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Tuning fork antenna with standing wave mitigation for indoor location systems

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KEYWORDS: Antenna, RFID, Standing waves, Indoor positioning
SUMMARY:
New antenna for indoor positioning systems relying on Radio Frequency (RF) communication, such as RFID, Wi-Fi among others, with extended range, with increased maximum reading distance, allowing the reduction of the number of RF readers and other components of the system.
TRL:
6-7
Functional and real-application prototypes have been developed and they are available for demonstration.
More information in rfideep.com.

Background and description

Current RFID (Radio frequency Identification) systems for locating and tracking products, animals or people using passive tags use technology without canceling the undesirable effect of standing waves. These static systems have a very small coverage area and are very unstable when reading passive RFID tags beyond 12 meters.
This new technology refers to a Radio Frequency (RF) antenna topology, which uses two pairs of directional antennas spaced at half a wavelength that are placed on the same ground plane and form a topology in the form of a tuning fork. The basis of this tuning fork is the axis of rotation of the invention. This way, RF signals are sent and received with greater stability due to reduction of fluctuations and signal dead zones. The new U-shaped antenna doubles the range of the antenna compared to a similar antenna when the same power is used.

Applications

  • Radio Frequency location systems in indoor environments, such as
  • Supermarkets and stores
  • Factories and warehouses
  • Museums
  • Private homes
  • Residences

Benefits

  • Greater stability and doubled range granted by the new fork-shaped antenna, using two pairs of directional antennas spaced at half a wavelength placed on the same ground plane and its rotation by the basis
  • Increased TAG reading stability
  • Increased TAG location accuracy
  • Less antennas per area
  • Lower energy consumption

Patents

  • J. Pereira, Antena Diapasão com Mitigação de Ondas Estacionárias, PT118840, National, Pending, 28-07-2023,
    | Abstract