The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 16, 2007
Filed:
Dec. 09, 2003
Marlin H. Mickle, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Christopher C. Capelli, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Harold Swift, Gibsonia, PA (US);
Charles E. Greene, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Marlin H. Mickle, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Christopher C. Capelli, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Harold Swift, Gibsonia, PA (US);
Charles E. Greene, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A method of identifying an article of interest includes providing one of a plurality of RF antennas each having a non-linear element which may be a rectifying diode and being resident at a different frequency on the article of interest. One RF antenna is interrogated with RF energy of a first frequency and converts the interrogated RF energy into a reflected energy of a different frequency. The reflected energy is sensed and on the basis of the different frequency determining if a specific antenna is present. The non-linear element may be a diode and is preferably a variable non-linear element. In another embodiment, the reflected RF energy is responsive to a change in ambient physical conditions such as pressure or temperature. Corresponding apparatus is provided.