Multi-port straps incorporating sensing features

• US 10,186,126 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/854,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07798 part of the antenna or the integrated circuit being adapted for rupturing or breaking, e.g. record carriers functioning as sealing devices for detecting not-authenticated opening of containers electronic seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0297 including a machine-readable marking, e.g. a bar code digitally marked record carriers in general G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0335 using RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00

Abstract

The present invention discloses a multi-port strap device having multiple pads that can combine a connection to an RFID antenna and a sensing function, such as an open or closed circuit state, into the same structure.

Claims

1. A multi-port strap device, comprising:

a chip;

a first port for coupling to an antenna;

a secondary port; and

an extended area comprising a pair of extended port pads connected to the secondary port providing anti-tampering functions for the strap device; and

wherein an individual extended port pad of the pair of the extended port pads is positioned on either side of the secondary port; and

wherein the secondary port is initially in an open circuit state and material used to form the multi-port strap device is responsive to a sensed state by using resistance whereby the secondary port short circuits.

2. The multi-port strap device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is an (ultra high frequency) UHF antenna.

3. The multi-port strap device of claim 2, wherein the first port comprises a pair of UHF pads with an individual UHF pad positioned on either side of the first port for coupling to the antenna.

4. The multi-port strap device of claim 1, wherein an open circuit is defined as having a resistance greater than a pre-defined value and a closed circuit is defined as having a resistance lower than the pre-defined value.

5. The multi-port strap device of claim 1, wherein the multi-port strap device further comprises a protective layer and the extended port pads is are given access to an external environment through an aperture in the protective layer such that the secondary port changes state in response to a presence of an environmental factor.

6. The multi-port strap device of claim 5, wherein the environmental factor is moisture.

7. The multi-port strap device of claim 1, wherein the multi-port strap device communicates with the chip to detect the secondary port state with a low frequency pulse.

8. A multi-port strap device, comprising:

a RFID chip;

a first port and a pair of UHF pads with one UHF pad positioned on either side of the first port for coupling to an UHF antenna;

a secondary port;

a protective layer that protects the antenna and the chip; and

a pair of extended port pads with an individual extended port pad positioned on either side of the secondary port to provide anti-tamper functions for the multi-port strap device; and

wherein the pair of extended port pads connected to the secondary port are given access to an external environment through an aperture in the protective layer such that the secondary port changes state in response to a presence of an environmental factor.

9. The multi-port strap device of claim 8, wherein the secondary port is initially in a closed circuit state due to the structure of the multi-port strap device, and becomes an open circuit when the pair of extended port pads of the secondary port are cut or torn.

10. The multi-port strap device of claim 9, wherein an open circuit is defined as having a resistance greater than a pre-defined value and a closed circuit is defined as having a resistance lower than the pre-defined value.

11. The multi-port strap device of claim 8, wherein the multi-port strap device communicates with the RFID chip to detect the secondary port state with a low frequency pulse.

12. A multi-port strap device, comprising:

a RFID chip;

a first port and a pair of UHF pads with an individual UHF pad positioned on either side of the first port for coupling to an UHF antenna;

a secondary port; and

a pair of extended port pads with an individual extended port pad positioned on either side of the secondary port to provide anti-tamper functions for the multi-port strap device; and

wherein the secondary port is initially in a closed circuit state due to a resistance of the multi-port strap device, and becomes an open circuit when the pair of extended port pads of the secondary port are cut or torn;

wherein the coupling between the antenna and strap device may be any combination of conductive, capacitive and inductive coupling, and the multi-port strap device further comprises a protective layer and the antenna is given access to an external environment through an aperture in the protective layer such that the secondary port changes state in response to a presence of an environmental factor.

13. The multi-port strap device of claim 12, wherein the environmental factor is moisture.

14. The multi-port strap device of claim 12, wherein the multi-port strap device communicates with the RFID chip to detect the secondary port state with a low frequency pulse.