Methods and systems of tagging objects and reading tags coupled to objects

• US 8,212,680 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/830,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.7, 340/572.1, 340/572.9, 340/10.1, 340/10.5, 343/700, 343/850, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

Methods and systems of tagging objects and reading tags coupled to objects. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems comprising a reading antenna, a tag reader coupled to the reading antenna, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a tag antenna electromagnetically coupled to the reading antenna. The RFID tag couples to an object such as the body of a living organism or a metallic article. Moreover, the tag antenna has a far-field radiation pattern in a direction away from the object that is substantially unaffected by proximity of the RFID tag to the object, and substantially unaffected by which surface of the RFID tag faces the object.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an RFID circuit;

an antenna; and

an isolation circuit coupled to the RFID circuit and selectively coupled to the antenna, wherein;

in the event that the antenna is not exposed to an interrogating signal, the isolation circuit decouples the antenna from the RFID circuit, and

in the event that the antenna is exposed to an interrogating signal, the isolation circuit couples the antenna to the RFID circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the isolation circuit comprises a buffer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the isolation circuit comprises a power supply.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tuning circuit coupled to the antenna and the isolation circuit.

5. A system comprising:

an RFID circuit;

a first antenna element;

a second antenna element electrically isolated from the first antenna element;

a first isolation circuit coupled to the RFID circuit and selectively coupled to the first antenna element; and

a second isolation circuit coupled to the RFID circuit and coupled to the second antenna element,

wherein in the event that the first antenna element is not exposed to an interrogating signal, the isolation circuit decouples the first antenna element from the RFID circuit such that a detuning effect of the first antenna element does not affect the second antenna element.