Wireless systems having multiple electronic devices and employing simplified fabrication and matching, and associated methods

• US 8,461,993 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Original Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Inventors: Mickle, Marlin H., Mats, Leonid, Panuski, Justin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US12/181,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.33
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]

Abstract

A means and method to connect multiple IC chips to a single apparatus where the IC chips may function as a passive system or network in space. The collection of antennae and coupled near field devices form a pool of energy in which multiple devices may be introduced so as to provide a pool of energy and/or to function as a network or networks of devices including IC chips.

Claims

1. A transponder apparatus, comprising:

a main antenna element having a plurality of conductor elements, each of the conductor elements having a first end and a terminal end located opposite the first end along a length of the conductor element, wherein the first ends of each of said conductor elements are direct connection coupled to one another, and wherein the terminal end of each of the conductor elements is not directly attached to any other ones of the conductor elements; and

a plurality of devices;

wherein each of said devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a conductor, wherein each of said devices is positioned adjacent to the terminal end of a respective one of said conductor elements, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, wherein the conductor and the IC chip of each of said devices is not physically connected to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, wherein each of said conductor elements has a slot provided therein which provides an inductive reactance, and wherein the slot provided in each of said conductor elements begins adjacent to and extends all the way to the terminal end of the conductor element such that the terminal end comprises two separated conductor portions comprising two separate coupling points capacitively coupled to the conductor of the device that is positioned adjacent to the conductor element.

2. The transponder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said devices is a looped conductor device and wherein the conductor of each of said devices is a looped conductor.

3. The transponder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said conductor elements is direct connection coupled to one another at a central DC coupling point.

5. The transponder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives AC energy from the conductor element adjacent to which it is positioned through the conductor of the device and converts said AC energy into a DC voltage.

6. The transponder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives power and communications through the capacitive coupling to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned.

7. The transponder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said conductor elements has a similar shape.

8. The transponder apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the similar shape is a square spiral shape.

9. The transponder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main antenna element is provided on a first substrate, wherein each of said devices includes a non-conductive substrate on which the IC chip and the conductor thereof are provided, and wherein each non-conductive substrate is positioned on top of said first substrate.

10. The transponder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inductive reactance provided by each slot is selected to maintain a matching between the associated conductor element and the associated IC chip and to balance a capacitance provided by the associated capacitive coupling.

4. A transponder apparatus, comprising:

a main antenna element having a plurality of conductor elements, each of said conductor elements being direct connection coupled to one another at a central DC coupling point comprising a patch antenna; and

a plurality of devices;

wherein each of said devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a conductor, wherein each of said devices is positioned adjacent to a terminal end of a respective one of said conductor elements, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, wherein the conductor and the IC chip of each of said devices is not physically connected to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, and wherein each of said conductor elements has a slot provided therein which provides an inductive.

11. A transponder apparatus, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of separate antenna elements provided on the substrate and not direct connection coupled to one another, each of the antenna elements having a first end and a terminal end located opposite the first end along a length of the antenna element, wherein in each of the antenna elements the first end is not directly attached to the terminal end; and

a plurality of devices;

wherein each of said devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a conductor, wherein each of said devices is positioned adjacent to the terminal end of a respective one of said antenna elements, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the terminal end of the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned and is not coupled to any other ones of said antenna elements, wherein the conductor and the IC chip of each of said devices is not physically connected to the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, and wherein each of said conductor elements has a slot provided therein which provides an inductive reactance.

12. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each of said devices is a looped conductor device and wherein the conductor of each of said devices is a looped conductor.

13. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the slot provided in each of said antenna elements begins adjacent to and extends all the way to the terminal end of the antenna element such that the terminal end comprises two separated conductor portions comprising two separate coupling points capacitively coupled to the conductor of the device that is positioned adjacent to the antenna element.

14. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives AC energy from the antenna element adjacent to which it is positioned through the conductor of the device and converts said AC energy into a DC voltage.

15. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives power and communications through the capacitive coupling to the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned.

16. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each of said antenna elements has a similar shape.

17. The transponder apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the similar shape is a square spiral shape.

18. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said antenna elements are provided on a first substrate, wherein each of said devices includes a non-conductive substrate on which the IC chip and the conductor thereof are provided, and wherein each non-conductive substrate is positioned on top of said first substrate.

19. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said devices are each positioned in a central portion of said transponder apparatus and are surrounded by said antenna elements.

20. The transponder apparatus according to claim 19, wherein each of said antenna elements has a square spiral shape.

21. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned at two points located on opposite sides of the slot of the one of said antenna elements.

22. The transponder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the inductive reactance provided by each slot is selected to maintain a matching between the associated antenna element and the associated IC chip and to balance a capacitance provided by the associated capacitive coupling.