US 12,381,640 B1
Apparatus and method for testing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) inlays employing waveguides
William G. Gunther, Essex, CT (US); and James W. Hough, Guilford, CT (US)
Assigned to George Schmitt & Co., Inc, Guilford, CT (US)
Filed by George Schmitt & Co., Inc, Guilford, CT (US)
Filed on Apr. 2, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/098,480.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/757,509, filed on Feb. 12, 2025.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/748,201, filed on Jan. 22, 2025.
Int. Cl. H04B 17/17 (2015.01)
CPC H04B 17/17 (2015.01) 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for testing inlays employing a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol that are carried on a web, and for removing from the web inlays that are not functioning within defined parameters, said system comprising:
an energizing device that energizes the inlays;
a plurality of singulation readers disposed downstream of the energizing device that simultaneously interrogate a plurality of pre-energized inlays during a read operation, each singulation reader interrogating a single inlay during the read operation and determining whether or not each interrogated inlay is functioning within the defined parameters; and
an automatic reject apparatus disposed downstream of the plurality of singulation readers that removes from the web any inlay determined during the read operation not to be functioning within the defined parameters, based at least in part on a position of the singulation reader interrogating the inlay determined not to be functioning within the defined parameters with respect to a reject gate of the automatic reject apparatus.