Radio frequency identification tags on consumable items used in printers and related equipment

• US 20050275708A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entrust Datacard Corporation (Entrust Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Datacard Corp. (Entrust Corp.)
• Inventors: Myntti, Bill, Squires, Milo B., Davie, Jeffrey A., Paulson, Arthur, McCumber, Roger D., Debleeckere, Luc G., Kienitz, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/214
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 35/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed disabling devices responsive to ink ribbon breakage or exhaustion
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/52 Integration of elements inside the core or reel
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

Improvements relating to identification tags on consumable supply items used in identity document production equipment. The use of identification tags on the consumable supply items allows the document production equipment to recognize the consumable supply items that are loaded into each piece of equipment. The equipment can then initiate a variety of activities that are based on the loaded supply item. The activities are designed to enhance the operation of the equipment for the equipment operator and to provide added value to those customers who utilize consumable supply items that are recognized by the equipment.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A consumable supply for equipment having a rotatable spindle, comprising:

a cylinder having first and second open ends and a spindle passageway extending along a rotation axis between the first and second open ends to enable the cylinder to be disposed on the rotatable spindle of the equipment;

a consumable web material connected to the cylinder;

a tag body connected to the cylinder adjacent the first or second open end, the tag body having an aperture formed therethrough that is configured to allow passage through the tag body of at least a portion of the spindle or a portion of an element connected to the spindle when the cylinder is disposed on the spindle, and the aperture being aligned with the rotation axis;

the tag body having an antenna; and

the tag body having a memory element.

13. The consumable supply of claim 12, wherein the memory element is a read/write memory element.

14. The consumable supply of claim 12, wherein the aperture is generally circular.

15. The consumable supply of claim 12, wherein the cylinder is a supply cylinder supplying consumable web material for use by the equipment.

16. The consumable supply of claim 12, wherein the cylinder is a take-up cylinder that takes-up consumable web material that has been used by the equipment.

17. The consumable supply of claim 12, wherein the consumable web material comprises print ribbon, cleaning tape, indent foil, labels, topping foil, holographic topcoats, or polyester laminates.

18. The consumable supply of claim 14, wherein the antenna is circular and surrounds the aperture.

19. The consumable supply of claim 14, wherein the consumable supply is configured for use in a printer or a laminator.

20. The consumable supply of claim 18, wherein the diameter of the antenna is larger than the diameter of the aperture.

21. The consumable supply of claim 12, wherein the aperture is sized so that the spindle is rotatable relative to the tag body.

22. A radio frequency identification tag for use on a consumable supply item in equipment having a rotatable spindle, the supply item having a cylinder that is configured to be disposed on the rotatable spindle of the equipment for rotating the cylinder, comprising:

a tag body connectable to the cylinder, the tag body having an aperture formed therethrough that is configured to allow passage through the tag body of at least a portion of the spindle or a portion of an element connected to the spindle when the tag body is attached to the cylinder and the cylinder is disposed on the spindle;

the tag body having an antenna; and

the tag body having a memory element.

23. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 22, wherein the memory element is a read/write memory element.

24. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 22, wherein the aperture is sized so that the spindle is rotatable relative to the tag body.

25. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 22, wherein the aperture is generally circular.

26. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 25, wherein the antenna is circular and surrounds the aperture.

27. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 26, wherein the diameter of antenna is larger than the diameter of aperture.