Electronic-ink based RFID tag for attachment to a consumer item and displaying graphical indicia indicating whether or not said consumer items has been read and its integrated RFID module has been activated or deactivated

• US 7,791,489 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Gelbman, Alexander, Forbes, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam P
• Application Number:
  US12/074,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.42, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/5.91, 340/5.92, 345/4, 345/5, 345/85, 345/87, 345/205
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions

Abstract

An electronic-ink based RFID tag for attachment to a consumer item and displaying graphical indicia indicating whether or not the item has been read and its integrated RFID module has been activated or deactivated. In response to privacy concerns of consumers, the present invention provides new way of and means for allowing a consumer to readily determine the state of an RFID tag on a consumer item (i.e. activated or deactivated) through the use of a visual indicator integrated with the electronic-ink based RFID tag. The RFID tag has an addressable display label employing a layer of electronic ink, for displaying a first visual indicator when its RFID module has been activated to indicate that the unique identifier associated consumer item has not yet be read, and a second visual indicator when the RFID module has been deactivated to indicate that the unique identifier associated the consumer item has been read.

Claims

1. An electronic-ink based Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for attachment to a consumer item and displaying graphical indicia indicating whether or not said consumer item has been read and its integrated RFID module has been activated or deactivated, said electronic-ink based RFID tag comprising:

an addressable display label including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non- volatile imaging material, capable of displaying graphical indicia on the display surface of said addressable display label, wherein said layer of electronic ink does not require electrical power to maintain the display of said graphical indicia;

an antenna structure for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic signals carrying information corresponding to at least one of instructions, programs, data, and graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display label;

a transceiver module, operably connected to said antenna structure, for transmitting electromagnetic signals from said antenna structure to a remote link by way of a wireless communication protocol, and receiving electromagnetic signals from said remote link using said antenna structure and said wireless communication protocol;

wherein said received electromagnetic signals carry information corresponding to at least one of said programs, said instructions, said data, and said graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display label;

an interface module, operably connected to said transceiver module, for (i) receiving at least one of said instructions, said programs, said data and said graphical indicia from said transceiver module, (ii) determining graphical indicia for display on said addressable display label, (iii) generating electrical signals for supply to said addressable display label, and (iv) providing to said transceiver module for transmission to said remote link using said antenna structure;

a storage module, operably connected to said interface module, for storing a unique identifier associated with said consumer item;

an RFID module, operably connected to said interface module, capable of being activated to indicate that the unique identifier associated said consumer item has not yet be read, and deactivated to indicate that the unique identifier associated said item has been read;

a battery power structure for supplying electrical power to said interface module and said transceiver module;

wherein said addressable display label, said transceiver module, said interface module, said antenna structure, said storage module and said RFID module are arranged and combined together in a unitary device;

wherein said interface module is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from said remote link by said antenna structure and said transceiver module; and

wherein said addressable display label is responsive to electrical signals generated by said interface module, to display the determined graphical indicia on the display surface of said addressable display label;

wherein said interface module determines that said graphical indicia includes a first visual indicator displayed on said display surface, when said RFID module has been activated, to indicate that the unique identifier associated said consumer item has not yet be read; and

wherein said interface module determines that said graphical indicia includes a second visual indicator displayed on said display surface, when said RFID module has been deactivated, to indicate that the unique identifier associated said consumer item has been read.

2. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 1, which comprises a protection layer disposed over said layer of electronic ink in order to protect said addressable display label.

3. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said electronic ink comprises an arrangement of microcapsules disposed in an electro-phoretic composition of a fluid and a suspension of material.

4. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said graphical indicia displayed on said display surface is expressed in human and/or machine readable form.

5. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said storage module comprises a non-volatile memory element.

6. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said transmitted and received electromagnetic signals are radio frequency (RF) based electromagnetic signals transmitted and received, between said transceiver module and said remote link.

7. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 1, which further comprises a database system operably connected to said remote link.

8. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 7, wherein said remote link is in wireless communication with said electronic-ink based REID tag, by way of said wireless communication link.

9. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said first visual indicator comprises a first graphical symbol, and wherein said second visual indicator comprises a second graphical symbol.

10. The electronic-ink based REID tag of claim 1, wherein said unique identifier is a universal product number.

11. An electronic-ink based Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for attachment to a consumer item and displaying graphical indicia indicating whether or not said consumer item has been read and its integrated RFID module has been activated or deactivated, said electronic-ink based RFID tag comprising:

an addressable display label including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material, capable of displaying graphical indicia on the display surface of said addressable display label, wherein said layer of electronic ink does not require electrical power to maintain the display of said graphical indicia;

an antenna structure for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic signals carrying information corresponding to at least one of instructions, programs, data, and graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display label;

a transceiver module, operably connected to said antenna structure, for transmitting electromagnetic signals from said antenna structure to a remote link by way of a wireless communication protocol, and receiving electromagnetic signals from said remote link using said antenna structure and said wireless communication protocol;

wherein said received electromagnetic signals carry information corresponding to at least one of said programs, said instructions, said data, and said graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display label;

an interface module, operably connected to said transceiver module, for (i) receiving at least one of said instructions, said programs, said data and said graphical indicia from said transceiver module, (ii) determining graphical indicia for display on said addressable display label, (iii) generating electrical signals for supply to said addressable display label, and (iv) providing data to said transceiver module for transmission to said remote link using said antenna structure;

a storage module, operably connected to said interface module, for storing a unique identifier associated with said consumer item;

an RFID module, operably connected to said interface module, capable of being activated to indicate that the unique identifier associated said consumer item has not yet be read, and deactivated to indicate that the unique identifier associated said item has been read;

an inductive coupling element for supplying electrical power from an external power source to said interface module and said transceiver module;

wherein said addressable display label, said transceiver module, said interface module, said antenna structure, said storage module and said RFID module are arranged and combined together in a unitary device;

wherein said interface module is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from said remote link using said antenna structure and said transceiver module; and

wherein said addressable display label is responsive to electrical signals generated by said interface module, to display the determined graphical indicia on the display surface of said addressable display label;

wherein said interface module determines that said graphical indicia includes a first visual indicator displayed on said display surface, when said RFID module has been activated, to indicate that the unique identifier associated said consumer item has not yet be read; and

wherein said interface module determines that said graphical indicia includes a second visual indicator displayed on said display surface, when said RFID module has been deactivated, to indicate that the unique identifier associated said consumer item has been read.

12. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, which comprises a protection layer disposed over said layer of electronic ink in order to protect said addressable display label.

13. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, wherein said electronic ink comprises an arrangement of microcapsules disposed in an electro-phoretic composition of a fluid and a suspension of material.

14. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, wherein said graphical indicia displayed on said display surface is expressed in human and/or machine readable form.

15. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, wherein said storage module comprises a non-volatile memory element.

16. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, wherein said transmitted and received electromagnetic signals are radio frequency (RF) based electromagnetic signals transmitted and received between said transceiver module and said remote link.

17. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, which further comprises a database system operably connected to said remote link.

18. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 17, wherein said remote link is in wireless communication with said electronic-ink based RFID tag, by way of said wireless communication link.

19. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, wherein said first visual indicator comprises a first graphical symbol, and wherein said second visual indicator comprises a second graphical symbol.

20. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, wherein said unique identifier is a universal product number.

21. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, which further comprises an on-board battery source for supplying electrical power to said interface module and said transceiver module, supplemented by electrical power provided by said inductive power coupling element.

22. The electronic-ink based RFID tag of claim 11, wherein said graphical indicia is used in inventory management and supply chain tracking operations, and said second visual indicator indicates that said consumer item has been successfully scanned and entered into inventory.