Identification band using shorting wire for enabling/disabling an RFID transponder contained thereon

• US 20060092028A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bartronics Hong Kong Limited
• Original Assignee: Proximities Incorporated (Bartronics India Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lerch, John W., Girvin, Joshua M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,168,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07381 with deactivation or otherwise incapacitation of at least a part of the circuit upon detected tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07726 the record comprising means for indicating first use, e.g. a frangible layer
• 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: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2448 Tag with at least dual detection means, e.g. combined inductive and ferromagnetic tags, dual frequencies within a single technology, tampering detection or signalling means on the tag
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2454 Checking of authorisation of a person accessing tagged items in an EAS system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0213 System disabling if a separation threshold is exceeded disabling electrical appliances in case of unplugging G08B13/1409
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

An identification device formed from a band of material and a non-reusable tamper-resistant fastening arranged to join opposite end regions of the band. A radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder is disposed on the band. The transponder includes an RFID circuit, such as may be formed on an integrated circuit (IC) chip, and an antenna. First and second electrically conductive traces are coupled to different portions of the RFID transponder. The first and second traces are arranged such that the RFID transponder is disabled when the first and second electrically conductive traces come in contact with one another. Various arrangements of the conductive traces are described to achieve improved security and functionality over the prior art.

Claims

1. An identification apparatus, comprising:

a band;

an RFID transponder disposed on the band, the RFID transponder having an RFID circuit and an antenna conductively coupled to the RFID circuit;

a first electrically conductive trace coupled to at least a first part the RFID circuit; and

a second electrically conductive trace coupled to a second part of the RFID circuit, such that the RFID circuit becomes disabled when the first electrically conductive trace conductively couples with the second electrically conductive trace.

2. The identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive trace is an electrically conductive wire loop extending along at least a portion of the band.

3. The identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive trace is disposed on the band in a spaced relation to said second electrically conductive trace such that an attempted repair of a disruption in the band creates an electrical connection between the first electrically conductive trace and the second electrically conductive trace, thereby disabling the RFID circuit.

4. The identification apparatus of claim 3, wherein the spaced relation comprises a gap between said first electrically conductive trace and said second electrically conductive trace sufficiently small to ensure a short circuit upon repair.

5. The identification apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between at least a portion of the first electrically conductive trace and at least a portion of the second electrically conductive trace.

6. The identification apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a frangible tab formed on a periphery of the band, a shorting wire disposed on said frangible tab conductively coupling the RFID transponder and at least one of said first electrically conductive trace and said second electrically conductive trace, such that the RFID circuit is disabled until the tab is removed from said band.

7. The identification apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of adjustment holes extending along a length of the band, wherein at least one of the first and second conductive traces run in close proximity to one or more of the adjustment holes.

8. The identification apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one conductive trace substantially encircles one or more of the adjustment holes, such that a break in the band located between adjacent holes severs the at least one of the first and second conductive traces.

9. The identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit and the antenna are electrically coupled in series with the first electrically conductive trace, such that severance of the first electrically conductive trace disables the RFID circuit.

10. The identification apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of adjustment holes extending along a length of the band, wherein each of the plurality of adjustment holes are formed as perforations in the band, and the second electrically conductive traces extends across each of the plurality of adjustment holes and is coupled to the first electrically conductive trace.

11. An identification apparatus comprising:

an RFID transponder having an RFID circuit and an antenna coupled to the RFID circuit;

a first conductive loop connected in series with the antenna and the RFID circuit; and

a second conductive loop connected in parallel with one of the RFID circuit and the antenna, such that the RFID transponder will not function unless the first conductive loop is closed and the second conductive loop is open.

12. The identification apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second conductive loop is initially open, but becomes closed in response to repair of said identification apparatus.

13. The identification apparatus of claim 11, where the first conductive loop is initially closed, but becomes open in response to tampering with the apparatus.

14. The identification apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the first and second conductive loops are in sufficiently close proximity to one another such that repair of either said first or second loop causes said second conductive loop to be closed.

15. The identification apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the first and second conductive loops overlap one another.

16. An identification apparatus comprising:

a band;

an RFID circuit disposed on the band;

an antenna disposed on the band connected across the RFID circuit; and

a first conductive trace conductively connected between said antenna and RFID circuit, a second conductive trace conductively connected between said antenna and RFID circuit, such that connecting the first and second traces short-circuits the RFID circuit.

17. The identification apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first conductive trace forms a closed loop.

18. The identification apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first electrically conductive trace is disposed on close proximity to said second conductive trace along at least a portion of the band.

19. The identification apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first electrically conductive trace overlaps at least a portion of said second electrically conductive trace, and further comprising an insulating layer disposed between at least a portion of said first electrically conductive trace and at least a portion of second electrically conductive trace.

20. An anti-tampering device for a bracelet having a band, an RFID transponder disposed on said band, said RFID transponder having an RFID circuit and an antenna coupled to the RFID circuit;

said anti-tampering device comprising;

a first conductive loop connected in series with the antenna and the RFID circuit;

a second conductive loop connected in parallel with one of the RFID circuit and the antenna, such that the RFID transponder will not function unless the first conductive loop is closed and the second conductive loop is open.

21. The anti-tampering device of claim 20, wherein at least a portion of the first and second conductive loops are in sufficiently close proximity to one another such that repair of either said first or second loop causes said second conductive loop to be closed.

22. An anti-tampering device for a bracelet having a band, an RFID transponder disposed on said band, said RFID transponder having an RFID circuit and an antenna coupled to the RFID circuit;

said anti-tampering device comprising;

a first electrically conductive trace coupled to at least a first part of the RFID transponder;

and a second electrically conductive trace coupled to a second part of the RFID circuit, such that the RFID circuit becomes disabled when the first electrically conductive trace conductively couples with the second electrically conductive trace.

23. The anti-tampering device of claim 22, wherein the first electrically conductive trace is an electrically conductive wire loop extending along at least a portion of the band.

24. The anti-tampering device of claim 22, wherein the first electrically conductive trace is disposed on the band such that an attempted repair of a disruption in the band necessarily creates an electrical connection between the first electrically conductive trace and the second electrically conducted trace thereby disabling the RFID circuit.

25. The anti-tampering device of claim 22, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between a portion of the first electrically conductive trace and the second electrically conductive trace.

26. The anti-tampering device of claim 22, further comprising a plurality of adjustment holes extending along a length of the band wherein at least one conductive trace runs in close proximity to one or more of the adjustment holes.

27. An Identification apparatus comprising:

a band;

an RFID transponder disposed on the band, the RFID transponder having an RFID circuit and an antenna conductively coupled to the RFID circuit;

a first electrically conductive trace coupled to at least a first part of the RFID circuit;

a second electrically conductive trace coupled to a second part of the RFID circuit and said first electrically conductive trace such that RFID circuit becomes disabled when the first electrically conductive trace conductively couples with the second electrically conductive trace, and a disruption in said second electrically conductive trace enables said RFID circuit.

28. The identification apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

a frangible portion selectively removeably attached to said band, at least a portion of said electrically conductive trace being disposed on said band such that removal of said frangible portion removes at least a portion of said second electrically conductive trace.

29. The identification apparatus of claim 27, further comprising at least one adjustment hole extending along said band;

said second electrically conductive trace extending across said hole; and

a pin disposed on said band and dimensioned to be received by said adjustment hole.