Sensing Radio Frequency Identification Device with Reactive Strap Attachment

• US 20120038461A1
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: FORSTER, Ian J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 19/07752 using an interposer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A sensing radio frequency identification device with a strap that is reactively attached to an antenna by a sensing material is provided. In one embodiment, the RFID device includes an antenna, an interposer (or strap), an integrated circuit coupled to the interposer, and a sensing material disposed between the interposer and the antenna. As the relative permittivity of the sensing material changes in response to its exposure to an environmental condition, the reactive coupling between the interposer and the antenna likewise changes thereby causing changes in one or more parameters of communication such as frequency. The sensing material 70 may be a dielectric material selected to have a relative permittivity (i.e., dielectric constant) that varies based on exposure to one or more environmental conditions such as, for example, temperature (i.e., hot or cold), humidity, chemical, biological entity, nuclear, physical, pressure, light, liquid, nuclear and/or other condition.

Claims

1. An RFID device, comprising:

an antenna;

an interposer;

an integrated circuit coupled to the interposer;

a sensing material disposed between the interposer and the antenna; and

wherein the electrical characteristics of the sensing material changes in response to exposure to an environmental condition.

2. The RFID device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interposer substrate attached to the interposer; and

at least one aperture disposed through the interposer substrate and the interposer to the sensing material.

3. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein the interposer is coupled to the antenna through the sensing material primarily via magnetic coupling.

4. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein the interposer is coupled to the antenna through the dielectric sensing material primarily via capacitive coupling.

5. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing material is formed by:

coating a portion of one of the interposer and the antenna with an activator chemical;

coating a portion of the other of the interposer and the antenna with a passive material; and

bringing the activator chemical into contact with the passive material.

6. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing material is formed of a plurality of layers and wherein only a subset of the plurality of layers has a complex dielectric constant and/or conductivity that changes in response to exposure to the environmental condition.

7. The RFID device according to claim 1, wherein a parameter of communications output from the antenna changes due to a change in the electrical characteristics of the sensing material.

8. A method of sensing and communicating information, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device that includes an interposer coupled to an integrated circuit, and an antenna;

providing a sensing material in proximity to the interposer and antenna;

changing an electrical parameter of the sensing material in response to the sensing material sensing an environmental condition; and

coupling the interposer to the antenna as a result of the changing electrical parameter of the sensing material.

9. The method according to claim 8, including a further step of altering a communication parameter of the RFID device as a result of the change in the electrical parameter of the sensing material;

remotely measuring the changed communication parameter; and

wherein.

said altering comprises changing a frequency used for said communicating as a result of the change in the electrical parameter.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said providing the RFID device comprises:

coating a portion of one of the interposer and the antenna with an activator chemical;

coating a portion of the other of the interposer and the antenna with a passive material; and

wherein the sensing material is activated in response to the activator chemical contacting the passive material.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising attaching an interposer substrate to the interposer;

and

providing an aperture through the interposer substrate and through the interposer to the sensing material.

12. The RFID device according to claim 8, wherein the environmental condition includes a condition from the group of:

temperature, radiation, a biological entity, and a chemical.

13. The RFID device according to claim 8, wherein the material is formed of a plurality of layers and wherein only a subset of the plurality of layers has an electrical property that changes in response to exposure to the environmental condition.

14. An RFID device, comprising:

an antenna;

an interposer;

an integrated circuit reactively coupled to the interposer;

a sensing material bridging a space between the antenna and the interposer; and

wherein the sensing material has an electrical property alterable in response to exposure to an environmental condition to either reactively or conductively couple the interposer to the antenna.

15. The RFID device according to claim 14, wherein the environmental condition includes a condition from the group of:

temperature, radiation, a biological entity, and a chemical.

16. The RFID device according to claim 14, wherein the electrical property alterable in response to exposure to an environmental condition comprises relative permittivity.

17. The RFID device according to claim 14, further comprising:

an interposer substrate attached to the interposer; and

at least one aperture disposed through the interposer substrate and the interposer to the material.

18. The RFID device according to claim 14, wherein the sensing material is formed by:

coating a portion of one of the interposer and the antenna with an activator chemical;

coating a portion of the other of the interposer and the antenna with a second material; and

bringing the activator chemical into contact with the second material.

19. The RFID device according to claim 14, wherein the sensing material is formed of a plurality of layers and wherein only a subset of the plurality of layers has an electrical property that changes in response to exposure to the environmental condition.

20. The RFID device according to claim 14, wherein a parameter of communications output from the antenna changes due to a change in the electrical property of the dielectric sensing material.