U.S. patent application number 11/155334 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-08 for combination radio frequency identification transponder (rfid tag) and magnetic electronic article surveillance (eas) tag.
Invention is credited to Brady, Michael John, Cofino, Thomas Anthony, Gambino, Richard Joseph, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Schrott, Alejandro Gabriel, Von Gutfeld, Robert Jacob.
Application Number | 20050270159 11/155334 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33556715 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050270159 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brady, Michael John ; et
al. |
December 8, 2005 |
Combination radio frequency identification transponder (RFID Tag)
and magnetic electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag
Abstract
A combination of a radio frequency identification transponder
(RFID Tag) and to a magnetic electronic article surveillance (EAS)
device is disclosed. The present invention relates generally to
radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, and more
specifically to RFID transponders for use in RFID systems and the
method for their assembly.
Inventors: |
Brady, Michael John;
(Brewster, NY) ; Cofino, Thomas Anthony; (Rye,
NY) ; Gambino, Richard Joseph; (Stony Brook, NY)
; Moskowitz, Paul Andrew; (Yorktown Heights, NY) ;
Schrott, Alejandro Gabriel; (New York, NY) ; Von
Gutfeld, Robert Jacob; (New York, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JOHN H. SHERMAN, LEGAL DEPT.
INTERMEC TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
550 2ND STREET SE
CEDAR RAPIDS
IA
52401
US
|
Family ID: |
33556715 |
Appl. No.: |
11/155334 |
Filed: |
June 18, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
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Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11155334 |
Jun 18, 2005 |
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10985665 |
Nov 10, 2004 |
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10985665 |
Nov 10, 2004 |
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10772221 |
Feb 4, 2004 |
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10772221 |
Feb 4, 2004 |
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09181505 |
Oct 28, 1998 |
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09181505 |
Oct 28, 1998 |
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09071413 |
May 1, 1998 |
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5939984 |
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11155334 |
Jun 18, 2005 |
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10391515 |
Mar 18, 2003 |
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10391515 |
Mar 18, 2003 |
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09136157 |
Aug 18, 1998 |
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6535108 |
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09136157 |
Aug 18, 1998 |
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08569375 |
Dec 8, 1995 |
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5812065 |
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08569375 |
Dec 8, 1995 |
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08514705 |
Aug 14, 1995 |
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60070136 |
Dec 31, 1997 |
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60102476 |
Sep 30, 1998 |
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60093088 |
Jul 16, 1998 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
340/572.1 ;
340/572.6; 340/572.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 19/07786 20130101;
G08B 13/2414 20130101; H01L 2224/48091 20130101; G08B 13/244
20130101; H01L 2224/48091 20130101; G08B 13/2408 20130101; H01L
2924/01078 20130101; H01L 2924/10253 20130101; G06K 19/041
20130101; G08B 13/2442 20130101; G08B 13/2437 20130101; H01L
2924/01079 20130101; H01L 2924/3025 20130101; G08B 13/2417
20130101; G08B 13/2434 20130101; H01L 2924/10253 20130101; H01L
2924/00014 20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101; G06K 19/07749 20130101;
G08B 13/2448 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/572.1 ;
340/572.7; 340/572.6 |
International
Class: |
G08B 013/14 |
Claims
We claim as our invention:
1. A system for anti-theft protection and article identification,
comprising a transponder having an anti-theft portion for signaling
the status of the article; and an article identification portion
for providing coded article information.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the article identification
portion is associated with an article, and communicates with a
database to provide information concerning the identity of the
article.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the anti-theft portion
communicates information indicating whether or not a given article
has been paid for.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interrogator for
interrogating the transponder to obtain status and article
identification information
5. The method of monitoring the movement of items, which comprises
associating a transponder with each of the items which transponder
is operative to supply status and identity information for the
associated item in response to interrogation thereof; and
interrogating the transponder to obtain both status and identity
information therefrom for the associated item.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the status information indicates
whether or not a given item has been paid for, so that the identity
information is available to identify the frequency of attempted
theft for a given item.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the interrogating step comprises
applying a radio frequency field to the transponder.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transponder has a circuit
which is generally resonant at the frequency of the radio frequency
field.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying an auxiliary
field to the transponder.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the auxiliary field is a
magnetic field.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the auxiliary field is an
electromagnetic field.
12. A transponder comprising: an anti-theft portion: and an article
identification portion.
13. The transponder of claim 12, wherein the article identification
portion is associated with an article, and communicates with a
database to provide information concerning the identity of the
article.
14. The transponder of claim 12, wherein the anti-theft portion
supplies status information in response to an interrogating
field.
15. The transponder of claim 12, wherein the transponder is
subjected to a radio frequency field.
16. The transponder of claim 15, wherein the transponder has a
circuit which is generally resonant at the frequency of the radio
frequency field.
17. The transponder of claim 15, wherein the transponder is further
subjected to an auxiliary field.
18. The transponder of claim 15, wherein the transponder is further
subjected to a magnetic field.
19. The transponder of claim 15, wherein the transponder is further
subjected to an electromagnetic field.
20. The transponder of claim 15, wherein the transponder is further
subjected to an acoustic energy field.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of application
Ser. No. 10/985,665 filed Nov. 10, 2004, which is a continuation of
application Ser. No. 10/772,221 filed Feb. 4, 2004, which is a
continuation of application Ser. No. 09/181,505 filed Oct. 28,
1998, now abandoned, which is a continuation in part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/071,413 filed May 1, 1998, now U.S. Pat.
No. 5,939,984 issued Aug. 17, 1999. Said application Ser. No.
09/071,413 in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/070,136 filed Dec. 31, 1997. Said application
Ser. No. 09/181,505 claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/102,476 filed Sep. 30, 1998, and also claims the
benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/093,088 filed Jul.
16, 1998. The present application is also a continuation in part of
application Ser. No. 10/391,515 filed Mar. 18, 2003, which is a
continuation of application Ser. No. 09/136,157 filed Aug. 18,
1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,108 issued Mar. 18, 2003, which is a
continuation of application Ser. No. 08/569,375 filed Dec. 8, 1995,
now U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,065 issued Sep. 22, 1998, which is a
continuation in part of application Ser. No. 08/514,705 filed Aug.
14, 1995, now abandoned. Said U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,065, and said
application Ser. Nos. 09/071,413, 60/093,088 and 60/102,476 are
herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0002] The following US Patents and Patent Applications are hereby
incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
U.S. Patents
[0003]
1 Patent No. Issue Date Filing Date Attorney Docket No. 5,521,601
May 28, 1996 Apr. 21, 1995 YO995-0088 5,528,222 Jun. 18, 1996 Sep.
09, 1994 YO994-180 5,538,803 Jul. 23, 1996 Nov. 23, 1994 YO994-0073
5,550,547 Aug. 27, 1996 Sep. 12, 1994 YO994-185 5,552,778 Sep. 03,
1996 Nov. 23, 1994 YO994-0232 5,554,974 Sep. 10, 1995 Nov. 23, 1994
YO994-0071 5,563,583 Oct. 08, 1996 Nov. 23, 1994 YO994-070
5,565,847 Oct. 15, 1996 Nov. 23, 1994 YO994-0072 5,606,323 Feb. 25,
1997 Aug. 31, 1995 YO995-157 5,635,693 Jun. 03, 1997 Feb. 02, 1995
YO994-0215 5,673,037 Sep. 30, 1997 Sep. 09, 1994 YO994-184
5,680,106 Oct. 21, 1997 Oct. 27, 1995 YO995-0219 5,682,143 Oct. 28,
1997 Sep. 09, 1994 YO994-170 5,729,201 Mar. 17, 1998 Jun. 29, 1995
YO995-109 5,729,697 Mar. 17, 1998 Apr. 24, 1995 YO995-076 5,736,929
Apr. 07, 1998 Jun. 07, 1996 YO996-085 5,739,754 Apr. 14, 1998 Jul.
29, 1996 YO996-115 5,767,789 Jun. 16, 1998 Aug. 31, 1995 YO994-213
5,777,561 Jul. 07, 1998 Sep. 30, 1996 YO996-178 5,786,626 Jul. 28,
1998 Mar. 25, 1996 YO996-031 5,812,065 Sep. 22, 1998 Dec. 08, 1995
YO995-124X 5,821,859 Oct. 13, 1998 Jun. 07, 1996 YO996-084
5,828,318 Oct. 27, 1998 May 08, 1996 YO996-068 5,831,532 Nov. 03,
1998 Aug. 12, 1997 YO995-109B 5,850,181 Dec. 15, 1998 Apr. 03, 1996
YO995-158 5,874,902 Feb. 23, 1999 Jul. 29, 1996 YO996-037 5,889,489
Mar. 30, 1999 Oct. 17, 1996 YO996-195 5,909,176 Jun. 01, 1999 Oct.
23, 1997 YO997-310 5,942,987 Aug. 24, 1999 Aug. 09, 1996 YO995-218
5,966,082 Oct. 12, 1999 May 23, 1997 YO997-115 6,028,564 Feb. 22,
2000 Jan. 29, 1997 YO997-023 6,097,347 Aug. 01, 2000 Jan. 29, 1997
YO997-024 6,288,629 Sep. 11, 2001 May 23, 1997 YO997-114
U.S. Provisional Patent Applications
[0004]
2 Application No. Filing Date Attorney Docket No. 60/073,102 Jan.
30, 1998 YO897-0028P1 60/074,605 Feb. 13, 1998 YO897-0259P1
60/077,879 Mar. 13, 1998 YO997-0038P1 60/078,287 Mar. 17, 1998
YO897-0661P1 60/091,350 Jul. 01, 1998 YO897-0259P2 60/078,304 Mar.
17, 1998 YO897-0662P1 60/093,088 Jul. 16, 1998 38384P1
[0005] The following further documents are also incorporated herein
by reference in their entirety:
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin
[0006] IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 38, No. 08, August
1995, page 17, "Multifunction Credit Card Package," by Brady,
Moskowitz, and Murphy.
Literature Reference
[0007] D. Friedman, H. Heinrich, D. Duan, "A low-power CMOS
integrated circuit for field-powered radio frequency identification
(RFID) tags," 1997 Digest of Technical Papers of the IEEE
International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), San
Francisco, Calif., February 1997.
PCT Published International Applications
[0008]
3 Published. Publication Application No. Date Filing Date Attorney
Docket No. WO 96/13793 May 09, 1996 Sep. 20, 1995 YO994-242 PCT WO
97/09641 Mar. 13, 1997 Jan. 15, 1996 UK9-94-066 PCT
[0009] The present invention relates to an identification tag and
more particularly to an identification tag having a large number of
bits of information, where the identification tag has an electronic
article surveillance function which is difficult to defeat.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0010] Radio frequency identification transponders (RFID Tags) have
been developed in the last years to take advantage of the fall in
semiconductor logic and memory prices. Such tags are available
having a single silicon chip attached to a wire or patch antenna.
Such tags, however, may be shielded from the high frequency RF used
to communicate with the tags. The anti-theft properties of the RFID
tags are suspect.
[0011] Magnetic electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags are much
less easily shielded from the low frequency magnetic detection
fields. Such EAS tags as described below, however, have
possibilities of storing only a few bits of information.
[0012] Some conventional magnetic EAS tags have employed the
Barkhausen jump effect. Generally, the Barkhausen effect is
characterized by a tendency for magnetization induced in a magnetic
material to change in discrete steps as an external magnetic field
is increased or decreased. (The material is said to be a non-linear
magnetic material if the magnetisation of the material is not
proportional to the external magnetic field.) A large temporal flux
change, df/dt, occurs when such a step takes place, and a sizable
voltage may be induced in a sensing or pickup coil.
[0013] For example. U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,020 describes a thin-film
magnetic tag having a magnetic thin film formed on a polymer
substrate and a method for producing the same. The thin film
exhibits a large Barkhausen discontinuity without intentional
application of external torsional or tensile stress on use. A
particular disclosed use is as a marker or tag for use in an
article surveillance system wherein articles may be identified by
interrogating the tagged article in a cyclic magnetic field of a
predetermined frequency in a surveillance area and detecting a
harmonic wave of the magnetic field generated by the tag in the
surveillance area. This conventional system is only a single bit
element using a single Barkhausen layer with no ability to develop
a code to distinguish items.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,192 describes another single bit tag
which relies on the Barkhausen effect. The tag of this invention is
selected to include a first component comprised of a soft magnetic
material which constitutes the bulk of the tag. A second component
comprised of a semi-hard or hard magnetic material is integral with
the first component. The tag is conditioned such that the second
component has activating and deactivating states for placing the
tag in active and deactivated states, respectively. Such
conditioning includes subjecting the composite tag to predetermined
magnetic fields during thermal processing stages. By switching the
second component between its activating and deactivating states the
tag can be switched between its active and deactived states. A
reusable tag with desired step changes in flux which is capable of
deactivation and reactivation is thereby realized.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,670 describes a one bit magnetic tag
formed from a magnetic material having domains with a pinned wall
configuration. The resulting hysteresis characteristic for that
material is such that upon subjecting the material to an applied
alternating magnetic field, the magnetic flux of the material
undergoes a regenerative step change in flux (Barkhausen jump) at a
threshold value when the field increases to the threshold value
from substantially zero and undergoes a gradual change in flux when
the field decreases from the threshold value to substantially zero.
For increasing values of applied field below the threshold, there
is substantially no change in the magnetic flux of the material.
The tag may be deactivated by preventing the domain walls from
returning to their pinned condition by, for example, application of
a field of sufficiently high frequency and/or amplitude.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,966 describes the use of a plurality of
magnetic elements in predetermined associations (e.g. with
predetermined numbers of magnetic elements and with predetermined
spacings between said elements), for identifying or locating
preselected categories of articles. When the articles are caused to
move relative to a predetermined interrogating magnetic field, each
particular association of magnetic elements gives rise to a
magnetic signature whereby the article or category of article
carrying each of the predetermined associations can be recognized
and/or located.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,025 describes a marker for use in an
electronic surveillance system. The marker which can be in the form
of a wire or strip of magnetic amorphous metal is characterized by
having retained stress and a magnetic hysteresis loop with a large
Barkhausen discontinuity. When the marker is exposed to an external
magnetic field whose field strength, in the direction opposing the
instantaneous magnetic polarization of the marker, exceeds a
predetermined threshold value a regenerative reversal of the
magnetic polarization of the marker occurs and results in the
generation of a harmonically rich pulse that is readily detected
and easily distinguished.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No.5,175,419 describes a method for interrogating
an identification tag comprised of a plurality of magnetic thin
wires or thin bands which have highly rectangular hysteresis curves
and different coercive forces. The wires or bands are preferably of
amorphous material, but means for obtaining the highly rectangular
hysteresis curves and different coercive forces are not taught; nor
is the concept taught of using a time varying magnetic field
superimposed on a ramp field for interrogation.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,201 describes an inexpensive multibit
magnetic tag is described which uses an array of amorphous wires in
conjunction with a magnetic bias field. The tag is interrogated by
the use of a ramped field or an ac field or a combination of the
two. The magnetic bias is supplied either by coating each wire with
a hard magnetic material which is magnetized or by using magnetized
hard magnetic wires or foil strips in proximity to the amorphous
wires. Each wire switches at a different value of the external
interrogation field due to the differences in the magnetic bias
field acting on each wire.
[0020] The above identified U.S. Patents and the following related
U.S. Patents assigned to the assignee of the present invention are
hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,528,222;
5,550,547; 5,552,778; 5,554,974; 5,538,803; 5,563,583; 5,565,847;
5,606,323; 5,521,601; 5,635,693; 5,673,037; 5,682,143: 5,680,106;
5,729,201; and 5,729,607. U.S. Patent applications assigned to the
assignee of the present invention include: Ser. No. 08/303,965
filed Sep. 9, 1994 entitled RF Group Select Protocol, by Cesar et
al.; Ser. No. 08/621,784, filed on Mar. 25, 1996 entitled "Thin
Radio Frequency Transponder with Lead Frame" by Brady et al.
(pending); Ser. No. 08/626,820, Filed: Apr. 3, 1996, entitled
"Method of Transporting RF Power to Energize Radio Frequency
Transponders" by Heinrich et al.; application submitted Aug. 9,
1996 entitled RFID System with Broadcast Capability by Cesar et
al.; application submitted Jul. 29, 1996 entitled RFID transponder
with Electronic Circuitry Enabling and Disabling Capability, by
Heinrich et al.; Ser. No. 08/592,250; Ser. No. 08/496,838; Ser. No.
08/496,838; Ser. No. 08/909,719; Ser. No. 08/621,784,660,249; Ser.
No. 08/660,261; Ser. No. 08/790,640; Ser. No. 08/790.639; and Ser.
No. 08/681,742. The above identified U.S. Patents and U.S. Patent
applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] An RFID tag is combined with a magnetic EAS tag. The
conducting elements of the RFID tag such as the antenna or the
parasitic elements used to tune the antenna characteristics may be
wholly or partially made from a non-linear magnetic material which
produces a large signal in a magnetic EAS detection field. The
non-linear magnetic material may be coated or electroplated or
electrolessly plated with a good electrical conductor to enhance
the antenna characteristics of the RFID tag. The non-linear
magnetic material may be advantageously connected to dielectric
material used to support and/or encapsulate the antenna and
electronic components of the RFID tag.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 shows block diagram of an RF tag of the
invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an RFID tag;
[0024] FIG. 3 shows an elevation sketch of a physical layout for
the sketch of FIG. 2;
[0025] FIG. 4 shows an alternative arrangement of FIG. 2;
[0026] FIG. 5 shows perspective sketch of a preferred alternative
antenna arrangement for an RFID tag;
[0027] FIG. 6 shows a perspective sketch of a patch antenna mounted
coplanar with a non-linear magnetic material;
[0028] FIG. 7 shows an elevation sketch of the apparatus of FIG. 5;
and
[0029] FIG. 8 shows an elevation sketch of the apparatus of FIG. 6
showing the supporting dielectric material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] FIG. 1 shows block diagram of an RF tag 10 having tag
electronics 12, a tag memory 14, and a tag power supply 16
connected to a tag antenna 18. The tag antenna 18 is shown in this
embodiment made from a non-linear magnetic material 17. Such
non-linear magnetic materials may have electrical conductivity
insufficient for high quality antennas, and an alternative most
preferred embodiment is to coat the non-linear magnetic material
with a good electrical conducting material 19 such as copper, gold,
or a conducting polymer. The conducting material 19 need only be as
thick as the skin depth of the high frequency RF signals sent to
the RFID tag 10. Such conducting material 19 may be coated on the
non-linear magnetic material 17 by coating processes well known in
the art such as evaporation, electroplating, or electroless
plating.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a sketch of an RFID tag 10 having a tag antenna
18 electrically and spatially separated from a non-linear magnetic
material 17. In the embodiment shown, the non-linear material is
shown as a wire placed as a parasitic element to a dipole antenna
18 of the RFID tag 10. A preferred embodiment in this case also is
to have the non-linear material 17 coated with an electrically
conducting material if the electrical resistivity of the non-linear
material 17 is too high.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows an elevation sketch of a physical layout for
the sketch of FIG. 2. The dipole antenna 18 is connected to a
silicon chip 34 containing the tag memory, tag electronics, and tag
power supply by wires 36 and 38. The antenna 18 and the chip 34 are
mounted on a dielectric material 32. The non-linear material 17 is
mounted on the opposite side of the dielectric material 32 to the
antenna 18 and chip 34. In this embodiment, the non-linear material
17 may once again be coated with a good electrical conductor.
[0033] FIG. 4 shows an alternative arrangement of FIG. 2. The
silicon chip 34, the antenna 18, and the non-linear material 17 are
all mounted on the same side of a supporting structure made of
dielectric 32. In this embodiment the non-linear material 17 may
once again preferrably be coated with a good electrical
conductor.
[0034] FIG. 5 shows perspective sketch of a preferred alternative
antenna arrangement for an RFID tag. A silicon chip 34 is
electrically attached to an electrially conducting patch antenna
50. The silicon chip is also electrically attached to an
electrically conducting ground plane 52, which is spatially
separated from the patch antenna 50 by a dielectric material (not
shown). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the electrically
conducting ground plane 52 is made from non-linear magnetic
material 17. In this embodiment, the non-linear material 17 may
once again preferrably be coated with a good electrical
conductor
[0035] FIG. 6 shows a perspective sketch of a patch antenna mounted
coplanar with a non-linear magnetic material 17. The magnetic
material may be in the form of a wire or in the form of a sheet as
shown in the diagram.
[0036] FIG. 7 shows an elevation sketch of the apparatus of FIG. 5.
In this case, the dielectric material 32 supporting the patch
antenna, the chip 34, and the ground plane 52 is explicitly shown.
The alternative embodiment having a conducting material 19 coating
the non-linear material is also shown. In this case, the material
of the patch antenna 50 is alternatively made of a non-linear
magnetic material instead of the ground plane 52. Once again, the
non-linear material 17 may once again preferably be coated with a
good electrical conductor
[0037] FIG. 8 shows an elevation sketch of the apparatus of FIG. 6
showing the supporting dielectric material 32.
* * * * *