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

• US 8,860,555 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• 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:
  US13/923,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/572.8, 340/572.7, 340/572.1, 340/572.9, 340/10.5, 343/700, 343/850, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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:

a first circuit comprising a first antenna element and

a first isolation circuit; and

a second circuit comprising a second antenna element,

wherein in the event that the first antenna element is not exposed to a signal, the first isolation circuit decouples the first antenna element from the first circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second circuit comprises a second isolation circuit for electrically isolating the second antenna element from the first antenna element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit and the second circuit are attached to the same object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) circuit, the second circuit is an RFID circuit, and the signal is an interrogation signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna element and the second antenna element are included in a dual-sided patch antenna.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna element comprises a sheet of metallic material in the form of a square or rectangle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the length and width of the first antenna element are each an integer ratio of the wavelength to be transmitted or received.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second antenna element comprises a sheet of metallic material in the form of a square or rectangle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the length and width of the second antenna element are each an integer ratio of the wavelength to be transmitted or received.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna element comprises a feed point positioned to provide the first antenna element with a desired polarization.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second antenna element comprises a feed point positioned to provide the second antenna element with a desired polarization.