Materials and construction for a tamper indicating radio frequency identification label

• US 7,049,962 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mikoh Corporation, Parlex USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parlex Corporation (Johnson Electric Holdings Limited), Micoh Corporation
• Inventors: Whitefield, James, Cao, Miao Yong, Atherton, Peter S., Price, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/915,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20020036237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 340/572.8, 340/572.9, 340/572.7, 340/551
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0739 the incapacitated circuit being part of an antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2414 using inductive tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/244 Tag manufacturing, e.g. continuous manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2442 Tag materials and material properties thereof, e.g. magnetic material details

Abstract

Materials and construction for a tamper indicating radio frequency identification (RFID) label are provided to permit the destruction of the label or its properties in the event of attempts to remove the label from a surface to which it has been applied. An adhesion modifying coating is applied to a label surface or portions thereof to affect the relative adhesion strengths between different layers or areas of the label. The adhesion modifying coating can be applied in selected patterns to achieve differential adhesion strengths and resulting differential separation of the label from a surface on which it has been applied.

Claims

1. A flexible tamper indicating transponder comprising a flexible transponder and an adhesion modifying coating having a composition comprising 5–

97% polymer, 0–

80% solvents, and 0.01–

1.0% defoamer.

2. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 1 comprising (a) a flexible substrate, (b) conductive tracks adhered to one or both surfaces of said flexible substrate, (c) an integrated circuit affixed to at least one surface of said flexible substrate, and (d) the adhesion modifying coating applied to one or both surfaces of said flexible substrate.

3. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 2 wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyurethane, polyimide, polyetherimide, vinyl, nylon and paper.

4. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 2 wherein said conductive tracks are polymer thick film inks, solid metal conductors, and transfer-laminated conductors.

5. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 4 wherein said solid metal conductors are selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, and aluminum.

6. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 4 wherein said polymer thick film inks are conductive inks consisting of conductive particles in a polymer binder said conductive particles selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold, carbon and graphite.

7. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 4 wherein said transfer laminated conductors are inks consisting of conductive particles selected from the group consisting of silver and copper with and without a polymer binder.

8. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 3 wherein said substrate is polyethylene terephthalate film.

9. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 2 wherein said tamper track is a transfer laminated conductor attached to the substrate with a bonding adhesive, with no adhesion modifying coating present.

10. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 9 wherein said bonding adhesive is patterned or solid.

11. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 10 wherein an adhesion modifying coating is applied over or under the said tamper tracks.

12. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 2, wherein said adhesion modifying coating is applied directly to said substrate.

13. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 2, wherein said conductive tracks comprise tamper indicating tracks and an antenna coil.

14. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 2, wherein said tamper indicating tracks are applied in contact with said adhesion modifying coating.

15. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 2, wherein the said adhesion modifying coating is applied directly to the substrate;

the said conductive tacks comprise tamper indicating tracks and the antenna coil;

the tamper indicating tracks are applied in contact with said adhesion modifying coating.

16. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 15 wherein the said tamper indicating tracks comprise a portion or the entirety of said antenna coil.

17. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 15 wherein said tamper tracks are independent from said antenna coil.

18. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 15 wherein said antenna and integrated circuit are on the same side or the substrate as the said adhesion modifying coating and tamper indicating tracks.

19. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 15 wherein said antenna and integrated circuit are on the opposite side of the substrate as the said adhesion modifying coating and tamper indicating tracks.

20. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 15 wherein an adhesive is affixed to the said transponder in contact with the said tamper indicating tracks.

21. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 20 wherein the relative adhesion between the said adhesive, tamper indicating tracks, adhesion modifying layer and substrate is controlled by the pattern of the adhesion modifying layer.

22. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 21 wherein the said pattern of the said adhesion modifying layer contains one or more of the following features:

a solid coating pattern,

a pattern of regions with and without said adhesion modifying material,

a solid, contiguous border at the perimeter of said transponder,

a non-contiguous border at the perimeter of said transponder.

23. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 22 wherein the said pattern of the said adhesion modifying layer is further comprised of one or more of the following features:

a grid pattern comprised of lines and gaps between them,

a grid pattern comprised of geometric shapes and gaps between them,

said grid pattern is orthogonal or angled relative to the transponder perimeter,

a variation in the density of said grid pattern achieved by varying the size of the lines, geometric shapes and/or the gaps between them,

larger geometric shapes in the said grid pattern wherein no adhesion modifying coating is applied.

24. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 23 wherein the said pattern of the said adhesion modifying layer is further comprised of the following features:

a grid pattern comprised of lines and gaps,

said grid pattern is applied at an angle relative to the said transponder perimeter,

a contiguous border at said transponder perimeter

one or more regions absent;

of said adhesion modifying coating,

region absent of said adhesion;

modifying coating position in alignment with one or more electronic devices, such as the REID integrated circuit.

29. An electrically conductive ink for use in a tamper indicating transponder of claim 14, said ink selected from the group consisting of polymer thick film inks, inks with or without adhesive, inks comprising conductive particles, and transfer laminated inks.

30. The electrically conductive ink of claim 29 wherein said conductive particles are selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold, carbon and graphite.

39. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 3 wherein only a single layer of one substrate is used.

40. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 3 wherein multiple layers of substrate are used.

41. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 40 wherein said multiple layers are made of the same substrate.

42. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 40 wherein said multiple layers are made of different substrates.

43. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 4, wherein two or more transponders are incorporated onto a single substrate.

44. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 43, wherein said transponders operate at two or more frequencies or protocols.

45. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 2 wherein the integrated circuit may be active or passive.

46. The tamper indicating transponder of claim 45 comprising one or more electronic components in addition to said integrated circuit.

47. The flexible tamper indicating transponder of claim 1 comprising (a) flexible substrate, (b) conductive tracks adhered to one or both surfaces of said flexible substrate, and (c) the adhesion modifying coating applied to one or both surfaces of said flexible substrate.

48. The tamper indicating circuit construction of claim 47 comprising one or more electronic components attached to said conductive tracks.

25. A method for applying an adhesion modifying coating in a predetermined pattern on a tamper indicating transponder comprising an additive printing process.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said additive printing process is selected from the group consisting of screen printing, roto-gravure and lithography.

27. A method for applying an adhesion modifying coating in a predetermined pattern on a tamper indicating transponder comprising a subtractive printing process.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said subtractive printing process comprises (1) applying a uniform coating of said adhesion modifying coating on a surface of said transponder, (2) applying a mask with the image of the desired pattern of said coating, (3) curing said coating, and (4) removing the unwanted coating.

37. The method of applying said adhesion modifying coating of claim 28, wherein said coating is cured via thermal curing, curing by Ultraviolet or visible light and electron radiation.

31. An adhesion modifying coating for a tamper indicating transponder, said coating affecting the destruction of an electrically conducting material in said transponder, wherein said coating is applied before the application of said electrically conducting material.

33. The adhesion modifying coating of claim 31, wherein said coating comprises varnish, silicone, or ink.

32. An adhesion modifying coating for a tamper indicating transponder, said coating affecting the destruction of an electrically conducting material in said transponder, wherein said coating is applied after the application of said electrically conducting material.

34. The adhesion modifying coating of claim 32, wherein said coating comprises varnish, silicone, or ink.

35. A method of applying an adhesion modifying coating to a tamper indicating transponder used as a label component, so that said transponder will indicate whether an attempt has been made to tamper with said label, said method comprising applying said coating as a pattern of straight or curved lines, circles, dots, or other geometric shapes, said patterns optionally being interconnected.

36. The method of applying the adhesion modifying coating of claim 35 wherein said pattern is selected from the group consisting of a straight line square grid, a pattern oriented at different angles relative to the pattern of electrically conducting material, and a pattern having varying line widths and spaces between lines.

38. A method for modifying the destructibility properties of destructible tamper indicating tracks used in a tamper indicating transponder label, wherein said modification involves changing the formulation of an adhesive modifying coating material.