Combined HF and UHF RFID device

• US 8,646,695 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Worrall, David, Martin, Ernest, Oberle, Robert, Barbaric, Tvrtko, Kolaric, Vlatko, Manzi, Giuliano
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US13/252,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20120111950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 235/488, 235/492, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 343/728
• US Class Current: 235/488
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0779 the antenna being foldable or folded

Abstract

A wearable RFID device is configured with a geometry and materials that allow an HF RFID system and a UHF RFID system to operate in close proximity to a human body and to each other with minimal impact on performance. An RFID device may have a three-dimensional, multi-planar UHF antenna incorporated into a dielectric core with an HF antenna, or a single-plane UHF antenna separated from an HF antenna by a rigid spacer. A conductive metal backplane is disposed adjacent the wearable RFID device to improve antenna performance when disposed in close proximity to an absorbing body, such as a human being.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification device configured to be worn on a human appendage, comprising:

an antenna structure of a first type, wherein the antenna structure of the first type is multi-planar;

an antenna structure of a second type;

a first dielectric layer configured to electrically isolate the antenna structure of the first type from the antenna structure of the second type; and

a reflective shield disposed relative to the antenna structures of the first and second types such that interference between the human appendage and the antenna structures of the first and second types is reduced during operation.

2. The radio frequency identification device of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure of the first type is bi-planar.

3. The radio frequency identification device of claim 2, further comprising a layer of material that absorbs magnetic energy disposed between the antenna structure of the second type and a planar portion of the antenna structure of the first type.

4. The radio frequency identification device of claim 3, wherein the antenna structure of the first type comprises an ultra-high frequency antenna, and the antenna structure of the second type comprises a high frequency antenna, and wherein the layer of material that absorbs magnetic energy is configured to isolate the planar portion of the ultra-high frequency antenna from the magnetic field of the high frequency antenna.

5. The radio frequency identification device of claim 2, wherein the antenna structure of the first type comprises a first planar portion, a second planar portion, and a conductive portion that connects a first end of the first planar portion to a first end of the second planar portion to increase the effective electrical length of the antenna structure of the first type.

6. The radio frequency identification device of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure of the first type is tri-planar.

7. The radio frequency identification device of claim 6, further comprising a second dielectric layer, wherein each planar portion of the antenna structure of the first type is formed on a different sub-layer of the second dielectric layer.

8. The radio frequency identification device of claim 7, wherein each planar portion of the antenna structure of the first type is formed from a conductive ink.

9. The radio frequency identification device of claim 7, wherein each sub-layer of the second dielectric layer comprises an electroceramic material.

10. The radio frequency identification device of claim 7, wherein a first planar portion of the antenna structure of the first type is disposed within the antenna structure of the second type.

11. The radio frequency identification device of claim 10, wherein the antenna structure of the first type comprises an ultra-high frequency antenna, and the antenna structure of the second type comprises a high frequency antenna, and wherein the first planar portion of the ultra-high frequency antenna and the high frequency antenna are both disposed on the same sub-layer of the second dielectric layer.

12. The radio frequency identification device of claim 6, wherein the antenna structure of the first type comprises a first planar portion, a second planar portion, a third planar portion, a first conductive via that connects a first end of the first planar portion to a first end of the second planar portion, and a second conductive via that connects the first end of the second planar portion to a first end of the third planar portion to increase the effective surface area of the antenna structure of the first type.

13. The radio frequency identification device of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure of the first type and the antenna structure of the second type are single-planar.

14. The radio frequency identification device of claim 13, wherein the antenna structure of the first type comprises an ultra-high frequency antenna that is a dipole antenna formed on a flexible substrate.

15. The radio frequency identification device of claim 13, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a spacer that separates the antenna structure of the first type and the antenna structure of the second type.

16. The radio frequency identification device of claim 13, the antenna structure of the first type is formed from a conductive ink.

17. The radio frequency identification device of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure of the first type comprises an ultra-high frequency antenna, and the antenna structure of the second type comprises a high frequency antenna, and further comprising an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip coupled to the ultra-high frequency antenna, and a high frequency radio frequency identification chip coupled to the high frequency antenna.

18. A radio frequency identification device configured to be worn on a human appendage, comprising:

an antenna structure of a first type;

an antenna structure of a second type, wherein the antenna structure of the first type and the antenna structure of the second type are single-planar;

a dielectric layer configured to electrically isolate the antenna structure of the first type from the antenna structure of the second type, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a spacer that separates the antenna structure of the first type and the antenna structure of the second type, and wherein the dielectric layer is formed with a cavity in which at least one radio frequency identification chip is disposed; and

a reflective shield disposed relative to the antenna structures of the first and second types such that interference between the human appendage and the antenna structures of the first and second types is reduced during operation.

19. A radio frequency identification device configured to be worn on a human appendage, comprising:

an antenna structure of a first type;

an antenna structure of a second type, wherein the antenna structure of the first type and the antenna structure of the second type are single-planar;

a dielectric layer configured to electrically isolate the antenna structure of the first type from the antenna structure of the second type; and

a reflective shield disposed relative to the antenna structures of the first and second types such that interference between the human appendage and the antenna structures of the first and second types is reduced during operation, wherein the antenna structure of the second type is disposed on the dielectric layer, and the antenna structure of the first type is disposed between the dielectric layer and the reflective shield.