Combination EAS and RFID label or tag with controllable read range using a hybrid RFID antenna
View Patent ↗A security tag includes an EAS component having a defined surface area, and an RFID component having a defined surface area. The EAS component surface area is configured to at least partially overlap the RFID component surface area. The RFID component includes an antenna which at least partially overlaps the first surface. A substantially planar spacer having a thickness is at least partially disposed between the defined surface areas of the EAS and RFID components. The RFID element read range is affected and controlled by the spacing between the RFID element and the EAS element. The RFID reader is capable of activating the RFID component when the RFID component is within the read range. The antenna includes a magnetic loop antenna in electrical contact with a spiral antenna to increase near field read response.
1. A security tag comprising:
an electronic article surveillance (EAS) component having a first defined surface area;
a radio frequency (RFID) component having a second defined surface area, the RFID component comprising:
an antenna inlay configured to impedance match using properties of the EAS component, the antenna inlay comprising:
a far field antenna;
a near field magnetic loop antenna in electrical contact with the far field antenna; and
an integrated circuit in electrical contact with the near field magnetic loop antenna; and
a substantially planar spacer having a thickness, the spacer at least partially disposed between the first defined surface area of the EAS component and the second defined surface area of the RFID component, the thickness of the spacer being configurable to regulate a read range of the RFID component.
2. The security tag of claim 1 , the far field antenna having a first section and a second section, and wherein the near field magnetic loop antenna is positioned between the first section and the second section.
3. The security tag of claim 2 , wherein the far field antenna is an inward spiral antenna, and wherein the first section of the spiral antenna, the second section of the spiral antenna, and the near field magnetic loop antenna each have a corresponding defined area, the defined of the near field magnetic loop antenna being not greater than the defined areas of the first section and the second section.
4. The security tag of claim 1 , wherein the RFID component is capable of activation when the RFID component is within the read range.
5. The security tag of claim 2 , wherein currents in the first and the second sections of the far field antenna flow in a same sense, the sense being one of clockwise and counterclockwise.
6. The security tag of claim 1 , wherein the far field antenna is an inward spiral antenna.
7. A method of regulating a read range of a combination electronic article surveillance (EAS) component and radiofrequency identification (RFID) component, the method comprising:
disposing a spacer between the EAS component and the RFID component, the RFID component comprising an antenna inlay having a far field antenna in electrical contact with a near field magnetic loop antenna, and an integrated circuit in electrical contact with the near field magnetic loop antenna;
varying the thickness of the spacer to regulate a read range of the RFID component; and
using the EAS component to adjust an impedance of the antenna inlay associated with the RFID component.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the RFID component is capable of activation when the RFID component is within the read range.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the far field antenna has a first section and a second section, and wherein the near field magnetic loop antenna is positioned between the first section and the second section of the far field antenna.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the far field antenna is an inward spiral antenna, and wherein the first section and the second section of the spiral antenna each have a corresponding defined area, and wherein the near field magnetic loop antenna has a corresponding defined area, wherein the defined area of the near field magnetic loop antenna is not greater than the defined areas of first section and the second section.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein currents in the first and the second sections of the far field antenna flow in a same sense, the sense being one of clockwise and counterclockwise.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the far field antenna is an inward spiral antenna.
13. An RFID antenna inlay for use in a combination EAS/RFID security tag, the EAS/RFID security tag having an EAS component, an RFID component, and a spacer element positioned between the EAS component and the RFID component, the antenna inlay comprising:
a far field antenna having a first section and a second section;
a near field magnetic loop antenna coupled to the far field antenna and situated between the first section of the far field antenna and the second section of the far field antenna, the antenna inlay being configured to impedance match using properties of the EAS security tag; and
an integrated circuit coupled to the near field magnetic loop antenna,
the spacer element having a thickness, the thickness of the spacer element being configurable to regulate a read range of the RFID component.
14. The RFID antenna inlay of claim 13 , wherein the first section of the far field antenna, the second section of the far field antenna, and the near field magnetic loop antenna each have a defined area, the defined of the near field magnetic loop antenna being not greater than the defined areas of the first section and the second section.
15. The RFID antenna inlay of claim 13 , wherein the RFID component is capable of activation when the RFID component is within the read range.
16. The RFID antenna inlay of claim 13 , wherein currents in the first and the second sections of the far field antenna flow in a same sense, the sense being one of clockwise and counterclockwise.
17. The RFID antenna inlay of claim 13 , wherein far field antenna is an inward spiral antenna.