Universal RFID tags and methods

• US 8,544,758 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US13/653,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20130040570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/488, 235/451, 3405727-5729
• US Class Current: 235/492
• 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 7/10178 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: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, and methods of manufacture are described herein. In one implementation, a RFID device comprises: a near field only RFID tag that does not function as a far field RFID tag and is pre-manufactured; and a conductive element independent from the near field only RFID tag and configured to function as a far field antenna. The near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are coupled in proximity to each other such that the RFID device functions in both a near field and a far field.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

a near field only RFID tag that does not function as a far field RFID tag and is pre-manufactured;

a conductive element independent from the near field only RFID tag and configured to function as a far field antenna; and

wherein the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are coupled in proximity to each other such that the RFID device functions in both a near field and a far field.

2. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the conductive element is substantially tuned to the item so that the RFID device functions substantially efficiently in the far field.

3. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein one of the conductive element and the near field only RFID tag can be uncoupled from proximity to each other to decouple the conductive element in proximity from the near field only RFID tag such that the RFID device no longer functions in the far field.

4. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the near field only RFID tag is passive.

5. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the near field only RFID tag comprises an integrated circuit and a near field loop located on a substrate.

6. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the conductive element has an elongated shape.

7. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the conductive element comprises a material selected from a group consisting of one or more of:

a wire, a printed element, a foil stamp, and a printable ink.

8. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the conductive element is formed from a portion of an item to be tagged with the RFID device.

9. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are maintained at a separation of no more than ¼

inch.

10. The RFID device of claim 1 further comprising an electrically non-conducting material positioned between and separating the conductive element and the near field only RFID tag.

11. The RFID device of claim 1 further comprising an air gap separation maintained between the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element.

12. The RFID device of claim 1 further comprising a coupling structure comprising a portion of a packaging of an item, the coupling structure providing the proximity between the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element.

13. The RFID device of claim 1 further comprising a coupling structure comprising a removable material, the coupling structure providing the proximity between the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element.

14. The RFID device of claim 1 further comprising a coupling structure comprising an adhesive sticker, the coupling structure providing the proximity between the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element.

15. The RFID device of claim 1 further comprising a coupling structure comprising multiple separate pieces, the coupling structure providing the proximity between the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element.

16. The RFID device of claim 1 wherein the near field is defined as a first region about the RFID device within one full wavelength of a carrier wave and the far field is defined as a second region about the RFID device beyond one full wavelength of the carrier wave.

17. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are magnetically coupled to each other.

18. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are capacitively coupled to each other.

19. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element electrically contact each other.

20. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

a near field only RFID tag, wherein the near field only RFID tag does not function as a far field RFID tag; and

a conductive element independent from the near field only RFID tag and configured to function as a far field antenna; and

wherein, in a first positional relationship, the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are configured to be located in proximity to each other such that the RFID device functions in both a near field and a far field; and

wherein, in a second positional relationship, the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are configured to be moved out of the proximity to each other to decouple the conductive element from the near field only RFID tag such that the RFID device no longer functions in the far field.

21. A method of making a radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

obtaining a near field only RFID tag, wherein the near field only RFID tag does not function as a far field RFID tag and is pre-manufactured;

coupling the near field only RFID tag and a conductive element in proximity to each other, wherein the conductive element is configured to function as a far field antenna; and

wherein the coupling step results in that the near field only RFID tag is located proximate to and coupled in proximity to the conductive element such that the RFID device functions in both a near field and a far field.

22. A method of making a radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

obtaining a near field only RFID tag that does not function as a far field RFID tag and is pre-manufactured;

tuning a conductive element to an item to be tagged, the conductive element configured to function as a far field antenna; and

coupling the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element in proximity to each other such that the RFID device will be configured to function in both a near field and a far field.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the near field only RFID tag is not tuned to the item.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the near field only RFID tag is obtained from an RFID tag manufacturer and the tuning and coupling steps are performed by an item manufacturer.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the tuning step comprises:

designing the conductive element such that when coupled to the item, the conductive element is substantially tuned to the item.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the coupling step includes:

printing the conductive element to a surface of the item with a printable conductive ink.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein the coupling step includes:

forming the conductive element to a surface of the item.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein the coupling step comprises:

magnetically coupling the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element in proximity to each other.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the coupling step comprises:

capacitively coupling the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element in proximity to each other.

30. The method of claim 22 wherein the coupling step comprises:

electrically contacting the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element to each other.

31. The method of claim 22 wherein the coupling step comprises:

coupling the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element in proximity to each other such that one of the conductive element and the near field only RFID tag may be removed from the proximity to each other.

32. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

uncoupling one of the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element from proximity to each other such that the RFID device no longer functions in the far field.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

recoupling the one of the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element in proximity to each other such that the RFID device again functions in both the near field and the far field.

34. A method of using a radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

receiving, at the RFID device, a signal from an RFID reader located in the far field relative to the RFID device, the RFID device comprising;

a near field only RFID tag that does not function as a far field RFID tag and is pre-manufactured; and

a conductive element independent from the near field only RFID tag and configured to function as a far field antenna;

wherein the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element are coupled in proximity to each other such that the RFID device functions in both a near field and a far field; and

transmitting, from the RFID device, a modulated backscatter signal to the RFID reader.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

decoupling the near field only RFID tag and the conductive element from proximity to each other such that the RFID device no longer is readable in the far field.