RFID tag disabling systems and methods of use

• US 7,999,682 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TC License Limited
• Inventors: Noakes, Scott, Mestas, Frank, Burnett, Matthew K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/856,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.8, 340/933, 340/693.6, 343/842
• US Class Current: 340/572.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07327 Passive means, e.g. Faraday cages Faraday-type protection of electric circuits in general H05K9/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for disabling transponders used in electronic toll collection or other RFID systems, wherein the transponders include an antenna and RFID circuitry. The transponders can be selectively disabled by releasably securing a disabling device having a metallic portion at an operative position over the antenna of the RFID system, whereupon the metallic portion is coupled to the antenna in such a manner as to disable the RFID circuitry so long as the disabling device is at the operative position. The RFID circuitry is arranged to be automatically enabled upon removal of the disabling device from the operative position.

Claims

1. A system for enabling and disabling a RFID sticker transponder located on a vehicle so that said transponder can be selectively disabled and enabled, said sticker transponder comprising an antenna and RFID circuitry located in a thin, card-like member and coupled to said antenna, said system comprising said antenna, said RFID circuitry and a disabling device, said sticker transponder being fixedly secured to the windshield of the vehicle, said disabling device comprising a planar conductive portion and at least one flanged portion projecting slightly away from the plane of said conductive portion, said at least one flanged portion including a connector element for releasable securement to a portion of the windshield immediately adjacent said sticker transponder to dispose said planar conductive portion at an operative position over said sticker transponder, whereupon said planar conductive portion of said disabling device is immediately adjacent said antenna and coupled to said antenna in such a manner as to disable said RFID circuitry so long as said disabling device is at said operative position, said RFID circuitry being arranged to be automatically enabled upon removal of said disabling device from said operative position, said disabling device additionally comprising a handle for effecting the removal of said disabling device from said sticker transponder when desired.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said planar conductive portion of said disabling device is arranged to alter the impedance of said antenna to shift its resonance frequency when said disabling device is in said operative position.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said planar conductive portion of said disabling device is arranged to reduce the electric field at said antenna when said disabling device is in said operative position.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said planar conductive portion of said disabling device is arranged to reduce the electric field at said antenna when said disabling device is in said operative position.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said connector comprises a hook and loop fastening system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said disabling device comprises two flanged portions, each including a connector element for releasable securement to a portion of the windshield immediately adjacent said sticker transponder.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said handle comprises a flange projecting slightly away from the plane of said conductive portion.

8. A disabling device for disabling a RFID sticker transponder located on a vehicle so that the transponder can be selectively disabled and enabled, the transponder comprising an antenna and RFID circuitry located in a thin, card-like member and coupled to the antenna, the sticker transponder being fixedly secured to the windshield of the vehicle, said disabling device comprising a planar conductive portion and at least one flanged portion projecting slightly away from the plane of said conductive portion, said at least one flanged portion including a connector element for releasable securement to a portion of the windshield immediately adjacent the transponder to dispose said planar conductive portion at an operative position over said sticker transponder, whereupon said planar conductive portion of said device is immediately adjacent the antenna and coupled to the antenna in such a manner as to disable the RFID circuitry so long as said disabling device is at said operative position, the RFID circuitry being arranged to be automatically enabled upon removal of said disabling device from said operative position, said disabling device additionally comprising at least handle for effecting the removal of said device from the transducer when desired.

9. The disabling device of claim 8 wherein said planar conductive portion of said disabling device is arranged to alter the impedance of said antenna to shift its resonance frequency when said disabling device is in said operative position.

10. The disabling device of claim 8 wherein said planar conductive portion of said disabling device is arranged to reduce the electric field at said antenna when said disabling device is in said operative position.

11. The disabling device of claim 9 wherein said planar conductive portion of said disabling device is arranged to reduce the electric field at said antenna when said disabling device is in said operative position.

12. The disabling device of claim 8 wherein said connector comprises a hook and loop fastening system.

13. The disabling device of claim 8 wherein said disabling device is a generally planar member having a central portion in which a recess is located.

14. The disabling device of claim 13 wherein a portion of the RFID transponder projects outward from the plane of said card-like member and wherein said central recess of said disabling device is arranged for receipt of the projecting portion of the RFID transponder when said disabling device is in said operative position.

15. The disabling device of claim 8 wherein said disabling device comprises two flanged portions, each including a connector element for releasable securement to a portion of the windshield immediately adjacent said sticker transponder.

16. A method of selectively disabling a RFID sticker transponder located on a vehicle and which is used in an electronic toll system or some other electronic system wherein a vehicle with an RFID transponder is to be interrogated by a reader to determine the vehicle'"'"'s presence at a certain location, the sticker transponder being arranged to provide a first electrical signal when queried by a transmitter forming a portion of the electronic system, the sticker transponder comprising an antenna and RFID circuitry located in a thin, card-like member and coupled to the antenna, the sticker transponder being fixedly secured to the windshield of the vehicle, said method comprising:

providing the user of the system with a disabling device, the disabling device comprising a member having a planar conductive portion, at least one flanged portion projecting slightly away from the plane of the conductive portion, and a handle, the at least one flanged portion including a connector element for releasable securement to a portion of the windshield immediately adjacent the sticker transponder;

releasably securing the disabling device to the windshield of the vehicle using the connector element so that the planar conductive portion of the disabling device is disposed over the sticker transponder at an operative position with the planar conductive portion immediately adjacent the antenna when it is desired that the sticker transponder be disabled, whereupon the conductive portion of the disabling device is coupled to the antenna in such a manner as to disable the RFID circuitry from producing said first electronic signal so long as the disabling device is at said operative position; and

utilizing the handle, when desired, to remove the disabling device from the operative position, the RFID circuitry being arranged to be automatically enabled upon removal of the disabling device from said operative position.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein when the disabling device is at the operative position the planar conductive portion of the disabling device alters the impedance of the antenna to shift its resonance frequency and to reduce the electric field at the antenna.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein when the disabling device is at the operative position the planar conductive portion of the disabling device alters the impedance of the antenna to shift its resonance frequency.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein when the disabling device is at the operative position the planar conductive portion of the disabling device alters the impedance of the antenna to shift its resonance frequency.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the electronic system is an electronic toll system which is used on a roadway that includes a high occupancy vehicle or high occupancy toll (HOV or HOT, respectively) lane and wherein said method comprises:

disabling the sticker transponder by releasably securing the disabling device to the windshield of the vehicle at the operative position when the vehicle is utilized in the HOV/HOT lane with at least the minimum number of occupants to meet the HOV/HOT requirements of the entity operating the electronic toll system, so that the account associated with the sticker transponder will not be charged.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said method comprises:

enabling the sticker transponder by removing the disabling device from the operative position on the windshield of the vehicle when the vehicle is utilized with less than the minimum number of occupants to meet the HOV/HOT requirements of the entity operating the electronic toll system, so that the account associated with the sticker transponder will be charged when the sticker transponder is queried by the transmitter of the system.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the vehicle includes plural RFID transponders, and wherein said method comprises:

disabling a selected one of the sticker transponders by releasably securing the disabling device to the windshield of the vehicle at the operative position when it is desired to disable that sticker transponder so that the account associated with the disabled sticker transponder will not be charged.

23. A method of testing plural RFID sticker transponders located on a vehicle, each of the sticker transponders being arranged for use in an electronic toll system or some other electronic system wherein a vehicle with the sticker transponder is to be interrogated by a reader to determine the vehicle'"'"'s presence at a certain location, each of the sticker transponders being arranged to provide a respective first electrical signal when queried by a transmitter forming a portion of the electronic system, each of the sticker transponders including an antenna and RFID circuitry located in a thin, card-like member and coupled to the antenna, each of the sticker transponders being fixedly secured to the windshield of the vehicle, said method comprising:

providing at least one disabling device comprising a member having a planar conductive portion, at least one flanged portion projecting slightly from the plane of the conductive portion and a handle, the at least one flanged portion including a connector element for releasable securement to a portion of the windshield immediately adjacent a sticker transponder;

releasably securing the at least one disabling device to the windshield of the vehicle using the connector element so that the planar conductive portion of the disabling device is disposed over a sticker transponder at an operative position with said planar conductive portion immediately adjacent the antenna of the particular sticker transponder to be disabled when it is desired to disable the particular sticker transponder, whereupon the conductive portion of the at least one disabling device is coupled to the associated antenna in such a manner as to disable the associated RFID circuitry from producing the first electronic signal so long as the disabling device is at the operative position; and

utilizing the handle, when desired, to remove the at least one disabling device from the operative position of the particular sticker transponder, said RFID circuitry of each sticker transponder being arranged to be automatically enabled upon removal of the disabling device from the operative position with respect thereto.