One and Two-Part Printable EM Tags

• US 20100045025A1
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HID Global Corporation (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Omni-Id Limited (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Clarke, Paul Richard, Kington, Anthony, Cote, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 8,794,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/81
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07722 the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets flat articles in general, see B32B37/00
• 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 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07771 the record carrier comprising means for minimising adverse effects on the data communication capability of the record carrier, e.g. minimising Eddy currents induced in a proximate metal or otherwise electromagnetically interfering object
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10212 Programmable component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of assembly, labeling and programming decoupled EM tags used in the tagging and tracking of items wherein the tags including a printable label portion and a decoupler portion which are combined after printing on the surface of and programming a programmable device associated with the label portion.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a decoupled EM tag comprising the steps of:

preparing a printable label including a printable layer having a first surface and a second surface, an adhesive material layer adjacent to the printable layer second surface and an antenna electrically connected to a programmable device both located between the printable layer and the adhesive layer;

preparing a decoupler having a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface defining a first conductive side wall; and

attaching the printable label to the decoupler top surface by adhering the printable label adhesive layer into contact with the decoupler top surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a printer is used to print on the printable surface of the printable label before the printable label is attached to the decoupler surface to form a printed label.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the programmable device is programmed at a time selected from before the printable label is printed, during the printing of the printable label and after printing of the printable label.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler includes a second conducting side wall and a conducting end wall conductively connected to the first conducting side wall and second conducting side wall the first conducting side wall and second conducting side wall being spaced apart and substantially parallel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler first conducting side wall is attached to the surface of an item and thereafter the printable label is attached to the decoupler.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler is built into an item.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler includes a second conducting side wall that defines at least part of the decoupler top surface and wherein the second conducting side wall includes at least one gap.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the printable surface of the printable tag is printed with a standard bar code printing device on demand with printed features selected from standard one dimensional, two dimensional, and human readable, variable, and sequential data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the printable label includes a carrier film layer between the printable layer and the adhesive layer wherein the programmable device and the antenna are associated with the carrier film layer.

10. A printable label comprising:

a printable layer;

an adhesive layer; and

a programmable device electrically united to an antenna, the combination being located between the printable layer and the adhesive layer.

11. The printable layer of claim 10 including a backing layer covering the adhesive layer. The printable label may optionally include one or more alignment features 20.

12. The printable layer of claim 10 including a conductive side wall layer.

13. The printable layer of claim 10 including as least one alignment feature.

14. The printable layer of claim 10 further including a carrier film layer having a first side and a second side and located between the printable layer and the adhesive layer wherein the programmable device and the antenna are both associated with a same side of the carrier film.

15. The printable layer of claim 10 including a conductive side wall layer having a gap.

16. A deconstructed decoupler comprising:

a sheet including a conductive material layer having a first surface and a second surface, a dielectric layer associated with the conductive material layer second surface and at least one folding point wherein the folding point allows the sheet to be folded over upon itself at least one time such that the conduct material layer is prevented from creating a short circuit.

17. The deconstructed decoupler of claim 16 wherein there is a gap between an edge of the conductive material layer and the edge of the sheet.

18. The deconstructed decoupler of claim 17 including a programmable device and an antenna located essentially in the gap between the edge of the conductive material layer and the edge of the sheet.

19. The deconstructed decoupler of claim 16 wherein dielectric layer has a first surface that abuts the conductive material layer and a second surface including an adhesive material layer.

20. The deconstructed decoupler of claim 18 including a printable sheet associated with at least a portion of the conductive material layer first surface.

21. The deconstructed decoupler of claim 20 wherein printable sheet covers the antenna and the programmable device.

22. The deconstructed decoupler of claim 21 wherein the programmable device is an RFID chip.

23. The deconstructed decoupler of claim 21 including at least one foldable portion and at least one stationary portion.

24. A method for forming a decoupled EM tag from the deconstructed decoupler of claim 21 by the steps of:

programming the programmable device; and

folding the at least one foldable portion until a top surface of the foldable portion abuts a top surface of the stationary portion to form a once folded decoupled EM tag.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the deconstructed includes a second foldable portion and wherein the second foldable portion is folded until a top surface of the second foldable portion contact a top surface of the once folded decoupled EM tag to form a twice folded decoupled EM tag.

26. A kit for manufacturing decoupled EM tags on demand comprising

a plurality of printable labels wherein the printable labels are identical;

and

a plurality of decouplers wherein the plurality of decouplers include decouplers selected from at least two of the following different decouplers;

a. a first decoupler consisting essentially of a dielectric material

b. a second decoupler consisting essentially of a first conductive side wall attached to a dielectric material layer; and

c. a third decoupler consisting essentially of a first conductive side wall attached to a dielectric material layer and a conducting end wall.