Compact Non-Meandered Antennas for UHF RFID Applications

Compact Non-Meandered Antennas for UHF RFID Applications (ROI #2006-12)

Description  Three types of non-meandered antennas are developed, namely, 1) inset-fed triangular patch antenna, 2) Archimedes spiral antenna, and 3) Half-Sierpinski fractal antenna. These antennas are omni-directional and exhibit a gain suitable for RFID applications. They are small in size and compact for the realization of small-size compact RFID tags. The meander antenna, which is generally employed in RFID tags, has a large length to width aspect ratio, making tagging onto small-size objects unfeasible. Small-size, compact tags with low length to width aspect ratio would fill the gap and in great demand. The nature of the design of the antenna also facilitates direct integration of the antennas onto an RFID platform. The technology presents a class of antennas that can be adapted onto a flexible platform, which is one of the requirements for tagging of small- size consumer end objects.

Advantages  Compact antennas are highly desirable in the final integration step for the efficient utilization of space in the overall design of RFID tags.  Antenna is the largest component in a conventional RFID tag and small-size antennas decrease the overall size of the RFID tag, thus facilitating tagging onto small size objects.  The antennas are designed to be microstrip fed and of a specific characteristic impedance, facilitating easy integration with the integrated circuitry on the RFID tag.  All the antennas developed, are resonant at 915 MHz, and have their own signature with respect to their resonance behavior over a 500 KHz-12 GHz frequency range, offering a choice in building a multi-frequency compatible RF platform.  The novel Half-Sierpinski fractal antenna developed is resonant both at 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz, and is suitable for integration in both RFID technology platforms.

Areas of Application  Tagging of objects in a retail store: The antennas can be placed on flexible RFID tags for tagging of small-size consumer end products.  Use in high-end applications: Owing to their small size and resonant nature at frequencies greater than 915 MHz, these antennas can also be adapted for use in other communication applications, such as cell-phones and Wi-Fi.

Patent Status  Patent Application Pending.

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