ITEM IDENTIFICATION DEVICE ANTENNA

• US 20120138682A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Claessen, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 9,251,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• 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

Abstract

An item identification device antenna which provides better field coverage for reading item identification tags. The item identification device antenna includes a first portion coupled to a tag reader for reading a tag on an item, wherein the first portion is for radiating an electromagnetic field at a predetermined frequency, and a second portion in the electromagnetic field for resonating at the predetermined frequency to radiate another electromagnetic field for reading the tag. The tags may include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.

Claims

1. An item identification device antenna comprising:

a first portion coupled to a tag reader, wherein the first portion is for radiating an electromagnetic field at a predetermined frequency for reading a tag on an item; and

a second portion in the electromagnetic field for resonating at the predetermined frequency and for radiating another electromagnetic field for reading the tag.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the item comprises a storage device containing digital media.

3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the tag comprises a radio frequency identification tag.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a number of loops.

5. The antenna of claim 4, wherein the first portion further comprises tuning components for tuning the first portion to the predetermined frequency.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises a number of loops.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the second portion further comprises tuning components for tuning the second portion to the predetermined frequency.

8. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the item is located between the first and second portions during reading.

9. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the one electromagnetic field and the other electromagnetic field overlap.

10. An item identification device antenna comprising:

a first loop antenna coupled to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader for radiating an electromagnetic field at an RFID tag reading frequency; and

a second loop antenna in the electromagnetic field tuned to the RFID tag reading frequency, wherein the second loop antenna resonates at the RFID tag reading frequency and radiates another electromagnetic field, and wherein the one and the other electromagnetic fields overlap for reading an RFID tag between the first loop antenna and the second loop antenna.

11. A method of creating an item identification field comprising:

radiating an electromagnetic field at a predetermined frequency for reading an item identification tag of an item by a first antenna portion coupled to a tag reader; and

resonating at the predetermined frequency to radiate another electromagnetic field by a second antenna portion in the electromagnetic field.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the item identification tag is located between the first and second antenna portions during reading.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the one electromagnetic field and the other electromagnetic field overlap.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the item comprises a storage device containing digital media.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the tag comprises a radio frequency identification tag.