Tamper-resistant RFID disabling apparatus and method of manufacturing

• US 20050248458A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bartronics Hong Kong Limited
• Original Assignee: Proximities Incorporated (Bartronics India Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lerch, John W., Girvin, Joshua M., Pryor, Roger W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0739 the incapacitated circuit being part of an antenna
• 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 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• 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 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2454 Checking of authorisation of a person accessing tagged items in an EAS system
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0286 provided with adaptations for labelling machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an RFID disabling apparatus using prefabricated, “off-the-shelf” components. The method includes: disposing a prefabricated RFID circuit and a conductive loop on a substrate, coupling a first end of the conductive loop to a first endpoint of the RFID circuit, and coupling a second end of the conductive loop to a second endpoint of the RFID circuit. An optional electronic component can be coupled between the first endpoint and the second endpoint of the RFID circuit. The RFID circuit can be an “off-the-shelf” RFID circuit. A portion of the RFID circuit can be severed to create the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an RFID disabling apparatus, comprising:

disposing an RFID circuit on a substrate;

disposing a conductive loop on the substrate, the conductive loop having a first end and a second end; and

coupling the first end of the conductive loop to a first endpoint of the RFID circuit and coupling the second end of the conductive loop to a second endpoint of the RFID circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the RFID circuit is severed to create the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling one end of at least one electronic component to the first endpoint of the RFID circuit and coupling the other end of the at least one electronic component to the second endpoint of the RFID circuit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one electronic component is coupled in series with the first and second endpoints.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the conductive loop is coupled in parallel with the at least one electronic component.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein at least another electronic component is coupled in series and or parallel to the at least one electronic component.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein an electronic component is selected from a group consisting of a capacitor, a resistor, and an inductor.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the electronic component is a capacitor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the capacitor is a resonant chip capacitor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a value of the resonant chip capacitor is chosen to correct the resonance of the RFID circuit with the addition of the conductive loop to the RFID circuit.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the resistor is a swamping resistor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive loop is run along substantially the entire length of the substrate.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive loop is thus connected to the RFID circuit such that a break in the conductive loop disables the RFID circuit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a series of holes along a length thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed of multiple layers.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive loop is insulated.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit includes an RFID transponder chip and an antenna element.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a portion of the antenna element is severed to create the first and second endpoints.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the antenna element is a coiled antenna.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit is severed at a point located on an outer periphery of the RFID circuit.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit is a prefabricated RFID circuit.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the severing step is carried out by laser cutting.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the severing step creates a gap between the two endpoints.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the combination of the conductive loop and the RFID circuit span substantially the entire length of the substrate.

25. An RFID disabling apparatus, comprising:

an RFID circuit disposed on a substrate, the RFID circuit including;

a transponder chip;

an antenna;

a conductive loop disposed on the substrate and coupled in parallel to the electronic component; and

an electronic component that corrects the resonance of the RFID circuit with the addition of the conductive loop.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the electronic component is selected from a group consisting of a capacitor, a resistor, and an inductor.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the electronic component is a resonance chip capacitor.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein a value of the capacitor is chosen to correct the resonance of the RFID circuit with the addition of the conductive loop to the RFID circuit.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the resistor is a swamping resistor.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the conductive loop is run along substantially the entire length of the substrate.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the substrate includes a series of holes along a length thereof.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the substrate is formed of multiple layers.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the conductive loop is insulated.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the antenna element is a coiled antenna.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the combination of the conductive loop and the RFID circuit span substantially the entire length of the substrate.

36. An RFID circuit, comprising:

a transponder chip;

an antenna coupled to the transponder chip; and

a first endpoint and a second endpoint for coupling an electronic component that corrects the resonance of the RFID circuit with the addition of a conductive loop.