Secure modular applicators to commission wireless sensors

• US 8,159,349 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADASA Inc.
• Original Assignee: ADASA Inc.
• Inventors: McAllister, Clarke William, Mintzer, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/891,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340 101- 106, 340/693.5
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 11/006 using electrical or electro-mechanical means B65C11/0289 and B65C11/066 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0003 Use of RFID labels
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/404 prior to labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/1865 the labels adhering on a backing strip
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07716 the record carrier comprising means for customization, e.g. being arranged for personalization in batch
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

The present invention includes novel systems and devices for commissioning wireless tags, RFID tags, and wireless sensors. The present invention benefits wireless sensors that are not directly part of a demand printed label. In one embodiment RFID tags or inlays are pre-loaded into cartridges prior to consumption and an encoder mechanism and corresponding antenna encodes and verifies the programmable RFID tags within the cartridges. This improvement adds significant convenience of loading RFID tags and enhances overall reliability of handling and applying the RFID tags. Accordingly, the present invention includes methods and devices that enable application and distribution of RFID tags in pre-loaded cartridges that are ready-to-use.

Claims

1. An RFID encoder that encodes RFID tags at the RFID tag removal point, comprising:

an RFID interrogator means;

a plurality of programmable RFID tags attached to a conveyance web, the RFID tags contained within a protective enclosure which selectively mounts to the RFID encoder;

a peel plate forcing a programmable RFID tag to partially peel away from the conveyance web thereby creating a spatial separation between the programmable tag and other programmable tags on the web, at which point the spatially separated programmable RFID tag undergoes encoding and verification by the interrogator means; and

a motor means for positioning the spatially separated programmable RFID tag at a position that results in a good impedance match to the RFID interrogator means for encoding and verification, the motor means further adapted to enable the peel plate to remove the conveyance web from the impedance-matched tag.

2. The RFID encoder of claim 1 further comprising an optical sensor used to assist the motor means in positioning a programmable RFID tag for encoding and verification by the interrogator means.

3. The RFID encoder of claim 1 further comprising a near field coupler means for encoding the spatially separated programmable RFID tags.

4. The RFID encoder of claim 3, wherein the near field coupler means comprises a helical coil for encoding the spatially separated programmable RFID tags.