Method and identification system for identifying identification tags
Patent Information
- Application Number
- KR1020267028592
- Authority / Receiving Office
- KR · KR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-02-03
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-17
Smart Images
Figure PCT00001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technology Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to identification tags based on a bistable amorphous microwire combined with an excitation and sensing system. Background Technology
[0002] Spanish patent application publication ES2124171A1 describes an encoding strip having bistable amorphous microwires containing information about an object due to their magnetic properties. For each microwire, a time T1 is evaluated in which a bistable flip is recorded, and this time in one half-wave characterizes the corresponding microwire. Different groups of microwires will generate different sets of time (T1), which allows ID tags with different responses to be generated. A disadvantage of the solution according to ES2124171A1 is that the time T1 changes not only according to the properties of the microwires but also due to external factors such as the position of the reader and interference fields. This technology is based on bistable amorphous microwire technology using an excitation signal consisting of a rising half-period and a falling half-period. Signals from the microwire are detected over the entire period. The period is divided into intervals, which are set to 0 by default, meaning that no peaks (signals) from the microwire exist within those intervals. If a signal from the microwire is detected within an interval, that interval will be marked as 1. A unique code consisting of 0s and 1s is generated based on the number of peaks from the microwire. A disadvantage of this principle is the presence of external magnetic fields, which can alter the position of the signal from the microwire. Since the positions of the peaks are being examined, signal shifting caused by the presence of external magnetic fields renders the identification tag completely worthless.
[0003] Korean Patent No. KR101956710B1 discloses an identification technique using amorphous microwires, but makes no mention of the bistable properties of the microwires and is primarily used for paper identification. The paper is divided into a mesh, and microwires are distributed within the mesh. Using a reading device, the magnetic response (magnetic permeability) of the microwires is read. There are multiple groups having the same composition, and all compositions (groups) have a specific magnetic response, and this specific magnetic response is assigned to the mesh. Consequently, it is possible to distinguish papers having various groups of microwires. The papers are also distinguished based on multiple microwires from the same group (composition) and their layout within the mesh. The production of the microwires differs from the Taylor-Ulitovsky method, and there is no mention of glass coating. Since they are measuring the permeability of the microwires, characteristics regarding bistable properties are not disclosed or discussed. In the presence of an external parasitic field, the signal is destroyed.
[0004] Korean Patent No. KR102297428 discloses a technology requiring a substrate and magnetic wires. The wires are not manufactured from a single composition but are formed from a plurality of wires connected together in as many ways as possible. The wires consist of an amorphous portion having a constant permeability value and a second crystalline portion that affects the amorphous portion. The crystalline portion may also be omitted. Modification of the crystalline portion affects the amorphous portion and generates a unique response in the magnetic field generated by a reading device. This can be used to distinguish ID codes or plagiarism. The wires can be arranged randomly on the substrate or form a mesh, which indicates the possibility of various ID tags. However, crystalline wires are not bistable and are unreliable in generating signals. In the presence of an external parasitic field, the signal is destroyed.
[0005] U.S. Patent No. 7,852,215 discloses a different identification technology based on glass-coated microwires. This ID tag can be activated or deactivated based on an external magnetic field. This ID tag consists of two parts. The first part is a soft magnetic bistable microwire, and the second part is a hard magnetic microwire produced by annealing the soft magnetic microwire beyond its crystallization point. The hard magnetic microwire must be divided into sections of equal length. Such sections must be equidistant from one another along the soft magnetic microwire. The active state of this ID tag indicates the demagnetized crystalline sections (where the hard magnetic microwires retain their remanent magnetism). In the active state, the external field is higher than the switching (threshold) field required to remagnetize soft magnetic bistable microwires, but not higher than that required to remagnetize hard magnetic microwires. More than one microwire is required for this ID tag. In the presence of an external parasitic field, the demagnetizing signal is destroyed.
[0006] The disadvantage of the prior art disclosures is that they can only operate practically under laboratory conditions where randomly interfering magnetic fields are not generated. In actual practice, and especially in industrial environments, various magnetic fields are present, causing noise and leading to the failure of identification according to the three prior art disclosures mentioned above.
[0007] Embodiments of the present invention include a method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element. The method comprises one or more steps, including transmitting an excitation signal to the magnetic bistable element through an excitation antenna. An additional step comprises receiving a response signal generated by the bistable element through a pick-up antenna. An additional step comprises analyzing the response signal to identify at least two peaks within the response signal. An additional step comprises generating an identification code based on the two peaks, wherein the identification code represents the identity of the bistable element.
[0008] In certain embodiments, the step of analyzing or generating includes the step of determining a first time T1 at which a first peak among at least two peaks in the response signal occurs, and a second time T2 at which a second peak among at least two peaks in the response signal occurs. And the identification code is the sum of the first time T1 and the second time T2.
[0009] In certain embodiments, the steps of analyzing and generating are performed by a computing device comprising a processing element and a memory element. The memory element provides a database, and the computing device is configured to compare a generated identification code with a plurality of identification codes stored in the database to identify the bistable element of an ID tag.
[0010] In some embodiments, the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna each include an inductor coil.
[0011] In some embodiments, the excitation signal includes a triangular wave.
[0012] In some embodiments, the identification code is a first code, and each step of the method is repeated after adjusting the excitation parameter of the excitation signal to generate a second identification code.
[0013] In some embodiments, the excitation parameter is selected from one or more of the frequency of the excitation signal, the waveform of the excitation signal, and the amplitude of the excitation signal.
[0014] In some embodiments, the bistable element comprises a bistable microwire comprising a metal core and a glass coating around the metal core.
[0015] In some embodiments, the bistable microwire has a length of at least 6 mm.
[0016] In some embodiments, the bistable microwire has a diameter of 10 to 100 μm.
[0017] In some embodiments, the transmitting and receiving steps are performed with the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna located within 10 cm of the bistable element.
[0018] Embodiments of the present invention further include an identification system comprising an excitation antenna configured to transmit an excitation signal to at least one magnetic bistable element. The identification system further includes a pickup antenna configured to receive a response signal generated by the bistable element. The identification system further includes a computing device comprising a processing element and a memory element. The processing element is configured to perform one or more steps, including the step of analyzing the response signal to identify at least two peaks within the response signal. An additional step includes the step of generating an identification code based on the two peaks. The identification code represents the identity of the bistable element.
[0019] In some embodiments, during the analysis and / or generation steps, the processing element is configured to determine a first time T1 at which a first peak among at least two peaks in the response signal occurs, and a second time T2 at which a second peak among at least two peaks in the response signal occurs, wherein the identification code is the sum of the first time T1 and the second time T2.
[0020] In some embodiments, a memory element of a computing device provides a database, and a processing element is further configured to compare an identification code generated to identify a bistable element with a plurality of identification codes stored in the database.
[0021] In some embodiments, the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna each include an inductor coil.
[0022] In some embodiments, the excitation signal transmitted by the antenna is a triangular wave.
[0023] In some embodiments, the identification code is a first code, and the processing element of the computing device is configured to repeat the steps of analyzing and generating when the excitation parameter of the excitation signal is adjusted, thereby generating a second identification code.
[0024] In some embodiments, the excitation parameter is selected from one or more of the frequency of the excitation signal, the waveform of the excitation signal, and the amplitude of the excitation signal.
[0025] In some embodiments, the bistable element comprises a bistable microwire comprising a metal core having a glass coating, the bistable microwire has a length of at least 6 mm, and the bistable microwire has a diameter of 10 to 100 μm.
[0026] In some embodiments, the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna are configured to transmit to and receive from the bistable element, respectively, when the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna are located within 10 cm of the bistable element.
[0027] Definitions
[0028] It should be understood that the following is not intended as an exclusive list of defined terms. For example, other definitions may be provided in the foregoing description, such as when the use of a defined term is involved in the context.
[0029] As used herein, the terms one ("a", "an"), and the ("the") mean one or more.
[0030] As used herein, the term “and / or” means that, when used in a list of two or more items, any one of the listed items may be used as itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing component A, component B, and / or component C, the composition may contain only A; only B; only C; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C.
[0031] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “comprises,” and “comprise” are open-ended transition terms used to transition from a subject described before the term to one or more elements described after the term, wherein the elements or elements listed after the transition term are not necessarily the only elements constituting the subject.
[0032] As used herein, the terms "having," "has," and "have" have the same open-form meaning as "including," "includes," and "include" provided above.
[0033] As used herein, the terms "including," "include," and "included" have the same open-form meaning as "including," "includes," and "included" provided above.
[0034] This description uses numeric ranges to quantify specific parameters relating to the present invention. It should be understood that when numeric ranges are provided, such ranges should be interpreted as providing literal support for claim limitations that describe only the upper limit of a range, as well as for claim limitations that describe only the lower limit of a range. For example, the disclosed numeric range of 10 to 100 provides literal support for claims describing "greater than 10 (no upper limit)" and claims describing "less than 100 (no lower limit)." Brief explanation of the drawing
[0035] Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the following drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of an identification tag system according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exemplary plot of an excitation signal generated by an excitation unit from the identification tag system of FIG. 1, and a corresponding response signal generated by a bistable microwire from the identification tag system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is another exemplary plot of the excitation signal and response signal from FIG. 2, further illustrating another response signal generated by the bistable microwire in response to the excitation signal amplified by an external signal. Specific details for implementing the invention
[0036] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an identification ("ID") tag system (10) as illustrated in FIG. 1, which may include a bistable amorphous microwire (12) and an excitation and sensing system. The excitation and sensing system may include at least one excitation unit (14) and at least one pickup unit (16). The excitation unit (14) may include an antenna and / or coil (e.g., an induction coil) configured to generate a magnetic field containing an excitation signal that can be received by the microwire (12). In certain embodiments, the excitation signal is in the form of a triangular wave. In response to the excitation signal, the microwire (12) is configured to generate a magnetic field containing a response signal that can be received by the pickup unit (16), and the pickup unit (16) is also in the form of an antenna and / or coil (e.g., an induction coil).
[0037] In various embodiments, the microwire within the generated magnetic field (i.e., within the excitation signal) generates a specific signal (i.e., a response signal) that can be distinguished from other magnetic materials in the form of two peaks. These two peaks include one peak (maximum value) in the first half-cycle of the triangular excitation signal and one peak (minimum value) in the second half-cycle. Such peaks occur when the excitation signal reaches the switching field value of the microwire, which is the magnetic field strength required to change the microwire between its two states, namely a positive saturation state or a negative saturation state. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the maximum peak of the microwire's response signal occurs at time T1 when the excitation signal reaches the switching field strength. Similarly, the minimum peak of the microwire's response signal occurs at time T2 when the excitation signal again reaches the switching field strength.
[0038] In certain embodiments, the bistable microwire will comprise a metal core and a glass coating or sheath surrounding the core. The domain structure of the bistable microwire comprises a single axially magnetized domain, which is magnetized at a single large Barkhausen jump of naturally occurring closure domains to reduce leakage fields. As a result, the microwires exhibit magnetic bistable, that is, their magnetization state is characterized by only two states: positive saturation or negative saturation. Switching between these two states occurs in a switching field corresponding to the depinning field of the closure domain. Generally, the characteristics of the response signal of the microwire will depend on: (1) the composition of the microwire, (2) the diameter of the metal core of the microwire, (3) the diameter of the glass coating of the microwire, (4) the length of the microwire, and / or (5) the frequency of the excitation signal. Through knowledge of all these physical quantities, the inventors of the present application have discovered that microwires can be mass-produced to have characteristic response signals in the form of two peaks.
[0039] The disadvantages of the prior art are substantially eliminated by an identification method using an ID tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, preferably a magnetic bistable microwire, wherein the times at which a change in the magnetic state of the magnetic bistable element according to the present invention occurs are measured, the essence thereof being that the time Ta1 of the change in the magnetic state of the magnetic bistable element in the first excitation half-wave is measured, the time Ta2 of the change in the corresponding magnetic bistable element in the second excitation half-wave is measured, and then the sum Ta = Ta1 + Ta2 is calculated. The sum Ta is used to evaluate the presence of the corresponding magnetic bistable element "a". The first excitation half-wave and the second excitation half-wave have oppositely oriented vectors, for example, the excitation field in the first half-wave increases to a positive maximum value above the x-axis, and the excitation field in the second half-wave subsequently increases to a negative maximum value below the x-axis. The time values Ta1 and Ta2 correspond to the time interval calculated from the start of the corresponding half-wave of the excitation signal; that is, when the purpose of the time measurement is to determine the position of the bistable state flip from the start of the excitation increase, the time for each half-wave begins to be newly calculated from the zero value of the excitation field.
[0040] In the case of an ID tag, the sum of the time positions of two peaks is important. Since a completely new sum of the two peaks will be formed as the peaks shift on the time scale of the excitation cycle when at least one microwire characteristic (e.g., composition, diameters, etc.) is changed, the sum represents an identification tag.
[0041] The addition of two measured times Ta1 + Ta2 has been found to be important because the sum of these times is a very stable and robust parameter unaffected by external interference. For example, in a real-world environment, if changing the distance between the ID tag and the excitation and detection system shortens time Ta1 while lengthening time Ta2, the sum remains practically constant. Consequently, it is precisely the sum of the measured times Ta1 + Ta2 that can be used to clearly identify the presence of the magnetic bistable element "a". This makes the identification method useful not only under laboratory conditions but also in industrial or other practical applications. Specifically, the sum of the peaks (i.e., T1 + T2) will generally remain constant even in the presence of an external magnetic field.
[0042] This method and system may be used with only a single magnetic bistable element, but preferably with a grouping of multiple magnetic bistable elements "a, b, c..." within a single ID tag, wherein these individual magnetic bistable elements "a, b, c..." will differ in at least one physical and / or chemical-physical parameter affecting the measured response of a bistable state transition. Such parameters may be, for example, chemical composition or length. For example, for three magnetic bistable elements "a, b, c", times Ta1, Tb1, Tc1, Ta2, Tb2, Tc2 are recognized, and sums Ta = Ta1 + Ta2, Tb = Tb1 + Tb2, and Tc = Tc1 + Tc2 are calculated. Consequently, in this example, the values of Ta, Tb, and Tc substantially represent the identification code of the ID tag.
[0043] Preferably, by using multiple magnetic bistable elements in the form of microwires, multiple possible combinations of responses (e.g., the sum of response signals and peak times Tx = Tx1 + Tx2 (x = 1, 2, 3…n)) can be generated, which may be important for achieving a sufficient number of mutually distinguishable identification codes. In doing so, it may be important to consider sufficient distance between identification codes in relation to possible signal noise and evaluation inaccuracies. If a group of magnetic bistable elements (or even a single magnetic bistable element) is excited and scanned in at least two stages or steps at different excitation parameters, the number of mutually distinguishable identification codes will increase dramatically. The excitation parameters may be the excitation frequency, excitation waveform, and / or excitation amplitude. A combination is also possible where one excitation parameter is changed first, and then a stage with a different excitation parameter is changed. Changes in the excitation parameters may result in different responses, while the different characteristics of the individual magnetic bistable elements will also become apparent if multiple elements are used in the ID tag. In principle, these differences are nonlinear and difficult to predict without measuring the actual response.
[0044] Identification according to the present invention may include the step of detecting responses from ID tags and storing the measured identification codes in a database along with their associations with individual ID tags. A table of identification codes in the database may be used to assign permissions when identifying ID tags, because without this database, it may not be possible to effectively recognize ID tags among themselves. As a result, sets of ID tags for different applications having separate identification code databases may be generated. Unlike RFID tags, which consist of alphanumeric characters (typically 96 bits) that can be uniquely rewritten as text characters and thus read by virtually any reader at an appropriate frequency, identification according to the present invention requires having information regarding individual scanning stages in which parameters are modified so that comparison with the database results in a successful assignment. Such a procedure brings the advantages of the assignment of different levels of access and indirect encryption.
[0045] Since the response signal from the microwire depends on the frequency of the excitation signal, depending on the change in the excitation frequency, the microwire will change its characteristics (e.g., the sum of the response signal and peak times T=T1+T2) and a new identification tag code can be generated. The scale of the excitation frequencies can be from 50 to 20,000 Hz (audio frequencies).
[0046] By monitoring the magnetic properties of the microwire and both peaks, the peaks behave antagonistically and their sum remains unchanged, so the identification tag is invariant with respect to external magnetic field(s). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when the microwire is in an environment with an external signal, the total magnitude of the magnetic field experienced by the microwire may increase when the excitation signal is generated. For example, the total magnetic field experienced by the microwire is the excitation signal plus the external signal. As a result, the microwire will achieve the first peak at T1(Ext), which is earlier than when the microwire achieves the first peak in the absence of the external signal (i.e., T1). Nevertheless, the microwire will also achieve the second peak at T2(Ext), which is later than when the microwire achieves the second peak in the absence of the external signal (i.e., T1). Therefore, although individual peaks exist at different times, the sum of the peaks generally remains the same (i.e., T=T1+T2=T1(Ext)+T2(Ext)). The identification tag can be rendered worthless only in the presence of magnetic fields weaker than the magnetic field generated by the excitation coil. In this case, the signal from the microwire will disappear. For most identification technologies based on magnetism, this represents a significant problem where the magnetic ID tag becomes unusable. However, according to embodiments of the present invention, when the magnetic field is no longer present, the signal from the microwire will return to its initial position.
[0047] For an identification tag according to embodiments of the present invention, at least one microwire having a minimum length of at least 6 mm may be required. In certain embodiments, the microwires may have diameters of 10 to 100 μm and / or 20 to 70 μm. Additionally, more microwires may be used because they will generate other unique signals that can be assigned to a new ID tag.
[0048] Due to the characteristics and dimensions of microwires, ID tags can be fitted to any material, including magnetic materials, which is a disadvantage of many magnetic-based ID technologies.
[0049] The addition of times Tx = Tx1 + Tx2 results in an evaluation criterion that is physically robust and resistant to various interferences. Another important feature of the present invention involves the dynamic nature of the excitation, which significantly increases the number of available identification codes when using a given number of magnetic bistable elements. In one or more embodiments, dynamic excitation variation generates a 2D or 3D code that can be presented as a response map.
[0050] The present invention also relates, with reference again to FIG. 1, to an excitation and sensing system (e.g., a reader) for identifying an ID tag having at least one magnetic bistable element (e.g., a bistable microwire (12)), wherein the system comprises an excitation unit (14) having suitable antennas for propagating a magnetic field and receiving a bistable change response, and a pickup or reading unit (16). The excitation and sensing system may further comprise a control unit (18) configured to, in particular, (i) control the excitation unit (14) to generate excitation signals, and (ii) analyze response signals generated by the bistable element and received by the pickup unit (16). For example, the control unit (14) may be configured to analyze response signals from the bistable element, determine and record times (e.g., T1 and T2) when the bistable element changes state, as well as determine the sum of such times (i.e., T=T1+T2) which may be a representative identification code for the bistable element. In some embodiments, the excitation unit (14) may be connected to a control unit (18), so that the control unit (18) can control the excitation of the magnetic field generated by the excitation unit (14) in at least two stages or steps at different excitation parameters. The excitation parameters may include an excitation frequency, an excitation waveform, and / or an excitation amplitude.
[0051] Code readers using different excitation parameters, such as different frequencies, are known to verify the presence of ID tags tuned to different frequencies. It is common for RFID tags to be configured to communicate in different frequency bands across different geographical regions. In international transport, ID tags with different frequency tunings may be found side by side. In such cases, the corresponding ID tag communicates at its resonant frequency, and the reader may attempt different frequencies sequentially, but the communication channel is established at substantially only one frequency depending on the ID tag's tuning. Meanwhile, such RFID tags transmit a single identification code that does not change when the frequency is changed. Therefore, conventional RF readers change their frequency only for the purpose of finding the correct communication frequency. In contrast to this setup, the present invention changes the excitation parameters, thereby resulting in the reception of a new time set Tx each time. By assigning such a time set Tx to the corresponding excitation parameter, the identification code of the corresponding ID tag can be generated. Such dynamic scanning results in complex identification codes that can be written to the control unit's database as an archive having matrices, sets of assignments, and / or indexing.
[0052] In a preferred arrangement, the excitation and sensing system may be arranged in relation to the ID tag such that, upon excitation, the magnetic bistable elements are within an asymmetric magnetic field, causing single jump changes. In some embodiments, the excitation and sensing system may be located within about 10 cm of the bistable elements.
[0053] To improve and speed up algorithms for analyzing the received response signal, the ID tag may be provided with a single reference magnetic bistable element, preferably also in the form of a microwire, wherein the reference magnetic bistable element possesses previously known bistable change characteristics, particularly a previously known and repeatably accurate bistable change point across all excitation parameters. If the ID tag is known to contain a reference magnetic bistable element, the analysis can be simplified by the fact that, for example, once a peak corresponding to the reference magnetic bistable element is detected, this can be used to determine a corresponding location within a timeline of the received response signal.
[0054] Embodiments of the present invention provide new possibilities for generating ID tag codes by forming combinations of different magnetic bistable elements within an ID tag and scanning their responses, evaluated by the sum Tx = Tx1 + Tx2, at different excitation parameters for each ID tag, particularly at different frequencies of the excitation magnetic field. The recorded response is stored in the memory of a control unit as a unique identification code for the corresponding ID tag. Since even small deviations in the storage and material composition of individual magnetic bistable elements within a single ID tag result in different responses, a large set of available unique identification codes can be generated. The parameters of the excitation field are variable over a wide range; for example, the excitation frequency can vary up to 1:103. Compared to RFID technology, the low cost of ID tags, which do not require antennas or chips as carriers for discreetly assigned identification codes, is a significant advantage. Magnetic bistable wires have significantly smaller dimensions than RFID tags, which increases the range of possible applications. With only slight changes in the diameter or composition of the microwires according to embodiments of the present invention, we can generate a completely new and specific signal from the microwires representing an ID tag.
[0055] The control unit (18) of the ID tag system (10) may include a computing device as illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the computing device may include a circuit capable of wired and / or wireless communication with an excitation unit (14) and / or a pickup unit (16), which includes a processing element (20), a memory element (22), and, for example, a transceiver or communication element (24).
[0056] The processing element (20) may include electronic hardware components such as processors. The processing element (20) may include digital processing unit(s). The processing element (20) may include, without limitation, one or more microprocessors (single-core and multi-core), microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), analog or digital application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., or combinations thereof. The processing element (20) may generally execute, process, or run instructions, code, code segments, software, firmware, programs, applications, apps, processes, services, daemons, etc. For example, the processing element (20) may execute a software application / program consisting of instructions to perform at least some of the methods and / or process steps described herein and / or to enable such execution. In various examples, the software program may include instructions stored on a computer-readable medium of a memory element (22), which is described in more detail below. The processing element (20) may also include hardware components such as finite state machines, sequential and combinational logic, and other electronic circuits capable of performing functions necessary for the operation of various examples of the present disclosure. The processing element (20) may communicate with other electronic components through serial or parallel links including general-purpose buses, address buses, data buses, control lines, etc.
[0057] The memory element (22) may include electronic hardware data storage components such as read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM, erasable programmable ROM, random access memory (RAM) such as static RAM (SRAM) or dynamic RAM (DRAM), cache memory, hard disks, floppy disks, optical disks, flash memory, thumb drives, Universal Serial Bus (USB) drives, etc., or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the memory element (22) may be embedded in the processing element (20) or packaged in the same package as the processing element (20). The memory element (22) may include or constitute a "computer-readable medium." The memory element (22) may store instructions, computer code, code segments, software, firmware, programs, applications, apps, services, daemons, etc., executed by the processing element (20). In one embodiment, the memory element (22) stores software applications / programs. The memory element (22) may also store settings, data, documents, databases, etc. For example, the memory element (22) may provide a database in which identification codes described herein can be stored and utilized.
[0058] The communication element (24) generally enables communication between the control unit (18) and the excitation unit (14) and / or pickup unit (16), as well as possibly communication with external devices, through one or more communication networks. The communication element (24) may include one or more signal or data transmission and reception circuits, such as antennas, amplifiers, filters, mixers, oscillators, Ethernet interfaces, digital signal processors (DSPs), etc. The communication element (24) may establish wireless communication by utilizing radio frequency (RF) signals and data that comply with communication standards such as cellular 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standards such as WiFi, IEEE 802.16 standards such as WiMAX, Bluetooth™, or combinations thereof. Additionally, the communication element (24) may utilize communication standards such as ANT, ANT+, Bluetooth™ Low Energy (BLE), and the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz). The communication element (24) may establish communication through connectors or couplers that accommodate metal conductor wires or cables, such as Cat 6 or coaxial cables, which are compatible with networking technologies such as Ethernet. In various examples, the communication element (24) may also be combined with fiber optic cables, Ethernet interfaces, or SPI interfaces, without limitation. The communication element (24) may communicate with the processing element (20) and the memory element (22).
[0059] The communication network on which the communication element (24) operates may include the Internet, Ethernet networks, cellular communication networks, local area networks, metro area networks, wide area networks, cloud networks, POTS (plain old telephone service) networks, etc., or combinations thereof. The communication network may be wired, wireless, or a combination thereof, and may include components such as modems, gateways, switches, routers, hubs, access points, repeaters, towers, etc. The client control unit (18) may be connected to the communication network, for example, via wires such as electrical cables or fiber optic cables, or wirelessly, such as RF communication using wireless standards such as cellular 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standards such as WiFi, IEEE 802.16 standards such as WiMAX, Bluetooth™, or combinations thereof.
[0060] The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above should be used for illustrative purposes only and should not be used in a restrictive sense in interpreting the scope of the invention. Modifications to the exemplary embodiments described above can be easily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Claims
Claim 1 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, comprising: (a) transmitting an excitation signal to said magnetic bistable element through an excitation antenna; (b) receiving a response signal generated by said bistable element through a pickup antenna; (c) analyzing said response signal to identify at least two peaks within said response signal; and (d) generating an identification code based on said two peaks, said identification code representing the identity of said bistable element. Claim 2 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein the analyzing step of step (c) or the generating step of step (d) comprises the step of determining a first time T1 at which a first peak among at least two peaks in the response signal occurs, and a second time T2 at which a second peak among at least two peaks in the response signal occurs, and wherein the identification code is the sum of the first time T1 and the second time T2. Claim 3 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein, in claim 1 or 2, the analyzing step of step (c) and the generating step of step (d) are performed by a computing device comprising a processing element and a memory element, wherein the memory element provides a database, and the computing device is configured to compare the identification code generated in step (d) with a plurality of identification codes stored in the database to identify the bistable element of the ID tag. Claim 4 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein, in any one of claims 1 to 3, the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna each comprise an inductor coil. Claim 5 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein, in any one of claims 1 to 4, the excitation signal comprises a triangular wave. Claim 6 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein, in any one of claims 1 to 5, the identification code is a first code, and steps (a) to (d) are repeated after adjusting the excitation parameters of the excitation signal to generate a second identification code. Claim 7 A method according to claim 6, wherein the excitation parameter is selected from one or more of the frequency of the excitation signal, the waveform of the excitation signal, and the amplitude of the excitation signal. Claim 8 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein, in any one of claims 1 to 7, the bistable element comprises a bistable microwire comprising a metal core and a glass coating around the metal core. Claim 9 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein the bistable microwire has a length of at least 6 mm, in accordance with claim 8. Claim 10 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein, in claim 8 or 9, the bistable microwire has a diameter of 10 to 100 μm. Claim 11 A method for identifying an identification (ID) tag comprising at least one magnetic bistable element, wherein, in any one of claims 1 to 10, the transmitting step of step (a) and the receiving step of step (b) are performed with the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna positioned within 10 cm of the bistable element. Claim 12 An identification system comprising: an excitation antenna configured to transmit an excitation signal to at least one magnetic bistable element; a pickup antenna configured to receive a response signal generated by said bistable element; and a computing device comprising a processing element and a memory element, wherein the processing element is configured to perform the steps of: analyzing said response signal to identify at least two peaks within said response signal; and generating an identification code based on said two peaks—said identification code representing the identity of said bistable element. Claim 13 An identification system according to claim 12, wherein during the analyzing step and / or the generating step, the processing element is configured to determine a first time T1 at which a first peak among the at least two peaks in the response signal occurs, and a second time T2 at which a second peak among the at least two peaks in the response signal occurs, and the identification code is the sum of the first time T1 and the second time T2. Claim 14 An identification system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the memory element of the computing device provides a database, and the processing element is further configured to compare the generated identification code with a plurality of identification codes stored in the database to identify the bistable element. Claim 15 An identification system according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna each comprise an inductor coil. Claim 16 An identification system in which, in any one of claims 12 to 15, the excitation signal transmitted by the excitation antenna is a triangular wave. Claim 17 An identification system according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the identification code is a first code, and the processing element of the computing device is configured to repeat the analysis step and the generation step when the excitation parameter of the excitation signal is adjusted, thereby generating a second identification code. Claim 18 An identification system, wherein, in paragraph 17, the excitation parameter is selected from one or more of the frequency of the excitation signal, the waveform of the excitation signal, and the amplitude of the excitation signal. Claim 19 An identification system according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the bistable element comprises a bistable microwire comprising a metal having a glass coating, the bistable microwire having a length of at least 6 mm, and the bistable microwire having a diameter of 10 to 100 μm. Claim 20 An identification system according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna are configured to each transmit to and receive from the bistable element when the excitation antenna and the pickup antenna are located within 10 cm of the bistable element.