Resonant tag with a conductive composition closing an electrical circuit

• US 6,091,607 A
• Filed: 12/10/1998
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: McKeown, Thomas James, Tocker, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FOSTER, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US09/209,172
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 361/765, 361/766, 361/767, 361/772, 361/782, 361/783, 361/777, 257/531, 257/532, 340/572, 340/572.3, 340/572.5
• US Class Current: 361/777
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/242 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details

Abstract

Briefly stated a tag includes a dielectric substrate having first and second opposite principal surfaces. An electrical circuit having an electrically conductive pattern is formed on at least one of the principal surfaces of the dielectric substrate, the conductive pattern including a gap which establishes an electrical open circuit. An electrically conductive composition including electro-conductive particles is provided for bridging the gap in the conductive pattern to temporarily establish an electrical closed circuit which resonates when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range.

Claims

1. A tag comprising:

a dielectric substrate having first and second opposite principal surfaces;

an electrical circuit comprising an electrically conductive pattern formed on at least one of the principal surfaces of the dielectric substrate, wherein the conductive pattern includes a gap which establishes an electrical open circuit; and

an electrically conductive composition including electro-conductive particles bridging the gap in the conductive pattern to temporarily establish an electrical closed circuit wherein the electrical circuit resonates when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range wherein the electro-conductive particles are dispersed in a polymeric matrix material.

2. The tag of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit includes an inductive element and the gap is formed in a portion of the inductive element.

3. The tag of claim 2 wherein the inductive element is a coil.

4. The tag of claim 2 wherein the inductive element is a transmission line.

5. The tag of claim 1 wherein exposing the conductive composition to a fluid for a predetermined time causes at least a portion of the composition to partially dissipate resulting in an electrical open circuit condition in the electrical circuit which prevents the electrical circuit from resonating within the predetermined frequency range.

6. The tag of claim 5 wherein the fluid is at least one of water and dry cleaning fluid.

7. The tag of claim 1 wherein the electro-conductive particles are selected from the group consisting of metals, metal alloys, conductive polymers and carbon.

8. The tag of claim 7 wherein the electro-conductive particles are metal and the metal is silver .

9. The tag of claim 1 wherein the polymeric matrix material is selected from the group consisting of homopolymers and copolymers of vinyl monomers, acrylate monomers, styrene, lactic acid, glycolic acid, vinyl pyrrolidone and cellulosic materials, and derivatives thereof.

10. The tag of claim 9 wherein the polymeric matrix material comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

11. A method of making a tag comprising the steps of:

forming an electrical circuit on a dielectric substrate, the circuit comprising at least one electrically conductive pattern;

forming a gap in the conductive pattern to establish an open circuit;

applying a liquid composition to the conductive pattern to bridge the gap, the liquid composition including electro-conductive particles dispersed in one of a polymeric matrix material and a water based dispersion; and

drying the liquid composition to form an electrically conductive composition in the conductive pattern to cause the electrical circuit to resonate when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range.

12. The tag of claim 11 wherein the step of making the electrical circuit includes forming an inductive element and the gap is formed in a portion of the inductive element.

13. The tag of claim 11 wherein the step of forming the gap includes acid etching a portion of the conductive pattern.

14. The tag of claim 11 wherein the step of forming the gap includes cutting away a portion of the conductive pattern.

15. The tag of claim 11 wherein the step of forming the gap includes forming the gap at the same time the electrical circuit is formed.

16. A method for deactivating a tag, comprising the steps of:

forming an electrical circuit on a dielectric substrate, the circuit comprising at least one electrically conductive pattern;

forming a gap in the conductive pattern to establish an open circuit;

applying a liquid composition to the conductive pattern to bridge the gap;

drying the liquid composition to form an electrically conductive composition in the conductive pattern to cause the electrical circuit to resonate when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range; and

reestablishing the gap in the conductive pattern by exposing at least a portion of the conductive composition to a fluid for a predetermined time to cause at least a portion of the conductive composition to partially dissipate resulting in an electrical open circuit condition in the electrical circuit to prevent the electrical circuit from resonating within the predetermined frequency range.

17. A tag comprising:

a dielectric substrate having first and second opposite principal surfaces;

an electrical circuit comprising an electrically conductive pattern formed on at least one of the principal surfaces of the dielectric substrate, the conductive pattern including a gap which establishes an electrical open circuit in the electrical circuit; and

an electrically conductive composition bridging the gap in the conductive pattern which temporarily establishes an electrical closed circuit in the electrical circuit such that the electrical circuit resonates when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range, the composition being such that exposing the composition to a fluid for a predetermined time causes at least a portion of the composition to at least partially dissipate resulting in an electrical open circuit condition in the electrical circuit which prevents the electrical circuit from resonating within the predetermined frequency range.

18. The tag of claim 17 wherein the fluid is at least one of water and dry cleaning fluid.

19. A tag comprising:

a dielectric substrate having first and second opposite principal surfaces;

an electrical circuit comprising an electrically conductive pattern formed on at least one of the principal surfaces of the dielectric substrate, wherein the conductive pattern includes a gap which establishes an electrical open circuit; and

an electrically conductive composition including electro-conductive particles bridging the gap in the conductive pattern to temporarily establish an electrical closed circuit wherein the electrical circuit resonates when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range wherein exposing the tag to a mechanical force for a predetermined time causes at least a portion of the composition to at least partially dissipate resulting in an electrical open circuit condition in the electrical circuit which prevents the electrical circuit from resonating within the predetermined frequency range.

20. The tag of claim 19 wherein exposing the conductive composition to at least one of water and dry cleaning solution for a predetermined time does not cause the conductive composition to dissipate.

21. The tag of claim 19 wherein the mechanical force is caused by flexing the tag.

22. A method for deactivating a tag, comprising the steps of:

forming an electrical circuit on a dielectric substrate, the circuit comprising at least one electrically conductive pattern;

forming a gap in the conductive pattern to establish an open circuit;

applying a liquid composition to the conductive pattern to bridge the gap;

drying the liquid composition to form an electrically conductive composition in the conductive pattern to cause the electrical circuit to resonate when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range; and

reestablishing the gap by exposing the tag to a mechanical force for a predetermined time to cause at least a portion of the conductive composition to at least partially dissipate resulting in an electrical open circuit condition in the electrical circuit to prevent the electrical circuit from resonating within the predetermined frequency range.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of exposing the tag to a mechanical force is accomplished by flexing the tag.

24. A tag comprising:

a dielectric substrate having first and second opposite principal surfaces;

an electrical circuit comprising an electrically conductive pattern formed on at least one of the principal surfaces of the dielectric substrate, wherein the conductive pattern includes a gap which establishes an electrical open circuit; and

an electrically conductive composition including electro-conductive particles dispersed in a water based dispersion bridging the gap in the conductive pattern to temporarily establish an electrical closed circuit whereby the electrical circuit resonates when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range.

25. The tag of claim 24 wherein the electrical circuit includes an inductive element and the gap is formed in a portion of the inductive element.

26. The tag of claim 25 wherein the inductive element includes a coil.

27. The tag of claim 25 wherein the inductive element includes a transmission line.

28. The tag of claim 24 wherein exposing the tag to a mechanical force for a predetermined time causes at least a portion of the composition to at least partially dissipate resulting in an electrical open circuit condition in the electrical circuit which prevents the electrical circuit from resonating within the predetermined frequency range.

29. The tag of claim 24 wherein exposing the conductive composition to at least one of water and a dry cleaning solution for a predetermined time does not cause the conductive composition to dissipate.

30. A tag comprising:

a dielectric substrate having first and second opposite principal surfaces;

an electrical circuit comprising an electrically conductive pattern formed on at least one of the principal surfaces of the dielectric substrate, wherein the conductive pattern includes a gap which establishes an electrical open circuit; and

an electrically conductive composition including electro-conductive particles bridging the gap in the conductive pattern to temporarily establish an electrical closed circuit therein, the electrical circuit resonating when exposed to electromagnetic energy at a frequency within a predetermined frequency range, wherein exposing the conductive composition to a mechanical force for a predetermined time causes at least a portion of the composition to at least partially dissipate resulting in an electrical open circuit condition in the electrical circuit which prevents the electrical circuit from resonating within the predetermined frequency range, and exposing the conductive composition to at least one of water and a dry cleaning solution for a predetermined time does not cause the conductive pattern to dissipate.