Systems and methods for wirelessly marking media

• US 7,724,142 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Lam, For Sander, Nikitin, Pavel, Kodukula, Venkata
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/862,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20090085749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/10.1, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• 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

Abstract

A media marking transponder system includes a media fastener and a wireless transponder circuit coupled to the media fastener. The antenna for the wireless transponder circuit has a first effective length when no piece of media is fastened to the media fastener and a second, different effective length when at least one piece of media is fastened to the media fastener.

Claims

1. A media marking transponder system, comprising:

a media fastener;

a wireless transponder circuit coupled to the media fastener; and

an antenna for the wireless transponder circuit, the antenna having a first effective length when no piece of media is fastened to the media fastener and a second effective length when at least one piece of media is fastened to the media fastener, the second effective length different than the first effective length.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transponder circuit is a read/write passive radio frequency identification circuit having a memory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transponder circuit is an integrated circuit having at least two antenna terminals, the antenna terminals coupled to the media fastener.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the media fastener comprises at least a portion of the antenna.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the media fastener has at least two media engagement portions between which the at least one piece of media is selectively fastenable, the at least two media engagement portions are coupled to the wireless transponder circuit as the antenna, and the antenna has the first effective length when no piece of media is fastened between the at least two media engagement portions and the second effective length when the at least one piece of media is fastened between the at least two media engagement portions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the media fastener is a clip having at least two media engagement portions that are elastically deformable to fasten the at least one piece of media therebetween, and wherein the at least two media engagement portions are in electrical contact with one another when no piece of media is fastened between the at least two media engagement portions and the at least two media engagement portions are electrically insulated from each other by the at least one piece of media when the at least one piece of media is fastened between the at least two media engagement portions.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflector antenna element carried by the at least one piece of media and positioned to inductively interact with the antenna to increase gain in at least one direction when the at least one piece of media is fastened to the media fastener.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the reflector antenna element is an electrically conductive material printed on a reverse side of the at least one piece of media from a side that physically contacts the antenna.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the reflector antenna element is an electrically conductive material printed on a side of the at least one piece of media that physically contacts the antenna.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one antenna extension element carried by the at least one piece of media and positioned to electrically contact the antenna to increase an effective length of the antenna.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is carried by the at least one piece of media and positioned on the at least one piece of media to electrically contact at least one antenna terminal of the wireless transponder circuit when the at least one piece of media is fastened to the media fastener.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the antenna is an electrically conductive ink printed on the at least one piece of media.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a reflector antenna element carried by the at least one piece of media and positioned on the at least one piece of media to inductively interact with the antenna to increase gain in at least one direction.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the reflector antenna element is an electrically conductive ink printed on a reverse side of the at least one piece of media from a side that carries the antenna.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the reflector antenna element is an electrically conductive ink printed on a side of the at least one piece of media that carries the antenna.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the reflector antenna element is an electrically conductive material disposed within the at least one piece of media.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the second effective length is approximately equal to a wavelength at which the wireless transponder circuit operates.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the second effective length is greater than or equal to one half of a wavelength at which the wireless transponder circuit operates.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless interrogator configured to emit wireless interrogation signals in a frequency range in which the wireless transponder circuit operates.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a printer configured to print conductive material on the at least one piece of media.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the second effective length is longer than the first effective length.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first effective length is less than one quarter of the second effective length.

23. A media marking transponder system, comprising:

means for fastening to at least one piece of media;

means for responding to a wireless interrogation signal, the means for responding physically coupled to the means for fastening; and

means for wirelessly transmitting a signal produced by the means for responding, the means for wirelessly transmitting having a first effective length when no piece of media is fastened to the means for fastening and a second effective length when at least one piece of media is fastened to the means for fastening, the second effective length different than the first effective length.

24. A method of wirelessly marking media comprising:

providing a wireless transponder circuit and an antenna for the wireless transponder circuit;

changing an effective length of the antenna at least in part by coupling the wireless transponder circuit to at least one piece of media; and

receiving a signal produced by the wireless transponder circuit via the antenna having the changed effective length.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a media fastener coupled to the wireless transponder circuit;

wherein coupling the wireless transponder circuit to the at least one piece of media includes fastening the media fastener to the at least one piece of media.