Manual RFID antenna tuning system and method

• US 8,490,883 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Baxter, Daniel Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/387,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20120168518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 166/244.1, 166/359, 340/505
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/01 Risers
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/30 operating with electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles

Abstract

A system, in certain embodiments, includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna configured to communicate with an RFID tag. The system also includes an antenna tuner electrically coupled to the RFID antenna, and configured to manually tune the RFID antenna to match an inductance of the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna configured to communicate with an RFID tag embedded within a mineral extraction component;

an antenna tuner electrically coupled to the RFID antenna, and configured to manually tune the RFID antenna to match a first inductance of the RFID tag; and

an RFID reader electrically coupled to the antenna tuner.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner is configured to vary inductance through a frequency range of approximately 30 to 300 kHz.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a second inductance of the antenna tuner is only manually adjustable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner comprises an input device configured to receive settings for manually tuning the RFID antenna.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID antenna comprises:

a plate including a recess disposed about a perimeter of the plate; and

a conductive wire disposed within the recess, wherein the conductive wire extends about the perimeter through multiple turns.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a number of turns of the conductive wire is selected to approximate the first inductance of the RFID tag.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is configured to provide a power signal to the RFID antenna.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising a data processing unit communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, wherein the data processing unit is configured to receive RFID tag identification information from the RFID reader.

9. A method for tuning a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna, comprising:

measuring inductance of the RFID antenna;

varying a number of turns of a conductive wire within the RFID antenna to achieve a desired inductance; and

adjusting settings of a manual antenna tuner electrically coupled to the RFID antenna to match an inductance of an RFID tag embedded within a mineral extraction component.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

connecting the RFID antenna to an automatic antenna tuner;

activating the automatic antenna tuner to determine the inductance of the RFID tag; and

disconnecting the RFID antenna from the automatic antenna tuner and connecting the RFID antenna to the manual antenna tuner prior to adjusting settings of the manual antenna tuner.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising embedding the RFID tag within an environment representative of a desired environment prior to activating the automatic antenna tuner to determine the inductance of the RFID tag.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the settings of the manual antenna tuner are only input manually.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the conductive wire is disposed within a recess extending about a perimeter of a plate.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the manual antenna tuner is configured to vary inductance through a frequency range of approximately 30 to 300 kHz.

15. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag embedded within a mineral extraction component;

a manual RFID antenna tuner, comprising;

an input device configured to receive settings indicative of a desired inductance; and

electronic circuitry configured to adjust an inductance of an RFID antenna based on the settings.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the manual RFID antenna tuner does not vary inductance based on a detected inductance of the RFID tag.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the RFID antenna includes a conductive wire disposed about a perimeter of the RFID antenna.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the RFID antenna is tuned to an approximate inductance of the RFID tag.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the manual RFID antenna tuner is configured to vary inductance through a frequency range of approximately 30 to 300 kHz.

20. The system of claim 15, comprising an RFID reader electrically coupled to the manual RFID antenna tuner, and configured to communicate with the RFID tag.