System and method for verifying assembly of manufactured parts using RFID tags

• US 7,423,547 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Pavlovic, Slobadan, Menzies, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/162,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 340/687, 340/686.1, 340/686.2, 340/686.4
• US Class Current: 340/687
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches

Abstract

A system for verifying that parts are properly assembled. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is connected to one of the parts that has an antenna loop. The antenna loop has two spaced contacts that may be bridged by a shorting bar on the other one of the parts. When the parts are properly assembled and the shorting bar bridges the contacts, the RFID tag is enabled to communicate a coded signal to a receiver thereby determining that the parts are assembled.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for verifying whether two or more manufactured parts are in an assembled position or in an unassembled position, the system comprising a RFID tag that includes:

an antenna loop receives an electromotive field (EMF), the antenna loop defining at least a portion of a switch that is attached to one of the manufactured parts, the switch having a open position corresponding to the manufactured parts in an assembled position and a closed position corresponding to the manufactured parts in an unassembled position, wherein the antenna loop provides an activation signal when the switch is in the closed position; and

a transponder receives the activation signal and provides a coded signal to the antenna that is provided to a receiver to indicate that the manufactured parts are in the assembled position.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the REID tag is a passive REID tag.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna loop sends the coded signal to the receiver for determining whether the switch is in the closed position.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponder has a memory that stores information selected from the group consisting of a product identification number, serial number, model number, lot number, test report, warranty information, test instruction, maintenance record instruction and position information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch further comprises a shorting bar on the one of the manufactured parts and at least two contact pads in the antenna loop on a second of the manufactured parts, wherein the shorting bar may complete the antenna loop.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one of the manufactured parts is a replacement part used to replace a previously manufactured part.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the one of the manufactured parts is a fuse and the second of the manufactured parts is a fuse box.

8. A method for verifying whether two or more manufactured parts are in an assembled position or in an unassembled position using radio frequency identification (RFID), the system comprising:

generating an electromotive field (EMF) in and around one of the manufactured parts;

receiving the EMF with an antenna having at least a portion of a switch wherein the portion is attached to one of the manufactured parts, the switch having an open position corresponding to the manufactured parts in an assembled position and a closed position corresponding to the manufactured parts in an unassembled position, the antenna providing an activation signal when the switch is in the closed position;

providing the activation signal to a transponder when the manufactured parts are in the assembled position;

providing a coded signal from the transponder to the antenna;

receiving the coded signal from the antenna by a receiver; and

determining whether the switch is in an open or closed position based on the reception of the coded signal.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of communicating an alert signal when it is determined that one of the manufactured parts is in the unassembled position.

10. A circuit for verifying whether two or more objects are in a first position or a second position, the system comprising:

an antenna loop disposed to receive an electromotive field (EMF), the antenna loop defining a plurality of contacts on one of the objects that may be closed to complete a portion of the antenna loop and opened to interrupt a portion of the antenna loop, the contact being closed by a conductor disposed on a second of the objects, wherein the conductor closes the contact only when the objects are in the first position wherein when the conductor closes the contact and the antenna receives the EMF, an activation signal is enabled; and

a transponder operatively connected to the antenna loop that receives the activation signal and provides a coded signal to the antenna to indicate that the objects are in the first position.

11. The circuit of claim 10 wherein the plurality of contacts are provided on a plurality of objects with each pair of contacts being adapted to be closed by a conductor.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the contacts are connected in series.

13. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the contacts are connected in parallel.