A method of detecting a stimulus can include detecting an output from a radio frequency identification tag including a sensor. A smartphone-based sensing strategy can use chemiresponsive nanomaterials integrated into the circuitry of commercial Near Field Communication tags to achieve non-line-of-sight, portable, and inexpensive detection and discrimination of gas phase chemicals (e.g., ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, cyclohexanone, and water) at part-per-thousand and part-per-million concentrations.

The invention relates to an antenna for short-range applications, particularly RFID applications. The antenna (1) according to the invention comprises an elongated bipolar conductor structure (12) with an inner conductor (14) and an envelope conductor (16) coaxially surrounding the same, wherein a first end (18) of the conductor structure (12) is provided as a connection end for connecting a transmitter and/or receiver for an antenna signal to be transmitted using the antenna or an antenna signal to be received by the antenna, and wherein an inner-conductor extension (24), which is connected to the inner conductor (14), is provided at a second end (22) of the conductor structure (12) and a free end (26) of the inner-conductor extension (24) is capacitively coupled to the envelope conductor (16). A wireless and reliable transmission of energy and/or information over short distances in particular can be realized using the invention.

A method begins by a first radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor, that is associated with a first object element, receiving a first data request signal from an RFID reader and sending a first radio frequency (RF) signal that includes first data to the RFID reader in response to the first data request signal. The method continues with a second RFID sensor receiving a second data request signal from, and sending second data to, the RFID reader. The method continues with the RFID reader sending a representation of the first and second data to a data processing unit, which processes the representation of the first and second data to determine a first and second data point regarding first and second object elements. The method continues by the data processing unit processing the first and second data points to determine an environmental relationship between the first and second object elements.

An insert for a chip card includes a body provided with a cavity in which is inserted an electronic module provided with a microelectronic chip connected to an inductive or capacitive coupling. The body has a stack of layers at least a first layer of which comprises a first booster antenna and a second layer of which comprises a second booster antenna, the various booster antennas being coupled together inductively and/or capacitively, and at least one of the booster antennas being coupled inductively and/or capacitively with the coupling of the module. The body furthermore comprises at least one metal plate disposed between two layers of ferrite, the first and second booster antennae and the metallic plate being arranged in such a way that at least one of the two booster antennas and the electronic module remain coupled together inductively and/or capacitively, despite the presence of the metal plate.

An apparatus embodied as a tobacco-based article including a consumable material that is tobacco, or that is made, derived from or incorporates tobacco, or as a package for one or more of the tobacco-based article or the consumable material, includes a housing and near field communication (NFC) tag. The housing is structured to retain the tobacco-based article or the consumable material. The NFC tag is configured to store or generate information related to the article or the material. The NFC tag is coupleable with a NFC reader to enable wireless transfer of the information to a computing device to enable authentication of the apparatus, or display or storage of the information, at the computing device or a service platform in communication with the computing device.

A method of detecting a stimulus can include detecting an output from a radio frequency identification tag including a sensor. A smartphone-based sensing strategy can use chemiresponsive nanomaterials integrated into the circuitry of commercial Near Field Communication tags to achieve non-line-of-sight, portable, and inexpensive detection and discrimination of gas phase chemicals (e.g., ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, cyclohexanone, and water) at part-per-thousand and part-per-million concentrations.

Smartcards having (i) a metal card body (MCB) with a slit (S) overlapping a module antenna (MA) of a chip module (TCM) or (ii) multiple metal layers (M1, M2, M3) each having a slit (S1, S2, S3) offset or oriented differently than each other. A front metal layer may be continuous (no slit), and may be shielded from underlying metal layers by a shielding layer (SL). Metal backing inserts (MBI) reinforcing the slit(s) may also have a slit (S2) overlapping the module antenna. Diamond like coating filling the slit. Key fobs similarly fabricated. Plastic-Metal-Plastic smart cards and methods of manufacture are disclosed. Such cards may be contactless only, contact only, or may be dual-interface (contact and contactless) cards.

A wireless sensor includes an antenna, a sensing element, a tuning circuit, a processing module, a reference circuit block, and a transmitter. The tuning circuit adjusts the RF front-end to compensation for a change in a characteristic of the RF front end caused by the sensing element. The reference circuit block generates a signal based on a low voltage low frequency input that corresponds to a second environmental condition. The processing module generates a first digital value based on the adjustment to the RF front-end, where the first digital value is a representation of the first environmental condition, and generate a second digital value based on the signal, where the second digital value is a representation of the second environmental condition. The transmitter generates the outbound RF signal that includes at least one of the first and second digital values.

Embodiments of an RFID tag antenna apparatus can include a ground plane, a first patch, and a second patch. The first and second patches can be positioned to define a radiating slot that is located between the first and second patches. The radiating slot can be configured to receive an RFID chip for attachment of the RFID chip to the antenna apparatus such that the chip is positioned in the slot between the first and second patches and the ground plane. Embodiments of the RFID tag apparatus may be included in a communication system that utilizes one or more RFID antenna apparatuses and/or a RFID device utilizing one or more RFID antenna apparatuses.

A wireless sensor includes an antenna, a sensing element, a tuning circuit, a processing module, a reference circuit block, and a transmitter. The tuning circuit adjusts the RF front-end to compensation for a change in a characteristic of the RF front end caused by the sensing element. The reference circuit block generates a signal based on a low voltage low frequency input that corresponds to a second environmental condition. The processing module generates a first digital value based on the adjustment to the RF front-end, where the first digital value is a representation of the first environmental condition, and generate a second digital value based on the signal, where the second digital value is a representation of the second environmental condition. The transmitter generates the outbound RF signal that includes at least one of the first and second digital values.