Radio frequency identification tag arranged with a printable display

• US 6,404,339 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eberhardt, Noel H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brain
• Assistant Examiner(s): DaLencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/085,288
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/572.4, 340/572.5, 340/572.7, 340/10.32, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 343/702, 343/700.MS
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 19/07788 the antenna being of the capacitive type
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10435 the interrogation device being positioned close to a conveyor belt or the like on which moving record carriers are passing conveying in accordance with bodily destination marks, see B65G47/46, sorting of objects carrying identity markings, see B07C5/34

Abstract

A radio frequency identification tag system (10) utilizes a radio frequency identification tag (16) that includes a display (40). The display has an electrooptic display (458) sandwiched between a first display electrode 454 and an optically transparent second display electrode (456). The electrooptic display is preferably formed by the print deposition of a microencapsulated electrophoretic material between the first display electrode and the second display electrode.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification tag comprising a tag circuit, a tag common electrode and a tag antenna element, the tag common electrode and the tag antenna element coupled to the tag circuit,

the tag common electrode arranged for coupling to an external ground;

the tag antenna element arranged for electrostatically receiving an exciter signal capacitively from an exciter and capacitively coupling the exciter signal to the tag circuit;

the tag circuit arranged for becoming excited based on the exciter signal, generating a read signal and capacitively coupling the read signal to the tag antenna element;

the tag antenna element arranged for electrostatically sending the read signal capacitively to a reader; and

a display coupled to the tag common electrode and the tag antenna element and arranged to be responsive of a presence of the exciter signal, wherein the display is printable onto the radio frequency identification tag.

2. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, the display being a non-emissive display.

3. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, the display including an electrooptic display disposed between a first display electrode and a second display electrode.

4. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 3, the electrooptic display comprising a microencapsulated electrophoretic material.

5. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 3, wherein the first display electrode and the second display electrode are printed onto the radio frequency identification tag.

6. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, the tag common electrode further arranged for coupling to an article.

7. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 6, the tag common electrode further arranged for coupling to ground by means of the article.

8. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 1, the tag common electrode arranged for coupling to an animal or a person.

9. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 8, the tag common electrode arranged for coupling to ground by means of one of the animal or the person.

10. A radio frequency identification tag comprising a tag circuit, a tag common electrode and a tag antenna element, the tag common electrode and the tag antenna element coupled to the tag circuit;

the tag common electrode arranged for coupling to an external ground;

the tag antenna element arranged for electrostatically receiving an exciter signal capacitively from an exciter and capacitively coupling the exciter signal to the tag circuit;

the tag circuit arranged for becoming excited based on the exciter signal, generating a read signal and coupling the read signal to the tag antenna element;

the tag antenna element arranged for electrostatically sending the read signal capacitively to a reader; and

a display coupled to the tag circuit and arranged to be responsive to signals from the tag circuit, wherein the display is printable onto the radio frequency identification tag.

11. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 10, the display being a non-emissive display.

12. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 10, the display including an electrooptic display disposed between a first display electrode and a second display electrode.

13. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 12, the electrooptic display comprising a microencapsulated electrophoretic material.

14. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 10, wherein the first display electrode and the second display electrode are printed onto the radio frequency identification tag.

15. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 12, the first display electrode comprising a matrix arranged to apply an electric potential to selective pixels of the electrooptic display.

16. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 10, the tag common electrode further arranged for coupling to an article.

17. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 16, the tag common electrode further arranged for coupling to ground by means of the article.

18. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 10, the tag common electrode arranged for coupling to an animal or a person.

19. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 18, the tag common electrode arranged for coupling to ground by means of one of the animal or the person.