Radio frequency identification tag with tamper detection capability

• US 8,169,318 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mikoh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mikoh Corporation
• Inventors: Atherton, Peter Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US10/569,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20070029384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,801 Days
• Field of Search: 340571-5729, 340/10.52, 343/718, 343/878, 343/867
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0739 the incapacitated circuit being part of an antenna
• 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 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags

Abstract

An RFID tag includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface. An RFID integrated circuit is disposed on the top surface of the substrate. A first electrically conductive region is associated with the top surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit. A second electrically conductive region is associated with the bottom surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the first conductive region, the first and second conductive regions forming an RFID antenna. The RFID integrated circuit, first conductive region and second conductive region together provide an RFID function. An attachment layer is associated with the bottom surface of the substrate for attaching the tag to a surface. An adhesion modifying layer modifies the adhesion of the second conductive region such that the second conductive region is disrupted if the tag is tampered or removed from the surface.

Claims

1. An RFID tag, comprising:

a first substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces;

a second substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces, the first surface of the second substrate facing the second surface of the first substrate;

an RFID integrated circuit fixed to the first substrate so that the RFID integrated circuit and the first substrate together form an RFID integrated circuit module;

an RFID antenna disposed on the first surface of the second substrate and electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit via a non-contact coupling;

an electrically conductive region disposed on the second surface of the second substrate and electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit via a non-contact coupling;

a first adhesive layer between a surface of the RFID integrated circuit facing the second substrate and the first surface of the second substrate, the first adhesive layer attaching the RFID integrated circuit module to the second substrate;

the RFID integrated circuit being fixed to the second surface of the first substrate by a second adhesive layer;

at least one electrical coupling circuit on the second surface of the first substrate and connected to the RFID integrated circuit, the at least one electrical coupling circuit electrically coupling the RFID integrated circuit to the electrically conductive region via a non-contact coupling, and the at least one electrical coupling circuit electrically coupling the RFID integrated circuit to the RFID antenna via a non-contact coupling;

an adhesion modifying layer associated with the first and/or second adhesive layer, the adhesion modifying layer modifying adhesion of the RFID integrated circuit or the at least one electrical coupling circuit so that the RFID integrated circuit and/or the at least one electrical coupling circuit is modified if the RFID integrated circuit module is removed from the second substrate to indicate tampering of the RFID tag; and

an attachment layer on the second surface of the second substrate for attaching the second substrate to a receiving surface.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, further including an attachment modifying layer modifying the attachment of the electrically conductive region such that the electrically conductive region is disrupted if the second substrate is tampered or removed from the receiving surface.

3. The RFID tag of claim 2, wherein the RFID integrated circuit is adapted to detect at least one electrical property of the electrically conductive region so that modifying the at least one electrical property of the electrically conductive region is detected by the RFID integrated circuit.

4. The RFID tag of claim 3, wherein the RFID integrated circuit is adapted to record or transmit information representing the at least one electrical property of the electrically conductive region.

5. The RFID tag of claim 2, wherein the attachment modifying layer is arranged between the second surface of the second substrate and the electrically conductive region.

6. The RFID tag of claim 2, wherein the attachment layer is a layer of adhesive and the attachment modifying layer is an adhesion modifying layer.

7. The RFID tag of claim 3, wherein the at least one electrical property is an electrical impedance value of the electrically conductive region.

8. The RFID tag of claim 3, further comprising a power source within the tag and coupled to the RFID integrated circuit.

9. The RFID tag of claim 3, wherein the non-contact coupling is a capacitive coupling or an inductive coupling.

10. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the attachment layer is arranged between the electrically conductive region and the receiving surface.

11. The RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising a power source within the tag and coupled to the RFID integrated circuit.

12. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the non-contact coupling is a capacitive coupling or an inductive coupling.

13. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein a surface area of the second surface of the first substrate is smaller than a surface area of the first surface of the second substrate.

14. An RFID tag, comprising:

a first substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces;

a second substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces, the first surface of the second substrate facing the second surface of the first substrate;

an RFID integrated circuit fixed to the first substrate so that the RFID integrated circuit and the first substrate together form an RFID integrated circuit module;

an RFID antenna disposed on the second surface of the second substrate and electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit via a non-contact coupling;

a first adhesive layer between a surface of the RFID integrated circuit facing the second substrate and the first surface of the second substrate, the first adhesive layer attaching the RFID integrated circuit module to the second substrate;

the RFID integrated circuit being fixed to the second surface of the first substrate by a second adhesive layer;

at least one electrical coupling circuit on the second surface of the first substrate and connected to the RFID integrated circuit, the at least one electrical coupling circuit electrically coupling the RFID integrated circuit to the RFID antenna via a non-contact coupling;

an adhesion modifying layer associated with the first and/or second adhesive layer, the adhesion modifying layer modifying adhesion of the RFID integrated circuit or the at least one electrical coupling circuit so that the RFID integrated circuit and/or the at least one electrical coupling circuit is modified if the RFID integrated circuit module is removed from the second substrate to indicate tampering of the RFID tag; and

an attachment layer on the second surface of the second substrate for attaching the second substrate to a receiving surface.

15. The RFID tag of claim 14, further including an attachment modifying layer modifying the attachment of the RFID antenna such that the RFID antenna is disrupted if the second substrate is tampered or removed from the receiving surface.

16. The RFID tag of claim 14, wherein the attachment layer is a layer of adhesive and the attachment modifying layer is an adhesion modifying layer.

17. The RFID tag of claim 14, further comprising a power source within the tag and coupled to the RFID integrated circuit.

18. The RFID tag of claim 14, wherein the non-contact coupling is a capacitive coupling or an inductive coupling.

19. The RFID tag of claim 14, wherein a surface area of the second surface of the first substrate is smaller than a surface area of the first surface of the second substrate.

20. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag, comprising:

forming an RFID integrated circuit module by fixing an RFID integrated circuit to a first substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces, the RFID integrated circuit being fixed to the second surface of the first substrate by a first adhesive layer;

forming an RFID antenna on a second substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces, the RFID antenna being formed on the first surface of the second substrate, the first surface of the second substrate facing the second surface of the first substrate;

forming an electrically conductive region on the second surface of the second substrate;

forming at least one electrical coupling circuit on the second surface of the first substrate and connected to the RFID integrated circuit, the at least one electrical coupling circuit electrically coupling the RFID integrated circuit to the electrically conductive region via a non-contact coupling, and the at least one electrical coupling circuit electrically coupling the RFID integrated circuit to the RFID antenna via a non-contact coupling;

forming an adhesion modifying layer associated with the RFID integrated circuit and/or the at least one electrical coupling circuit;

forming a second adhesive layer on the second surface of the first substrate over the RFID integrated circuit and the at least one electrical coupling circuit;

attaching the RFID integrated circuit module to the second substrate via the second adhesive layer by applying the second surface of the first substrate to the first surface of the second substrate so that the RFID antenna is electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit via a non-contact coupling and the electrically conductive region is electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit via a non-contact coupling; and

the adhesion modifying layer modifying adhesion of the RFID integrated circuit and/or the at least one electrical coupling circuit so that the RFID integrated circuit and/or the at least one electrical coupling circuit is modified if the RFID integrated circuit module is removed from the second substrate to indicate tampering of the RFID tag.

21. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag, comprising:

forming an RFID integrated circuit module by fixing an RFID integrated circuit via a first adhesive layer to a first substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces;

forming an RFID antenna on a surface of a second substrate, the second substrate facing the second surface of the first substrate;

forming at least one electrical coupling circuit on the second surface of the first substrate and connected to the RFID integrated circuit, the at least one electrical coupling circuit electrically coupling the RFID integrated circuit to the RFID antenna via a non-contact coupling;

forming an adhesion modifying layer associated with the RFID integrated circuit and/or the at least one electrical coupling circuit;

forming a second adhesive layer on the second surface of the first substrate over the RFID integrated circuit and the at least one electrical coupling circuit;

attaching the RFID integrated circuit module to the second substrate via the second adhesive layer by applying the second surface of the first substrate to the second substrate so that the RFID antenna is electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit via a non-contact coupling; and

the adhesion modifying layer modifying adhesion of the RFID integrated circuit and/or the at least one electrical coupling circuit so that the RFID integrated circuit or the at least one electrical coupling circuit is modified if the RFID integrated circuit module is removed from the second substrate to indicate tampering of the RFID tag.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second substrate has a first surface facing the first substrate and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the RFID antenna is formed on the second surface of the second substrate.