Frequency multiplexed radio frequency identification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10121030-B1
Application number	US-201715635704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for frequency multiplexing includes, in one exemplary embodiment, and RFID interrogator configured for generating an RFID signal, wherein a channel frequency of the RFID signal changes over time; a first narrow band antenna, characterized by a first passband, the first passband corresponding to a first range of frequencies; a second narrow band antenna, characterized by a second passband, the second passband corresponding to a second range of frequencies, wherein the second range of frequencies differs from the first range of frequencies, whereby the second passband differs from the first passband; and first and second feed lines configured for feeding the RFID signal to each of the first and second narrow band antennas, respectively. Other embodiments include systems and methods including similar and different RFID components and aspects for frequency multiplexing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an RFID interrogator configured for generating an RFID signal, wherein a channel frequency of the RFID signal changes over time;
a first narrow band antenna, characterized by a first passband, the first passband corresponding to a first range of frequencies;
a second narrow band antenna, characterized by a second passband, the second passband corresponding to a second range of frequencies, wherein the second range of frequencies differs from the first range of frequencies, whereby the second passband differs from the first passband; and
first and second feed lines configured for feeding the RFID signal to each of the first and second narrow band antennas, respectively,
wherein the first narrow band antenna is configured to transmit a first electromagnetic wave in response to and at the channel frequency of the RFID signal fed thereto, if the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls within the first passband, and
wherein the second narrow band antenna is configured to transmit a second electromagnetic wave in response to and at the channel frequency of the RFID signal fed thereto, if the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls within the second passband.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second narrow band antennas is a respective microstrip antenna.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second narrow band antennas and the first and second feed lines are configured such that the further the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls outside of the first passband, the more closely the first narrow band antenna appears as an open circuit to the RFID signal and the more closely an apparent impedance presented by the first feed line to the RFID signal approaches an infinite impedance, and the further the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls outside of the second passband, the more closely the second narrow band antenna appears as an open circuit to the RFID signal and the more closely an apparent impedance presented by the second feed line to the RFID signal approaches an infinite impedance.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic wave has a first polarization, and the second electromagnetic wave has a second polarization, the first polarization and the second polarization being characterized by different orientations.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first feed line feeds the RFID signal to the first narrow band antenna at a first edge of the first narrow band antenna, the second feed line feeds the RFID signal to the second narrow band antenna at a second edge of the second narrow band antenna, the first edge of the first narrow band antenna orthogonal to the second edge of the second narrow band antenna.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first narrow band antenna is rotated by 90 degrees relative to the second narrow band antenna, whereby the first electromagnetic wave has a first polarization, and the second electromagnetic wave has a second polarization, the first polarization and the second polarization being orthogonal to one another.

7. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a printed filter, a lumped element filter, or a surface acoustic wave filter configured for filtering the RFID signal based on frequency.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the RFID interrogator is further configured to receive an electromagnetic signal transmitted by an RFID tag in response to the first or second electromagnetic wave transmitted by the first or second narrow band antenna, respectively.

9. A system comprising:
an enclosure;
an RFID interrogator configured for generating an RFID signal, wherein a channel frequency of the RFID signal changes over time;
a first narrow band antenna, coupled to the enclosure, characterized by a first passband, the first passband corresponding to a first range of frequencies;
a second narrow band antenna, coupled to the enclosure, characterized by a second passband, the second passband corresponding to a second range of frequencies, wherein the second range of frequencies differs from the first range of frequencies, whereby the second passband differs from the first passband; and
first and second feed lines, configured for feeding the RFID signal to each of the first and second narrow band antennas, respectively,
wherein the first narrow band antenna is configured to transmit a first electromagnetic wave in response to and at the channel frequency of the RFID signal fed thereto, if the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls within the first passband, and
wherein the second narrow band antenna is configured to transmit a second electromagnetic wave in response to and at the channel frequency of the RFID signal fed thereto, if the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls within the second passband.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second narrow band antennas is a respective microstrip antenna.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first and second narrow band antennas and the first and second feed lines are configured such that the further the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls outside of the first passband, the more closely the first narrow band antenna appears as an open circuit to the RFID signal and the more closely an apparent impedance presented by the first feed line to the RFID signal approaches an infinite impedance, and the further the channel frequency of the RFID signal falls outside of the second passband, the more closely the second narrow band antenna appears as an open circuit to the RFID signal and the more closely an apparent impedance presented by the second feed line to the RFID signal approaches an infinite impedance.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first electromagnetic wave has a first polarization, and the second electromagnetic wave has a second polarization, the first polarization and the second polarization being characterized by different orientations.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first feed line feeds the RFID signal to the first narrow band antenna at a first edge of the first narrow band antenna, the second feed line feeds the RFID signal to the second narrow band antenna at a second edge of the second narrow band antenna, the first edge of the first narrow band antenna orthogonal to the second edge of the second narrow band antenna.

14. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first narrow band antenna is rotated by 90 degrees relative to the second narrow band antenna, whereby the first electromagnetic wave has a first polarization, and the second electromagnetic wave has a second polarization, the first polarization and the second polarization being orthogonal to one another.

15. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising a printed filter, a lumped element filter, or a surface acoustic wave filter configured for filtering the RFID signal based on frequency.

16. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the RFID interrogator is further configured to receive an electromagnetic signal transmitted by an RFID tag in response to the first or second electromagnetic wave transmitted by the first or second narrow band antenna, respectively.

Assignees

• Nasa
• Nasa

Inventors

• Fink Patrick W
• Lin Gregory Y
• Kennedy Timothy F
• Ngo Phong H
• Kinion Lucas S

Classifications

• H04L5/08

  each combination of signals in different channels being represented by a fixed frequency · CPC title

• H01Q21/08

  the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path {(waveguide fed H01Q21/0037)} · CPC title

• G06K19/0726

  the arrangement including a circuit for tuning the resonance frequency of an antenna on the record carrier · CPC title

• G06K7/10356 Primary

  using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas · CPC title

• H01Q15/0013

  said selective devices working as frequency-selective reflecting surfaces, e.g. FSS, dichroic plates, surfaces being partly transmissive and reflective · CPC title