JP2022146618A - RF tag - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an RF tag that enables the use of a general-purpose inlay as is without the need for a complex configuration, structure, or the like and achieves reliable wireless communication by ensuring a necessary communication distance.SOLUTION: An RF tag 1A includes: an inlay 10 having an IC chip 11 and antenna 12; an auxiliary antenna 20 electrically connected to the inlay 10; and a base material 50 that serves as a support on which the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 are laminated and arranged. The auxiliary antenna 20 has a shape that follows the contour of an attachment surface of an article 100 to which the RF tag 1A is attached. The inlay 10 is arranged so as to overlap the auxiliary antenna 20 in an inner area of the contour of the attachment surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an RF tag that is used by being attached to various metal articles and objects such as building materials and parts, battery covers, food and beverage containers, etc. In particular, it consists of an IC chip and an antenna. It relates to an RF tag composed of a general-purpose inlay.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a so-called RF tag containing an IC chip capable of reading and writing predetermined information about an article or object is widely used for any article or object. An RF tag is also called an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, an IC tag, a non-contact tag, etc., and is a so-called inlay in which an electronic circuit equipped with an IC chip and a wireless antenna is sealed and coated with a base material such as a resin film. Inlet) is an ultra-compact communication terminal formed in the shape of a tag (tag). (read only, write once, read/write) can be performed.

By writing predetermined information on such an RF tag and attaching it to an arbitrary article or object, the information recorded on the RF tag is picked up by a reader/writer, and the information recorded on the tag is read from the article. can be recognized, output, displayed, updated, etc. as predetermined information related to
Such RF tags can record data of several hundred bits to several kilobits in the memory of the IC chip, and can record a sufficient amount of information as information on articles, etc. Since contactless communication is possible, there is no need to worry about contact wear, scratches, dirt, etc. Furthermore, since the tag itself can be powered off, it can be processed according to the target object, and can be made smaller and thinner.

By using such an RF tag, various kinds of information about the article to which the tag is attached, such as the name and identification symbol of the article, contents, composition, administrator, user, use state, use state, etc., can be obtained. It becomes possible to record, and it is possible to accurately read and write a wide variety of information that could not be printed and displayed on the label surface, such as characters and barcodes, simply by attaching a small and thin tag to the item. becomes.
As such an RF tag, a general-purpose inlay (inlet) is widely used, in which an IC chip and an antenna are simply film-coated. This type of inlay has been widely used in recent years because it is small and thin, can be easily attached to any object without taking up much space, and can be used immediately as an RF tag.

Here, when such an RF tag is attached to an article or object made of metal, the RF tag is affected by the conductivity of the metal, resulting in malfunction or deterioration of wireless communication with the reader/writer. problems may occur.

Therefore, until now, when attaching an RF tag to a metal article, a proposal has been made to avoid the influence of the metal by changing the configuration of the RF tag to one exclusively for metal (Patent Document 1- 3).
For example, in Patent Document 1, by inserting and arranging an electric conductor in a through-hole provided in a metal cover of a manhole, an antenna component having a total length of λ/2 of a specific communication wavelength is provided. Techniques have been proposed to reduce or avoid the influence of the metal lid.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes two linearly polarized antennas arranged in parallel with their polarization directions aligned in an antenna device used in a roadside device for road-to-vehicle communication such as expressway toll collection (ETC). A technique has been proposed in which a first antenna group/second antenna group each having an element are arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other, thereby ensuring communication even when the vehicle is moving.
Further, in Patent Document 3, by using an S-shaped small dipole antenna as an antenna for an electronic tag, the size is equal to or smaller than that of a half-wave dipole antenna, and the entire UHF band used for an RFID system can be satisfactorily covered. Techniques for obtaining frequency characteristics have been proposed.

JP 2018-067165 A JP 2007-020217 A JP 2007-221735 A

However, the techniques proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are all limited to specific objects such as manholes and ETC systems, and the configurations of antennas and RF tags themselves become complicated and large. There is a problem that miniaturization and cost reduction are difficult.
In addition, since RF tags specialized for such specific objects require a complex configuration and structure that is completely different from conventional RF tags (inlays), general-purpose inlays can be used as they are. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a dedicated tag, antenna structure, etc., and there is also a problem in terms of versatility and expandability.

Such a complex dedicated tag structure increases production costs and makes the entire tag larger and heavier, impairing the greatest advantages of RF tags, which are small, thin, lightweight and easy to handle. There was a problem that
The RF tag can be used as a low-cost, compact, lightweight, large-capacity wireless communication means by utilizing a general-purpose tag (inlay) that is mass-produced at low cost. With a dedicated tag (inlay) structure that requires a complex configuration, there is a possibility that the merits and features of the RF tag will be degraded.

On the other hand, for relatively small articles such as metal bar members, battery cases, building materials, food containers, and beverage containers, the locations themselves for attaching RF tags are limited, and the area and shape of the attachment portions are limited. However, even if a general-purpose inlay is attached, the necessary communication characteristics and communication distance may not be obtained.
As described above, RF tags are required to have both small size and light weight, versatility, and a certain required communication distance and communication characteristics. No RF tag has been proposed so far, which can effectively cope with such problems.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed to solve the problems of the conventional techniques as described above. The purpose is to provide an RF tag that can secure the required communication distance and realize reliable wireless communication, and that can be attached to small metal articles that have large restrictions, especially on the area and shape of the attachment location of the RF tag. and

To achieve the above object, the RF tag of the present invention comprises an inlay having an IC chip and an antenna, an auxiliary antenna electrically connected to the inlay by capacitor coupling, and the inlay and the auxiliary antenna stacked. and a support, wherein the auxiliary antenna has a shape that conforms to the contour of the mounting surface of an article to which the RF tag is mounted, and the inlay is located in the region inside the contour of the mounting surface , and the auxiliary antenna.

Further, the present invention provides an RF tag having an inlay having an IC chip and an antenna, an auxiliary antenna electrically connected to the inlay, and a support on which the inlay and the auxiliary antenna are stacked. In the article, the RF tag may be the RF tag according to the present invention described above.

According to the present invention, a general-purpose inlay can be used as it is without requiring a complicated configuration, structure, etc., and a required communication distance can be ensured to realize reliable wireless communication.
As a result, RF tags that can be attached to small metal articles, such as metal rod-shaped members, battery cases, building materials, food containers, and beverage containers, which have large restrictions on the area and shape of the mounting location of the RF tag. can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first RF tag according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state in which the RF tag is attached to an article to be attached, and (b) shows a state in which each part of the RF tag is disassembled; showing. 1 is a perspective view showing a second RF tag according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state in which the RF tag is attached to an article to be attached, and (b) shows a state in which each part of the RF tag is disassembled. showing. 2(a) to 2(f) are plan views schematically showing arrangement configuration examples of an inlay and an auxiliary antenna that constitute the first RF tag shown in FIG. 1, respectively. FIG. (a) to (b) are plan views schematically showing arrangement configuration examples of an inlay and an auxiliary antenna constituting the first RF tag shown in FIG. 1, and (c) to (d) are FIG. 11 is a front view schematically showing an example of the laminated structure of the first RF tag. 3(a) to 3(f) are plan views schematically showing arrangement configuration examples of an inlay and an auxiliary antenna, respectively, which constitute the second RF tag shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3(a) to 3(c) are plan views schematically showing arrangement configuration examples of an inlay and an auxiliary antenna, respectively, which constitute the second RF tag shown in FIG. 2. FIG. (a) ~ (b) is a plan view schematically showing an arrangement configuration example of the inlay and auxiliary antenna constituting the second RF tag shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a layered configuration example of an RF tag; 4(a) to 4(e) are front views schematically showing laminated structure examples of a first or second RF tag and a target article, respectively. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a production example of the second RF tag shown in FIG. ) is a plan view in which the inlay, the auxiliary antenna, and the substrate are aligned, and (e) is a front view schematically showing the laminated structure of each part of the RF tag. 2 is a line graph showing the relationship between frequency and communication distance, which shows the communication characteristics of the first RF tag shown in FIG. 1; 3 is a line graph showing the relationship between frequency and communication distance, which shows the communication characteristics of the second RF tag shown in FIG. 2;

An embodiment of an RF tag according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first RF tag 1A according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second RF tag 1B. 4 shows the state in which the RF tag is attached to an article to be attached, and (b) shows the state in which each part of the RF tag is disassembled.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the RF tag 1 (first RF tag 1A/second RF tag 1B) according to the present embodiment has an inlay 10 and a planar inlay 10 constituting an RF tag that performs wireless communication. The auxiliary antenna 20 is arranged in a laminated state, and the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 mounted on the surface of the base material 50 are covered and protected by the surface layer 40 to constitute the RF tag 1 (1A/1B). It's like

In the RF tag 1 according to the present embodiment, the auxiliary antenna 20 and the base material 50 have a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the attachment surface of the article 100 to which the RF tag 1 is attached, and the inlay 10 is: The auxiliary antenna 20 and the auxiliary antenna 20 are overlapped in the inner area of the mounting surface of the article 100 .
Here, the article 100 to which the RF tag 1 of the present embodiment is to be attached is, for example, a metal article constituting building materials and parts, battery covers, food and beverage containers, and the like. The external shape (shape) of the mounting surface to which the article 100 can be attached, such as the top surface, bottom surface, and end surface of the article 100, has various shapes such as square, rectangle, trapezoid, ellipse, and circle.
Therefore, the outer shape of the RF tag 1 is also formed in the same shape (similar shape) such as square, rectangle, trapezoid, ellipse, circle, etc., corresponding to the outer shape of the attachment surface of the article 100 to be attached. (See Figure 3-7).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as the RF tag 1, two types of RF tags, ie, a first RF tag 1A and a second RF tag 1B having different configurations and shapes of the auxiliary antennas 20 are provided.
In the first RF tag 1A, as shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary antenna 20 is formed of a sheet-like conductive member that spreads in a plane inside the contour inner region of the mounting surface of the article 100, and the conductive member A slit antenna is formed by forming a slit 21 penetrating in a predetermined shape. The inlay 10 is arranged so as to overlap at least a part of the slit 21 of the auxiliary antenna 20 .
In the second RF tag 1B, as shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary antenna 20 constitutes a linear antenna having a plurality of ends that are not short-circuited in the inner area of the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100. . Part of the inlay 10 is arranged so as to overlap near the central portion of such an auxiliary antenna 20 .

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, both the first RF tag 1A and the second RF tag 1B of the RF tag 1 according to the present embodiment are substantially the same except for the shape of the auxiliary antenna 20. An inlay 10 having an IC chip 11 and an antenna 12, a planar auxiliary antenna 20 disposed on the same plane in an insulated state with respect to the inlay 10, and the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 are similarly configured. A substrate 50 that serves as a support for placement and mounting and also functions as a dielectric constant adjustment layer for the mounted inlay 10, and a surface layer 40 that serves as a cover for covering the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 mounted on the substrate 50. It is configured with.
In each of the first RF tag 1A and the second RF tag 1B, the auxiliary antenna 20 is formed in a predetermined shape and size along the outline of the attachment surface of the article 100. The auxiliary antenna 20 is laminated so as to be at a predetermined position with respect to the inlay 10 (see FIG. 3-7), and mounted on the base material 50 .
Each part of the RF tag 1 (1A/1B) will be described in detail below.

[Inlay]
The inlay 10 constitutes an RF tag that wirelessly reads and writes predetermined information with a reader/writer (reader/writer) (not shown).・There are types such as light type.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inlay 10 includes an IC chip 11 that stores predetermined information, and an antenna 12 that is electrically conductive and connected to the IC chip 11 and made of a conductive material. The IC chip 11 and the antenna 12 are mounted and laminated on the surface of an inlay base material 13, which is a supporting body and is composed of a sheet of sealing film made of PET resin or the like.

The IC chip 11 and the antenna 12 mounted on the inlay base material 13 are mounted on the inlay base material 13 between, for example, one sheet of sealing film folded in two or by overlapping two sealing films. can be sealed and protected in a sandwiched state by the sealing films that constitute the .
In this embodiment, a rectangular inlay 10 is used in which an IC chip 11 and an antenna 12 extending on both sides of the IC chip 11 are sandwiched and sealed by a rectangular inlay base material 13 .

The IC chip 11 is composed of a semiconductor chip such as a memory, and can record data of several hundred bits to several kilobits, for example.
A loop-shaped circuit conductor is connected to the IC chip 11 so as to surround the chip to form a loop circuit 11a. An antenna 12 is connected to both left and right sides of the IC chip 11 via the loop circuit 11a. It is
Reading and writing (data calling, registration, deletion, updating, etc.) are performed by wireless communication with a reader/writer (not shown) via the antenna 12 so that the data recorded in the IC chip 11 can be recognized. It's becoming
As the data recorded in the IC chip 11, arbitrary data such as product identification code, name, weight, content, manufacturer/seller name, manufacturing location, manufacturing date, expiration date, etc. can be recorded. Yes, and rewritable.

The antenna 12 is formed by etching a metal thin film such as a conductive ink or a conductive aluminum deposited film on the surface of a sheet of sealing film, which serves as the inlay base material 13, to a predetermined shape and size (length). , area).
The sealing film constituting the inlay base material 13 is made of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, polyimide, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer synthetic resin (ABS), or the like. It is preferable that the IC chip 11 and the antenna 12 are made of transparent PET resin or the like so that they can be visually recognized from the outside.
Also, the film surface on one side of the inlay base material 13 can be provided with an adhesive layer/bonding layer so that it can be attached to a base material or an article.

The communication frequency band used by the inlay 10 can be, for example, the 860 MHz to 960 MHz band belonging to the so-called UHF band.
Frequency bands generally used in RF tags include several types of frequency bands, such as a band below 135 kHz, a 13.56 MHz band, an 860 MHz to 960 MHz band belonging to the UHF band, and a 2.45 GHz band. The communication distance over which wireless communication is possible differs depending on the frequency band used, and the optimum antenna length and wiring pattern also differ depending on the frequency band.

In this embodiment, by providing the auxiliary antenna 20 having a predetermined structure that maintains and improves the communication characteristics of the inlay 10, it is possible to target the UHF band where the wavelength is short and the antenna can be miniaturized. can be targeted, and good communication characteristics can be obtained in these frequency bands.
However, if there are no restrictions on the size of the inlay 10 or the auxiliary antenna 20, the technical idea itself according to the present invention is not limited to a specific frequency band. Of course, it can be applied.

Here, the size (length) of the inlay 10 is desirably set and formed so that good communication characteristics can be obtained by the antenna 12 .
On the other hand, if only the communication characteristics are taken into consideration, the overall length of the antenna 12 and the RF tag 1 will be too long (too large), which is not preferable in terms of the nature of the RF tag that requires miniaturization.
In general, the antenna 12 provided in the inlay 10 is composed of a dipole antenna or the like made of a conductor extending linearly or meandering on both sides (right and left) of the IC chip 11. It extends symmetrically on both sides of the IC chip 11 so as to have a length of 1/2 wavelength of the communication frequency.

For this reason, if the general-purpose inlay is used as it is, a space that can accommodate and accommodate at least the length of the antenna 12 is required. A size larger than the length (for example, 1/2 wavelength) is required, which is a factor that impedes miniaturization of the RF tag and freedom of design.
In particular, the RF tag 1 of the present embodiment can be attached to, for example, a metal rod-shaped member, a battery case, a building material, a food container, a beverage container, etc. The location itself to which the RF tag 1 is attached is limited, and the area of the attachment portion is limited. It is intended to correspond to the article 100 which has restrictions on its size and shape, and it may be difficult or impossible to attach a general-purpose inlay as it is.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the length of the inlay 10 in the longitudinal direction is adjusted and set so that the inlay 10 fits within the outer shape inner region of the mounting surface of the article 100 .
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , both ends of the general-purpose inlay are evenly cut (cut off) to shorten the length so that the inlay 10 does not protrude from the inner area of the mounting surface of the article 100 . (See Figure 3-7).
Further, by constructing the antenna 12 of the inlay 10 with a monopole antenna extending only on one side of the IC chip 11 (see FIG. 9), the length of the inlay 10 can be shortened to about half that of a normal inlay, and the inlay 10 can be attached to the article 100. It is also possible not to protrude from the inner area of the mounting surface of the mounting surface.

By shortening the overall length of the inlay 10 in this way, the overall length of the RF tag 1 can be made smaller (shorter) than the outer shape inner region on the attachment surface of the article 100 to be attached. The RF tag 1 can also be applied to small articles with limited surfaces.
The specific arrangement and stacking configuration of the inlay 10 (and the auxiliary antenna 20) and the inner contour area of the mounting surface of the article 100 will be described further below with reference to FIGS. 3-7.

[Auxiliary Antenna]
The auxiliary antenna 20 is for improving and adjusting the communication characteristics of the inlay 10 described above, and as shown in FIGS. It is insulated from the inlay 10 resin-sealed by the inlay base material (sealing film) 13 .
That is, as described above, the inlay 10 is entirely resin-sealed with the inlay base material 13 and is physically insulated from the auxiliary antenna 20 made of a conductive member.

By stacking and arranging such an auxiliary antenna 20 near the inlay 10, the auxiliary antenna 20 and the IC chip 11 of the inlay 10 are arranged to face each other with the inlay substrate 13 interposed therebetween. An electrical connection is made by capacitor coupling.
As a result, the auxiliary antenna 20 is arranged on the same plane facing the inlay 10, so that the antenna 12 of the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 form a two-dimensional antenna, and the auxiliary antenna 20 serves as a booster for communication radio waves. As a result, the communication characteristics of the inlay 10 can be adjusted and improved.

The auxiliary antenna 20 is formed by, for example, stamping an aluminum sheet, printing with conductive ink on the surface of a film that is a base material such as PET resin, or forming a conductive aluminum vapor deposition film on the surface of the film. It can be formed by molding a metal thin film into a predetermined shape and size (length, area) by etching or the like.
In this embodiment, the auxiliary antenna 20 is formed in a shape (same shape, similar shape, etc.) along the outer shape of the attachment surface of the article 100 to which the RF tag 1 is attached, and is arranged overlapping the auxiliary antenna 20. The inlay 10 does not protrude from the inner contour area of the mounting surface of the article 100 .
The specific configuration and shape of such an auxiliary antenna 20, including the arrangement configuration and lamination configuration of the inlay 10, will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3-7.

[Base material/surface layer]
The base material 50 is a member that serves as a support (base material layer) on which the above-described inlay 10 and auxiliary antenna 20 are mounted, and also functions as a dielectric constant adjustment layer for the mounted inlay 10 .
In this embodiment, the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 can be arranged and mounted on the same plane without protruding. is formed in
Like the auxiliary antenna 20, the base material 50 serving as a support for the auxiliary antenna 20 is formed in a shape (same shape, similar shape, etc.) along the outer shape of the attachment surface of the article 100 to which the RF tag 1 is attached. It has become so.

The auxiliary antenna 20 and the inlay 10 are arranged in parallel on the same plane on one surface side of the base material 50 (upper surface side in FIGS. 1 and 2). One surface (upper surface) of the substrate 50 on which the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 are mounted is covered/coated with the surface layer 40 serving as a cover member. As a result, the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 are arranged in parallel and sealed while sandwiched between the base material 50 and the surface layer 40, thereby being protected from the outside.
The surface layer 40 is a sheet-like member that is pasted and adhered to one surface of the base material 50 on which the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 are mounted. It can be formed by a flexible sheet material or film material made of a resin.

On the other hand, on the other side of the base material 50 (lower side in FIGS. 1 and 2), although not shown, an adhesive material such as a double-sided tape (adhesive tape) or a plate-shaped magnet is provided. It can be adhered and attached to the surface of the metal article 100 to be attached by the adhesive force of the adhesive material and the magnetic force of the magnet (see adhesive layer 60 shown in FIG. 9).
In this manner, at least part of the RF tag 1 can be detachably attached to the article 100 .
As a result, the RF tag 1 can be arranged and fixed to the surface of the metal article so that the base material 50 is attached and fixed to the surface of the object to be attached and is not easily detached or peeled off.
Note that surface layers 40 may be provided on both sides of the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 before being placed on the substrate 50 (see two surface layers 40 shown in FIG. 9). In this way, the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 without the base material 50 can be configured as the RF tag 1 and handled.

Here, the substrate 50 as described above can be formed of, for example, an acrylic foam, or a crosslinked polyolefin foam such as foamed polyethylene or foamed polypropylene.
Further, the base material 50 can be composed of a single belt-shaped member formed of acrylic foam or crosslinked polyolefin foam as described above, or a plurality of (for example, two layers) belt-shaped members can be superimposed to form a single belt-shaped member. A single substrate 50 can also be constructed.
Furthermore, a magnet for attachment to the metal article 100 described above can also be configured as part of the substrate 50 . The magnet that becomes the base material 50 is a plate-shaped or strip-shaped magnet that can be attached and attached to the metal to which the RF tag 1 is attached by magnetic force, and has a predetermined size and thickness corresponding to the base material 50. It can be configured by forming and laminating/adhering to a base material 50 made of resin or the like.

In addition, the base material 50 as described above is formed to have a predetermined dielectric constant that adjusts the communication characteristics of the inlay 10 arranged together with the auxiliary antenna 20, so that the base material 50 can be mounted/laminated on the base material 50. It can function as a dielectric constant adjustment layer for the inlay 10 that has been processed.
For example, the base material 50 can be formed as a dielectric constant adjustment layer having a dielectric constant suitable for the communication specification of the inlay 10 by forming the base material 50 with a predetermined thickness using a predetermined member.
In this way, the base material 50 has a predetermined dielectric constant and thickness, so that the base material 50 can avoid and absorb the influence of the metal to which the RF tag 1 is attached. As a characteristic, it becomes possible to obtain a good communication distance as described later.
Therefore, considering various conditions such as the type and communication characteristics of the inlay 10 to be used, the article using the RF tag 1, the usage environment, and the usage frequency band, an appropriate material and thickness for the base material 50 is selected. By selecting and exchanging only 50, it becomes possible to use the RF tag 1 for different articles or to correspond to different communication frequencies.

[Arrangement configuration and lamination configuration of RF tag]
Next, the arrangement configuration and lamination configuration of each part (the inlay 10, the auxiliary antenna 20, the surface layer 40, and the base material 50) constituting the RF tag 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3-7.
As described above, the RF tag 1 of this embodiment has a shape that follows the contour of the attachment surface of the article 100 to which it is attached, and the inlay 10 does not protrude from the inner region of the contour of the attachment surface of the article 100. It is designed to be shortened.
The auxiliary antenna 20 functions as a communication radio wave booster for such a shortened inlay 10, so that the inlay 10 can obtain desired communication characteristics and communication distance.

Here, the auxiliary antenna 20 is formed so that the entire antenna length is an integer multiple or an integer fraction of the wavelength of the radio frequency of the inlay 10, for example, approximately half the length of the wavelength of the radio frequency. preferably.
The length of the long side (longitudinal direction) of the auxiliary antenna 20 is an integer multiple or an integer fraction (1/2, 1/4, 1/8 . By doing so, matching can be obtained.

However, if the length of the auxiliary antenna 20 is simply set linearly to a length equivalent to 1/2 wavelength, the overall size (length) of the RF tag 1 is defined by the total length of the auxiliary antenna 20. As a result, the overall size (length) of the RF tag 1 is approximately 1/2 wavelength or slightly larger (longer) than that. However, it is difficult or impossible to use it for other metal articles.
Further, it is not preferable for the total length of the tag to be too long (too large) due to the nature of the RF tag, which is required to be miniaturized.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, two types of RF tags, a first RF tag 1A and a second RF tag 1B having different configurations and shapes of the auxiliary antennas 20, are provided as the RF tag 1, so that the above short length The communication characteristics of the integrated inlay 10 are maintained and improved, and the overall size of the RF tag 1 is reduced.
The specific arrangement configuration and layered configuration of the first RF tag 1A and the second RF tag 1B will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First RF tag]
In the first RF tag 1A, the auxiliary antenna 20 is formed of a sheet-like conductive member that spreads in a plane inside the outer area of the mounting surface of the article 100, and the conductive member has a slit 21 penetrating in a predetermined shape. is formed by a slit antenna.
The inlay 10 is arranged so as to overlap at least a part of the slit 21 in the area inside the auxiliary antenna 20 .
By constructing the auxiliary antenna 20 as a slit antenna in this way, even if the overall length of the planar auxiliary antenna 20 is less than, for example, about half the wavelength of the radio frequency of the inlay 10, the slit 21 can be used as the antenna. Due to the electromagnetic resonance (slit antenna effect), it is possible to secure a certain or more communication distance of the inlay 10 (see FIG. 10).
As a result, the overall size of the auxiliary antenna 20 and the RF tag 1 can be attached to the attachment surface of the article 100, which has restrictions such as area and shape, while ensuring good communication characteristics of the RF tag 1. become.

FIGS. 3(a) to (f) and FIGS. 4(a) to (b) respectively schematically show the planar shape of the auxiliary antenna 20 of the first RF tag 1A configured by the slit antenna and the layout relationship of the inlay 10. 2 is a schematic plan view; FIG.
In the example shown in FIG. 3( a ), the auxiliary antenna 20 (and the base material 50 ) has a substantially square outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 , and the linear slit 21 is almost the same as the auxiliary antenna 20 . The inlay 10 is arranged in the lateral direction (right and left in the drawing) crossing (perpendicular to) the slit 21 so that the IC chip 11 overlaps the center of the slit 21 .
In the example shown in FIG. 3(b), instead of the linear slit 21 shown in FIG. 21, the inlay 10 is arranged in a horizontal direction (right and left in the drawing) substantially in the center of the auxiliary antenna 20. As shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 3(c), the auxiliary antenna 20 (and the base material 50) has a substantially elliptical outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100, and the linear slit 21 is the auxiliary antenna 20. The inlay 10 is arranged in a horizontal direction (right and left in the drawing) crossing (perpendicular to) the slit 21 so that the IC chip 11 overlaps the center of the slit 21 .
In the example shown in FIG. 3(d), instead of the linear slit 21 shown in FIG. 21, the inlay 10 is arranged in a horizontal direction (right and left in the drawing) substantially in the center of the auxiliary antenna 20. As shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 3( e ), the auxiliary antenna 20 (and the base material 50 ) has a substantially trapezoidal (prefixed triangle) outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 , and the linear slit 21 is an auxiliary antenna. The inlay 10 is arranged in a horizontal direction (right and left in the drawing) intersecting (perpendicular to) the slit 21 so that the IC chip 11 overlaps the center of the slit 21 .
In the example shown in FIG. 3(f), the auxiliary antenna 20 (and the base material 50) has a substantially rectangular outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100, and is U-shaped (inverted U-shaped) in plan view. The inlay 10 is arranged in the lateral direction (right and left in the drawing) substantially in the center of the auxiliary antenna 20 so as to overlap with the slit 21 .

In the example shown in FIG. 4( a ), the auxiliary antenna 20 (and the base material 50 ) has a substantially perfect circular outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 , and the linear slit 21 is the auxiliary antenna 20 . The inlay 10 is arranged in a horizontal direction (right and left in the drawing) crossing (perpendicular to) the slit 21 so that the IC chip 11 overlaps the center of the slit 21 .
In the example shown in FIG. 4(b), instead of the linear slit 21 shown in FIG. 21, the inlay 10 is arranged in a horizontal direction (right and left in the drawing) substantially in the center of the auxiliary antenna 20. As shown in FIG.

FIGS. 4(c) to (d) are front views schematically showing examples of the laminated structure of the first RF tag 1A as described above.
As shown in FIG. 4(c), the first RF tag 1A is arranged by stacking the substrate 50, the auxiliary antenna 20, the inlay 10, and the surface layer 40 in this order without protruding from the outer edge of the mounting surface of the article 100. become.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 4D, the first RF tag 1A is arranged in a cylindrical shape so that the outer edge of the auxiliary antenna 20 protrudes from the outer edge of the mounting surface of the article 100 and covers the outer edge of the base material 50. Can also be configured.

[Second RF tag]
In the second RF tag 1B, the auxiliary antenna 20 is composed of a linear antenna having a plurality of ends that are not short-circuited in the inner area of the mounting surface of the article 100 .
Part of the inlay 10 is arranged so as to overlap near the central portion of such an auxiliary antenna 20 .
By constructing the auxiliary antenna 20 with a linear antenna in this way, the total length of the auxiliary antenna 20 can be reduced to, for example, about half the wavelength of the radio frequency of the inlay 10 in the inner area of the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100. It is possible to form the inlay 10 at a certain distance or more (see FIG. 11).
As a result, the overall size of the auxiliary antenna 20 and the RF tag 1 can be attached to the attachment surface of the article 100, which has restrictions such as area and shape, while ensuring good communication characteristics of the RF tag 1. become.

As described above, in the second RF tag 1B, the total length of the auxiliary antenna 20 is approximately half the wavelength of the radio frequency of the inlay 10, so that good communication characteristics can be obtained. .
Specifically, for example, when the target inlay 10 has a communication frequency of 920 MHz, λ≈326.0 mm and λ/2≈163.0 mm. Therefore, the auxiliary antenna 20 is formed so that the length of the long side is approximately 163.0 mm.

As described above, the base material 50 on which the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20 are laminated is made of a dielectric material such as resin, and the apparent wavelength can be shortened by the wavelength shortening effect of this dielectric material. can.
For example, when the dielectric constant of the base material 50 according to the present embodiment is about "2", the wavelength shortening effect is about "1.4", and the length of the long side of the auxiliary antenna 20 is half the wavelength of ""163/1.4=116mm" divided by 1.4".
In this way, the length may fluctuate depending on changes in communication characteristics due to the material and dielectric constant of the base material 50 of the RF tag 1, the environment in which the tag is used, and the manner in which the tag is used.

In the present embodiment, the inlay 10 is arranged in a predetermined positional relationship so as to be superimposed on the surface of the auxiliary antenna 20 having the shape and dimensions described above.
FIGS. 5(a) to (f), FIGS. 6(a) to (c), and FIGS. 7(a) to (b) respectively show the length of the inlay 10 approximately half the wavelength of the radio frequency. FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a planar shape of an auxiliary antenna 20 of a second RF tag 1B configured by antennas and a layout relationship of an inlay 10;

In the example shown in FIG. 5( a ), the base material 50 has a substantially square outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 , and the auxiliary antenna 20 is located in the inner area of the outer shape of the base material 50 . It is formed as an annular (ring-shaped) linear antenna along the outer shape (inner edge) of 50 (article 100), and one end of the inlay 10 overlaps a part (upper edge central portion) of the linear antenna. , the inlay 10 is arranged vertically (up and down in the drawing) in the center of the base material 50 .
In the example shown in FIG. 5B, instead of the annular linear antenna shown in FIG. A portion of the inlay 10 (the IC chip 11) overlaps a portion of the linear antenna (the central portion of the S shape), and the inlay 10 is vertically oriented in the center of the substrate 50 (Fig. up and down) direction.

In the example shown in FIG. 5(c), the base material 50 has a substantially elliptical outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100, and the auxiliary antenna 20 is positioned inside the outer shape of the base material 50. In the example shown in FIG. It is formed as an S-shaped linear antenna in plan view along the outer shape (inner edge) of the material 50 (article 100), and a part of the inlay 10 (IC The inlay 10 is arranged vertically (up and down in the drawing) in the center of the substrate 50 so that the chips 11) overlap.
In the example shown in FIG. 5(d), the base material 50 has a substantially rectangular outer shape (inner edge) that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100, and the auxiliary antenna 20 is located in the inner area of the outer shape of the base material 50. , is formed as an S-shaped linear antenna in plan view along the outer shape of the base material 50 (article 100), and a part of the linear antenna (S-shaped central part) is a part of the inlay 10 (IC chip 11) are superimposed, and the inlay 10 is arranged in the center of the base material 50 in the vertical direction (up and down in the drawing).

In the example shown in FIG. 5( e ), the base material 50 has a substantially trapezoidal (prefixed triangle) outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 , and the auxiliary antenna 20 is a region inside the outer shape of the base material 50 . , it is formed as a linear antenna having an S-shaped planar view along the outer shape (inner edge) of the base material 50 (article 100), and a part of the linear antenna (S-shaped central part) is attached to one part of the inlay 10 The inlay 10 is arranged vertically (up and down in the drawing) in the center of the base material 50 so that the parts (IC chips 11) overlap each other.
In the example shown in FIG. 5( f ), the base material 50 has a substantially rectangular outer shape (inner edge) that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 , and the auxiliary antenna 20 is located in the inner area of the outer shape of the base material 50 . , is formed as a T-shaped linear antenna in plan view along the outer shape of the base material 50 (article 100), and a part of the linear antenna (T-shaped upper edge portion) is a part of the inlay 10 (longitudinal direction are arranged in the lateral direction (left and right in the drawing) so that the upper edge) overlaps.

6(a) to (c) show the same RF tag 1B as shown in FIG. 5(c), which has a substantially elliptical outer shape, with the auxiliary antenna 20 and the inlay 10 arranged differently. It is.
The example of FIG. 6(a) is a case where the IC chip 11 of the inlay 10 is arranged so as to overlap with the S-shaped center portion of the auxiliary antenna 20, as in the example of FIG. 5(c).
The example of FIG. 6(b) is a case where one end of the inlay 10 overlaps the S-shaped upper edge portion of the auxiliary antenna 20 in addition to the configuration of FIG. 6(a).
In the example of FIG. 6(c), in addition to the configuration of FIG. 6(a), both ends of the inlay 10 are arranged so as to overlap the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion of the S shape of the auxiliary antenna 20, respectively. is the case.

Thus, in the second RF tag 1B, the inlay 10 can be arranged so that at least part of the end of the inlay 10 overlaps the auxiliary antenna 20. FIG.
Also, in this case, the inlay 10 can be arranged so as to overlap with the auxiliary antenna 20 at a plurality of locations (see FIG. 6(c)).
In this way, by varying the arrangement configuration (overlapping pattern) of the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20, it is possible to adjust and set each RF tag 1B (inlay 10) so that optimum communication characteristics can be obtained. become.

In the example shown in FIG. 7( a ), the base material 50 has a substantially perfect circular outer shape that matches the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 , and the auxiliary antenna 20 is positioned inside the outer shape of the base material 50 . It is formed as an S-shaped linear antenna in plan view along the outer shape (inner edge) of the material 50 (article 100), and a part of the inlay 10 (IC The inlay 10 is placed in the center of the base material 50 in the horizontal direction (right and left in the drawing) so that the chips 11) overlap each other.
In the example shown in FIG. 7B, the inlay 10 arranged in the center lateral direction (left and right in the drawing) of the base material 50 shown in FIG. It is designed to be placed.

Thus, in the second RF tag 1B, the auxiliary antenna 20 has a linear portion (S-shaped central portion) that extends linearly, and the inlay 10 and the IC chip 11 of the inlay 10 are connected to the linear portion of the auxiliary antenna 20. can be placed so that they overlap each other.
In this case, the inlay 10 can be placed over the auxiliary antenna 20 such that the polarization axis of the inlay 10 and the linear portion of the auxiliary antenna 20 are parallel or intersect at a predetermined angle. become able to.
In this way, by varying the arrangement configuration (overlapping pattern) of the inlay 10 and the auxiliary antenna 20, it is possible to adjust and set each RF tag 1B (inlay 10) so that optimum communication characteristics can be obtained. become.

FIG. 7(c) is a front view schematically showing a laminated configuration example of the second RF tag 1B as described above.
As shown in the figure, the second RF tag 1B, like the first RF tag 1A (see FIG. 4(c)), does not protrude from the outer edge of the mounting surface of the article 100, The auxiliary antenna 20, the inlay 10, and the surface layer 40 are stacked in this order.

[Lamination structure of RF tag]
Next, each part (inlay 10, auxiliary antenna 20, surface layer 40, base material 50) constituting the RF tag 1 of the present embodiment, which is common to the first RF tag 1A and the second RF tag 1B as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
FIGS. 8(a) to 8(e) are front views schematically showing examples of laminated structures of the (first or second) RF tag 1 and the target article 100, respectively.

First, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the RF tags 1 can be stacked without protruding from the outer edge of the mounting surface of the article 100 (see also FIGS. 4(c) and 7(c)). .
By doing so, the RF tag 1 is attached without protruding from the attachment surface of the article 100, and the RF tag 1 does not get caught or interfere with the management, storage, handling, etc. of the article. will be prevented.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, the RF tag 1 has an outer edge protruding from the outer edge of the attachment surface of the article 100 and arranged in a cylindrical/lid-like shape covering the side surface continuous from the outer edge of the article 100. can also be configured (see also FIG. 4(d)).
Thus, the RF tag 1 can be configured to have a region that covers at least part of the side surface of the article that is continuous with the mounting surface of the article 100 . In this case, the area covering the side surface of the article 100 may be, for example, the outer edge of the auxiliary antenna 20 (see FIG. 4(d)), or the support (base material 50 or surface layer 40) of the RF tag 1. may
Since the RF tag 1 is configured in a tubular/lid-like shape in this way, the RF tag 1 can be easily attached to the article 100, and the RF tag 1 can be inadvertently detached or dropped from the article 100. can also be prevented.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the RF tag 1 is arranged such that the substrate 50, the auxiliary antenna 20, the inlay 10, and the surface layer 40 are stacked in this order on the mounting surface of the article 100. FIG.
In this case, at least part of the RF tag 1 can be brought into contact with the metal part of the article 100 and electrically grounded.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8(d), a part of the inlay 10 can be protruded and extended from the outer shape of the article 100 so that it can be electromagnetically coupled with the metal part of the article 100. As shown in FIG.
Further, as shown in FIG. 8(e), a part of the auxiliary antenna 20 can be protruded and extended from the outer shape of the article 100 to be grounded to the metal part of the article 100. FIG.
By doing so, the RF tag 1 is grounded to the metal portion of the article 100 to be attached, and the influence from the metal portion of the article 100 can be avoided or reduced.

[Production example of RF tag]
Next, with regard to the RF tag 1 of this embodiment as described above, specific manufacturing examples (examples) will be described for each of the first RF tag 1A and the second RF tag 1B.
In this production example, a first RF tag 1A or a second RF tag 1B is attached to a metal member (a round aluminum bar) to which the RF tag 1 is to be attached, with one end surface of the metal member as an attachment surface. It is the case.
As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(d), the metal member to be attached has a circular shape with a diameter of about 70 mm and a height of about 75 mm at the end surface that serves as the mounting surface, as shown in FIGS. A first RF tag 1A or a second RF tag 1B was manufactured to fit within the inner region of the outer shape of the end face.

FIG. 9(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a specific manufacturing example of the first RF tag 1A among the RF tags 1 of this embodiment.
As shown in the figure, in this example, the auxiliary antenna 20 (and the base material 50 (made of resin with a thickness of 3 mm)) has a substantially perfect circular outer shape with a diameter of about 60 mm to match the outer shape of the mounting surface of the metal member. , and a linear slit 21 of approximately 55 mm×5 mm is formed substantially at the center of the auxiliary antenna 20 .
Then, the IC chip 11 is arranged so as to overlap with the center of the slit 21 of the auxiliary antenna 20 . Specifically, in this example, a general-purpose inlay 10 of approximately 40 mm×4 mm is arranged in a direction intersecting (perpendicular to) the slit 21 . A part of the auxiliary antenna 20 in which the slit 21 is formed is grounded to a metal member.
FIG. 9B schematically shows the laminated structure of the first RF tag 1A according to this production example.
As shown in the figure, the first RF tag 1A has an adhesive layer 60, a base material 50, an auxiliary antenna 20, an inlay 10, and a surface layer 40, which are stacked in this order from the upper surface of the mounting surface. .

FIG. 9(c) is an explanatory diagram showing a specific manufacturing example of the second RF tag 1B among the RF tags 1 of this embodiment.
In this example shown in the figure, the inlay 10 is a general-purpose inlay with an overall length of about 38 mm and an antenna.
Specifically, as shown in the figure, the auxiliary antenna 20 is an S-shaped linear antenna with a diameter of about 45 mm, a width of about 3 mm, and an end opening of about 10 mm that fits inside the upper surface of the mounting surface of the metal member. It is configured as
The components described above are laminated in the inner region of the base material 50 (made of resin with a thickness of 3 mm), and the inlay 10 is superimposed on the central part of the S shape of the auxiliary antenna 20 so as to form an S shape. They are aligned and stacked in the vertical direction (up and down in the drawing) intersecting the straight portion.
FIG. 9(d) schematically shows the laminated structure of the second RF tag 1B according to this production example.
As shown in the figure, the second RF tag 1B has an adhesive layer 60, a base material 50, an auxiliary antenna 20, an inlay 10, and a surface layer 40, which are stacked in this order from the upper surface of the mounting surface. .

Moreover, in the two manufacturing examples as described above, as shown in FIGS. An adhesive layer 60 is provided, and the base material 50 is attached and fixed to the upper surface of the attachment surface to be attached, so that the RF tag 1 is not easily detached or peeled off.

[Communication characteristics]
Next, the communication characteristics of the RF tag 1 according to this production example configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a line graph showing the relationship between frequency and communication distance, which shows the communication characteristics of the first RF tag 1A.
FIG. 11 is a line graph showing the relationship between frequency and communication distance, which shows the communication characteristics of the second RF tag 1B.

As shown in these graphs, it can be seen that in the RF tag 1 of this embodiment, a constant communication distance is obtained at 920 MHz for each of the first RF tag 1A and the second RF tag 1B.
With the first RF tag 1A, as shown in FIG. 10, a maximum communication distance of about 4.0 m is obtained in the 920-960 MHz band, and with the second RF tag 1B, as shown in FIG. In addition, a communication distance of 1.5 m or more is obtained in the 920 to 930 MHz band, and the communication distance of the RF tag 1 attached to the article 100 (the metal member (round aluminum bar) described in this production example) is Satisfactory results have been obtained.

As described above, according to the RF tag 1 of the present embodiment, the inlay 10 configured along the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 to be attached and performing wireless communication is located inside the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100. The auxiliary antenna 20 is arranged in a short length so as not to protrude from the region, and the auxiliary antenna 20 formed in a predetermined shape along the outer shape of the mounting surface of the article 100 with respect to such a shortened inlay 10 is used as the inlay. 10 can obtain sufficient communication characteristics and communication distance.

As a result, the RF tag 1 according to the present embodiment does not require a complicated configuration, structure, etc., can use a general-purpose inlay as it is, and secures the necessary communication distance to ensure reliable wireless communication. can be realized, and the RF tag can 1 can be downsized.
Therefore, it is possible to realize an RF tag that can be attached to small metal articles, such as metal bar members, battery cases, building materials, food containers, beverage containers, etc., which have large restrictions on the area and shape of the RF tag attachment location. can do.

As described above, according to the RF tag 1 of the present embodiment, a small metal It is possible to configure the RF tag 1 that can be used for articles, etc., and even if the communication frequency and usage environment of the article to be used and the RF tag 1 are different, the configuration such as the shape and size of the auxiliary antenna 20 can be changed or replaced. It is possible to respond only by doing.
Therefore, according to the RF tag 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an RF tag 1 that can be attached to various small articles and objects that have limited attachment locations and are restricted in the area, shape, etc. of the attachment portion. It is possible to actively use existing general-purpose inlays, the entire tag can be configured at low cost, it is excellent in versatility, expandability, weather resistance, etc., and it is reliable with good communication characteristics at low cost. A high RF tag can be realized.

As described above, the RF tag of the present invention has been described by showing preferred embodiments, but the RF tag according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that it is possible.
For example, the RF tag 1 according to the above-described embodiment was configured to be covered with the surface layer 40, but at least a portion of the RF tag is covered with a film member different from the surface layer, such as a shrink film. can be Also, at least a part or the whole of the RF tag can be covered with a cover member such as a housing or a metal cover.
By doing so, the RF tag is protected by the film member or the cover member, and the weather resistance, heat resistance, impact resistance, waterproofness, etc. of the RF tag can be enhanced.

In addition to the inlay for wireless communication, the RF tag according to the present invention may also include other identification means, such as a bar code (one-dimensional code) or two-dimensional code for backing up or managing the RF tag. can. By doing so, the management information and backup information of the RF tag can be recorded and held, and the convenience, safety, etc. of the RF tag can be improved.

Further, in the RF tag of the present invention, when the inlay is removed from the article to which it is attached, at least a part of the inlay is destroyed or predetermined information indicating that the RF tag has been removed is recorded. It can also be configured. For example, by providing a sensor or the like that breaks when the inlay is peeled off, it is possible to detect and output that the inlay or RF tag has been removed. This makes it possible to detect unintended removal or destruction of the RF tag by the user, prevent and early detection of destruction or leakage of information, and improve the safety of the RF tag. .

Further, in the above-described embodiments, as articles using the RF tag according to the present invention, metal rod-shaped members, battery cases, building materials, food containers, and beverage containers have been described as examples. Usable articles and objects are not limited to them.
That is, the RF tag according to the present invention can be applied to any article or object for which an RF tag is used and predetermined information/data is read/written via a reader/writer. It is of course possible to use it for articles and objects other than those made of metal.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be suitably used as an RF tag that can be attached to small target articles having a limited attachment surface area and shape, such as metal bar members, battery cases, canned food containers, and canned beverage containers. be able to.

Reference Signs List 1 RF tag 10 Inlay 11 IC chip 11a Loop circuit 12 Antenna 13 Inlay base material 20 Auxiliary antenna 40 Surface layer 50 Base material

Claims (18)

an inlay having an IC chip and an antenna;
an auxiliary antenna electrically connected to the inlay by capacitor coupling;
An RF tag comprising the inlay and a support on which the auxiliary antenna is stacked,
the auxiliary antenna has a shape that follows the outline of the attachment surface of the article to which the RF tag is attached,
The RF tag, wherein the inlay is arranged so as to overlap with the auxiliary antenna in an area inside the contour of the mounting surface. The auxiliary antenna
A slit antenna having a sheet-like conductive member that spreads in a plane inside the outer shape of the mounting surface and a slit that penetrates the conductive member in a predetermined shape,
The RF tag according to claim 1, wherein the inlay is arranged so as to overlap at least part of the slit. 3. The RF tag according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary antenna or the support has a region that covers at least part of a side surface of the article that is continuous with the mounting surface. the inlay is arranged to cross the slit so that the IC chip of the inlay overlaps the slit;
4. The RF tag according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by: The RF tag according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the slit is formed in a U-shape in plan view of the auxiliary antenna. The auxiliary antenna
forming a linear antenna having a plurality of ends that are not short-circuited to each other in an area inside the outer shape of the mounting surface;
2. The RF tag according to claim 1, wherein a part of said inlay is arranged so as to overlap near the center of said auxiliary antenna. The auxiliary antenna has a linear portion extending linearly,
The RF tag according to claim 6, wherein the inlay is arranged such that the IC chip of the inlay overlaps the straight portion. 8. The inlay is superimposed on the auxiliary antenna so that the polarization axis of the inlay and the linear portion are parallel or cross each other at a predetermined angle. The RF tag described in . The RF tag according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the inlay is arranged such that at least part of the end of the inlay overlaps the auxiliary antenna. The RF tag according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the inlay is arranged so as to overlap the auxiliary antenna at a plurality of locations. The RF tag according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the auxiliary antenna has a length of approximately 1/4 or more and 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio frequency of the inlay. The RF tag according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the auxiliary antenna is formed in any one of an S shape, an annular shape, and a T shape in plan view. when at least part of said article is metal,
The RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein said inlay or said auxiliary antenna is grounded with a metal part of said article. The RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein at least part of said RF tag is covered with a film member or a cover member. The RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising another identification means in addition to the inlay. The RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein at least part of said RF tag is detachably attached to said article. When the RF tag is removed from the article,
The RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the inlay records predetermined information indicating that at least part of the inlay has been destroyed or the RF tag has been removed. . An article to which an RF tag is attached, comprising an inlay having an IC chip and an antenna, an auxiliary antenna electrically connected to the inlay, and a support on which the inlay and the auxiliary antenna are stacked,
An article equipped with an RF tag, wherein the RF tag comprises the RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

Images