1. A method for producing a housing for a medical implant having a hollow housing (12) and a terminal body (14) attached therein, which comprises an electrically insulating plastic comprising:
arranging electrical supply lines and an antenna as flat lines respectively that lie in one plane;
fixing electrical supply lines,
electrical contacts, and
an antenna in an injection mold;
embedding or partially extrusion coating in a first injection procedure,
said electrical contacts,
said electrical supply lines and
said antenna to form a molded part;
fixing said molded part in said injection mold; and,
embedding completely in a second injection procedure,
said electrical supply lines,
said electrical contacts and
said antenna to obtain a final form of a terminal body.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
joining said electrical contacts to said electrical supply lines using a weld.
3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising fixing said electrical supply lines, said electrical contacts, and said antenna in said injection mold using a retainer (48).
4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:
removing said retainer (48); and,
filling up hollow spaces resulting when said retainer (48) is removed.
5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
pre-mounting one or more of said electrical contacts using one or more clamping screws; and,
injecting on or extrusion coating a cover and sealing a screw contact to an outside portion of said cover.
6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising using a different plastic for said second injection procedure than for said first injection procedure.
7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising producing said electrical supply lines and said antenna to lie in a single plane.
8. A method for producing a housing for a medical implant having a hollow housing (12) and a terminal body (14) attached therein, which comprises an electrically insulating plastic comprising:
arranging electrical supply lines and an antenna as flat lines respectively that lie in one plane;
joining electrical contacts to said electrical supply lines using a weld;
fixing said electrical supply lines,
said electrical contacts, and
said antenna in an injection mold using a retainer (48);
embedding or partially extrusion coating in a first injection procedure,
said electrical contacts,
said electrical supply lines and
said antenna to form a molded part;
fixing said molded part in said injection mold;
embedding completely in a second injection procedure,
said electrical supply lines,
said electrical contacts and
said antenna to obtain a final form of a terminal body;
removing said retainer;
testing said electrical supply lines, said electrical contacts and said antenna of said terminal body before coupling said terminal body to said hollow housing;
welding said electrical supply lines and said antenna to respective contact pins of said hollow housing;
gluing said terminal body to said hollow housing; and,
encapsulating cavity (46) with adhesive.
9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:
testing said electrical supply lines, said electrical contacts and said antenna of said molded part before said embedding completely in said second injection procedure.
10. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:
pre-mounting one or more of said electrical contacts using one or more clamping screws; and,
injecting on or extrusion coating a cover and sealing a screw contact to an outside portion of said cover.
11. The method according to claim 8 further comprising using a different plastic for said second injection procedure than for said first injection procedure.
12. The method according to claim 8 further comprising producing said electrical supply lines and said antenna to lie in a single plane.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one frame component comprising 1xth of a 360 degree radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader antenna array, wherein the frame component is configured to physically couple to at least one other of the frame components to form a multi-frame component;
at least one RFID tag reader antenna mount comprising a part of the frame component, wherein the RFID tag reader antenna mount is configured to aim a corresponding RFID tag reader antenna outwardly of the frame component;
such that connecting X of the frame components together will yield the 360 degree RFID tag reader antenna array having a plurality of RFID tag reader antennas disposed thereon.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein X equals 2.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein X equals 4.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein X equals at least 8.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of RFID tag reader antennas include at least two RFID tag reader antennas that are disposed on substantially opposing sides of the 360 degree RFID tag reader antenna array that are configured to radiate RFID tag interrogations outwardly of the multi-frame component.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the 360 degree RFID tag reader antenna array is laterally symmetrical about a central axis.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the 360 degree RFID tag reader antenna array comprises a symmetrically-shaped polygon.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the symmetrically-shaped polygon comprises an octagon.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the symmetrically-shaped polygon comprises square.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first group of the plurality of RFID tag reader antennas are disposed at a first substantially-identical pitch and a second group of the plurality of RFID tag reader antennas are disposed at a second substantially-identical pitch, wherein the first substantially-identical pitch and the second substantially-identical pitch are different from one another.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the RFID tag reader antennas of the first group are interleaved with the RFID tag reader antennas of the second group.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag reader antenna comprises a plate antenna.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag reader antenna comprises a phased array-type antenna.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one RFID tag reader supported by the 360 degree RFID tag reader antenna array and operably coupled to the plurality of RFID tag reader antennas.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:
at least a second RFID tag reader supported by the 360 degree RFID tag reader antenna array;
wherein the RFID tag reader antennas that are operably coupled to the RFID tag reader are interleaved with the RFID tag reader antennas that are operably coupled to the second RFID tag reader.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a shroud disposed about the plurality of RFID tag reader antennas to visually conceal the plurality of RFID tag reader antennas, wherein the shroud is comprised of substantially radio frequency-transparent material.
17. A method comprising:
providing a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader antenna units, wherein each of the RFID tag reader antenna units comprises:
at least one frame component having at least one RFID tag reader antenna attached thereto;
at least one RFID tag reader that operably couples to the at least one RFID tag reader antenna as corresponds to that RFID tag reader antenna unit;
disposing the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units within a facility to facilitate interrogating RFID tags within the facility, wherein the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units are disposed higher than an expected location of at least 90% of the RFID tags when the RFID tags are in the facility.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the RFID tag reader for each of the RFID tag reader antenna units only operably couples to the RFID tag reader antennas as comprise a part of the RFID tag reader antenna unit for the particular RFID tag reader.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein each of the RFID tag reader antenna units comprises at least two of the RFID tag readers that couple to the RFID tag reader antennas as correspond to that RFID tag reader antenna unit.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units are all disposed at a substantially same height within the facility.
21. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units are disposed within the facility such that power as emanated by at least two of the RFID tag reader antenna units overlaps.
22. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units is disposed within an interior corner of the facility.
23. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units is disposed about a vertical support column for the facility.
24. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
at least substantially visually concealing the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units within corresponding radio frequency-transparent shrouds.
25. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
at least substantially visually concealing the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units within a ceiling for the facility.
26. The method of claim 17 wherein disposing the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units within a facility comprises disposing the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units such that they are readily lowered to facilitate servicing without disassembly.
27. The method of claim 17 wherein disposing the plurality of RFID tag reader antenna units within a facility comprises disposing at least one of the RFID tag reader antenna units vertically stacked with respect to another of the RFID tag reader antenna units.
28. A modular radio frequency identification (RFID) reader assembly for use in reading a plurality of RFID tags, the assembly comprising:
a frame comprising multiple sections that together form a frame periphery;
a mounting structure coupled to the frame and configured to mount the frame in a location elevated above the plurality of RFID tags;
a plurality of antenna mounts, at least one of each at each one of the multiple sections and each of the antenna mounts being configured to mount and retain at least one antenna element at a downward angle, wherein the downward angle is selected at least as a function of a height of the frame relative to the plurality of RFID tags;
a plurality of antenna elements mounted to a selected one or more of the plurality of antenna mounts to provide antenna coverage for a region about and below the frame; and
one or more RFID tag readers coupled to the plurality of antenna elements.