RF ID tag reader utilizing a scanning antenna system and method

• US 7,496,329 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Paratek Microwave Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, James S., Patel, Jay, Gupta, Om, Chen, Shuguan
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/716,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20040266481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 455/39, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/88, 455/562.1, 342/359, 342/360, 342/361, 342/368, 342/371, 342/372, 342/450, 342/463, 340/10.1, 340/10.42, 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 340/10.52
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/446 the radiating element being at the centre of one or more rings of auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

An RF ID tag system and method that utilizes an RF ID tag and an RF ID tag reader which incorporates a dynamically reconfigurable wireless antenna and/or an array antenna and/or a switched polarization antenna. The dynamically reconfigurable wireless antenna embodiment comprises at least one multi-layered RF module, said at least one RF module further comprising at least one RF connector for receipt of at least one RF signal and at least one layer of tunable dielectric material and one layer of metal fabricated into said RF module; an RF motherboard for acceptance of RF signals and distribution of the transmit energy to said RF module at the appropriate phases to generate a beam in the commanded direction and width; and a controller for determining the correct voltage signal to send to said at least one multi-layered RF module.

Claims

1. An RF ID card reader, comprising:

RF ID circuitry to generate an RF ID signal;

a transceiver in communication with said RF ID circuitry; and

a scanning antenna associated with said transceiver for scanning an area for at least one tag and establishing communication with at least one tag;

wherein said scanning antenna comprises;

at least one RF module, said at least one RF module further comprising at least one RF connection for receipt of at least one RF signal and at least one tunable or switchable device;

a RF motherboard for acceptance of RF signals and distribution of transmit energy to said RF module at appropriate phases to generate a beam in a commanded direction and width; and

a controller for determining a correct signal to send to said at least one RF module.

2. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, wherein said at least one RF signal has either single or dual polarization which can be either linear or circular.

3. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, wherein said at least one RF module is nine RF modules.

4. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, wherein an interface connects said scanning antenna with a microcontroller associated with said reader.

5. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, wherein a beam width and steer have at least a 6 dBi gain throughout a 360 degree azimuth scan or any segmentation of 360 degrees.

6. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, further comprising a Radome surrounding said at least one RF module and said RF mother board.

7. The RF ID card reader of claim 6, further comprising a base attached to said radome, said base provides openings for reception of an RF connector, power supply and data input.

8. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, wherein said scanning antenna operation is in any one, all or part of the following frequencies:

the 2.4 GHz band;

the 5.1 to 5.8 GHz band;

the 860-960MHz band;

or the 433 MHz band.

9. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, further comprising a software driver to control a scanning antenna azimuth scan angle to maximize a received wireless signal.

10. The RF ID card reader of claim 1, further comprising a three way divider, the output of said three way divider connects to a phase shifter module.

11. An RF ID tag system, comprising:

at least one RF ID tag;

at least one RF ID tag reader, said at least one tag reader including at least one RF ID tag reader microcontroller; and

at least one transceiver associated with said at least one microcontroller, said at least one transceiver in communication with at least one scanning antenna for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from said at least one tag;

wherein said at least one scanning antenna comprises;

at least one RF module, said at least one RF module further comprising at least one RF connection for receipt of at least one RF signal and at least on tunable or switchable device;

an RF motherboard for acceptance of RF signals and distribution of transmit energy to said RF module at appropriate phases to generate a beam in a commanded direction and width; and

a controller for determining a correct signal to send to said at least one RF module.

12. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, wherein said at least one RF signal has either single or dual polarization which can be either linear or circular.

13. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, wherein said at least one RF module is nine RF modules.

14. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, wherein an interface connects said scanning antenna with a microcontroller associated with said reader.

15. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, wherein a beam width and steer have at least a 6 dBi gain throughout a 360 degree azimuth scan or any segmentation of 360 with at least 6 dBi gain.

16. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, further comprising a Radome surrounding said at least one RF module and said RF mother board.

17. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, further comprising a base attached to a radome housing said controller, said base provides openings for reception of an RF connector, power supply and data input.

18. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, wherein said scanning antenna operation is in any one, all or part of the following frequencies:

the 2.4 GHz band;

the 5.1 to 5.8 GHz band;

the 860-960 MHz band;

or the 433 MHz band.

19. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, further comprising a software driver to control a scanning antenna azimuth scan angle to maximize a received wireless signal.

20. The RF ID tag reader of claim 11, further comprising a three way divider, the output of said three way divider connects to a phase shifter module.

21. A method of tracking an object, person or thing, comprising the steps of:

associating an RF ID tag with said object, person or thing;

providing an RF ID tag reader with a scanning antenna for transmitting information to, and receiving information from, said RF ID tag, said RF ID tag containing information about said object, person or thing;

wherein said scanning antenna comprises;

at least one RF module, said at least one RF module further comprising at least one RF connection for receipt of at least one RF signal and at least one tunable or switchable device;

an RF motherboard for acceptance of RF signals and distribution of transmit energy to said RF module at appropriate phases to generate a beam in a commanded direction and width; and

a controller for determining a correct signal to send to said at least one RF module.

22. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein said at least one RF signal is at least two RF signal has either single or dual polarization which can be either linear or circular.

23. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein said at least one RF module is nine RF modules.

24. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein an interface connects said scanning antenna with a microcontroller associated with said reader.

25. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein a beam width and steer have at least a 6 dBi gain throughout a 360 degree azimuth scan or any segmentation of 360 degrees with at least 6 dBi gain.

26. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein said scanning further comprises a Radome surrounding said at least one RF module and said RF mother board.

27. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein said scanning antenna further comprises a base attached to said radome, said base provides openings for reception of an RF connector, power supply and data input.

28. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein said scanning antenna operation is in any one, all or part of the following frequencies:

the 2.4 GHz band;

the 5.1 to 5.8 GHz band;

the 860-960 MHz band;

or the 433 MHz band.

29. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein said scanning antenna further comprises a software driver to control a scanning antenna azimuth scan angle to maximize a received wireless signal.

30. The method of tracking an object, person or thing of claim 21, wherein said scanning antenna further comprises a three way divider, the output of said three way divider connects to a phase shifter module.