RFID tag label

• US 7,479,888 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Forster, Ian James, Jacober, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/674,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20070126589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/571, 340/568.1, 340/10.1, 235/488, 235/492, 343/718, 283/74
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0025 the arrangement consisting of a wireless interrogation device in combination with a device for optically marking the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07726 the record comprising means for indicating first use, e.g. a frangible layer
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker

Abstract

A label includes a first portion that is printable with optically readable information and a detachable second portion that has an RFID tag that can be encoded with corresponding RFID information. The printable portion and the RFID portion can thus be printed and encoded, respectively, with information for the same container or object. Both portions can then be kept together until the label is ready to be applied. This greatly reduces the chances of applying mismatched optical and RFID labels.

Claims

1. A label, comprising:

a first portion having an RFID tag and an adhesive layer disposed along a bottom surface thereof;

a second portion having a top surface imprintable with optically readable information and the adhesive layer disposed along a bottom surface thereof, wherein the second portion is separable from the first portion; and

a third portion adjacent to and separable from the first portion, wherein the adhesive layer is bonded to an edge of the third portion.

2. The label of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are separable along the width of the label.

3. The label of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are separable along the length of the label.

4. The label of claim 1, further comprising separation means disposed between the first and second portions.

5. The label of claim 4, wherein the separation means comprises a perforation.

6. The label of claim 4, wherein the separation means are directly adjacent the first and second portions.

7. The label of claim 1, wherein the first portion is disposed between the second and third portions.

8. The label of claim 1, wherein:

the second portion includes a material; and

the material is selected from a group consisting of a conductor, a dielectric, and a magnetically permeable material.

9. The label of claim 1, wherein:

the second portion includes a material; and

the material extends into the first portion.

10. The label of claim 1, wherein:

the second portion includes a material; and

the material is in electrical contact with the RFID tag.

11. A method of using a label having an RFID tag portion, a printable portion for optically readable information, and an adhesive layer underlying the RFID tag and printable portions, the method comprising:

interrogating the RFID tag portion;

printing optically readable information on the printable portion;

separating the RFID tag portion from the printable portion;

adhering the RFID tag portion and the printable portion to an object; and

separating the RFID tag portion from an extension portion prior to the adhering, wherein the adhesive layer below the RFID tag portion is bonded to the extension portion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interrogating comprises encoding the RFID tag portion.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein information in the RFID tag portion corresponds to the optically readable information on the printable portion.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the printing is effected after the interrogating.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the interrogating is effected at approximately the same time as the printing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the interrogating and the printing are effected side by side.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the interrogating and printing are performed at a first location and the separating and adhering are performed at a second location.

18. A method of using a label having an RFID tag portion and printable portion, the method comprising:

printing optically readable information on the printable portion and interrogating the RFID tag portion at a place where the label is manufactured;

separating the RFID tag portion from the printable portion and attaching the RFID tag portion and the printable portion to a corresponding object at a place where the label is applied; and

changing an operational parameter of the RFID tag portion by separating the RFID tag portion from the printable portion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the attaching comprises adhering both the RFID tag portion and the printable portion to the object.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the attaching comprises adhering the printable portion to the object and loosely securing the RFID tag portion on the object.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the loosely securing comprises hanging the tag on the object.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising changing an operational parameter of the RFID tag by separating the RFID tag portion from the printable portion.

23. A label, comprising:

a first portion having an RFID tag and an adhesive layer disposed along a bottom surface thereof;

a second portion having a top surface imprintable with optically readable information and the adhesive layer disposed along a bottom surface thereof, wherein the second portion is separable from the first portion; and

a material disposed in the second portion, wherein the material changes at least one operational parameter of the RFID tag when the first portion is separated from the second portion.

24. A method for using a label having an RFID tag portion, a printable portion for optically readable information, and an adhesive layer underlying the RFID tag and printable portions, the method comprising:

interrogating the RFID tag portion;

printing optically readable information on the printable portion;

separating the RFID tag portion from the printable portion; and

adhering the RFID tag portion and the printable portion to an object, wherein the separating changes an operational parameter of the RFID tag portion, wherein the operational parameter is selected from a group consisting of an operating frequency and a read range of the RFID tag portion.

25. A label comprising:

a first portion having an RFID tag and an adhesive layer disposed along a bottom surface thereof; and

a second portion having a printable surface and the adhesive layer disposed along a bottom surface thereof, wherein the second portion is separable from the first portion along a perforation line, the second portion having an antenna coupled to the RFID tag;

wherein the RFID tag has a first operational state when the first and second portions are connected and a second operational state when the first and second portions are separated.