RF Visa Antenna Layout for Multi-Visa Document Reading

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing technology for reading electronic travel documents, such as electronic passports and visas, faces challenges when multiple electronic visas are included, as the number of visas exceeds 5, leading to difficulties in simultaneous reading due to electromagnetic coupling, which violates the ISO/IEC 14443 standard, limiting the number of readable transponders to 5.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves reducing the size of the visa antennas and minimizing their overlap, positioning them on either side of a transverse median axis, and arranging them on the front and back of sheets to avoid over-coupling, ensuring each visa interacts minimally with the magnetic field while maintaining compliance with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple electronic visas are placed in a travel document, then the functionality and information capacity of the document is improved, but the electromagnetic coupling between transponders increases making simultaneous reading impossible when exceeding 5 visas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation capacityVSAvoidreading reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the travel document into multiple sheets, with each sheet containing a limited number of electronic visas (maximum 5 per sheet). This segmentation allows the document to hold more than 5 visas overall while ensuring that each sheet's transponders can be read reliably without electromagnetic coupling issues. The reader processes sheets individually, reading visas in groups that do not exceed the 5-transponder limit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes the spatial dimension by arranging visas across multiple sheets and positions on each sheet. Instead of placing all visas on a single sheet where they would overlap and couple electromagnetically, the visas are distributed across different sheets and positions, effectively using the third dimension (depth/stacking of sheets) to resolve the electromagnetic interference problem while maintaining high information capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Quantity of substance

If the number of electronic visas is increased beyond 5, then the document's information capacity is improved, but the ISO/IEC 14443 standard compliance is violated due to magnetic field interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of visasVSAvoidmagnetic field interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the collection of electronic visas into multiple groups, with each group containing a maximum of 5 visas per sheet. This segmentation ensures that each group can be read in compliance with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard while the overall document can contain more than 5 visas distributed across multiple sheets, thus increasing quantity without violating the magnetic field interference constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces sheets as intermediary carriers between the reader and the electronic visas. Each sheet acts as an independent unit that can be processed separately, allowing the system to handle more than 5 visas overall by processing them in manageable batches through the intermediary sheets, thereby avoiding direct electromagnetic interference between all visas simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If visas are arranged to overlap or be placed randomly on document pages, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the electromagnetic coupling between transponders increases reducing reading reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvearrangement flexibilityVSAvoidreading reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality control by specifying that each sheet must contain a maximum of 5 electronic visas with controlled positioning. While individual sheets maintain this strict local arrangement for reliability, the overall document can have varied arrangements across different sheets. This local quality constraint on each sheet ensures reading reliability while allowing flexibility at the document level.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the visa arrangement into independent sheet units, where each sheet has its own controlled positioning rules (maximum 5 visas per sheet). This segmentation allows manufacturing flexibility at the sheet level while ensuring that each segment meets the electromagnetic coupling constraints, thus maintaining reading reliability without sacrificing overall ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach allows for the reliable reading of a greater number of electronic visas, up to 8 or 10, while maintaining interoperability with existing infrastructure and ensuring that each visa can be detected and powered correctly, enhancing the functionality and ease of issuance and verification of electronic visas.

Implementation Method 1

The reader and the travel documents must comply with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard... the contactless technology resulting from the ISO/IEC 14443 standard describes the mechanisms making it possible to implement anti-collision principles between contactless products

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

the increase in the number of electronic visas in the document makes their simultaneous reading increasingly difficult as their number increases... due to electromagnetic coupling

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic coupling: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP2181420B1Method for optimised reading of visas with radio frequency transponders, series of adapted visas and document containing them
Publication Date: 2015.04.22 THALES DIS FRANCE SA
  • EP2181420B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2181420B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2181420B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

Method for optimized reading of certificates having radiofrequency transponders, set of suitable certificates and document containing same. The invention relates to a method for reading electronic certificates placed in a document, said certificates each comprising a support (24) bearing an antenna linked to a microcircuit, the document (A, B, C) comprising sheets of a determined format articulated around a hinge (22), the antennas being dimensioned to a format less than that of a half-sheet; the method is distinguished in that the certificates (V1 a, V1 b, V2a, V2b) are arranged at most in pairs on a sheet so as to see the antennas (13i, 13j) spaced apart along a longitudinal axis (XF) of the sheet. The invention also relates to a set of certificates and the document containing certificates.