Antenna array for smart RFID tags
AssigneeAmerasia International Technology, Inc.
InventorKevin Kwong-Tai Chung
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna loops disposed to define a portal or passageway or other detection region in which the plural antenna loops transmit and/or receive electromagnetic signals. A processor coupled to the plural antenna loops processes at least the received signals and/or transmitted signals. The plural antennas may be arrayed in a rectangular array, on hanging flexible substrates or other suitable arrangement, and may be coupled to the processor by a filter or selective switch. The processor may be coupled to a utilization system for cooperating therewith for performing a desired function.
Claims55
An antenna array for detecting a wireless article associated with an object comprising:
- a plurality of flexible substrates each defining peripheral edges;
- a plurality of antenna loops each disposed on one of the flexible substrates, wherein the flexible substrates are adapted to be hung to define a detection region in which said plurality of antenna loops transmit and receive electromagnetic signals and through which nix the object and associated wireless tag may pass, wherein each antenna loop includes a single turn of a strip conductor disposed on the flexible substrate along the peripheral edges thereof, and wherein each antenna loop transmits and receives electromagnetic signals;
- a processor for causing electromagnetic signals to be transmitted and for processing at least received signals for detecting the wireless article associated with the object;
- and
- means coupling said plurality of antenna loops and said processor for coupling at least the transmitted and received signals therebetween.
One of a plurality of flexible antenna for detecting a wireless article associated with an object comprising an elongated flexible substrate adapted to be suspended from one end thereof and having opposing broad surfaces defining peripheral edges, a strip of electrically conductive material disposed on at least one of the broad surfaces proximate-the-periphery along the peripheral edges of said flexible substrate to define a single-turn loop, and a coupler to which respective ends of said strip of electrically conductive material are coupled for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, wherein the flexible antenna flexes when contacted by the object.
An antenna array for detecting a wireless article associated with an object comprising:
- a plurality of elongated flexible substrates each having opposing broad surfaces defining peripheral edges, wherein the flexible substrates are adapted to be suspended from one end thereof to define a detection region;
- on given ones of said flexible substrates, a strip of electrically conductive material disposed on at least one of the broad surfaces of the given ones of said flexible substrate along the peripheral edges thereof to define a single-turn loop;
- associated with the given ones of said flexible substrates, a coupler to which respective ends of said strip of electrically conductive material on the given one of said flexible substrate are coupled;
- thereby providing a plurality of single-turn antenna loops disposed on the given ones of said flexible substrates in the detection region in which each of said plurality of single-turn antenna loops transmit and receive electromagnetic signals;
- a processor for processing at least received signals for detecting the wireless article associated with the object;
- and
- means coupling the couplers of said plurality of antenna loops and said processor for coupling at least the received signals therebetween.
An antenna array for detecting a wireless article associated with an object comprising:
- at least two loop antennas disposed at an angle with respect to each other to define a detection region in which each of said two loop antennas transmit and/or receive electrical signals,
- wherein an electromagnetic field associated with the electrical signals has components in each of three mutually orthogonal directions,
- the detection region thereby defined having a volume into which and/or through which the object and its associated wireless article may pass;
- each of said two loop antennas including a loop conductor arranged to crossover to form two loops of smaller dimension than the loop antenna, each smaller loop of each antenna being in a different plane than the other smaller loop of that loop antenna;
- wherein the two smaller loops of each loop antenna are disposed respectively in two planes disposed at an angle of between about 45° and about 135° with respect to each other;
- whereby the loon conductor of each loon antenna defines two loons each in a different plane, for a total of four loops in four different planes,
- a processor for processing at least received electrical signals for detecting the wireless article associated with the object;
- and
- means for coupling at least the received electrical signals between said at least two loop antennas and said processor.
A detection arrangement for detecting a wireless article associated with an object within a detection region, wherein the detection region is defined with respect to three mutually orthogonal directions X, Y and Z, wherein the three mutually orthogonal directions define three mutually orthogonal planes X-Y, X-Z and Y-Z, the detection arrangement comprising:
- a first loop antenna having a loop conductor disposed substantially in the X-Y plane, wherein the first loop antenna transmits and/or receives electrical signals related to an associated electromagnetic field in the detection region;
- a second loop antenna having a loop conductor disposed substantially in a plane rotated about the X direction to be at an angle with respect to the X-Y plane, wherein the second loop antenna transmits and/or receives electrical signals related to an associated electromagnetic field in the detection region;
- a third loop antenna having a loop conductor disposed substantially in a plane rotated about the Y direction to be at an angle with respect to the X-Y plane, wherein the third loop antenna transmits and/or receives electrical signals related to an associated electromagnetic field in the detection region;
- wherein if the object and its associated wireless article pass through the detection region, then to object and its associated wireless article pass through each of said first, second and third loon antenna;
- whereby each of said first, second and third loop antenna produces an electromagnetic field into detection region if transmitting electrical signals and responds to an electromagnetic field in the detection region if receiving electrical signals, the electromagnetic fields associated with said first, second and third loop antenna together having field components m each of three mutually orthogonal directions,
- a processor for processing at least received electrical signals for detecting the wireless article associated with the object;
- and
- means for coupling at least the received electrical signals between said first, second and third loop antenna and said processor.
An antenna array for detecting an object within a detection region comprising:
- at least two antenna loops disposed at an angle with respect to each other to transmit and/or receive electrical signals via an associated electromagnetic field having a component in each of three mutually orthogonal directions in the detection region into which or through which an object may pass;
- a processor for processing at least received electrical signals for detecting the object;
- means selectively coupling said at least two antenna loops and said processor,
- wherein said means for selectively coupling alternatingly or sequentially couples at least the received electrical signals of said at least two antenna loops to said processor during a tine that the object is within the detection region, and
- wherein the received electrical signals of said at least two antenna loops are coupled alternatingly or sequentially to said processor;
- an additional antenna loop disposed at an angle with respect to said at least two antenna loops to transmit and/or receive electrical signals in the detection region, wherein said additional antenna loop defines a loop through which the object may pass;
- and
- wherein said means for selectively coupling couples at least received electrical signals of said additional antenna loop to said processor during the time that the object is within the detection region, and
- wherein the received electrical signals of said additional antenna loop are coupled alternatingly or sequentially with the received electrical signals of the at least two antenna loops.
An antenna array for detecting an object within a detection region comprising:
- at least two antenna loops disposed at an angle with respect to each other to transmit and/or receive electrical signals via an associated electromagnetic field having a component in each of three mutually orthogonal directions in the detection region into which or through which an object may pass;
- a processor for processing at least received electrical signals for detecting the object;
- means selectively coupling said at least two antenna loops and said processor,
- wherein said means for selectively coupling alternatingly or sequentially couples at least the received electrical signals of said at least two antenna loops to said processor during a time that the object is within the detection region, and
- wherein the received electrical signals of said at least two antenna loops are coupled alternatingly or sequentially to said processor;
- at least two additional antenna loops disposed at an angle with respect to each other and disposed opposing said at least two antenna loops to transmit and/or receive electrical signals in the detection region;
- and
- wherein said means for selectively coupling couples at least received electrical signals of said two additional antenna loops to said processor during the time that the object is within the detection region, and
- wherein the received electrical signals of said two additional antenna loops are coupled alternatingly or sequentially with the received electrical signals of the at least two antenna loops.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.