RFID thread, sheet with RFID thread, and printing machine for sheet with RFID thread

• US 8,115,638 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakama, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/392,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 235/488, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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

Abstract

An RFID thread which is mounted on a sheet and whose predetermined information can be read wirelessly from outside, the RFID thread includes: an IC chip recording the predetermined information; a first antenna consisting of an electrically continuous conductor which has a length corresponding to a size of the sheet and on which one or a plurality of the IC chips are mounted; and a base film made of resin for supporting the first antenna.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) thread which is mounted on a sheet and whose predetermined information can be read wirelessly from outside, the RFID thread comprising:

two Integrated Circuit (IC) chips recording the predetermined information;

a first antenna composed of an electrically continuous conductor which has a length corresponding to a size of the sheet and on which the two IC chips are mounted; and

a base film made of resin for supporting the first antenna.

2. The RFID thread according to claim 1, further comprising:

an impedance matching circuit disposed in the first antenna for matching an input and output impedance between the IC chip and the first antenna,

wherein the IC chip is mounted via the impedance matching circuit disposed on the first antenna.

3. The RFID thread according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip is electromagnetically coupled with the first antenna via a second antenna made of a conductor.

4. The RFID thread according to claim 3, wherein the IC chip is mounted via an impedance matching circuit formed in the second antenna for matching an input and output impedance between the IC chip and the second antenna.

5. The RFID thread according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is made of a fine conductive wire.

6. The RFID thread according to claim 2, wherein the first antenna consists of a linear portion and a diverting portion,

wherein the impedance matching circuit is formed in the diverting portion.

8. The RFID thread according to claim 1, wherein the RFID thread includes a thermoplastic adhesive on one side or both sides of the RFID thread, wherein the thermoplastic adhesive softens or dissolves at a temperature lower than a treatment temperature in a calendar process or a dryer process of a papermaking process.

9. The RFID thread according to claim 1, wherein the base film is a uniaxially-stretching film.

10. A sheet with an RFID thread, on which the RFID thread according to claim 1, is mounted, cut into a length larger than a mounting interval of the IC chip.

11. A method for managing a sheet with an RFID thread, in which the RFID thread according to claim 1, is mounted on the sheet, comprising a step of:

registering pieces of ID information recorded in the IC chips which exists in an identical sheet with the RFID thread in a database by mutually linking the pieces of ID information.

7. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) thread which is mounted on a sheet and whose predetermined information can be read wirelessly from outside, the RFID thread comprising:

an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip recording the predetermined information;

a first antenna composed of an electrically continuous conductor which has a length corresponding to a size of the sheet and on which one or a plurality of the IC chips are mounted; and

a base film made of resin for supporting the first antenna,

wherein the RFID thread comprises;

an antenna group consisting of the first antenna on which the IC chip is mounted and third passive antennas at least one of whose electrical length is a half wavelength of a frequency being used,

wherein the antenna group is continuously disposed on the RFID thread.

12. A printing machine for a sheet with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) thread, comprising:

a paper feeding unit;

a first reading unit;

a printing unit;

a second reading unit;

a paper discharge unit;

a separating unit;

a separating stocker;

a control unit for controlling the units described above; and

a database for storing information,

wherein the printing machine conducts printing on the sheet with the RFID thread which is mounted on a sheet and whose predetermined information can be read wirelessly from outside,

wherein the RFID thread comprises;

an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip recording the predetermined information,

a first antenna composed of an electrically continuous conductor which has a length corresponding to a size of the sheet and on which one or a plurality of the IC chips are mounted, and

a base film made of resin for supporting the first antenna, and

wherein the base film is a uniaxially-stretching film.

13. The printing machine according to claim 12, wherein the first reading unit and the second reading unit read information from the IC chip fixed on a fed sheet with the RFID thread.

14. The printing machine according to claim 12, wherein when the first reading unit fails to read information of the IC chip from the sheet with the RFID thread, the control unit stops operation of the printing unit, passes the sheet, and carries the sheet to the separating unit.

15. The printing machine according to claim 12, wherein when the first reading unit or the second reading unit fails to read information of the IC chip from the sheet with the RFID thread, the control unit stops operation of the printing unit, passes the sheet, and transmits a signal to the paper feeding unit for feeding another sheet.