission line and for being activated by energy; the substrate for mounting to one of the sides of the object such that; one of the antennas is disposed at or near an edge of the side of the object; and the other antenna is disposed at or new an opposing edge of the side of the object; one of the antennas for receiving energy; and the other antenna for radiating the received energy; whereby when the RFID tag is mounted to one of the sides of the object and the object is stacked with another object having an RFID tag mounted similarly to one of its sides, the antenna for radiating the received energy is positioned in communicative proximity to the antenna for receiving energy of the other object causing the antenna for radiating the received energy and the antenna for receiving the energy to switch from antennas configured for receiving and/or transmitting RF energy to antennas configured for coupling in the new field. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification