RFID device tester and method

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device on a sheet or roll with other RFID devices, comprising:

• capacitively coupling an RFID device tester to an antenna of the RFID device;
• generating an outgoing signal from the RFID device tester;
• using the outgoing signal to power the RFID device;
• generating a return signal in the RFID device;
• detecting the return signal, via a reader that is part of the tester;
• and
• prior to the generating the outgoing signal, shifting an optimum operating frequency of the antenna from a natural resonant frequency of the antenna to a shifted resonant frequency that is different from an unshifted natural resonant frequency of the other RFID devices on the sheet or roll;
• wherein the generating the outgoing signal includes generating the outgoing signal at a signal frequency that is different from the natural resonant frequency of the antenna;
• and wherein the shifting the optimum operating frequency includes increasing the optimum operating frequency.

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

• capacitively coupling an RFID device tester to an antenna of the RFID device;
• generating an outgoing signal from the RFID device tester;
• using the outgoing signal to power the RFID device;
• generating a return signal in the RFID device;
• and
• detecting the return signal, via a reader that is part of the tester;
• wherein the RFID device tester includes coupling elements electrically connected to the reader;
• wherein the antenna of the RFID device includes antenna elements;
• wherein the capacitively coupling includes aligning the coupling elements with respective of the antenna elements;
• wherein the coupling elements are attached to a dielectric layer;
• and
• wherein the aligning includes having portions of the dielectric layer between the coupling elements and the antenna elements.

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

• capacitively coupling an RFID device tester to an antenna of the RFID device;
• generating an outgoing signal from the RFID device tester;
• using the outgoing signal to power the RFID device;
• generating a return signal in the RFID device;
• and
• detecting the return signal, via a reader that is part of the tester;
• wherein the RFID device tester includes coupling elements electrically connected to the reader;
• wherein the antenna of the RFID device includes antenna elements;
• wherein the capacitively coupling includes aligning the coupling elements with respective of the antenna elements;
• wherein the coupling elements are part of a roller,
• wherein the RFID device is part of a roll material:
• and
• wherein the aligning includes bringing the portion of the roll material having the RFID device into alignment with the coupling elements as the roller rotates.

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

• capacitively coupling an RFID device tester to an antenna of the RFID device;
• generating an outgoing signal from the RFID device tester;
• using the outgoing signal to power the RFID device;
• generating a return signal in the RFID device;
• and
• detecting the return signal, via a reader that is part of the tester;
• wherein the detecting the return signal includes:
• capacitively transmitting the return signal from the antenna to coupling elements of the RFID device tester;
• and
• forwarding the return signal from the coupling elements to the reader;
• and
• wherein the forwarding includes forwarding the return signal past a resistor coupled to a pair of transmission lines electrically connecting the reader and respective of the coupling elements.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) device tester comprising:

• a reader;
• a pair of electrically-conductive coupling elements;
• a pair of transmission lines electrically connecting respective of the coupling elements to the reader;
• and
• a resistor connected to both of the transmission lines, between the reader and the coupling elements.

In combination, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device and an RFID device tester comprising:

• the RFID device, which includes:
• an antenna having a pair of antenna elements;
• and
• a chip operatively coupled to the antenna;
• the RFID device tester, which includes;
• a reader;
• and
• a pair of electrically-conductive coupling elements electrically connected to the reader;
• and
• dielectric materials;
• wherein the antenna-elements are each capacitively-coupled with respective of the coupling elements, thereby forming a pair of capacitors;
• and
• wherein the dielectric materials are parts of the capacitors, between the coupling element and the antenna element of respective of the capacitors.

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

• shifting an optimum operating frequency of the device from a natural resonant frequency to a shifted resonant frequency;
• and
• reading the device at a frequency other than the natural resonant frequency;
• wherein the shifting include pacing the device in close proximity to shifting elements that shift optimum operating frequency;
• and
• wherein the shifting elements are parts of an RFID device tester that also performs the reading of the device.

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:

• shifting an optimum operating frequency of the device from a natural resonant frequency to a shifted resonant frequency;
• and
• reading the device at a frequency other than the natural resonant frequency;
• wherein the shifting include pacing the device in close proximity to shifting elements that shift optimum operating frequency;
• and
• wherein the shifting elements are part of a test fixture that is separate from an RFID device tester that performs the reading of the device.

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device on a sheet or roll with other RFID devices, comprising:

• shifting an optimum operating frequency of the device from a natural resonant frequency to a shifted resonant frequency that is different from an unshifted natural resonant frequency of the other RFID devices on the sheet or roll;
• and
• reading the device at a frequency other than the natural resonant frequency;
• wherein the shifting include pacing the device in close proximity to shifting elements that shift optimum operating frequency;
• wherein the RFID device includes an antenna with antenna elements;
• and
• wherein the shifting includes at least partially overlapping the antenna elements with the shifting elements.

A method of testing a radio frequency identification (RFID) device on a sheet or roll with other RFID devices, comprising:

• shifting an optimum operating frequency of the device from a natural resonant frequency to a shifted resonant frequency that is different from an unshifted natural resonant frequency of the other RFID devices on the sheet or roll;
• and
• reading the device at a frequency other than the natural resonant frequency;
• wherein the shifting include pacing the device in close proximity to shifting elements that shift optimum operating frequency;
• and
• wherein the shifting includes capacitively coupling the shifting elements to an antenna of the device.