Activating a data tag by load or orientation or user control

• US 20050242950A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lindsay, Jeffrey Dean, Wagner, Eric Francis, Chen, Fung-Jou, Velazquez, Heriberto Flores
• Granted Patent: US 7,151,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.260
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies

Abstract

Mechanically and reversibly activating or deactivating a radio frequency identification (RFID) data tag. An RFID tag includes an RFID chip for storing an RFID code, an antenna for communicating a radio frequency (RF) signal, and a mechanical switch coupling the RFID chip to the antenna. Closing the mechanical switch enables the RFID chip and the antenna to communicate the RFID code via the RF signal.

Claims

1. A smart tag responsive to an environmental condition, said smart tag comprising:

a data circuit for storing identification information;

an antenna for communicating a wireless signal; and

a mechanical switch coupling the data circuit to the antenna, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch to enable the data circuit and the antenna to communicate the identification information via the wireless signal.

2. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the mechanical switch has at least two modes, and further comprising a sensor for selecting one of the at least two modes as a function of the environmental condition.

3. The smart tag of claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of the following:

a load sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an orientation sensor.

4. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition comprises one or more of the following:

a load, temperature, humidity, and orientation of the smart tag.

5. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the mechanical switch comprises a micro electro mechanical system device having a gravity-sensitive circuit.

6. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the data circuit, antenna, and mechanical switch represent an electronic article surveillance tag.

7. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the data circuit for storing the identification information comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip for storing an RFID code, and wherein the antenna for communicating the wireless signal comprises an antenna for communicating a radio frequency (RF) signal.

8. The smart tag of claim 7, wherein the mechanical switch coupling the data circuit to the antenna comprises a mechanical switch coupling the RFID chip to the antenna, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch to enable the RFID chip and the antenna to communicate the RFID code via the RF signal.

9. The smart tag of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch to enable the RFID chip and the antenna to transmit the RF code via the RF signal.

10. The smart tag of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch to enable the RFID chip and the antenna to receive the RF code via the RF signal.

11. The smart tag of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition opens the mechanical switch to prevent the RFID chip and the antenna from communicating the RF code via the RF signal.

12. The smart tag of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch to enable the RFID chip and the antenna to receive another RFID code via the RF signal.

13. The smart tag of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch to enable the RFID chip and the antenna to receive another RFID code via another RF signal.

14. The smart tag of claim 8, wherein the mechanical switch comprises a load-sensitive circuit and an orientation-sensitive circuit, wherein the load-sensitive circuit generates a first RF signal with a first RFID code, and wherein the orientation-sensitive circuit generates a second RF signal with a second RFID code.

15. The smart tag of claim 8, further comprising another antenna, wherein the mechanical switch further couples the other antenna to the RFID chip, wherein the environmental condition toggles the mechanical switch to deactivate the antenna and enable the other antenna.

16. The smart tag of claim 15, wherein the antenna is a long-range antenna, and the other antenna is a short-range antenna.

17. The smart tag of claim 8, further comprising another RFID chip, wherein the mechanical switch couples the other RFID chip to the antenna, and wherein the environmental condition toggles the mechanical switch to disable the RFID chip and enable the other RFID chip.

18. The smart tag of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch as a function of a physical load to activate the RFID chip and the antenna to transmit the RF code via the RF signal.

19. A package having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached thereto, said RFID tag being responsive to an environmental condition, said RFID tag comprising:

an RFID chip for storing an RFID code;

an antenna for communicating a radio frequency (RF) signal; and

a mechanical switch coupling the RFID chip to the antenna, wherein the environmental condition closes the mechanical switch to enable the RFID chip and the antenna to communicate the RFID code via the RF signal.

20. The package of claim 19, wherein the package comprises paperboard or corrugated board.

21. The package of claim 19, wherein the package comprises perishable material.