Antennae device for reading electronic labels and system comprising same

• US 7,646,354 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thales DIS France SAS (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Pic, Pierre, Martin, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): A; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US10/433,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,960 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.7, 340/10.52, 340/10.3, 340/10.42, 340/572.7, 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/893, 343/894, 343/487, 235/492, 235/487, 235/451, 235/844
• US Class Current: 343/844
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

An antennae device for reading electronic labels includes passive antennae arranged in the form of an array comprising L lines and C columns. The antennae are located in the array by co-ordinates (i, j), i ranging from 1 to L, j ranging from 1 to C. Each antenna (i, j) is controlled by two control switches, one controlling the antennae located on a line i, the other controlling the antennae located on a column j.

Claims

1. An antenna device for reading electronic labels, comprising a plurality of passive antennae organized in the form of a matrix comprising L rows and C columns and identified by coordinates (i, j), i varying from 1 to L, j varying from 1 to C, and wherein each passive antenna (i, j) is selectively enabled and disabled by at least two control means, one associated with row i to selectively enable the antennae situated on row i, and another associated with column j to selectively enable the antennae situated on column j.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein said two control means select an individual one of said passive antennae for operation.

3. The antenna device of claim 2, wherein said control means disable non-selected antennae from resonating.

4. The antenna device according to claim 1 wherein each control means includes a logic-control analogue switch.

5. The antenna device according claim 1, further including an indicator light associated with each antenna.

6. The antenna device according to claim 5, wherein the indicator light is connected to and controlled by the control means controlling the antenna.

7. The antenna device according to claim 6, wherein the indicator light is a diode.

8. The antenna device according to claim 5, wherein the indicator light is a gas ionization system excited by the antenna with which it is associated.

9. The antenna device according to claim 5, further including, associated with each antenna, a second passive antenna wherein the indicator light is controlled by the second passive antenna.

10. An antenna device for reading electronic labels, comprising a plurality of passive antennae, each of which is controlled by at least one control means, and further including an indicator light associated with each antenna to indicate the state of activation of the antenna with which it is associated.

11. An antenna device according to claim 10, wherein the indicator light is connected to and controlled by the control means controlling the antenna.

12. An antenna device according to claim 11, wherein the indicator light is a diode.

13. An antenna device according to claim 10, wherein the indicator light is a gas ionization system supplied and controlled by the antenna with which it is associated.

14. An antenna device according to claim 10, further including, associated with each antenna, a second passive antenna wherein the indicator light is supplied and controlled by the second passive antenna.

15. A system for reading electronic labels, comprising a reader having at least one antenna and a device having a plurality of passive antennae, wherein the passive antennae are organized in the form of a matrix comprising L rows and C columns and identified by coordinates (i, j), i varying from 1 to L, j varying from 1 to C, and wherein each antenna (i, j) is selected for operation by two control means, one associated with row i to select the antennae situated on row i, the other associated with column j to select the antennae situated on column j.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said control means disable non-selected antennae from resonating.

17. A system for reading an electronic label, comprising:

a reader having an antenna for communicating with a label;

a passive antenna that resonates at a frequency to reinforce electromagnetic coupling between the antenna of said reader and said label; and

a control element that selectively activates and deactivates the ability of said passive antenna to resonate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said control element comprises a switch.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said switch is in series with said passive antenna.

20. A system for reading electronic labels, comprising:

a reader having an antenna for communicating with a plurality of labels;

a plurality of passive antennae, each of which resonates at a frequency to reinforce electromagnetic coupling between the antenna of said reader and a respective one of said labels; and

a plurality of control elements that selectively activate and deactivate the ability of individual ones of said passive antennae to resonate, to enable said reader to communicate with selected individual labels among said plurality of labels.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said control elements comprise switches.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said switches are in series with associated ones of said passive antennae.

23. A system for reading a transponder having a chip and an antenna, comprising:

a reader having an antenna for communicating with a transponder;

a passive antenna that resonates at a frequency to reinforce electromagnetic coupling between the antenna of said reader and said transponder; and

a control element that selectively activates and deactivates the ability of said passive antenna to resonate.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said control element comprises a switch in series with said passive antenna.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said transponder comprises a radio-frequency identification device.

26. A system for reading transponders that each contain a chip and an antenna, comprising:

a reader having an antenna for communicating with a plurality of transponders;

a plurality of passive antennae, each of which resonates at a frequency to reinforce electromagnetic coupling between the antenna of said reader and a respective one of said transponders; and

a plurality of control elements that selectively activate and deactivate the ability of individual ones of said passive antennae to resonate, to enable said reader to communicate with selected individual transponders among said plurality of transponders.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said control elements comprise switches that are in series with associated ones of said passive antennae.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said transponders comprise radio-frequency identification devices.