System and method for altering or disabling RFID tags

• US 20060132313A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moskowitz, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,253,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.700
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• 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: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00

Abstract

An arrangement for providing protection to wireless portable transponders (including resonant tags such as RFID tags) from unauthorized interrogation by employing a mechanical means for disabling reception by or from the antenna of the transponder. The tags can be protected from receiving or providing unauthorized or unwanted information. Contemplated are mechanical means that permit the owner to decide when reception/interrogation of personal or other information is not desired by employing the provided mechanical disable control means. Also broadly contemplated herein is the altering interrogation characteristics of RFID tags to such an extent that they may still be read at a close range instead of the original range, and this result of this altering is visible to the user.

Claims

1. A method of altering interrogation characteristics of a resonant tag, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a resonant tag, the resonant tag comprising an antenna; and

reducing a read range of the resonant tag via physically compromising at least a portion of the antenna of the resonant tag.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of physically compromising comprises damaging at least a portion of the antenna of the resonant tag.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the resonant tag is initially operable within an original range; and

said damaging step comprises leaving a remainder of the antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range shorter than the original range.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of leaving a remainder comprises leaving a remainder of the antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range less than or equal to about a tenth of the original range.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said damaging step comprises a step taken from a group of steps consisting of:

scratching off a connection emanating from the antenna;

scratching off at least a portion of the antenna;

removing a connection to at least one end of the antenna;

peeling off a layer containing at least a portion of the antenna;

with the antenna initially being connected to an input chip of the resonant tag, damaging the connection to the input chip; and

tearing off at least a portion of a substrate containing the antenna.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

said damaging step comprises tearing off at least two portions of a substrate containing the antenna, whereby at least a portion of the antenna remains connected to an input chip of the resonant tag.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein:

the antenna is initially connected to an input chip of the resonant tag;

said method further comprises the step of obtaining a perforated transparent adhesive sheet disposed adjacent at least a portion of the antenna, the sheet including a tab extending beyond a boundary defined by the resonant tag;

and said damaging step comprises mechanically disconnecting the antenna from the input chip via pulling the tab and thereby separating the perforated transparent adhesive sheet from the resonant tag.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the resonant tag comprises an ultra- high frequency RFID tag.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of physically compromising comprises covering at least a portion of the antenna of the resonant tag in a manner to reduce the read range of the antenna.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

the resonant tag is initially operable within an original range; and

said covering step comprises leaving uncovered a remainder of the antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range shorter than the original range.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of leaving uncovered a remainder comprises leaving uncovered a remainder of the antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range less than or equal to over about a fifth of the original range.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said covering step comprises covering at least a portion of the antenna with at least one of:

insulated foil and a metal-on-paper sticker.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the resonant tag comprises a high frequency RFID tag.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physical compromise of at least a portion of the antenna of the resonant tag is confirmable via visual inspection.

16. The resonant tag kit according to claim 13, wherein said arrangement for reducing a read range comprises an arrangement for facilitating controlled damage of at least a portion of said antenna.

17. The resonant tag kit according to claim 16, wherein:

said resonant tag is initially operable within an original range; and

said arrangement for facilitating controlled damage is adapted to leave a remainder of said antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range shorter than the original range.

18. The resonant tag kit according to claim 17, wherein said arrangement for facilitating controlled damage is adapted to leave a remainder of said antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range less than or equal to about a tenth of the original range.

19. The resonant tag kit according to claim 18, wherein said arrangement for facilitating controlled damage comprises an arrangement taken from a group consisting of the following arrangements:

an arrangement for facilitating the scratching off of a connection emanating from said antenna;

an arrangement for facilitating the scratching off of at least a portion of said antenna;

an arrangement for facilitating the removal of a connection to at least one end of said antenna;

a peelable layer portion containing at least a portion of said antenna;

with said antenna initially being connected to an input chip of said resonant tag, an arrangement for facilitating damage of the connection to the input chip; and

a tearable substrate portion containing said antenna.

20. The resonant tag kit according to claim 16, further comprising:

a substrate which presents said antenna;

said arrangement for facilitating controlled damage comprises an arrangement for facilitating the tearing off at least two portions of said substrate, whereby at least a portion of the antenna remains connected to an input chip of the resonant tag.

21. The resonant tag kit according to claim 20, wherein said arrangement for facilitating tearing off comprises:

notches, slits or perforations for facilitating tearing of said substrate; and

pull tabs associated with portions of said substrate to be torn off.

22. The resonant tag kit according to claim 16, wherein:

said resonant tag further comprises an input chip;

said antenna is initially connected to said input chip;

said kit further comprises a perforated transparent adhesive sheet disposed adjacent at least a portion of said antenna, said sheet including a tab extending beyond a boundary defined by said resonant tag; and

said sheet and said tab are configured such that said antenna is mechanically separable from said input chip via pulling said tab and thereby separating said sheet from said resonant tag.

23. The resonant tag kit according to claim 16, wherein said resonant tag comprises an ultra-high frequency RFID tag.

15. A resonant tag kit comprising:

a resonant tag;

said resonant tag comprising an antenna; and

an arrangement for reducing a read range of said resonant tag via physically compromising at least a portion of said antenna.

24. The resonant tag kit according to claim 15, wherein said arrangement for reducing a read range comprises an arrangement for covering at least a portion of said antenna in a manner to reduce the read range of said antenna.

25. The resonant tag kit according to claim 24, wherein:

said resonant tag is initially operable within an original range; and

said covering arrangement is adapted to leave uncovered a remainder of the antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range shorter than the original range

26. The resonant tag kit according to claim 25, wherein said covering arrangement is adapted to leave uncovered a remainder of the antenna sufficient for responding to a wireless signal solely at a range less than or equal to over about a fifth of the original range.

27. The resonant tag kit according to claim 24, wherein said covering arrangement comprises at least one of:

insulated foil and a metal-on paper sticker.

28. The resonant tag kit according to claim 24, wherein said resonant tag comprises a high frequency RFID tag.

29. The resonant tag kit according to claim 15, wherein the physical compromise of at least a portion of said antenna of the resonant tag is confirmable via visual inspection.

30. A method of assembling a resonant tag kit, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a resonant tag, the resonant tag comprising an antenna; and

providing an arrangement which reduces a read range of the resonant tag via physically compromising at least a portion of said antenna.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said step of providing an arrangement for reducing a read range comprises providing an arrangement for facilitating controlled damage of at least a portion of said antenna.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said step of providing an arrangement for reducing a read range comprises providing an arrangement for covering at least a portion of said antenna in a manner to reduce the read range of said antenna.