Visual identification tag deactivation

• US 8,063,784 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Weslake, Paul, O'Hagan, James, Hohberger, Clive
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/718,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/572.5, 340/568.1, 340/568.7, 340/10.1, 116/216, 116/217, 116/307, 385/380, 385/383, 385/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip

Abstract

A device for deactivating an RFID portion on an identification tag and indicating that the RFID portion is deactivated. The present invention addresses current privacy concerns regarding potential use of RFID technology after the point of sale. The device for deactivating the RFID portion of an identification tag provides visual indication that the RFID portion is deactivated. The visual indication occurs without the use of additional equipment or electronics. The visual indication component of the present invention is easy to interpret, so that a viewer will be able to quickly determine whether the RFID portion of the identification tag has been deactivated.

Claims

1. An identification tag for visually indicating deactivation, the identification tag comprising:

an electronic circuit portion for storing an identification associated with the tag; and

a deactivation indicating portion,

wherein the deactivation indicating portion is capable of visually indicating deactivation of at least a part of the electronic circuit portion,

wherein the electronic circuit is deactivated in response to exposure to an environmental stimulus, and

wherein the deactivation indicating portion is caused to visually indicate deactivation following identification tag exposure to the environmental stimulus.

2. The identification tag according to claim 1, wherein the environmental stimulus is heat.

3. The identification tag according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit portion comprises a fuse that operates to deactivate the electronic circuit in response to exposure to the environmental stimulus.

4. The identification tag according to claim 3, wherein the environmental stimulus is an applied electromagnetic field.

5. The identification tag according to claim 4, wherein the applied electromagnetic field causes the fuse to produce heat that causes the deactivation indicating portion to visually indicate deactivation.

6. The identification tag according to claim 5, wherein the deactivation indicating portion comprises an exothermic dye, wherein the exothermic dye changes from a first color to a second color in response to the fuse producing heat.

7. The identification tag according to claim 1, wherein the deactivation indicating portion includes an exothermic dye, wherein the exothermic dye changes from a first color to a second color in response to the environmental stimulus.

8. The identification tag according to claim 7, wherein the exothermic dye is configured as text or as a figure.

9. The identification tag according to claim 1 further comprising a barcode, wherein the barcode remains readable after the deactivation indicating portion is caused to visually indicate deactivation.

10. A method for visually indicating deactivation of a identification tag, the method comprising:

providing an identification tag comprising an electronic circuit portion, and a deactivation indicating portion;

exposing the identification tag to an environmental stimulus,

wherein the electronic circuit is deactivated in response to exposing the identification tag to the environmental stimulus, and

wherein the deactivation indicating portion is caused to visually indicate deactivation following exposing the identification tag to the environmental stimulus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the environmental stimulus is heat.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuit portion comprises a fuse that operates to deactivate the electronic circuit in response to exposure to the environmental stimulus.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the environmental stimulus is an applied electromagnetic field.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electromagnetic field causes the fuse to produce heat that causes the deactivation indicating portion to visually indicate deactivation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the deactivation indicating portion comprises an exothermic dye, wherein the exothermic dye changes from a first color to a second color in response to the fuse producing heat.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the deactivation indicating portion includes an exothermic dye, wherein the exothermic dye changes from a first color to a second color in response to the environmental stimulus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the exothermic dye is configured in the pattern of text or a figure.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising a barcode, wherein the barcode remains readable after the deactivation indicating portion is caused to visually indicate deactivation.

19. A system for indicating deactivation of a identification tag, the system comprising:

an identification tag comprising an electronic circuit portion, and a deactivation indicating portion;

an apparatus for exposing the identification tag to an environmental stimulus, wherein the electronic circuit is deactivated in response to exposing the identification tag to the environmental stimulus, and wherein the deactivation indicating portion is caused to visually indicate deactivation following exposing the identification tag to the environmental stimulus.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the environmental stimulus is heat, and wherein the apparatus is configured to generate heat.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the environmental stimulus is an applied electromagnetic field, and wherein the apparatus is configured to generate the applied electromagnetic field.