Patent attributes
The present invention is generally directed to systems, materials, and methods for ore tracking. In particular, the invention relates to metamaterial RFID tags that are chip-free and comprise RF metamaterials to produce unique spectral features when illuminated with microwave radiation. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, each of the metamaterial RFID tags includes one or more tag units that have a particular spectral response representing a one-bit code. As a result, each tag may comprise a specific code that is “assembled” from a plurality of tag units in a modular fashion. One or more embodiments of the present invention further includes a blast-tolerant package for one or more of the metamaterial RFID tags that enables such tags to survive blasting, crushing, and/or other forces inherent in mine operations.
