Multi-element RFID coupler

• US 9,391,675 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Borisov, Yevgeniy, Torchalski, Karl, Donato, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLEMING-HALL, ERICA L
• Application Number:
  US13/941,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20130300543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/572, 235/375, 235/432, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 343/876
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/206 Microstrip transmission line antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

An RFID communication system comprising a near field coupler that is capable of selectively communicating with a targeted transponder positioned among a group of multiple adjacent transponders. The coupler is configured to receive communication signals from a transceiver and transmit the signals to a targeted transponder in a transponder operating region. The coupler includes a number of radiating elements spaced apart and a switching element. The switching element selectively couples one or more of the radiating elements to the transceiver. The coupled elements transmit the signals into the transponder operating region by emanating a near field effect. The pattern of the near field effect may be adjusted by changing the combination of the coupled radiating elements.

Claims

1. A near field coupler system comprising:

a transceiver;

a near field coupler in electrical communication with the transceiver, the near field coupler configured to transmit wireless signals to a targeted transponder, the near field coupler comprising;

a dielectric substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

a ground plane adjacent to the second surface of the dielectric substrate;

radiating elements disposed on the first surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the radiating elements are coupled to the ground plane through one or more terminating resistors; and

at least one switching element coupled to each of the radiating elements, wherein the at least one switching element is;

provided in electrical communication with the transceiver; and

configured to selectively activate one or more radiating elements among the radiating elements to provide selective wireless communications between the transceiver and the one or more of the radiating elements to communicate with the targeted transponder having an unknown orientation relative to the radiating elements; and

a processor configured to determine a transceiver power level required to effectively communicate with the targeted transponder.

2. The near field coupler system of claim 1, wherein the at least one switching element is further configured to selectively activate the one or more radiating elements to minimize inadvertent communications with transponders other than the targeted transponder while enabling a reliable encoding of the targeted transponder.

3. The near field coupler system of claim 1 further comprising a non-transitory storage device used to store data associated with the transceiver power level, wherein the data is accessed to communicate with subsequent transponders arranged in the unknown orientation.

4. The near field coupler system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver power level is a highest transceiver power level possible without allowing inadvertent communication with transponders other than the targeted transponder.

5. The near field coupler system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver power level is the lowest transceiver power level required to effectively communicate with the targeted transponder.

6. The near field coupler system of claim 1, wherein the at least one switching element is comprised of a plurality of switches and wherein the number of switches is equal to or less than the number of radiating elements.

7. The near field coupler system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a preferred configuration of the at least one switching element to effectively communicate with the targeted transponder while minimizing inadvertent communications with transponders other than the targeted transponder and while enabling a reliable encoding of the targeted transponder.

8. The near field coupler system of claim 7 further comprising a non-transitory storage device used to store data associated with the preferred configuration of the least one switching element to later access the data to communicate with subsequent transponders arranged in the unknown orientation.

9. The near field coupler of claim 1, wherein the radiating elements includes at least three radiating elements and each radiating element is a conductive strip disposed on the first surface of the dielectric substrate.

10. The near field coupler system of claim 1 further comprising a printhead configured to print indicia upon a media unit associated with the targeted transponder.

11. A method of tuning a near field coupler system comprising:

transmitting a communication signal from a transceiver to a near field coupler, the near field coupler comprising radiating elements and at least one switching element, wherein the at least one switching element is configured to provide selective electrical communication between the transceiver and one or more of the radiating elements among the radiating elements to define a plurality of radiating configurations for broadcasting wireless signals into a transponder operating region;

positioning a targeted transponder within the transponder operation region, wherein the targeted transponder is arranged in an unknown orientation;

broadcasting wireless signals into the transponder operating region;

determining a selected radiating configuration of the plurality of radiating configurations, wherein the at least one switching element defines the selected radiating configuration and wherein the selected radiating configuration provides selective wireless communications between the transceiver and the one or more of the radiating elements to communicate with the targeted transponder having the unknown orientation;

storing data associated with the selected radiating configuration; and

accessing the data and utilizing the selected radiating configuration for subsequent transponders arranged in the unknown orientation.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining a power level for each of the plurality of multiple radiating configurations that accommodates a reliable encoding of the targeted transponder, wherein determining the selected radiating configuration is based on the selected radiating configuration having a lowest power level among the power levels for each of the multiple radiating configurations.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining a power level for each of the plurality of multiple radiating configurations that accommodates a reliable encoding of the targeted transponder, wherein determining the selected radiating configuration is based on the selected radiating configuration having a highest possible power level without allowing inadvertent communication with transponders other than the targeted transponder.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

positioning a new transponder within the transponder operation region, wherein the new transponder is arranged in an orientation different than the unknown orientation;

determining a new radiating configuration of the plurality of radiating configurations, wherein the at least one switching element defines the new radiating configuration and wherein the new radiating configuration provides selective wireless communications between the transceiver and one or more of the radiating elements to communicate with the new transponder having the new orientation; and

storing new data associated with the new radiating configuration.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising printing indicia upon a media unit associated with the targeted transponder.

16. A near field coupler system comprising:

a transceiver;

a near field coupler in electrical communication with the transceiver, the near field coupler configured to transmit wireless signals to a targeted transponder, the near field coupler comprising;

a dielectric substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

a ground plane adjacent to the second surface of the dielectric substrate;

radiating elements disposed on the first surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the radiating elements are coupled to the ground plane through one or more terminating resistors; and

at least one switching element coupled to each of the radiating elements, wherein the at least one switching element is;

provided in electrical communication with the transceiver; and

configured to selectively activate one or more radiating elements among the radiating elements to provide selective wireless communications between the transceiver and the one or more of the radiating elements to communicate with the targeted transponder having an unknown orientation relative to the radiating elements; and

a processor configured to determine a preferred configuration of the at least one switching element to effectively communicate with the targeted transponder while minimizing inadvertent communications with transponders other than the targeted transponder and while enabling a reliable encoding of the targeted transponder.

17. A method of tuning a near field coupler system comprising:

transmitting a communication signal from a transceiver to a near field coupler, the near field coupler comprising radiating elements and at least one switching element, wherein the at least one switching element is configured to provide selective electrical communication between the transceiver and one or more of the radiating elements among the radiating elements to define a plurality of radiating configurations for broadcasting wireless signals into a transponder operating region;

positioning a targeted transponder within the transponder operation region, wherein the targeted transponder is arranged in an unknown orientation;

determining a power level for each of the plurality of multiple radiating configurations that accommodates a reliable encoding of the targeted transponder;

broadcasting wireless signals into the transponder operating region;

determining a selected radiating configuration of the plurality of radiating configurations, wherein the at least one switching element defines the selected radiating configuration and wherein the selected radiating configuration provides selective wireless communications between the transceiver and the one or more of the radiating elements to communicate with the targeted transponder having the unknown orientation; and

storing data associated with the selected radiating configuration.

18. A method of tuning a near field coupler system comprising:

transmitting a communication signal from a transceiver to a near field coupler, the near field coupler comprising radiating elements and at least one switching element, wherein the at least one switching element is configured to provide selective electrical communication between the transceiver and one or more of the radiating elements among the radiating elements to define a plurality of radiating configurations for broadcasting wireless signals into a transponder operating region;

positioning a targeted transponder within the transponder operation region, wherein the targeted transponder is arranged in an unknown orientation;

broadcasting wireless signals into the transponder operating region;

determining a selected radiating configuration of the plurality of radiating configurations, wherein the at least one switching element defines the selected radiating configuration and wherein the selected radiating configuration provides selective wireless communications between the transceiver and the one or more of the radiating elements to communicate with the targeted transponder having the unknown orientation;

storing data associated with the selected radiating configuration;

positioning a new transponder within the transponder operation region, wherein the new transponder is arranged in an orientation different than the unknown orientation;

determining a new radiating configuration of the plurality of radiating configurations, wherein the at least one switching element defines the new radiating configuration and wherein the new radiating configuration provides selective wireless communications between the transceiver and one or more of the radiating elements to communicate with the new transponder having the new orientation; and

storing new data associated with the new radiating configuration.