Near-Field Chipless RFID Tag System Using Inductive Coupling Between a Multimode Resonator and Detection Probes

Abstract

Chipless RFID tags that use the higher-mode resonances of a transmission line resonator are presented in this paper. We have proposed multimode stepped impedance resonators (SIRs) for this application and reported the fundamental characteristics of an experimental system composed of multimode SIRs with open-circuited ends and a near-field electromagnetic detector using capacitive coupling (electric field) probes for the detector. To improve the frequency response and widen the detection range, we introduced multimode SIRs with short-circuited ends and inductive coupling (magnetic field) probes and measured their properties. To reduce the size of the tag and reader, we examined the frequency responses and found that the optimal configuration consisted of C-shaped tags and detector probes with a spatially orthogonal arrangement. The experimental tag system showed good frequency responses, detection range, and frequency detection accuracy. In particular, the spacing between the tag resonator and the transmission line of the probe, which corresponds to the detection distance, was 5mm or more, and was at least 10 times greater than that of previously reported RFID tag systems using near-field electromagnetic coupling.