US 12,136,007 B2
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna assembly and multiplexer module
Patrick W. Fink, Houston, TX (US); Greg Y. Lin, Houston, TX (US); Phong H. Ngo, Houston, TX (US); David S. Hafermalz, Houston, TX (US); Raymond S. Wagner, 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 United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/810,890.
Prior Publication US 2024/0013019 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G06K 19/07 (2006.01); G06K 19/073 (2006.01); H01Q 1/22 (2006.01)
CPC G06K 19/0724 (2013.01) [G06K 19/0701 (2013.01); G06K 19/07345 (2013.01); H01Q 1/2208 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna assembly, comprising:
a plurality of multiplexer modules coupled with one another, at least one multiplexer module of the plurality of multiplexer modules comprising: a switch and an encoder, the switch receiving radio frequency (RF) signals from an RFID reader via an input port and having a plurality of output ports, a state of the switch changeable to each of the plurality of output ports, a first output port of the plurality of output ports connectable with an antenna, and a second output port of the plurality of output ports connectable with the encoder; wherein the at least one multiplexer module further comprises a first rectifier and a second rectifier, the first rectifier and the second rectifier receiving at least a portion of the RF signals from the RFID reader, and wherein, after initial activation of the at least one multiplexer module and prior to initiation of a query from the RFID reader, power provided from the first rectifier is used to set the switch to a default state; and
wherein the at least one multiplexer module further comprises a first RFID chip and a second RFID chip, the first RFID chip and the first rectifier incorporated together for receiving the at least portion of RF signals from the RFID reader, the second RFID chip and the second rectifier incorporated together for receiving the at least portion of RF signals from the RFID reader.