US 12,307,318 B1
Radio-frequency identification (RFID)-enabled connections and localization—assembly and method
Patrick W. Fink, Houston, TX (US); Gregory Y. Lin, Houston, TX (US); Phong H. Ngo, Houston, TX (US); and Lazaro D. Rodriguez, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Apr. 18, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/639,149.
Int. Cl. G06K 19/06 (2006.01); G06K 19/077 (2006.01); H01Q 7/00 (2006.01); H04B 5/26 (2024.01); H04B 5/43 (2024.01); H01Q 1/22 (2006.01)
CPC G06K 19/07779 (2013.01) [H01Q 7/00 (2013.01); H04B 5/26 (2024.01); H04B 5/43 (2024.01); H01Q 1/2208 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based method, the RFID-based method comprising:
providing a first electrically-conductive loop and a first RFID integrated circuit (IC) electrically coupled with the first electrically-conductive loop, the first electrically-conductive loop and the first RFID IC being carried by a first object;
providing a second electrically-conductive loop and a second RFID IC electrically coupled with the second electrically-conductive loop, the second electrically-conductive loop and the second RFID IC being carried by a second object;
providing a resonant antenna;
bringing the first object, the second object, and the resonant antenna within proximity of one another, wherein the first electrically-conductive loop and the first RFID IC have a first geometrical configuration relative to at least a portion of the resonant antenna and the second electrically-conductive loop and the second RFID IC have a second geometrical configuration relative to the at least portion of the resonant antenna, the first geometrical configuration and the second geometrical configuration exhibiting general symmetry with respect to each other; and,
determining a location of the second object based upon a known location of the first electrically-conductive loop and the first RFID IC and the first object, and based upon an RF signal phase difference between the first electrically-conductive loop and the first RFID IC and the second electrically-conductive loop and the second RFID IC when subject to interrogation by an RFID reader, an RF signal strength difference between the first electrically-conductive loop and the first RFID IC and the second electrically-conductive loop and the second RFID IC when subject to interrogation by the RFID reader, or both the RF signal phase difference and RF signal strength difference between the first electrically-conductive loop and the first RFID IC and the second electrically-conductive loop and the second RFID IC when subject to interrogation by the RFID reader.