Printed sheet products with integral, removable, radio frequency identification elements

• US 20070215711A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanguard Identification Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vanguard Identification
• Inventors: Warther, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/182 Credit card holders
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06018 one-dimensional coding
• 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: G08B 13/244 Tag manufacturing, e.g. continuous manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer

Abstract

Each printed sheet product includes a core of flexible, microvoided polymer sheet material and a planar RFID assembly encoded with a unique electro/magnetic code permanently and integrally joined together with the core. The microvoided sheet material collapses around the core so the sheet product remains planar. Scoring defines one or more individual identification elements removable from a remainder of the sheet product that include at least a first element with RFID assembly but only part of the core. A separate magnetic strip storing its own unique data magnetically can be provided on the first removable element even at least partially overlying the RFID assembly for independent identification operation.

Claims

1. A multilayer, integral, individual printed sheet product comprising:

a flexible sheet core having major opposing first and second sides, the core being printed on at least one of the major sides, the printing on at least the one major side including at least a first variable data field with a unique printed code;

a first flexible cover strip integrally and permanently secured to the first side of the core;

a radio frequency responsive data storage element permanently and integrally fixed together with at least one of the core and the first cover strip; and

scoring extending at least sufficiently through the sheet product to define a first identification element removable from a remainder of the sheet product, the first removable identification element including at least the radio frequency responsive data storage element and only part of the first flexible cover strip, and a remainder of the first flexible cover strip being left on a remainder of the core bearing at least the first printed variable date field with unique printed code.

2. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the scoring further defines a closed perimeter opening entirely within and entirely through the printed sheet product.

3. The individual sheet product of claim 2 wherein the closed perimeter opening is located entirely within the first removable identification element.

4. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the first removable identification element at least one has a major planar side with a maximum dimension in the major planar side of the element of less than three and one-half inches.

5. The individual printed sheet product of claim 4 wherein all dimensions of the first removable element in the major planar side of the first removable element in a direction perpendicular to the maximum dimension are two inches or less.

6. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the scoring defines a second identification element removable from any remaining portion of the individual printed sheet product, the second removable element bearing at least the first printed variable data field with the unique printed code.

7. The individual printed sheet product of claim 6 further comprising a layer of an exposable pressure sensitive adhesive on an outer surface of the individual printed sheet product on a remaining major side of the core at least directly opposite the first printed variable data field such that the second identification element with the unique printed code of the first printed variable data field is adherable and removable from a remaining portion of the individual printed sheet product.

8. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein a portion of the core forming part of the first removable identification element bears a second printed variable data field with the unique printed code.

9. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 further comprising a second variable data field preprinted on the core, the second variable data field including at least the preprinted name of an individual assigned the unique printed code.

10. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 further comprising an identification block printed in another print field on the remainder of the core, the identification block indicating where a name and address of an individual to be assigned the individual sheet product and the unique printed code is to be manually entered.

11. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the radio frequency responsive data storage element is part of a generally planar electromagnetic transducer assembly of the first removable element, the assembly being configured to transmit a signal containing a unique electromagnetic code in response to a radiated radio frequency interrogation signal.

12. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the first cover strip is transparent and further overlies at least the first printed variable data field with the unique printed code.

13. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the core comprises a layer of a porous, microvoided, polymer sheet material.

14. The individual printed sheet product of claim 13 wherein the core consists essentially of the porous, microvoided polymer material.

15. The individual printed sheet product of claim 13 wherein the scoring further defines a closed perimeter opening entirely within and entirely through the printed sheet product.

16. The individual printed sheet product of claim 15 wherein the first removable identification element at least one has a major planar side with a maximum dimension in the major planar side of the element of less than three and one-half inches.

17. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 further comprising a second flexible cover strip integrally and permanently secured to the major second side of the core.

18. The individual printed sheet product of claim 17 wherein the second cover strip is transparent.

19. The individual printed sheet product of claim 18 wherein the second cover strip at least fully covers one major planar side of the first identification element.

20. The individual printed sheet product of claim 17 wherein at least one of the first and second cover strips is transparent and covers only part of one major side of the core.

21. The individual printed sheet product of claim 17 wherein at least one of the first and second cover strips extends over the unique printed code of the first variable field printed on the core.

22. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the radio frequency responsive data storage element is encoded with a unique electro/magnetic code different from the unique printed code and further comprising a separate data storage element storing as data the unique printed code and the unique electro/magnetic code of each individual sheet product and an identification of each individual person assigned one individual printed sheet product and the two codes of the product, the data being organized such that at least the individual person'"'"'s name and the two codes of each individual sheet product assigned to the individual person can be identified together from among a plurality of individual person'"'"'s names and pluralities of individual unique codes stored as data on the data storage element.

23. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the RF responsive data storage element is encoded with an electro/magnetic code unique to the individual sheet product and wherein at least a portion of the unique printed code and a portion of the unique electro/magnetic code are identical, the identical portions being sufficiently unique to the individual printed sheet product to distinguish the sheet product from other like individual sheet products forming a set of such like sheet products and identify an individual assigned the individual printed sheet product and the code.

24. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the RF responsive data storage element is encoded with an electro/magnetic code unique to the individual sheet product and wherein the electro/magnetic code is related to the printed code by an algorithm.

25. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the unique printed code is printed at least in a bar format.

26. The individual printed sheet product of claim 25 wherein the unique printed code is printed at least in a alphanumeric character format.

27. The individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the unique printed code is printed at least in a alphanumeric character format.

28. The multilayer, integral, individual printed sheet product of claim 1 wherein the first flexible cover strip at least partially overlies the printing including the unique printed code, the first cover strip being sufficiently transparent to read the unique printed code therethrough;

29. The multilayer, integral, individual printed sheet product of claim 28 wherein the scoring further defines a closed perimeter opening entirely within and entirely through the printed sheet product and the first removable identification element, the opening being sufficiently large to receive a key holding member therethrough.

30. The individual printed sheet product of claim 28 being part of a collection of individual sheet products, each individual sheet product being identical to each other individual sheet product of the collection except for the unique printed codes and any electromagnetic codes stored in the radio frequency responsive data storage element, at least the printed codes being different between all individual sheet products of the collection.