RFID system

• US 9,806,399 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Blumberg, Jr., David
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US15/405,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20170125879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/40 Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/00 Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic combination of horns with slotted waveguide array H01Q13/0233
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0464 Annular ring patch

Abstract

A magnetic field focusing assembly includes a magnetic field generating device configured to generate a magnetic field, and a split ring resonator assembly configured to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic field generating device and configured to focus the magnetic field produced by the magnetic field generating device.

Claims

1. An RFID system comprising:

an RFID antenna assembly configured to be positioned on a product module assembly of a processing system, wherein the product module assembly is configured to releasably engage at least one product container;

a first RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on the at least one product container, wherein the at least one product container is configured to position the first RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the product module assembly releasably engages the at least one product container; and

a split ring resonator assembly configured to be magnetically coupled to the RFID antenna assembly and configured to focus at least a portion of the magnetic field produced by the RFID antenna assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the product module assembly includes a pump assembly configured to releasably engage at least one product container.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the pump assembly is a solenoid piston pump.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the processing system includes a manifold assembly for releasably engaging the pump assembly included within the product module assembly.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the manifold assembly is rigidly affixed to a bracket assembly of the processing system.

6. The RFID system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on a bracket assembly, the bracket assembly configured to releasably engage the product module assembly and position the second RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the bracket assembly releasably engages the product module assembly.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein at least one of the RFID tag assemblies is a passive RFID tag assembly.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein at least one of the RFID tag assemblies is a writeable RFID tag assembly.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein at least one of the RFID tag assemblies defines one or more of the following:

a quantity identifier for the product container, a production date identifier for the product container, a discard date identifier for the product container, an ingredient identifier for the product container, a product module identifier, and a bracket identifier.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising an RFID subsystem coupled to the RFID antenna assembly for processing data provided by the RFID antenna assembly.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a user interface subsystem coupled to the RFID subsystem for providing information to the user of the processing system.

12. An RFID system comprising:

an RFID antenna assembly configured to be positioned on a product module assembly of a processing system, wherein the product module assembly is configured to releasably engage at least one product container;

a first RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on a first product container, wherein the first product container is configured to position the first RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the product module assembly releasably engages the first product container; and

a second RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on a second product container, wherein the second product container is configured to position the second RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the product module assembly releasably engages the second product container; and

a split ring resonator assembly configured to be magnetically coupled to the RFID antenna assembly and configured to focus at least a portion of the magnetic field produced by the RFID antenna assembly,

wherein the RFID antenna assembly is configured to be positioned proximate the first RFID tag assembly and the second RFID tag assembly and to detect the presence of the first RFID tag assembly and not detect the presence of the second RFID tag assembly.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the product module assembly includes a pump assembly configured to releasably engage at least one product container.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the pump assembly is a solenoid piston pump.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the processing system includes a manifold assembly for releasably engaging the pump assembly included within the product module assembly.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the manifold assembly is rigidly affixed to a bracket assembly of the processing system.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of the RFID tag assemblies is a passive RFID tag assembly.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of the RFID tag assemblies is a writeable RFID tag assembly.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of the RFID tag assemblies defines one or more of the following:

a quantity identifier for the product container, a production date identifier for the product container, a discard date identifier for the product container, an ingredient identifier for the product container, a product module identifier, and a bracket identifier.

20. The system of claim 12 further comprising an RFID subsystem coupled to the RFID antenna assembly for processing data provided by the RFID antenna assembly.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising a user interface subsystem coupled to the RFID subsystem for providing information to the user of the processing system.