WO2015111466A1

WO2015111466A1 - Article with radio communication tag and radio communication tag

Info

Publication number: WO2015111466A1
Application number: PCT/JP2015/050683
Authority: WO
Inventors: 邦宏駒木; 育平木村
Original assignee: 株式会社村田製作所
Priority date: 2014-01-23
Filing date: 2015-01-13
Publication date: 2015-07-30
Also published as: CN206585073U; JP6337931B2; DE112015000479T5; CN209712910U; JP2016226047A; JPWO2015111466A1; JP6007448B2

Abstract

An RFIC chip having two input/output terminals is built in an RFIC package (12). One end of an excitation conductor (14) is connected to one of the input/output terminals of the RFIC chip. The electric length from this input/output terminal to the other end (= open end) of the excitation conductor (14) is adjusted to 1/4 λ. One end of a connection conductor (16) is connected to the other input/output terminal of the RFIC chip, and the other end of the connection conductor (16) is open. One end of a spindle constituting a high-pressure gas valve is connected to the open end of the connection conductor (16).

Description

Article with wireless communication tag and wireless communication tag

The present invention relates to a wireless communication tag including an integrated circuit for wireless communication having two input / output terminals and two conductors respectively connected to the two input / output terminals, and an article to which such a wireless communication tag is attached. .

An example of this type of background art is disclosed in Patent Document 1. According to this background art, the wireless IC chip is coupled to the first radiating element and the second radiating element that function as a dipole antenna. Here, the wireless IC chip and the first radiating element are provided on a small-size power supply board, and the second radiating element is provided on a large-sized printed wiring board different from the power supply board. That is, the second radiating element is provided separately from the main body portion of the wireless communication device. Accordingly, the size of the second radiating element can be increased, and the size of the main body portion of the wireless communication device can be reduced.

International Publication No. 2012/095411

However, since the second radiating element is an element dedicated to the dipole antenna, there is a problem that the cost increases.

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an article with a wireless communication tag or a wireless communication tag that can enhance high-frequency transmission characteristics at low cost.

An article with a wireless communication tag according to the present invention is an article to which a wireless communication tag is attached, and the wireless communication tag includes a wireless communication integrated circuit having a first input / output terminal and a second input / output terminal, and a first input / output terminal. And a connecting conductor having one end connected to the second input / output terminal and the other open end, and the article has one end connected to the second input / output terminal. A metal body that is connected to the other open end and open at the other end.

Preferably, the electrical length from the first input / output terminal to the other end of the excitation conductor is less than ½ wavelength.

More preferably, the electrical length from the first input / output terminal to the other end of the excitation conductor is approximately ¼ wavelength.

Preferably, the electrical length from the second input / output terminal to the open end of the metal body is ½ wavelength or more.

Preferably, the wireless communication tag further includes a power supply circuit having a predetermined resonance frequency, and the excitation conductor and the connection conductor are connected to the first input / output terminal and the second input / output terminal through the power supply circuit, respectively.

Preferably, each of the excitation conductor and the connection conductor is formed on a flexible base material.

Preferably, the metal body includes a columnar body, and the wireless communication tag is connected to one end surface of the columnar body.

More preferably, the columnar body is a cylindrical spindle.

A wireless communication tag of the present invention includes a wireless communication integrated circuit having a first input / output terminal and a second input / output terminal, an excitation conductor having one end connected to the first input / output terminal and the other open end, and A wireless communication tag comprising a connection conductor having one end connected to a second input / output terminal and the other open end, wherein the other open end of the connection conductor constitutes at least a part of the article and the other The end of the metal body is connected to one end.

Since the second input / output terminal is connected to a connection conductor having a predetermined area and the other end of the excitation conductor connected to the first input / output terminal is an open end, the excitation conductor functions as a monopole antenna. To do. When a current corresponding to a high-frequency signal flows through the excitation conductor, a similar current tends to flow through the connection conductor due to a mirror image effect. Here, since a metal body is connected to the connection conductor, a current also flows through the metal body. That is, the current flowing through the connecting conductor and the metal body flows through the metal body as if the connecting conductor and the metal body are all dipole antenna elements, and a corresponding high-frequency signal is radiated from the metal body.

High frequency transmission characteristics can be improved by making the metal body function as a dipole antenna. Moreover, the cost for improving the high-frequency transmission characteristics can be suppressed by using the metal body constituting the article for wireless communication.

The above object, other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state which looked at the RFID tag of this Example from diagonally upward. (A) is a side view which shows an example of the state which looked at the RFID tag shown in FIG. 1 from the side part, (B) is the state which looked at the RFID tag (except a flexible base material) shown in FIG. It is a bottom view which shows an example. It is an illustration figure which shows an example of the structure of the RFIC package applied to the RFID tag shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a power feeding circuit provided in the RFIC package illustrated in FIG. 3. It is an illustration figure which shows an example in the state with which the RFID tag shown in FIG. 1 was mounted | worn with the valve | bulb. It is an enlarged view which shows the vicinity of the RFID tag with which the valve | bulb was mounted | worn. (A) is an illustration figure which shows an example of an operation | movement in case the excitation conductor which comprises an RFID tag makes a monopole antenna, (B) flows through the spindle which comprises the excitation conductor and high-pressure gas valve which comprise an RFID tag. It is an illustration figure which shows an example of a motion of an electric current, (C) is an illustration figure which shows an example of an operation | movement in case the spindle which comprises a high pressure gas valve makes a dipole antenna. It is an illustration figure which shows an example of the external appearance of the measuring device with which the RFID tag shown in FIG. 1 is mounted | worn. It is an illustration figure which shows an example of the connection state of the switch provided in the front surface of the measuring device, and the variable resistance element on the printed circuit board provided in the inside of the measuring device. It is an illustration figure which shows an example in the state with which the RFID tag shown in FIG. 1 was mounted | worn with the switch. It is an enlarged view which shows the vicinity of the RFID tag with which the switch was mounted | worn.

The wireless communication tag of the present invention is typically an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag having a communication frequency in the UHF band.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 (A) and FIG. 2 (B), the RFID tag 10 of this embodiment includes a rectangular parallelepiped RFIC (RadiocuFrequency１２Circuit) Package 12. The RFIC package 12 includes an RFIC chip (wireless communication integrated circuit chip) 12e for processing an RFID signal and a power supply circuit board 12c for mounting the RFIC chip 12e. In this embodiment, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis are assigned to the length direction, the width direction, and the thickness direction of the rectangular parallelepiped forming the RFIC package 12. Based on this, two I /

O terminals

12a and 12b arranged along the X-axis are provided on the lower surface of the RFIC package 12 (= the surface facing the negative side in the Z-axis direction). The I /

O terminals

12a and 12b of the RFIC package 12 are respectively connected to the first input / output terminal 12h and the second input / output terminal 12i of the RFIC chip 12e through a power supply circuit provided on the power supply circuit board 12c. Yes.

The

flexible base materials

18 and 20 are made of a resin film, and these main surfaces are all rectangular. The excitation conductor 14 is printed on the main surface of the flexible base material 18, and the connection conductor 16 is printed on the main surface of the flexible base material 20. The excitation conductor 14 and the connection conductor 16 may be formed on the same flexible base material.

However, the width of the rectangle formed by the main surface of the flexible base material 18 is significantly larger than the width of the RFIC package 12, whereas the width of the rectangle formed by the main surface of the flexible base material 20 is slightly smaller than the width of the RFIC package 12. Stay above. The excitation conductor 14 is formed in a strap shape, whereas the connection conductor 16 is formed so as to cover the entire main surface of the flexible base material 20.

One end of the excitation conductor 14 is connected to the I / O terminal 12a by a conductive bonding material 22, and the other end of the excitation conductor 14 is an open end. Therefore, the flexible substrate 18 extends on the positive side in the X-axis direction from the RFIC package 12. In addition, on the main surface of the flexible base material 18, the excitation conductor 14 is configured by a meander-like conductor pattern, meandering from one end to the negative side in the Y-axis direction, and on the positive side in the X-axis direction. It protrudes and bends to the positive side in the Y-axis direction, and then extends in a straight line and reaches the other end.

In contrast, one end of the rectangle formed by the connection conductor 16 is connected to the I / O terminal 12b by the conductive bonding material 24, and the other end of the rectangle formed by the connection conductor 16 is an open end. Therefore, the flexible substrate 20 extends on the negative side in the X-axis direction from the RFIC package 12.

Referring to FIG. 3, the RFIC package 12 has a power supply circuit board 12c and a sealing layer 12d each formed in a plate shape. The sealing layer 12d is laminated on the sealing layer 12d so that the side surface (= the surface orthogonal to each of the X axis and the Y axis) is flush with the side surface of the feeder circuit substrate 12c.

The I /

O terminals

12a and 12b described above are formed on the lower surface of the feeder circuit board 12c. In addition, I /

O terminals

12f and 12g are formed on the upper surface of the feeder circuit board 12c. An RFIC chip 12e is embedded in the sealing layer 12d, and bump-like first input / output terminals 12h and second input / output terminals 12i are formed on the lower surface of the RFIC chip 12e. The first input / output terminal 12h is connected to the I / O terminal 12f, and the second input / output terminal 12i is connected to the I / O terminal 12g.

The power feeding circuit board 12c is provided with a power feeding circuit 12j shown in FIG. According to FIG. 4, one end of the capacitor C1 is connected to the I / O terminal 12a, and the other end of the capacitor C1 is connected to the I / O terminal 12f and thus the first input / output terminal 12h. In addition, one end of the capacitor C2 is connected to the I / O terminal 12b, and the other end of the capacitor C2 is connected to the I / O terminal 12g and thus the second input / output terminal 12i. One end of the inductor L1 is connected to one end of the capacitor C1, and the other end of the inductor L1 is connected to one end of the capacitor C2.

The resonance frequency of the RFID tag 10 corresponds to the carrier frequency of the radio communication high-frequency signal, and is defined by the inductor L1 and capacitors C1 to C2 constituting the power feeding circuit 12j and the inductor component of the excitation conductor 14. The electrical length from the first input / output terminal 12h to the open end of the excitation conductor 14 is set to ¼ (= 1 / 4λ) of the wavelength of the high-frequency signal having the resonance frequency thus defined. As a result, when the connection conductor 16 is connected to the ground GND (in this embodiment, a spindle 36 and a valve 38 described later), the RFIC package 12 and the excitation conductor 14 function as a monopole antenna. However, since it is not placed in a sufficient environment as a radiator, it cannot radiate electromagnetic waves far away.

Referring to FIG. 5, the high-pressure gas valve 30 includes a valve box 32 in which a valve chamber RM1 for accommodating the valve 38 is formed, and a handle 34 that adjusts the position of the valve 38 via a spindle 36. The high-pressure gas valve 30 is attached to the high-pressure gas container 40 so that the lower surface of the valve box 32 is closed by the opening of the high-pressure gas container 40. The high-pressure gas container 40 is a metal container.

The handle 34 is a resin molded body, and is disposed above the valve box 32 in a cylinder extending in the vertical direction. The valve box 32 is a metal container. In the handle 34, the upper end of the cylinder is greatly opened, and the lower end of the cylinder is closed at the center position of the circle except for the through hole HL1 extending in the vertical direction. In other words, the handle 34 has a concave portion CC1 that is recessed downward, and the through hole HL1 is formed at the center of the bottom surface of the concave portion CC1.

An intake hole VT1 for taking high-pressure gas into the valve chamber RM1 is formed on the lower surface of the valve box 32, and an exhaust hole VT2 for discharging the high-pressure gas taken into the valve chamber RM1 is formed on the side surface of the valve box 32. Is done. A through hole HL2 having an inner diameter that matches the inner diameter of the through hole HL1 and reaching the valve chamber RM1 is formed on the upper surface of the valve box 32.

The spindle 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape using a metal as a material. The outer diameter of the cylinder substantially matches the inner diameter of each of the through holes HL1 and HL2. The spindle 36 extends in the vertical direction, and its upper end reaches the recess CC1 through the through hole HL1, while its lower end reaches the valve chamber RM1 through the through hole HL2.

The valve 38 is formed in a disk shape using a metal as a material. One main surface of the disk faces upward, and the other main surface of the disk faces downward. The outer diameter of the disc is larger than the outer diameter of the spindle 36, and the lower end of the spindle 36 reaching the valve chamber RM1 is coupled to the valve 38 at the center of one main surface of the disc. The valve 38 moves up and down in accordance with the operation of the handle 34, whereby the amount of high-pressure gas discharged from the exhaust hole VT2 is adjusted.

Referring further to FIG. 6, the RFID tag 10 is mounted in an upside down posture in a recess CC1 formed in the handle. The upper surface of the RFIC package 12 is bonded to the bottom surface of the recess CC1, the excitation conductor 14 is bonded to the inner peripheral surface of the recess CC1, and the connection conductor 16 is bonded to the upper end of the spindle 36. In particular, the connecting conductor 16 is joined to the upper end of the spindle 36 by a conductive joining material 42.

The length of the spindle 36 is such that the electrical length from the second input / output terminal 12i to the valve 38 shown in FIG. 3 is not less than 1/2 (= 1 / 2λ) of the wavelength of the high frequency having the resonance frequency described above. Adjusted to

Referring to FIG. 7A, when RFID tag 10 is attached to high pressure gas valve 30 as shown in FIG. 5, spindle 36 and valve 38 form ground GND, and RFIC chip 12e and excitation conductor 14 are monopole antennas. It functions as an exciter in the same operation state. Therefore, when the current I corresponding to the resonance frequency of the RFIC chip 12 e flows through the excitation conductor 14, the same current I tends to flow through the connection conductor 16 due to the mirror image effect. Here, when the second input / output terminal has only a connection conductor, the electrical length from the second input / output terminal to the open end of the connection conductor is less than λ / 4. As a result, the electrical length from the second input / output terminal becomes ½λ or more, so that the current I is the prime current on the spindle 36 and the valve 38. I ′ is generated (see FIG. 7B). At this time, the current I ′ causes resonance of λ / 2 in the metal part ahead of the second input / output terminal as if the spindle 36 and the valve 38 are all dipole antennas. Flowing through the body (see FIG. 7C), a high-frequency signal having an intensity corresponding to the magnitude of the current I ′ is output from these metal bodies.

As can be seen from the above description, in the RFID tag 10, the RFIC chip 12e has a first input / output terminal 12h and a second input / output terminal 12i. The excitation conductor 14 has one end connected to the first input / output terminal 12h and the other end opened at a position where the electrical length from the first input / output terminal 12h is less than 1 / 2λ, particularly 1 / 4λ. The connection conductor 16 has one end connected to the second input / output terminal 12i and the other open end. One end of the spindle 36 constituting the high-pressure gas valve 30 is connected to the open end of the connecting conductor 16, and the other end of the spindle 36 is connected to the valve 38.

High frequency transmission characteristics can be enhanced by causing the spindle 36 and the valve 38 to function as a dipole antenna. Further, by using the members constituting the high-pressure gas valve 30 for wireless communication, it is possible to suppress the cost for improving the high-frequency transmission characteristics. Further, if the valve box 32 and the high-pressure gas container 40 are made of metal and connected to the spindle 36 and the valve 38, a part of the valve box 32 and the high-pressure gas container 40 can be used as a radiating element. Thus, the communication distance can be further increased.

In this embodiment, the RFID tag 10 is attached to the high pressure gas valve 30. However, the RFID tag 10 may be attached to the high-pressure gas container 40 or may be an article other than the high-pressure gas valve 30 as long as it is an article having a metal body, for example, a metal such as a spanner. Made tools are assumed.

As another embodiment, a measuring instrument 50 shown in FIG. 8 is assumed. With additional reference to FIG. 9, the measuring instrument 50 has a housing 52, and a printed circuit board 62 is accommodated in the housing 52. One main surface of the printed circuit board 62 faces upward, and the other main surface of the printed circuit board 62 faces downward. A plate-like ground electrode 64 is embedded in the printed circuit board 62. The ground electrode 64 is also embedded in the printed circuit board 62 so that one main surface and the other main surface thereof face upward and downward, respectively. A variable resistance element 66 is mounted on the printed board 62. The variable resistance element 66 is electrically connected to the ground electrode 64 embedded in the printed circuit board 62.

A volume adjustment switch 54 is provided on the front surface of the housing 52. The switch 54 is formed by a resin knob 56 and a metal spindle 60. The knob 56 forms a cylinder, while the spindle 60 forms a cylinder. Further, the length of the spindle 60 exceeds the length of the knob 56, and the outer diameter of the spindle 60 is smaller than the outer diameter of the knob 56.

As shown in FIG. 10, one end of the cylinder forming the knob 56 is opened, and the other end of the cylinder forming the knob 56 is closed. In other words, the knob 56 is formed with a recess CC2 that is recessed from one end to the other end. A cylindrical support body 58 having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder forming the knob 56 and extending in the same direction as the cylinder forming the knob 56 is provided on the bottom surface of the recess CC2.

The inner diameter of the cylinder forming the support body 58 substantially matches the outer diameter of the spindle 60, and the spindle 60 is inserted into the support body 58. Specifically, one end of the spindle 60 is an open end, and the other end of the spindle 60 is screwed with the support body 58. When the switch 54 is provided on the front surface of the housing 52, the spindle 60 is orthogonal to the front surface of the housing 52, and one end of the spindle 60 penetrates inside the housing 52 and reaches the variable resistance element 66. Since the spindle 60 has conductivity, the resistance value of the variable resistance element 66 is adjusted by rotating the spindle 60 around the axis using the knob 56.

Since the variable resistance element 66 is electrically connected to the ground electrode 64 as described above, the spindle 60 is also electrically connected to the ground electrode 64 via the variable resistance element 66.

Referring further to FIG. 11, the RFID tag 10 is received in the recess CC <b> 2 formed in the knob 56. At this time, the flexible base material 18 that supports the excitation conductor 14 is joined to the inner peripheral surface of the recess CC <b> 2, and the connection conductor 16 is joined to the other end of the spindle 60. In particular, the connecting conductor 16 is bonded to the other end of the spindle 60 by a conductive bonding material 68.

Also in this embodiment, the high frequency transmission characteristics can be enhanced by causing the spindle 60 and the ground electrode 64 to function as a dipole antenna. Further, by using the members constituting the measuring device 50 for wireless communication, it is possible to suppress the cost for improving the high-frequency transmission characteristics.

10 ... RFID tag (wireless communication tag)
12e ... RFIC chip (integrated circuit for wireless communication)
12h ... 1st input / output terminal 12i ... 2nd input / output terminal 12j ... Feeding circuit 14 ... Excitation conductor 16 ...

Connection conductor

18, 20 ... Flexible base material 30 ... High pressure gas valve (article)
36 ... Spindle (metal body)
38 ... Valve (metal body)
50 ... Measuring instrument (article)
60 ... Spindle (metal body)
64: Ground electrode (metal body)

Claims

An article with a wireless communication tag,
The wireless communication tag is
An integrated circuit for wireless communication having a first input / output terminal and a second input / output terminal;
An excitation conductor having one end connected to the first input / output terminal and the other open end; and a connecting conductor having one end connected to the second input / output terminal and the other open end;
An article with a wireless communication tag, comprising: a metal body having one end connected to the other open end of the connection conductor and the other end open.
The article with a wireless communication tag according to claim 1, wherein an electrical length from the first input / output terminal to the other end of the excitation conductor is less than ½ wavelength.
The article with a wireless communication tag according to claim 2, wherein an electrical length from the first input / output terminal to the other end of the excitation conductor is approximately ¼ wavelength.
The article with a wireless communication tag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an electrical length from the second input / output terminal to the open end of the metal body is ½ wavelength or more.
The wireless communication tag further includes a power supply circuit having a predetermined resonance frequency,
The article with a wireless communication tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the excitation conductor and the connection conductor are connected to the first input / output terminal and the second input / output terminal via the feeder circuit, respectively. .
The article with a wireless communication tag according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the excitation conductor and the connection conductor is formed on a flexible base material.
The article with a wireless communication tag according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the metal body includes a columnar body, and the wireless communication tag is connected to one end face of the columnar body.
The article with a wireless communication tag according to claim 7, wherein the columnar body is a cylindrical spindle.
An integrated circuit for wireless communication having a first input / output terminal and a second input / output terminal;
A radio comprising an excitation conductor having one end connected to the first input / output terminal and an open other end, and a connection conductor having one end connected to the second input / output terminal and the other open end A communication tag,
The wireless communication tag, wherein the opened other end of the connection conductor constitutes at least a part of an article and is connected to one end of a metal body having the other end opened.