# US 7,407,111 B2 · Surface acoustic wave identification tag having enhanced data content and methods of operation and manufacture thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,407,111 B2 - Document ID: US7407111B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/182,385 - Filed: 2005-07-15 - Published: 2005-12-01 - Granted: 2008-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2001-12-18 - Assignees: RF SAW Components, Incorporated - Inventors: Clinton S. Hartmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7407111B2 ## CPC - G06K 19/0675: {the resonating marks being of the surface acoustic wave [SAW] kind (SAW devices per se H03H9/64)} - G01V 15/00: Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object (record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00) - H03H 9/6406: {Filters characterised by a particular frequency characteristic} - G01S 13/755: {using delay lines, e.g. acoustic delay lines} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag and methods of operating and manufacturing the tag. In one embodiment, the tag includes: (1) a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon, (2) a group of slots arranged by both pulse position and phase position on said substrate; and (3) a number of reflectors distributed among the slots such that the reflectors encode a number by both pulse position and phase position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The SAW identification tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said phase is in quadrature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The SAW identification tag as recited in claim 1 further comprising a framing reflector located between said SAW transducer and said group of reflector locations. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The SAW identification tag as recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said group of reflector locations separated by dead spaces. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The SAW identification tag as recited in claim 4 wherein said plurality is at least four and said number is at least 32 bits long. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The SAW identification tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said number is at least 8 bits long. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The identification tag as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said reflectors is a single strip of conductive material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The identification tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said number is unique to said tag. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The identification tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said number contains data pertaining to an object associated with said tag. ### Claim 10 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase wherein said number includes an error detection portion. ### Claim 11 A method of operating a surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: exciting a SAW transducer located on a piezoelectric substrate to create a SAW; causing said SAW to reflect from reflectors distributed among a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase; and demodulating reflected portions of said SAW to yield a number encoded simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said reflectors are arranged wherein said phase is in quadrature. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising causing said SAW to reflect from a framing reflector located between said SAW transducer and said group of reflector locations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising causing said SAW to reflect from reflectors distributed among a plurality of said group of reflector locations separated by dead spaces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said plurality is at least four and said number is at least 32 bits long. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said number is at least 8 bits long. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11 wherein at least one of said reflectors is a single strip of conductive material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said number is unique to said tag. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said number contains data pertaining to an object associated with said tag. ### Claim 20 A method of operating a surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: exciting a SAW transducer located on a piezoelectric substrate to create a SAW; causing said SAW to reflect from reflectors distributed among a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase; and demodulating reflected portions of said SAW to yield a number encoded simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase wherein said number includes an error detection portion. ### Claim 21 A method of manufacturing a surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: forming a SAW transducer on a piezoelectric substrate; and depositing reflectors among reflector locations arranged in a group on said substrate, each of said reflector locations having both a pulse position and a phase, said reflectors simultaneously encoding a number by both pulse position and phase. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method as recited in claim 21 wherein said reflectors are arranged wherein said phase is in quadrature. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method as recited in claim 21 further comprising depositing a framing reflector between said SAW transducer and said group. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method as recited in claim 21 further comprising a plurality of said groups separated by dead spaces. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method as recited in claim 24 wherein said plurality of groups is at least four and said number is at least 32 bits long. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method as recited in claim 21 wherein said number is at least 8 bits long. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method as recited in claim 21 wherein at least one of said reflectors is a single strip of conductive material. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The method as recited in claim 21 wherein said number is unique to said tag. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The method as recited in claim 21 wherein said number contains data pertaining to an object associated with said tag. ### Claim 30 A method of manufacturing a surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: forming a SAW transducer on a piezoelectric substrate; and depositing reflectors among reflector locations arranged in a group on said substrate, each of said reflector locations having both a pulse position and a phase, said reflectors simultaneously encoding a number by both pulse position and phase wherein said number includes an error detection portion. ### Claim 31 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase wherein said phase is defined relative to neighboring reflector locations; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase. ### Claim 32 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase wherein non-uniform spacing is utilized for said pulse position; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase. ### Claim 33 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase wherein non-uniform spacing is utilized for said phase; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase. ### Claim 34 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase wherein non-uniform spacing is utilized for both said pulse position and said phase; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase. ### Claim 35 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase wherein a minimum reflector spacing rule is followed when determining the placement of said reflectors distributed among said reflector locations. ### Claim 36 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon wherein said SAW transducer has a unidirectional character; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase. ### Claim 37 A surface acoustic wave (SAW) identification tag, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a SAW transducer located thereon; a group of reflector locations on said substrate, each of said reflector locations arranged by both a pulse position and a phase wherein said phase of reflector locations is implemented using fine grain spatial adjustment of reflector elements by a fraction of a SAW wavelength on the device surface; and a number of reflectors distributed among said reflector locations such that said reflectors encode a number simultaneously by both said pulse position and said phase.