Thin flexible, RFID labels, and method and apparatus for use
DCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A system, comprising:
- an article to be tracked;
a flexible radio frequency identification (RFID) label affixed to the article, the RFID label comprising a first thin flexible sheet having a first surface, a dipole antenna disposed on the first sheet, a single integrated circuit (IC) having stored therein an identification code associated with the article, and a second thin flexible sheet affixed to at least a portion of the first surface;
visual information on the RFID label; and
an interrogation system including a first interrogator configured to provide power to the IC by RF charging and to communicate with the RFID label using a spread spectrum signal to determine the identification code.
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Abstract
A radio frequency identification (REID) device may include a first, thin, flexible sheet, an antenna, and an integrated circuit. A surface portion of the first sheet may be affixed to a second, thin, flexible sheet to form a thin, flexible label. Such a label may be affixed to an article for tracking by an interrogation system.
176 Citations
98 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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an article to be tracked; a flexible radio frequency identification (RFID) label affixed to the article, the RFID label comprising a first thin flexible sheet having a first surface, a dipole antenna disposed on the first sheet, a single integrated circuit (IC) having stored therein an identification code associated with the article, and a second thin flexible sheet affixed to at least a portion of the first surface; visual information on the RFID label; and an interrogation system including a first interrogator configured to provide power to the IC by RF charging and to communicate with the RFID label using a spread spectrum signal to determine the identification code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An article tracking system, comprising:
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a plurality of articles; a plurality of REID labels, each of the REID labels affixed to a respective one of the articles and comprising a respective first thin sheet having a respective first surface, a respective antenna disposed on the respective first sheet, a respective single integrated circuit (IC) comprising a respective transceiver, and a respective second thin sheet affixed to at least a portion of the respective first surface; respective visual information on each of the plurality of REID labels; and an interrogation system configured to use RF signals to determine, from at least one of the RFID labels, an identification code associated with at least one of the articles, and configured to use a light signal to determine, from at least one of the REID labels, data associated with at least one of the articles. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system, comprising:
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a first article; a first RFID label affixed to the first article and comprising a first thin sheet having a first surface, an antenna, a single integrated circuit (IC), and a second thin sheet affixed to at least a portion of the first surface; and an interrogation system comprising a first interrogator and a second interrogator, wherein the interrogation system is configured to communicate with the first RFID label using a spread spectrum signal modulated using at least one of amplitude or phase shift keying to determine an identification code associated with the first article. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of tracking articles, comprising:
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providing an REID label comprising a first thin flexible sheet having a first surface, an antenna disposed on the first sheet, a single integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the antenna, and a second thin flexible sheet affixed to at least a portion of the first surface; affixing the label to an article; reading the label electronically at a shipment origin to determine at least a portion of identifying information associated with the article, the at least portion of the identifying information including an identification code; and shipping the article to a shipment destination. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method of tracking articles, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of articles at a shipment destination, each of the articles having affixed thereto a respective RHO label comprising a respective first thin sheet having a first surface, a respective antenna disposed on the first sheet, a single respective integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the antenna, and a respective second thin sheet affixed to at least a portion of the first surface; transmitting to the articles a spread spectrum RF signal; receiving, in response to the signal, data stored in a first IC of a first label affixed to a first article of the plurality of articles; and treating the first article based at least in part on the data received from the first label. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A radio frequency identification (REID) label, comprising:
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a first, thin, flexible sheet having a substantially uniform thickness, the first sheet comprising a first surface; an antenna substantially disposed on the first sheet; a single integrated circuit (IC), wherein the IC is coupled to the antenna and comprises memory configured to store data and a transceiver configured to receive a signal and to provide the data in response to the signal; a second, thin, flexible sheet having a substantially uniform thickness, the second sheet comprising a second surface, wherein at least a portion of the second surface is affixed to at least a portion of the first surface; and adhesive material to affix the label to an article. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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85. A radio frequency identification (RFID) device, comprising:
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a first, flexible sheet having a substantially uniform thickness of less than approximately 5 mils, the first sheet comprising a first surface; a dipole antenna disposed on the first sheet, wherein the antenna has a substantially uniform thickness of less than approximately 2 mils; and a single integrated circuit (IC), wherein the IC is coupled to the antenna and comprises memory configured to store data, a receiver configured to receive a signal, and a transmitter configured to provide the data in response to the signal; wherein at least a perimeter region of the first surface is configured to be affixed to a second surface of a second, thin, flexible sheet. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
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Specification