Permanent RFID luggage tag with security features

• US 8,052,061 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViewTag, Co.
• Original Assignee: Vanguard Identification Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Warther, Richard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mikels; Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/960,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 235/435, 235/439, 235/451, 235/487, 235/492, 340/10, 340/572
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• 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 19/12 the marking being sensed by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation

Abstract

An integral, one-piece, resiliently flexible, planar, reusable, programmable radio frequency identification (RFID) luggage tag has a planar flexible sheet core of at least first and second microporous polymer material strips fixedly and permanently joined together completely surrounding first and second RFID transponder assemblies operating at different frequencies. The tag further includes a programmable electronic flexible sheet display in a visibly accessible position on the tag. The tag is further includes a cell phone number and/or email address of an ultimate designated recipient/user of the tag and instructions to contact the recipient via the number or address. The number and/or address are printed on the tag in a 2D bar code format and/or encoded into a programmable memory portion of at least one of the RFID assemblies to be outputted when polled.

Claims

1. An integral, one-piece, resiliently flexible, planar, reusable, programmable radio frequency identification (RFID) luggage tag comprising:

a planar flexible sheet core having major planar opposing first and second sides, the core including at least first and second core strips of flexible, microporous polymer material fixedly and permanently joined together, the microporosity being provided by pores located substantially throughout the microporous polymer material;

a first non-porous, polymer film cover strip integrally and permanently secured to the first major outer side of the core, the first cover strip being coextensive with and forming a first outer side of the tag;

a first RFID transponder assembly operating at a first frequency and a second RFID transponder assembly operating at a second frequency different from the first frequency permanently and integrally embedded between the first and second first core strips, partially collapsing the porosity of the core strip material enough to maintain an essentially uniform thickness with the transponder assembly embedded, at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies including non-volatile memory containing a non-alterable permanent code uniquely assigned to the transponder assembly and at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies containing a programmable memory portion with space to store information externally programmed into the portion; and

a programmable electronic flexible sheet display in a visibly accessible position on the tag.

2. The luggage tag of claim 1 wherein at least the one of the first and second transponder assemblies is configured to transmit at least a unique portion of the non-alterable permanent code upon interrogation.

3. The luggage tag of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies is configured to transmit at least a portion of the externally programmed information upon interrogation.

4. The luggage tag of claim 1 further comprising information uniquely identifying an ultimate designated recipient permanently printed in a first variable data field of the tag.

5. The luggage tag of claim 4 wherein the information uniquely identifying an ultimate designated recipient assigned the tag is encoded on the tag in a machine readable, two dimensional bar code format in the first variable data field of the tag.

6. The luggage tag of claim 4 wherein the permanently printed information uniquely identifying an ultimate designated recipient comprises at least one of a phone number and email address of the ultimate designated recipient of the tag printed in a machine readable format in the first variable data field of the tag.

7. The luggage tag of claim 6 wherein the at least one of a phone number and email address of the ultimate designated recipient of the tag is further encoded in the programmable memory portion of at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies to be transmitted by the at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies upon interrogation.

8. The luggage tag of claim 6 further comprising instructions to contact the ultimate designated user of the tag via the at least one of a phone number and email address permanently printed together with the at least one of a phone number and email address in the first variable data field in the machine readable, two dimensional bar code format.

9. The luggage tag of claim 8 wherein the at least one of a phone number and email address and the instructions to contact the ultimate designated user of the tag via the at least one of a phone number and email address are encoded in the programmable memory portion of at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies to be transmitted by the at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies upon interrogation.

10. The luggage tag of claim 1 wherein at least one of a phone number and email address of the ultimate designated recipient of the tag is encoded in the programmable memory portion of at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies to be transmitted by the at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies upon interrogation.

11. The luggage tag of claim 4 wherein the permanently printed information uniquely identifying an ultimate designated recipient comprises a visual image of the ultimate designated recipient.

12. The luggage tag of claim 11 wherein the visual image of the ultimate designated recipient is a dye diffusion thermal transfer layer on the first non-porous, polymer film cover strip.

13. The luggage tag of claim 1 wherein at least one of a phone number and email address is encoded with instructions to contact the ultimate designated user of the tag via the at least one of a phone number and email address in the programmable memory portion of at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies to be transmitted by the at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies upon interrogation.

14. The luggage tag of claim 1 further comprising a second, non-porous, polymer film cover strip integrally and permanently secured to the second major outer side of the core, the second cover strip being coextensive with and forming a second outer side of the tag and a closed perimeter opening located entirely within and extending entirely transversely through the tag including the and first and second cover strips while avoiding the first and second RFID assemblies and a programmable electronic flexible sheet display.

15. The luggage tag of claim 1 being coextensive in area with area of the core and having maximum dimensions of a standard size selected from CR-80, CR-90 and CR-100 standards.

16. The luggage tag of claim 1 further comprising at least one unique code permanently printed on at least one of the first and second major sides of the tag, the at least one unique code being unique to the tag and to at least one of the first and second RFID assemblies.

17. The luggage tag of claim 16 wherein the at least one unique code at least includes a unique portion of the non-alterable permanent code.

18. A method of using the luggage tag of claim 1 comprising the step of programming into a programmable memory portion of at least one of the first and second RFID assemblies, information related to a first travel itinerary of the luggage tag.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of subsequently programming into the programmable memory portion overwriting the information related to the first travel itinerary, information related to a second, different travel itinerary of the individual.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of programming into the programmable electronic flexible sheet display to be visibly displayed, at least one of a destination airport abbreviation code and a baggage claim identification number.

21. A method of using the luggage tag of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

interrogating at least one of the first and second RFID transponder assemblies of the luggage tag with a radio frequency signal; and

storing information provided by the at least one RFID transponder assembly in response to the interrogating radio frequency signal in a carrier baggage management system.

22. A method of using the luggage tag of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

creating a travel itinerary in electronic form at a remote source;

transmitting the itinerary to the ultimate designated recipient of the tag from the remote source;

joining the itinerary information with information from the two dimensional bar code printed on the tag;

transmitting the joined information back to the remote source.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the creating step comprises encoding information from the travel itinerary into a two dimensional bar code image;

the first transmitting step comprises transmitting the two dimensional bar code image to a user;

the joining step comprising capturing the transmitted two dimensional bar coded image and the printed two dimensional bar code with a camera equipped cell phone; and

the second transmitting step comprises sending the joined information via the cell phone.

25. The luggage tag of claim 22 further comprising instructions to contact the ultimate designated user of the tag via the at least one of a phone number and email address printed in the machine readable, two dimensional bar code format on the tag with the at least one of a phone number and email address in the first variable data field.

24. An integral, one-piece, resiliently flexible, planar, reusable, programmable radio frequency identification (RFID) luggage tag comprising:

a planar flexible sheet core having major planar opposing first and second sides, the core including at least first and second core strips of flexible, microporous polymer material fixedly and permanently joined together, the microporosity being provided by pores located substantially throughout the microporous polymer material;

a first non-porous, polymer film cover strip integrally and permanently secured to the first major outer side of the core, the first cover strip being coextensive with and forming a first outer side of the tag;

a first RFID transponder assembly operating at a first frequency and a second RFID transponder assembly operating at a second frequency different from the first frequency permanently and integrally embedded between the first and second first core strips, partially collapsing the porosity of the core strip material enough to maintain an essentially uniform thickness with the transponder assembly embedded, at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies including non-volatile memory containing a non-alterable permanent code uniquely assigned to the transponder assembly and at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies containing a programmable memory portion with space to store information externally programmed into the portion; and

at least one of a phone number and email address of an ultimate designated recipient permanently printed in a first variable data field of the tag in a machine readable, two dimensional bar code format.

26. An integral, one-piece, resiliently flexible, planar, reusable, programmable radio frequency identification (RFID) luggage tag comprising:

a planar flexible sheet core having major planar opposing first and second sides, the core including at least first and second core strips of flexible, microporous polymer material fixedly and permanently joined together, the microporosity being provided by pores located substantially throughout the microporous polymer material;

a first non-porous, polymer film cover strip integrally and permanently secured to the first major outer side of the core, the first cover strip being coextensive with and forming a first outer side of the tag;

a first RFID transponder assembly operating at a first frequency and a second RFID transponder assembly operating at a second frequency different from the first frequency permanently and integrally embedded between the first and second first core strips, partially collapsing the porosity of the core strip material enough to maintain an essentially uniform thickness with the transponder assembly embedded, at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies including non-volatile memory containing a non-alterable permanent code uniquely assigned to the transponder assembly and at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies containing a programmable memory portion with space to store information externally programmed into the portion; and

at least one of a phone number and email address of an ultimate designated recipient encoded into the programmable memory portion of the at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies so as to be transmitted by at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies upon interrogation.

27. The luggage tag of claim 26 further comprising instructions to contact the ultimate designated user of the tag via the at least one of a phone number and email address encoded into the programmable memory portion of the at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies so as to be transmitted by at least one of the first and second transponder assemblies upon interrogation.