Electronic identification package

• US 8,994,511 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hanks, Carl J., Fonda, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afrifa-Kyei, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US13/229,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.42
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electronic identification package and methods are disclosed. The electronic identification package comprises an electronic identifier operable to provide an identification. A ground conductive contact is coupled to the electronic identifier and is operable to conductively couple to a conductive body. An insulator is operable to insulate the electronic identifier from the conductive body, and a reader conductive contact is coupled to the electronic identifier and is operable to electronically couple to an electronic identification reader.

Claims

1. An electronic identification package comprising:

an electronic identifier operable to provide an identification of a conductive body;

a ground conductive contact comprising a conical shape and coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to mechanically contact and electrically connect to the conductive body;

an insulator operable to enclose and insulate the electronic identifier from the conductive body, the insulator comprising a cylindrical shape and coupled to the ground conductive contact at a first end of the insulator, the conical shape of the ground conductive contact and the cylindrical shape of the insulator together forming the electronic identification package into a conical-shape-ended cylinder configured to fit and embed inside a cylindrical cavity of the conductive body; and

a reader conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to mechanically contact and electronically couple to an electronic identification reader, the reader conductive contact configured at a second end of the insulator opposite to the ground conductive contact.

2. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the electronic identification package is located in the cylindrical cavity in the conductive body.

3. The electronic identification package of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical cavity is sized according to a depth and a diameter of the electronic identification package.

4. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a metal, an alloy, tungsten carbide, and silicon carbide.

5. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

epoxy, plastic, ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), glass, fiberglass, thermoplastics, acrylic, a gap filled with a gas, a gap with a vacuum, and polymide (Kapton).

6. The electronic identification package of claim 1, wherein the electronic identifier comprises a read only memory (ROM), a serial number, and a cyclic redundancy code (CRC).

7. A method for providing an electronic identification package, the method comprising:

providing an electronic identifier operable to provide an identification of a conductive body;

providing a ground conductive contact comprising a conical shape and coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to mechanically contact and electrically connect to the conductive body;

providing an insulator operable to enclose and insulate the electronic identifier from the conductive body, the insulator comprising a cylindrical shape and coupled to the ground conductive contact at a first end of the insulator, the conical shape of the ground conductive contact and the cylindrical shape of the insulator together forming the electronic identification package into a conical-shape-ended cylinder configured to fit and embed inside a cylindrical cavity of the conductive body; and

providing a reader conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier and operable to mechanically contact and electronically couple to an electronic identification reader, the reader conductive contact configured at a second end of the insulator opposite to the ground conductive contact.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing the cylindrical cavity in the conductive body;

placing the electronic identification package in the cylindrical cavity; and

conductively coupling the electronic identification package to the conductive body.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising flush aligning the reader conductive contact with a surface of the conductive body.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising sizing the cylindrical cavity according to a depth and a diameter of the electronic identification package.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a manufacturing tool, an auto part, an aircraft part, a bullet, an explosive, and an artillery shell.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a metal, an alloy, tungsten carbide, and silicon carbide.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the insulator comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

epoxy, plastic, ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), glass, fiberglass, thermoplastics, acrylic, a gap filled with a gas, a gap with a vacuum, and polymide (Kapton).

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic identifier comprises a read only memory (ROM), a serial number and a cyclic redundancy code (CRC).

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the manufacturing tool comprises a drill bit comprising a chuck end, wherein the electronic identification package is embedded in the chuck end.

15. A method for identifying a conductive body, the method comprising:

providing an electronic identification capsule comprising;

an electronic identifier operable to provide identification information of a conductive body;

a ground conductive contact comprising a conical shape and coupled to the electronic identifier;

an insulator operable to enclose and insulate the electronic identifier from the conductive body, the insulator comprising a cylindrical shape and coupled to the ground conductive contact at a first end of the insulator, the conical shape of the ground conductive contact and the cylindrical shape of the insulator together forming the electronic identification capsule into a conical-shape-ended cylinder configured to fit and embed inside a cylindrical cavity of the conductive body; and

a reader conductive contact coupled to the electronic identifier, the reader conductive contact configured at a second end of the insulator opposite to the ground conductive contact;

embedding the electronic identification capsule in the conductive body;

coupling the ground conductive contact mechanically and electrically to the conductive body;

communicatively coupling the reader conductive contact mechanically and electronically to an electronic identifier reader; and

reading the identification information of the conductive body from the electronic identifier by the electronic identifier reader.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the identification information and tracking the conductive body therewith.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a manufacturing tool, an auto part, an aircraft part, a bullet, an explosive, and an artillery shell.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the conductive body comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a metal, an alloy, tungsten carbide, and silicon carbide.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of embedding comprises:

providing the cylindrical cavity in the conductive body;

placing the electronic identification capsule in the cylindrical cavity; and

conductively coupling the electronic identification capsule to the conductive body.