Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20060202835?dq=6,351,736
Timestamp: 2014-10-24 14:52:54
Document Index: 125098840

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 12', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 11', 'art 13', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 23', 'art 24', 'art 22']

Patent US20060202835 - Dual frequency identification device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA dual frequency identification system for animals is contained within an ear tag structure adapted to be attached to an animal's ear. The system includes a first radio frequency component having a first antenna that operates at a first frequency, and a second radio frequency component having a second...http://www.google.com/patents/US20060202835?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20060202835 - Dual frequency identification deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20060202835 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 11/361,862Publication dateSep 14, 2006Filing dateFeb 23, 2006Priority dateFeb 25, 2005Also published asWO2006091765A2, WO2006091765A3Publication number11361862, 361862, US 2006/0202835 A1, US 2006/202835 A1, US 20060202835 A1, US 20060202835A1, US 2006202835 A1, US 2006202835A1, US-A1-20060202835, US-A1-2006202835, US2006/0202835A1, US2006/202835A1, US20060202835 A1, US20060202835A1, US2006202835 A1, US2006202835A1InventorsRonald ThibaultOriginal AssigneeOsborne Industries, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManReferenced by (17), Classifications (7), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetDual frequency identification deviceUS 20060202835 A1Abstract A dual frequency identification system for animals is contained within an ear tag structure adapted to be attached to an animal's ear. The system includes a first radio frequency component having a first antenna that operates at a first frequency, and a second radio frequency component having a second antenna that operates at a second frequency higher than the first frequency. The radio frequency identification system is programmed to transmit the same identification code from both of the first and second antennas, whereby the tag can be interrogated by reader antennas operating at different frequencies to identify the same animal. Various constructions for the ear tag are disclosed in which the first and second frequency components are molded into the plastic parts of the ear tag. Images(3) Claims(20)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A radio frequency identification device (RFID) according to the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. The present invention incorporates into one RFID tag both (1) the ISO standard 134.2 kHz RFID technology, and (2) a higher frequency technology, for example 13.56 Mhz, 868-915 Mhz, or 2.45/5.8 GHz. The dual frequency tag can incorporate two antennas, optimized for each frequency, and a microchip to operate at each frequency. The unique ISO code would be programmed into both microchips if two microchips are used. Alternatively, a new �dual-channel� microchip can be made to operate at two frequencies, utilizing shared or parallel components, to reduce cost for dual frequency tags. The dual frequency tag of the present invention can use either an active or a passive RFID system, or a combination of active and passive systems. For example, the low frequency component of the tag can be a passive system, while the high frequency component of the tag can be an active system. Passive systems are those that have no power source other than the transmitter, which is normally charged by a reader through the antenna. Active systems are those that have their own power source (usually a battery) and a transmitter. Both passive and active RFID systems are known in the art, and therefore the circuit details of such systems will not be explained in great detail herein. While active RFID systems can be made to have a longer read range, passive RFID systems have other advantages that may make them more suitable for a given application. For example, passive RFID systems will generally have a lower cost, less susceptibility to interference from external conditions (e.g., rain storms), longer operating life, and less maintenance. The two antennas and one or two RFID microchips can be molded into a single plastic ear tag device. The cost of the extra high frequency antenna and microchip is small compared to the cost of the low frequency ISO coil and microchip. Both are small compared to the cost of over-molding the RFID components into a functional ear tag. Therefore, adding a high frequency component to the ISO standard components should not greatly increase the cost of the RFID ear tag device, while greatly extending its utility by overcoming its current deficits. FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings show a dual frequency tag 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The tag 10 according to this embodiment has a one-piece construction with a low-frequency (LF) RFID circuit 11 (e.g., operating at 134.2 Khz) molded into the female part 12 of the livestock tag 10. The high frequency (HF) RFID circuit 13 (e.g., operating at 915 Mhz) is embedded below the surface of the �flag� or male part 14 of the tag 10. The HF RFID circuit 13 is shown schematically in FIG. 1 as radiating from a central transponder chip 15, but various other suitable circuits will be known to those skilled in the art. In normal practice, the HF RFID circuit 13 will not be visible and would be over-molded by a layer of plastic to shield the circuit components from wear and the elements. The exposed face of the flag part 14 of the tag 10 could also be engraved or marked with visible numbers or other indicia commonly used in the livestock industry for visual identification. A special tool (not shown) will accept the one piece construction of the tag 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and apply it as a single piece to the ear of an animal, such that the LF RFID part 11 would be within the ear and the HF RFID part 13 would be on the outside of the ear. This construction provides several advantages, including the following. First, the construction of the tag 10 ensures that the LF and HF RFID are simultaneously applied so that the common RFID number or identification code that they are preprogrammed to transmit when interrogated by a reading antenna is on the same animal. This ensures that two different numbers will not be carried by one tag assembly on the same animal. Loss or removal of the tag 10 ensures that either both LF and HF RFID are lost or, if removed, that the tag 10 is destroyed and cannot be reapplied to another animal. Second, this construction presents the HF RFID on the flag part 14 in the best orientation outside the body mass of the animal's ear so that it can be optimally read (i.e., HF-RF energy is absorbed and signal strength is dampened by water and water-containing bodies like the flesh of the ear, while LF-RF energy is not as readily absorbed or dampened and can easily penetrate the ear). Ideally, the tag 10 of this embodiment will be applied to the upper part of the ear of the animal so that the HF RFID is presented with a view that clears the animal's head. Third, the position of the �flag� part 14 of this construction enables visual reading of number marks or other visual indicia engraved or printed on the tag surface. Fourth, the construction retains the tag configuration close to the surface of the ear and presents a minimum of material that can be snagged or trapped by fences and equipment. This construction has the potential to improve retention of the tag 10 in the animal's ear as compared with alternative designs. FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment of the dual frequency tag 20 according to the present invention. The dual frequency tag 20 of this embodiment has a two-piece construction 21, 22 that relies upon a female part 23 and a male part 24 coupled together to attach to an animal's ear. All other features of this construction are similar to those described above for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The construction of the tag 20 in this embodiment is similar to many simple visual tags used in the livestock industry. The tag 20 is attached to the ear with the LF RFID circuit 25 within the ear as described above, but with the HF RFID circuit 26 hanging below and outside of the ear fold. This construction should provide adequate RF access to the HF-RF antenna and, should provide adequate HF RFID communication in most cases. The flag part 22 of the tag 20 can also be engraved or printed with numbers or other visual indicia to allow visual identification of the animal. The utility of a dual frequency tag according to either of the embodiments described above would be determined by the application and the antenna and reader used in the application. For applications where the RFID for a single animal or animals moving in single file can be read, then the ISO or low frequency mode would be used. For applications where a longer range reading is required, such as cattle alleyways or sale pens, then an antenna/reader combination would be chosen to operate in high frequency mode. These applications at high frequency could also utilize anti-collision technology to identify animals in a group. The dual frequency tags 10, 20 would simultaneously meet the ISO standard and be acceptable worldwide. Any ISO reading device operating at the ISO standard frequency could read the ear tag. The use of at least two frequencies for an RFID device to enable it to meet a broader range of applications will provide a substantial improvement over the prior art by combining the benefits of both high and low frequency RFID devices. Other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure. As explained above, the present invention uses either two RFID circuits or one combined circuit to drive two antennas, one operating at low frequency and the other at high frequency, both using a common digital sequence that includes a unique identification number for an animal. This combination is incorporated into a single functional tag so that both the LF and HF antennas are inseparably combined and carried on the same animal. The exact geometric shape, relative dimensions of their component parts, configuration of the male pin and the female locking receptacle, and the actual size of the ear tags are not critical to the present invention and can be modified without departing from the basic concepts of the present invention. While the invention has been specifically described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit. Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7303120 *Mar 26, 2004Dec 4, 2007American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.System for biometric security using a FOBUS7314165 *Jul 1, 2004Jan 1, 2008American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Method and system for smellprint recognition biometrics on a smartcardUS7318550 *Jul 1, 2004Jan 15, 2008American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Biometric safeguard method for use with a smartcardUS7325724 *Jul 1, 2004Feb 5, 2008American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Method for registering a biometric for use with a smartcardUS7341181 *Jul 1, 2004Mar 11, 2008American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Method for biometric security using a smartcardUS7360689 *Mar 26, 2004Apr 22, 2008American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Method and system for proffering multiple biometrics for use with a FOBUS7859415 *Jun 2, 2008Dec 28, 2010Rcd Technology Inc.RFID based identification deviceUS7965188 *Oct 29, 2009Jun 21, 2011Destron Fearing CorporationRadio frequency animal tracking systemUS8066179 *Nov 9, 2007Nov 29, 2011Breedcare Pty Ltd.Livestock breeding and management systemUS8134466 *Dec 4, 2008Mar 13, 2012Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd.RFID system preventing recognition error and communication method thereofUS8314706Dec 21, 2010Nov 20, 2012Rcd Technology CorporationCoupled radio frequency identification (RFID) and biometric deviceUS8360322Jul 26, 2011Jan 29, 2013American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.System and method of a smartcard transaction with biometric scan recognitionUS8584619Aug 26, 2011Nov 19, 2013Osborne Industries, Inc.Electronic livestock feeding station with integral scale assemblyUS8763914Jan 17, 2012Jul 1, 2014On Track Innovations Ltd.Decoupled contactless bi-directional systems and methodsUS20130255593 *Mar 29, 2012Oct 3, 2013Dan HilaridesSystem and method for facilitating the selection of livestock animals requiring actionWO2008108816A1 *Sep 28, 2007Sep 12, 2008Fort Supply Ip LlcSystem and method for subject management using intelligent rf tag and readerWO2013108248A1 *Jan 15, 2013Jul 25, 2013On Track Innovations Ltd.Decoupled contactless bi-directional systems and methods* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification340/573.1, 340/572.9, 340/572.8International ClassificationG08B23/00, G08B13/14Cooperative ClassificationA01K11/004European ClassificationA01K11/00A3Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionFeb 23, 2006ASAssignmentOwner name: OSBORNE INDUSTRIES, INC., KANSASFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:THIBAULT, RONALD M.;REEL/FRAME:017628/0618Effective date: 20060222RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google