RFID bridge antenna
First Claim
1. A package for at least a first object and a second object each having a tag associated therewith for wirelessly communicating data with a reader, each tag having a tag antenna and the reader having a reader antenna, said package including:
- a first RFID bridge antenna, a separate second RFID bridge antenna, and a separate third RFID bridge antenna, each said RFID bridge antenna comprising, in combination;
two RF antenna elements spaced apart from one another and coupled together by an electrical conductor,said first RF bridge antenna having a first RF antenna element attached to a portion of the package and located proximate to said reader antenna and having a second RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the first object, the arrangement being such that an electromagnetic carrier signal transmitted by said reader antenna is received by the first RF antenna element and retransmitted by the second RF antenna element to said tag antenna, thereby increasing the distance over which said tag can communicate with said reader,said second RF bridge antenna having a third RF antenna element attached to a portion of the package and a fourth RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the second object,whereinthe reader and the reader antenna are external to said package, andboth the first RF antenna element and the third RF antenna element are readable by said external reader, andsaid third RFID bridge antenna having a fifth RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the first object separate from the second RF antenna element and having a sixth RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the second object separate from the fourth RF antenna element, said third RFID bridge antenna enabling communication between the tags associated with both objects while the external reader is placed proximate to only one of said RF antenna elements attached to a portion of said package.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A package for at least two objects includes RFID bridge antennas, having RF antenna elements, for wirelessly communicating data between a tag associated with each object and a reader. An electromagnetic carrier signal transmitted by the reader antenna is received by one of the RF antenna elements and retransmitted to the tag antenna by the other RF antenna element, increasing the distance over which the tag can communicate with the reader. Where the tag is attached to a packaged object, the RFID bridge antenna may be included in the package to allow wireless data communication between the tag and a reader. The reader may also be located external to the package. For example, one of the RF antenna elements may be attached to a label on the package, allowing data stored in the tag to be extracted by the external reader.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A package for at least a first object and a second object each having a tag associated therewith for wirelessly communicating data with a reader, each tag having a tag antenna and the reader having a reader antenna, said package including:
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a first RFID bridge antenna, a separate second RFID bridge antenna, and a separate third RFID bridge antenna, each said RFID bridge antenna comprising, in combination; two RF antenna elements spaced apart from one another and coupled together by an electrical conductor, said first RF bridge antenna having a first RF antenna element attached to a portion of the package and located proximate to said reader antenna and having a second RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the first object, the arrangement being such that an electromagnetic carrier signal transmitted by said reader antenna is received by the first RF antenna element and retransmitted by the second RF antenna element to said tag antenna, thereby increasing the distance over which said tag can communicate with said reader, said second RF bridge antenna having a third RF antenna element attached to a portion of the package and a fourth RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the second object, wherein the reader and the reader antenna are external to said package, and both the first RF antenna element and the third RF antenna element are readable by said external reader, and said third RFID bridge antenna having a fifth RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the first object separate from the second RF antenna element and having a sixth RF antenna element located proximate to the tag antenna of the second object separate from the fourth RF antenna element, said third RFID bridge antenna enabling communication between the tags associated with both objects while the external reader is placed proximate to only one of said RF antenna elements attached to a portion of said package. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for increasing a distance over which tags can communicate with a reader, the method comprising:
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placing at least a first object and a second object in a package, the first object and the second object having associated therewith a first tag and a second tag respectively; positioning a first RFID bridge antenna, including a first RF antenna element and a second RF antenna element spaced apart from one another and coupled together by a first electrical conductor, between a first tag antenna of the first tag and a reader antenna associated with the reader so that the first RF antenna element is proximate to the reader antenna and the second RF antenna element is proximate to the first tag, whereby an electromagnetic carrier signal transmitted by said reader antenna is received by the first RF antenna element and is retransmitted by the second RF antenna element to said tag antenna, increasing the distance over which the first tag can communicate with the reader; positioning a separate second RF bridge antenna, including a third RF antenna element and a fourth RF antenna element spaced apart from one another and coupled together by a second electrical conductor, between a portion of the package and the second tag, the third RF antenna element attached to a portion of the package and the fourth RF antenna element located proximate to a second tag antenna of the second tag, wherein the reader and the reader antenna are external to said package, and both the first RF antenna element and the third RF antenna element are readable by said external reader; and positioning a separate third RFID bridge antenna, including a fifth RF antenna element and a sixth RF antenna element spaced apart from one another and coupled together by a third electrical conductor, between the first tag and the second tag so that the fifth RF antenna element is located proximate to the first tag antenna separate from the second RF antenna element and the sixth RF antenna element is located proximate to the second tag antenna separate from the fourth RF antenna element, the third RFID bridge antenna enabling communication between the tags associated with both objects while the external reader is placed proximate to only one of said RF antenna elements attached to a portion of said package. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification