RFID FOR MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION WITH APPLICATIONS IN MANUFACTURING

• US 20100112336A1
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Sengir, Gulcin H., Huang, Ningjian, Wang, Pei-Chung
• Application Number:
  US12/582,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20100112336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/323
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0292 tamper indicating labels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

An RFID tag system and method. An RFID tag is encapsulated within a protective material and formed as a ball. The RFID ball is then mixed with a material that is to be deposited on a particular work piece, such as a coating being deposited on a piece of sheet metal. The RFID ball can later be read when the work piece is in the production environment using a suitable RFID reader. In this manner, the RFID ball forms a permanent part of the work piece and is able to be interrogated at any occasion during the assembly of a product.

Claims

1. A work piece comprising:

a base portion;

a coating formed on the base portion; and

a plurality of RFID devices interspersed in the coating that are a permanent part of the work piece.

2. The work piece according to claim 1 wherein the base portion is a metal sheet and the coating is oil.

3. The work piece according to claim 1 wherein the base portion is a metal sheet and the coating is paint.

4. The work piece according to claim 1 wherein the RFID devices are an RFID circuit encapsulated within a protective material.

5. The work piece according to claim 4 wherein the protective material is shaped as a ball.

6. The work piece according to claim 5 wherein the ball has a diameter in the range of 0.1-1 mm.

7. The work piece according to claim 4 wherein the protective material is plastic.

8. A work piece comprising:

a base portion;

a coating formed on the base portion; and

a plurality of RFID devices interspersed within the coating that form a permanent part of the work piece, wherein the RFID devices include an RFID circuit encapsulated within a protective material where the protective material is shaped as a ball and wherein the RFID circuit stores information about the work piece.

9. The work piece according to claim 8 wherein the base portion is a metal sheet and the coating is oil.

10. The work piece according to claim 8 wherein the base portion is a metal sheet and the coating is paint.

11. The work piece according to claim 8 wherein the protective material is plastic.

12. The work piece according to claim 8 wherein the ball has a diameter in the range of 0.1-1 mm.

13. A work piece comprising a material forming the work piece and a plurality of RFID devices interspersed within the material that are a permanent part of the work piece, where the RFID devices include an RFID circuit encapsulated within a protective material where the RFID circuit stores information about the work piece.

14. The work piece according to claim 13 wherein the protective material is shaped as a ball.

15. The work piece according to claim 14 wherein the ball has a diameter in the range of 0.1-1 mm.

16. The work piece according to claim 13 wherein the protective material is plastic.

17. The work piece according to claim 13 wherein the material is a metal.

18. The work piece according to claim 13 wherein the RFID devices are molded within the work piece.

19. The work piece according to claim 13 wherein the RFID devices are forced within the work piece by a mechanical process.

20. The work piece according to claim 19 wherein the mechanical process is a stamping process.