Automated antenna trim for transmitting and receiving semiconductor devices

• US 7,417,549 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Keystone Technology Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Cathey, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Application Number:
  US10/642,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.3, 340/572.7, 343/723, 343745-748, 343/750, 343/823, 343/868
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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 19/0726 the arrangement including a circuit for tuning the resonance frequency of an antenna on the record carrier
• 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: 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 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

A radio frequency communication device and method for tuning an antenna attached thereto are disclosed. A radio frequency communication device is disclosed comprising internal circuitry and an antenna having a plurality of antenna segments associated therewith. Each antenna segment is associated with the antenna in either series or parallel relation through at least one of a fuse and an antifuse. In testing and tuning, a comparison is made to indicate whether the antenna is too short or too long. If the antenna is too short, an antenna segment may be attached to the antenna by initiating an antifuse. If the antenna is too long, an antenna segment may be detached from the antenna by blowing a fuse. If it is indeterminate whether the antenna is too short or too long, an antenna segment may be either attached or detached, the test repeated, and the results of the repeated test compared with the prior test to determine whether the correct action was taken.

Claims

1. A radio frequency communication device comprising:

internal circuitry;

at least one antenna coupled to the internal circuitry for evaluating an antenna response to at least one test signal for the at least one antenna to do one of accepting the radio frequency communication device, rejecting the radio frequency communication device, coupling an antenna segment to the antenna, and detaching an antenna segment from the antenna; and

at least one antenna segment coupled to the at least one antenna by one of a fuse which may be blown or an antifuse.

2. The radio frequency communication device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of antenna segments coupled by fuses in series with the at least one antenna segment.

3. The radio frequency communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna segment comprises a plurality of antenna segments, each coupled to the at least one antenna in parallel by a fuse.

4. The radio frequency communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna comprises at least two antennas, each coupled to at least one antenna segment by a fuse.

5. The radio frequency communication device of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication device is a radio frequency identification tag.

6. The radio frequency communication device of claim 1, wherein the internal circuitry comprises at least one of a sleep circuit, a wake-up circuit, a receiver, a transmitter, control logic, memory and at least one battery.

7. The radio frequency communication device of claim 1, further comprising at least one other antenna segment associated with the at least one antenna through an antifuse.

8. The radio frequency communication device of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of other antenna segments associated in series with the at least one antenna segment and connected through a plurality of antifuses.

9. The radio frequency communication device of claim 7, wherein the at least one other antenna segment comprises a plurality of antenna segments, each associated with the at least one antenna in parallel through an antifuse.

10. A radio frequency communication device comprising:

internal circuitry;

at least one antenna coupled to the internal circuitry for evaluating an antenna response to at least one test signal for the at least one antenna to do one of accepting the radio frequency communication device, rejecting the radio frequency communication device, coupling an antenna segment to the antenna, and detaching an antenna segment from the antenna; and

at least one antenna segment associated with the at least one antenna through one of a fuse which may be blown and an antifuse.

11. The radio frequency communication device of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of antenna segments associated in series with the at least one antenna segment through a plurality of antifuses.

12. The radio frequency communication device of claim 10, wherein the at least one antenna segment comprises a plurality of antenna segments, each associated with the at least one antenna in parallel through an antifuse.

13. The radio frequency communication device of claim 10, wherein the at least one antenna comprises at least two antennas, each associated with at least one antenna segment through an antifuse.

14. The radio frequency communication device of claim 10, wherein the radio frequency communication device is a radio frequency identification tag.

15. The radio frequency communication device of claim 10, wherein the internal circuitry comprises at least one of a sleep circuit, a wake-up circuit, a receiver, a transmitter, control logic, memory and at least one battery.

16. A radio frequency communication system comprising at least one of a transmitter, a receiver, a processor, an input device, an output device, data storage, and memory, the system further comprising at least one radio frequency identification tag associated therewith, the radio frequency identification tag comprising internal circuitry coupled to an antenna for evaluating an antenna response to at least one test signal for the at least one antenna to do one of accepting the radio frequency identification tag , rejecting the radio frequency identification tag, coupling an antenna segment to the antenna, and detaching an antenna segment from the antenna, the antenna including at least one antenna segment associated therewith through at least one of a fuse and an antifuse.

17. The radio frequency communication system of claim 16, wherein the antenna includes at least one antenna segment associated therewith through each of the fuse and the antifuse.

18. The radio frequency communication system of claim 16, wherein the at least one antenna segment is associated with the antenna in series.

19. The radio frequency communication system of claim 16, wherein the at least one antenna segment is associated with the antenna in parallel.

20. The radio frequency communication system of claim 16, wherein the at least one antenna segment comprises a plurality of antenna segments coupled in series by a plurality of fuses.

21. The radio frequency communication system of claim 16, wherein the at least one antenna segment comprises a plurality of antenna segments associated in series through a plurality of antifuses.

22. A method of forming an antenna for a radio frequency communication device, the method comprising:

forming an antenna and a plurality of antenna segments on a substrate;

associating the plurality of antenna segments in series or in parallel with the antenna by forming at least one of a fuse and an antifuse therebetween;

evaluating an antenna response to at least one test signal; and

in response to an evaluation result, doing one of;

accepting the radio frequency communication device;

rejecting the radio frequency communication device;

coupling an antenna segment to the antenna; and

detaching an antenna segment from the antenna.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein forming the antenna and the antenna segments on the substrate comprises forming the antenna and the antenna segments on a semiconductor substrate.