Electronic identification tag with electronic banding

• US 20050073419A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Technologies (Actaris Capital SA)
• Original Assignee: RF Technologies (Actaris Capital SA)
• Inventors: Gary, Wyndham F. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,268,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child

Abstract

A tag unit is disclosed. The tag unit comprises of transmitting unit and a banding material coupled to the transmitting unit. A radio frequency and identification (RFID) circuit is coupled to the transmitting unit and the banding unit.

Claims

1. A mother and infant matching and security system comprising:

a first tag unit adapted to be secured to an infant, the first tag unit being operable to transmit a first signal having a low frequency and a second signal having a very high frequency;

a second tag unit adapted to be secured to a mother of the infant, the second tag unit having a radio communication link with the first tag unit;

a communications protocol used by the first tag unit to communicate via the radio communications link with the second tag unit; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit coupled to at least one of the first and second tag units.

2. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 1, wherein the radio communications link is established over the low frequency.

3. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 2, wherein the low frequency is in the range of 50 to 300 kHz.

4. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit is embedded in a banding material of at least one of the first and second tag unit.

5. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 4, wherein the banding material comprises at least two material layers.

6. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit is a passive circuit.

7. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit is an active circuit.

8. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 1, wherein the a conductor is embedded in a banding material of at least one of the first tag unit and the second tag unit.

9. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 8, wherein the wherein the conductor acts as an antenna for the RFID circuit.

10. The mother and infant matching and security system of claim 8, wherein the conductor acts as an antenna for the tag unit to which it is attached.

11. A method of identifying two matching persons or objects, the method comprising:

securing a first tag unit to a first person or object, the first tag unit having a transmitting unit and a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit;

securing a second tag unit to a second person or object, the second tag unit having a radio communication link with the first tag unit;

communicating using a predefined communications protocol from the first tag unit to the second tag unit via a radio communications link; and

identifying a match of the first tag unit and the second tag unit.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing information relating to the person or object to the RFID circuit for storage therein.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first object or person is a unit of blood.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first object or person is an infant.

15. A tagging and identification system comprising:

a first communications network;

a server coupled to the first communications network;

a tag unit receiver coupled to the first communications network;

a first tag unit adapted to be secured to an infant, the first tag unit being operable to transmit a first signal, the first tag unit comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) unit;

a second tag unit adapted to be secured to a mother of the infant, the second tag unit having a radio communication link with the first tag unit; and

a communications protocol used by the first tag unit to communicate via the radio communications link with the second tag unit.

16. The tagging and identification system of claim 15, wherein the RFID circuit is integrated into a banding material of the first tag unit.

17. The tagging and identification system of claim 16, wherein the RFID unit stores information related to the infant.

18. The tagging and identification system of claim 16, wherein the banding material may be printed.

19. A tag unit, comprising:

a transmitting unit;

a banding material coupled to the transmitting unit;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit coupled to the transmitting unit and the banding unit.

20. The tag unit of claim 19, wherein the transmitting unit is capable of receiving signals.

21. The tag unit of claim 19, wherein the banding material comprises at least two layers.

22. The tag unit of claim 19, wherein the RFID circuit is embedded in the banding material.

23. The tag unit of claim 19, wherein the RFID circuit communicates with the tag unit.

24. The tag unit of claim 19, further comprising a conductor coupled to the banding material to form a banding circuit.

25. The tag unit of claim 24, wherein the conductor acts as an antenna for the transmitting unit.

26. The tag unit of claim 24, wherein the conductor acts as an antenna for the RFID circuit.

27. The tag unit of claim 24, wherein the conductor is used to identify when the banding circuit is broken.