RFID switch tag

• US 9,582,746 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neology Incorporated (OEP Technologie BV)
• Original Assignee: Neology Incorporated (OEP Technologie BV)
• Inventors: Mullis, Joe, Nyalamadugu, Sheshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/578,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 705/7.34, 340/573.3, 340/5.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07701 the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07715 the interface being used to indicate that the record carrier is active, e.g. a blinking light to indicate that the record carrier is busy communicating with a secondary device or busy computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07754 the connection being galvanic
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07794 the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal

Abstract

Various embodiments of RFID switch devices are disclosed herein. Such RFID switch devices advantageously enable manual activation/deactivation of the RF module. The RFID switch device may include a RF module with an integrated circuit adapted to ohmically connect to a substantially coplanar conductive trace pattern, as well as booster antenna for extending the operational range of the RFID device. The operational range of the RFID switch device may be extended when a region of the booster antenna overlaps a region of the conductive trace pattern on the RF module via inductive or capacitive coupling. The RFID switch device may further include a visual indicator displaying a first color if the RFID switch device is in an active state and/or a second color if the RFID switch device is in an inactive state.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) apparatus, comprising:

a housing adaptable for installation on a windshield;

a first booster antenna;

a first RF module contained within the housing and configured to communicate with a reader included in a first RFID service;

a switching mechanism contained within the housing and configured to change an operational state of the first RF module by changing a position of the first RF module relative to the first booster antenna; and

an indicator contained within the housing and configured to indicate a status of the RFID apparatus.

2. The RFID apparatus of claim 1, wherein the status of the RFID apparatus is determined based at least in part on an operational state of the first RF module, and wherein the indicator is adapted to display a first color if the first RF module is in a first operational state and to display a second color if the first RF module is in a second operational state.

3. The RFID apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first RFID service comprises a tolling system.

4. The RFID apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first booster antenna is adapted to extend an operational range of the first RF module.

5. The RFID apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first booster antenna comprises a conductive trace pattern disposed upon a substrate.

6. The RFID apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first RF module comprises an integrated circuit and one or more conductive traces, wherein at least one of the one or more conductive traces comprising the first RF module is adapted to electrically couple to a coupling region in the first booster antenna when the first RF module is located in a first position relative to the first booster antenna.

7. The RFID apparatus of claim 6, wherein the integrated circuit comprising the first RF module is adapted to ohmically connect to the one or more conductive traces comprising the first RF module.

8. The RFID apparatus of claim 6, wherein the integrated circuit comprising the first RF module is substantially coplanar with the one or more conductive traces comprising the first RF module.

9. The RFID apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the one or more conductive traces is adapted to capacitively couple to the coupling region of the first booster antenna when the first RF module is located in the first position relative to the first booster antenna.

10. The RFID apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one conductive trace is adapted to inductively couple to the coupling region of the first booster antenna when the first RF module is located in the first position relative to the first booster antenna.

11. The RFID apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second RF module contained within the housing and configured to communicate with a reader included in a second RFID service.

12. The RFID apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a second booster antenna adapted to extend an operational range of the second RF module.

13. The RFID apparatus of claim 12, wherein the switching mechanism contained within the housing is further configured to change an operational state of the second RF module by changing a position of the second RF module relative to the second booster antenna.

14. The RFID apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second RF module comprises an integrated circuit and one or more conductive traces, and wherein at least one of the one or more conductive traces comprising the second RF module is adapted to electrically couple to a coupling region in the second booster antenna when the second RF module is located in a first position relative to the second booster antenna.

15. The RFID apparatus of claim 11, wherein the switching mechanism contained within the housing is further configured to change an operational state of the second RF module by changing a position of the second RF module relative to the first booster antenna.

16. The RFID apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second RF module comprises an integrated circuit and one or more conductive traces, wherein at least one of the one or more conductive traces comprising the second RF module is adapted to electrically couple to the coupling region in the first booster antenna when the second RF module is located in the first position relative to the first booster antenna.

17. The RFID apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first RF module is shielded when the second RF module is located in the first position relative to the first booster antenna, and wherein the second RF module is shielded when the first RF module is located in the first position relative to the first booster antenna.

18. The RFID apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second booster antenna adapted to extend an operational range of the first RF module.

19. The RFID apparatus of claim 18, wherein the switching mechanism contained within the housing is further configured to change an operational state of the first RF module by changing a position of the first RF module relative to the second booster antenna.

20. The RFID apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least one of the one or more conductive traces comprising the first RF module is adapted to electrically couple to a coupling region in the second booster antenna when the first RF module is located in a second position relative to the second booster antenna.