RFID System and Method for Creating an RFID System

Abstract

An RFID system with an RFID chip and a transmitting and/or receiving antenna that are applied onto a substrate material for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic waves. The transmitting and/or receiving antenna is formed by only a single electrically conductive thread that forms a linear, non-intersecting structure. A segment of the electrically conductive thread loops around the RFID chip without touching it across an angle of at least 180, by which a capacitive coupling is effected between the RFID chip and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna. The invention further relates to a method for producing an RFID system.

Claims

1. A RFID system (1) with an RFID chip (2) and a transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic waves, applied to a substrate material (4), characterized in that the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) is formed by only a single electrically conductive thread (5) that forms a linear, non-intersecting structure, wherein a segment of the electrically conductive thread (5) loops around the RFID chip (2) without touching it across an angle of at least 180, which effects a capacitive coupling between the RFID chip (2) and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3).

2. The RFID system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrically conductive thread (5) is worked into the substrate material (4) by means of a warp knitting machine, especially a tricot machine or Raschel machine.

3. The RFID system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the electrically conductive thread (5) is worked into the substrate material (4) by means of a nonwoven Raschel machine.

4. The RFID system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the tricot machine or Raschel machine has a variable weft insertion by means of which the length of a transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) can be prescribed.

5. The RFID system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the tricot machine or Raschel machine has electronic guide bars by means of which the position of a transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) on the substrate material (4) can be freely prescribed.

6. The RFID system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrically conductive thread (5) forming the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) is affixed to the substrate material (4) by means of electrically insulating binding threads (6).

7. The RFID system (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the binding threads (6) are applied onto the substrate material (4) by means of at least one guide bar of the tricot machine or Raschel machine, whereby the density of the binding threads (6) can be varied depending on the geometric structure of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3).

8. The RFID system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrically conductive thread (5) is worked into the substrate material (4) by means of a knitting machine, especially a flat knitting machine.

9. The RFID system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that an electrically insulating, especially textile, substrate material (4) is provided for.

10. The RFID system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrically conductive thread (5) consists of a polymer/stainless steel hybrid yarn.

11. The RFID system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the segment of the electrically conductive thread (5) loops around the RFID chip (2) within an angular range of 180 to 270.

12. The RFID system (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the segment of the electrically conductive thread (5) looping around the RFID chip (2) is structured in the shape of a polygonal chain.

13. The RFID system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) is structured in the shape of a double antenna that has two electrically conductive threads (5, 5) that run at a constant distance from one another.

14. The RFID system (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the double antenna, in its outer edge regions, has a multiply intersecting structure formed by the two conductive threads (5, 5).

15. A method for producing an RFID systems (1) with an RFID chip (2) and a transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic waves, wherein the RFID chip (2) and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) is applied onto a substrate material (4), characterized in that the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3) is formed by only a single electrically conductive thread (5) that forms a linear, non-intersecting structure, wherein a segment of the electrically conductive thread (5) loops around the RFID chip (2) without touching it across an angle of at least 180, by which a capacitive coupling is effected between the RFID chip (2) and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (3).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The invention is explained below based on the drawings. They show:

[0050] FIG. 1: First exemplary embodiment of the RFID system according to the invention.

[0051] FIG. 1A: Enlarged depiction of the arrangement from FIG. 1.

[0052] FIG. 2: Second exemplary embodiment of the RFID system according to the invention.

[0053] FIG. 3: Third exemplary embodiment of the RFID system according to the invention.

[0054] FIG. 4: Variant of the embodiment from FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the RFID system 1 according to the invention with an RFID chip 2 and a transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 that are printed on a textile substrate material 4.

[0056] The textile substrate material 4 consists of electrically non-conductive materials, i.e. of electrically insulating yarns or threads.

[0057] The textile substrate material 4 can be a woven, knit, nonwoven, non-crimp fabric or braided fabric.

[0058] The transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 applied to the textile substrate material 4 generally serves to send and/or receive electromagnetic waves.

[0059] By way of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3, data stored on the RFID chip 2 can be output to an external unit, especially a read/write device. Furthermore, data can be input from the read/write device into the RFID chip 2 and stored on the latter.

[0060] In the present case, the RFID chip 2 is structured in the form of a flat, circular disk-shaped body that is adhered onto the textile substrate material 4.

[0061] The transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 consists of an electrically conductive thread 5, that is made of a polymer-stainless steel hybrid yarn, in particular.

[0062] In principle, the electrically conductive thread 5 can be worked into the substrate material 4 by means of a knitting machine, especially a flat knitting machine.

[0063] It is advantageous for the electrically conductive thread 5 to be worked into the textile substrate material 4 using a warp knitting machine, especially advantageously with a tricot machine or a Raschel machine.

[0064] In the present case, a nonwoven Raschel machine is used to produce the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3.

[0065] This nonwoven Raschel machine has a variable weft insertion with which the length of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 can be selectively and precisely prescribed. With the length of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3, the frequency range within which the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 can send and/or receive electromagnetic waves is prescribed.

[0066] Furthermore, the nonwoven Raschel machine has electronic guide bars that are not bound to pattern-repeat. As such, the position of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 can be freely prescribed on the textile substrate material 4.

[0067] The electrically conductive thread 5 that forms the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 is secured to the textile substrate material 4 by means of binding threads 6 (FIG. 1a).

[0068] The binding threads 6 consisting of electrically non-conductive materials are worked in using at least one additional guide bar of the nonwoven Raschel machine, such that the application and affixing with the binding threads 6 of the electrically conductive thread 5 forming the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 can be done within a single work process using the nonwoven Raschel machine.

[0069] As can be seen in FIG. 1a, the density of the binding threads 6 varies depending on the geometrical structure of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3.

[0070] In the regions of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 with high curvature, a large number of binding threads 6 per unit of length is provided in order to securely affix onto the substrate material 4 their highly curved sections of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 while preserving the shape of said sections. Conversely, in the regions of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 with low curvature, a lower number of binding threads 6 is provided per unit of length.

[0071] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the electrically conductive thread 5 forms a linear, non-intersecting structure upon the substrate material 4. In Region A, a segment of the electrically conductive thread 5 forms a loop around the RFID chip 2. On both sides of this Region A, the electrically conductive thread 5 forms periodic wave-shaped structures. In the present case, these are structured in the shape of polygonal chains that can be realized especially easily using a guide bar of the nonwoven Raschel machine.

[0072] Using a guide bar of the nonwoven Raschel machine, it is equally simple to realize the surrounding loop region of the RFID chip 2, wherein in the present case the segment of the electrically conductive thread 5 follows a rectangular contour in the region of the RFID chip 2. In this regard, the segment of the electrically conductive thread 5 loops around the RFID chip 2 within an angle region that is greater than or equal to 180 but less than 360, especially less than 270. It is crucial that there be no direct contact between the electrically conductive thread 5 and RFID chip 2, which prevents short circuiting. This gap effects a purely capacitive coupling of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 to the RFID chip 2.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows a variant of the embodiment from FIG. 1. The modified embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment from FIG. 1 only in that the electrically conductive thread 5 forms a polygonal chain in Region A of the loop.

[0074] FIG. 3 shows an additional variant of the embodiment from FIG. 1. The embodiment from FIG. 3 differs from the embodiment from FIG. 1 only in that the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 is not formed from just one, but rather from two electrically conductive threads 5, 5.

[0075] The two electrically conductive threads 5, 5 run approximately parallel at a distance from one another. Accordingly, the electrically conductive threads 5, 5 have mutually corresponding contours, wherein the electrically conductive threads 5, 5 are electrically insulated from one another by the textile substrate material 4.

[0076] FIG. 4 shows a variant of the embodiment from FIG. 3. The embodiment from FIG. 4 differs from the example in FIG. 3 only in that the two electrically conductive threads 5, 5 do not run parallel for the entire region of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3. Rather, in the outer regions B, the electrically conductive threads 5, 5 form a structure with multiple intersections, wherein the electrically conductive threads 5, 5 are electrically contacted at the intersection points. With these planar, intersecting structures of the electrically conductive thread 5, 5, the frequency range of the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 3 can be selectively modified relative to the embodiment from FIG. 3.

[0077] In the present case, the regions B with the intersecting electrically conductive threads 5, 5 have mirror symmetry. In any case, the regions B lie outside of Region A with the RFID chip.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0078] (1) RFID system [0079] (2) RFID chip [0080] (3) transmitting and/or receiving antenna [0081] (4) substrate material [0082] (5) electrically conductive thread [0083] (5) electrically conductive thread [0084] (6) binding thread [0085] A region [0086] B outer region