EP1938117A1

EP1938117A1 - Test head device

Info

Publication number: EP1938117A1
Application number: EP06807195A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Henrik Bufe
Original assignee: Muehlbauer GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Muehlbauer GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2005-10-12
Filing date: 2006-10-12
Publication date: 2008-07-02
Also published as: WO2007042551B1; US8098139B2; JP2009512045A; WO2007042551A1; JP4818370B2; US20080246591A1; DE102005048872A1

Abstract

The invention exhibits a test head device for testing the functionality of a multiplicity of RFID chips, which are arranged in smart labels (17), within a smart-label production apparatus using a data reading and/or data writing operation, wherein the smart labels (17) each having a first antenna (10a - 10e) are applied beside one another and behind one another to a common continuous belt, wherein the test head device has a plurality of test systems which are independent of one another in terms of their function and respectively comprise a writing and/or reading unit (12a - e), a second antenna (3, 11a - e; 18) which is connected to the latter and is respectively associated with one of the first antennas (10a - 10e) for the purpose of simultaneously transmitting read and/or write data between the first and second antennas (10a - 10e; 3; 11a - e; 18) by means of ultra-high frequency waves, and a common table unit which can be displaced at least in the vertical direction, wherein the second antennas (3; 11a - e; 18) are arranged on a common antenna carrier plate (2) which is oriented parallel to the belt.

Description

PATENT CO. C. HANNKE

Aegidienplatz 7

93047 Regensburg

Mühlbauer AG 1 October 1, 2006

Josef-Mühlbauer-Platz 1 MBR01-071-WOPT

HA / nh D-93426 Roding

Test head device

description

The invention relates to a test head device for testing the functionality of a plurality of RFID tags arranged in smart labels within a smart label manufacturing device by means of a data read and / or data write operation, the smart labels each having a first antenna next to and behind each other are applied to a common continuous band, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Smart labels usually consist of an antenna and an associated RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, and are on a common Web, which represents a continuous band of a plastic film, a paper or the like, both in succession and side by side with a small Spaced apart. Such narrow webs are characterized as continuous tapes by having a very close arrangement of a large number of smart labels due to a demanded high throughput of the smart label manufacturing apparatus within which the tape runs. Typically, in such smart label manufacturing devices, several thousand smart labels per hour are continuously produced.

In order to initialize such RFID chips arranged in the smart labels, together with writing and reading the RFID chips with an individual ID number and other data, it is necessary for an unambiguous assignment of the ID (Identification) number to a particular smart label necessary to describe and read a selected smart label regardless of the adjacent smart label without affecting those. This usually takes place by means of high-frequency wave transmission from an antenna arranged in the device to the antenna of the smart label.

Also, for carrying out a functional test of the smart labels in connection with the reading and writing operation and / or subsequent performance, a targeted selection of a specific smart label without influencing by adjacent smart labels is necessary. This requires the individual driving of individual smart labels by means of the writing and / or reading data transmitting antenna and an associated write and / or read element, which due to the programming process representing long initialization times of several seconds per smart label, a reduction in throughput the entire manufacturing plant, since more smart labels can be produced than subsequently initialized and tested.

Due to differently used smart label designs as well as differently structured UHF RFID chips, it is necessary to use different types of test antennas with different spacings to one another and to avoid a common function test execution as well as read and write control.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a test head device for testing the operability of a large number of RFID chips arranged in smart labels within a smart label production device by means of a data read and / or write operation while maintaining a high throughput of the manufacturing device allows the testing or testing of a plurality of RFID chips, with an influence of adjacent writing and reading operations to be avoided and a quick adaptation of the test head device to differently constructed RFID chips is possible.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1.

An essential point of the invention is that in a test head device for testing the operability of a plurality of RFID chips arranged in smart labels within a smart label manufacturing device by means of a data read and / or data write process, wherein the smart labels each having a first antenna next to and behind one another are applied to a common continuous band, these a variety of mutually independent in their functions test systems having. The test systems each consist of a writing and / or reading unit, in each case a second antenna connected as a test antenna, which are each assigned to one of the first antennas for the simultaneous transmission of read and / or write data between the first and second antennas by means of ultra-high frequency waves , and a common, at least in height direction movable table unit. The second antennas are arranged on a common, aligned parallel to the band antenna support plate. The separate arrangement of electrically, electromagnetically and mechanically independently functioning test systems ultra-high frequency waves with different frequency values, different polarization directions and optionally laterally spaced read and write data transmissions can be sent and received so as to reliably separate, high-frequency decoupled control of individual smart labels regardless of Read and write operations of the adjacent smart labels. This avoids interference between adjacent RFID chips during their simultaneous functional testing.

Normally, on a tape, also called narrow web, 2 - 10 UHF smart labels are arranged, which can be tested or written or read at the same time within a very short time. By the use of a test head, the antenna support plate with the second antennas, spacers mounted thereon for spacing the tape relative to the antenna support plate, arranged parallel to the antenna support plate receiving plate te, RF connector elements for connecting the read and / or write units and a common Encoding port for transmitting encoding data with initial values for parameters to the read and write operations of the second antennas, a test unit on the adjustable table can be quickly replaced to different smart label designs with differently arranged RFID chips and different built UHF RFID chips by the adaptation of the test head to be able to test. It should be noted that a write operation on RFID chips takes much more time than a read from this RFID chip. - A -

For a test procedure described above, the tape is discontinuously traversed, i. H. it is stopped briefly to perform the testing process by means of a feeding of the test head or the test device by means of the movable table from above or below the tape zoom. In this case, the number of test systems used that are contained in the test head device can be divided by the number of smart labs produced per machine cycle. This results in one or more test positions that must be approached with the test head device in order to be able to test all smart labels produced in the machine cycle targeted to the production device. The number of possible test positions depends on the cycle time of the production device and the time required for a test cycle including the positioning of the test head. The total time needed by the entire test system to process all positions must not be greater than the cycle time of the machines of the production device. If this is the case, the number of parallel test systems within the test head device must be increased.

The various test systems arranged in the test head device are connected to a common control device, which exchanges independently with each test system different control and regulation data for controlling the individual read and / or write operations.

To avoid influencing the test processes by adjacent test procedures, the second antennas may have different shapes.

In order to improve the transmission rate, an HF attenuator is preferably arranged in each case between the reading and / or writing units and the second antennas assigned to them.

The coding data transmitted by means of the coding terminal are sent to the connected reading and writing units and the movable table unit and include values for operating frequencies, chip types and the power of the UHF waves. Likewise, positioning values for the table unit can be transmitted for shifting those in the X and Y directions, ie parallel to the course of the band plane, and in the Z direction, ie towards or away from the band plane. The table unit is adjustable in the longitudinal and width direction of the tape by means of sliding movements in order to obtain a suitable assignment of the second antennas to the first antennas or the RFID chips.

The second antennas may preferably represent double inverted F antennas.

Further advantageous embodiments will become apparent from the dependent claims.

Advantages and expediencies can be found in the following description in conjunction with the drawing. Hereby show:

1 shows a schematic perspective illustration of a test head for a test head device according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the basic structure of the test head device according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG.

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of the test head of the test head device according to an embodiment of the invention with underlying smart labels and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the form of a test antenna for the test head device according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a test head for a test head device according to an embodiment of the invention. The test head is arranged exchangeably on a not shown here in all three dimensions movable table. This makes it possible to adapt to all modifications that result from a product change with regard to the smart labels and the RFID chips within a production device in the test area.

The test head 1 has an antenna support plate 2 with second arranged thereon Antennas 3, wherein the antenna support plate 2 by means of spacers 4 a Beabstan- tion to a band not shown here, on which the smart labels are arranged with the associated RFID chips to be tested, keep spaced.

Connecting struts 5 connect the antenna support plate 2 with a receiving plate 6, which is designed for placement on the table and for quick replacement of the entire test head.

A coding connection 7 for the transmission of coding data from a centralized or decentralized control device to the test head with respect to the software parameter setups assigned to the test head is arranged below the antenna support plate 2.

HF connection elements for the connection of the reading and / or writing units (readers) represent a plurality of defined interfaces which establish a high-frequency connection and ensure independently functioning test systems.

The antenna support plate 2 usually has 2-10 test antennas 3 integrated thereon. The spacers 4 define the distance of a gap between the antenna support plate and the belt, which is necessary to ensure a targeted and good transmission of the ultra-high frequency waves.

The test head contains all know-how in the form of the arrangement and design of the test antennas and enables the assignment of a test system to a single smart label or the RFID chip contained therein. Such a unique assignment is absolutely necessary in order to obtain a reliable statement about the functionality of the individual RFID chip. Such a test head forms a self-contained system together with the test systems.

All mechanical changes of the smart label arrangements on the tape or the web are adjusted by a suitable arrangement of the second antennas or test antennas on the antenna support plate 2. Here, the distances, the orientations and the sizes of the smart labels can vary. The test head is installed on the sub-web positioning table located in the test area. Subsequently, the table is slid in height to bring the test head to the web and to obtain an alignment of the second antennas or test antennas with the first antennas associated with the smart labels in the X and Y directions.

FIG. 2 shows in a schematic plan view the basic structure of the test head device according to the embodiment of the invention. The test head 1 has a plurality of shielded regions 9a-9e corresponding to the number of smart labels arranged on a band, not shown in greater detail, which have a similar shape. The demarcated regions are obtained by using different frequencies, for example, 902, 910, 917, 905, or 925 MHz or different polarization shapes of the ultrahigh frequency waves to be transmitted.

The ultra-high frequency waves emitting second antennas 1 1a - 1 1e are shown such that the polarization direction of the ultra-high frequency waves emitted by these antennas differs at least to the nearest adjacent shielded area 9a - 9e.

Each antenna 11a, 11e is individually connected to a read and write unit 12a-12e which initiate and control the read and write operations to perform the test operations.

All reading and writing units 12a-12e are connected via a serial or Ethernet connection line 13 to a PC tester program 14 and furthermore via a serial or CAN line 15 to an IPC 16 as the central control unit. For a test procedure to be performed on a plurality of smart labels and RFID chips therein, the web is discontinuously moved in order to bring the test head to the web during a standstill of the web and thus to be able to carry out the test procedure.

Then, a transmission of the ultrasonic high-frequency waves with different frequencies and different polarizations takes place from the second to the first antennas and vice versa. In order to ensure suitable and sufficient isolation of the individual test In addition to the use of different high-frequency waves and different polarizations, a small bandwidth is used for each test antenna, which only at the assigned operating frequency an optimal transmission between the smart labels and the read and write units (RFID Reader). Each test antenna is optimized in its resonance frequency and impedance especially to the working frequency of the associated RFID reader out.

The test antennas are advantageously arranged or integrated as microstrip antennas on a common or separate board with a common or separate ground plane. Here, the radiation characteristic of each test antenna has a 90 ° angle to the antenna support plate.

All second antennas with associated test systems are independently controlled and operated at the same time. As a result, only the smart label assigned directly to the respective test antenna can be read and written.

Mutually influencing the various test systems can advantageously be improved by a targeted reduction of the mimicking HF power of the UHF waves to the minimum value necessary for the application.

To improve the transmission properties, attenuators may also be inserted between the RFID readers and the respective test antennas. Each RFID reader has its own constantly available communication interface to the central control unit.

FIG. 3 shows, in a schematic plan view, the test head with smart labels arranged thereunder according to an embodiment of the test head device according to the invention. On a common antenna support plate 2, which is arranged above here smart labels 17 shown, individual test antennas 18 are arranged with connection points 19 for SMA coaxial sockets according to the distribution of the smart labels 17. The antenna support plate 2 has a ground plane on its backside for shielding to the adjacent smart label testing operations. All test antennas are optimized to a real impedance of 50 ohms. The design of such test antennas is carried out in microstrip method with one-sided mass reference surface. The antennas are designed as near field antennas, whereby no optimization of the radiation resistance and the antenna gain takes place under far field conditions. A radiation efficiency (efficiency) of the test antennas is intentionally kept low in order to realize the good insulation values compared to adjacent test antennas.

Between two adjacent test antennas there is a transfer attenuation as insulation of at least 35 dB relative to the respective working frequency of a test antenna. The test antennas are each individually connected to the RFID readers via SMA connections on the test head. The coupling of a coaxial cable to the test antenna for connecting the RF connection points with the integrated test antennas can be done via an SMA socket or a direct soldered coaxial cable.

By means of the test head shown in FIG. 3, 6 smart labels with extreme packing density of those on the Web can be tested simultaneously. During the test process, a complete initialization of the RFID chips followed by a read operation for control takes place. Each of the six test antennas 18 is responsible for one smart label 17 each.

For coding the test head, the coding port includes digital binary coding of the test head number. With the aid of this coding, it is possible to deposit a parameter setup for the test head and the table which sets the connected RFID readers 12a-12e in terms of the operating frequency, the chip type and their power. Furthermore, the number and the exact position data of the test positions of the table can be stored via this coding. These parameters are then automatically transmitted to the test components of the test head device after a test head change has taken place. By avoiding the software positioning of the table in areas that arise as a function of the dimensions of the test head, such an automatic transmission of the parameters in a test head change is clear.

FIG. 4 shows in plan view a special antenna form of a test antenna for a test head device according to an embodiment of the invention. The test antenna represents a doubled inverted F-antenna with base point adjustment. tion or production of such an F-antenna 18 by means of a microstrip technology with continuous ground reference surface on the back of the circuit board.

The F-antenna has a first and a second monopole 20, 21 as well as a feed point 19 and a foot point 22 with a 13 pF-sized capacitor with respect to the ground plane.

All disclosed in the application documents features are claimed as essential to the invention, provided they are new individually or in combination over the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 test head

2 antenna support plate 3 second antennas

4 spacers

5 connecting struts

6 receiving plate

7 coding connection 8 HF connection element

9a - 9e shielded test areas

10a - 10e first antennas

1 1a-11e second antennas

12a - 12e RFID reader 13 serial or Ethernet connection

14 PC testers

15 serial or CAN connection

16 IPC

17 smart labels 18 second antennas

19 Connection point for SMA coaxial socket

20 first monopole of the second antenna

21 second monopole of the second antenna

22 feet of the second antenna

Claims

Test head device patent claims

A test head device for testing the operability of a plurality of RFID chips arranged in smart labels within a smart label manufacturing device by means of a data read and / or data write operation, the smart labels each having a first antenna (10a - 10e) next to and behind one another are applied to a common continuous band characterized in that the test head means a plurality of independent in their function test systems consisting of a respective writing and / or reading unit (12a - e), each one with it a second antenna (3, 11a-11e, 18), each one of the first antennas (10a-1e) for simultaneously transmitting read and / or write data between the first and second antennas (10a-10e, 3; 11a-e; 18) are assigned by means of ultra-high frequency waves, and a common, at least in height direction movable table unit, wherein the second antenna en (3; 11 a - e; 18) are arranged on a common, aligned parallel to the band antenna support plate (2).

2. Test head device according to claim 1, characterized in that the test systems with a common control device (14, 16) are connected, which exchanges independently with each test system different control and regulation data for controlling the read and / or write operations.

3. Test head device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that with each second antenna (3; 18) the UHF waves with a polarization different to the adjacent second antennas (3; 18) (11a-e) and / or different frequency are send out.

4. Test head device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each second antenna (3; 11 a - e; 18) has a different shape from that of the adjacent second antennas (3, 11a-e; 18).

5. Test head device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between the read and / or write units (12a - e) and their associated second antennas (11a - e) each have an RF attenuator is arranged.

6. Test head device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a test head (1), the antenna support plate (2) with the second antennas (3), mounted thereon spacers (4) for spacing the tape relative to the antenna support plate (2), a parallel to the antenna support plate (2) arranged receiving plate (6), RF connecting elements (8) for connecting the read and / or write units (12a - e) and a common coding port (7) for transmitting coding data with initial values for parameters to the reading and writing operations of the second antennas (3).

7. test head device according to claim 6, characterized in that the test head (1) is arranged replaceably on the table unit.

8. Test head device according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the parameters include values for operating frequencies, chip types and the power of the UHF waves.

9. Test head device according to one of claims 5-8, characterized in that the parameters comprise positioning values for the table unit.

10. Test head device according to one of claims 6-9, characterized in that the coding data to the connected read and write units (12a - e) and the table unit are transferable.

11. Test head device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the table unit in the longitudinal and width direction of the belt is adjustable by means of sliding movements.

12. Test head device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second antenna double inverted F antennas (18) represent.