Printed planar RFID element wristbands and like personal identification devices

• US 8,636,220 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanguard Identification Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vanguard Identification Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Warther, Richard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): St Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/967,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,220 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• 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 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

Each personal identification device includes a planar identification element with at least a core of flexible, porous and preferably microvoided polymer sheet material and a planar RFID assembly encoded with a unique electro/magnetic code permanently and integrally joined together with the core. The sheet material is sufficiently porous to collapse around the core so the sheet product remains planar yet flexible. A separate carrier can be provided or devices can be made in batches with scoring define one or more individual RFID devices removable from a remainder of a sheet product.

Claims

1. A personal identification device comprising:

a planar radio frequency identification element, the element including a flexible core having opposing first and second major opposing outer sides and formed from at least one strip of a flexible, porous polymer sheet material, and a planar radio frequency transponder assembly permanently and integrally fixed with at least an inner major side of the flexible, porous polymer sheet material, the at least one porous polymer sheet material core strip varying in thickness in the element, the at least one flexible, porous polymer sheet material core strip being thinned over the planar radio frequency transponder assembly in comparison to thicknesses of the at least one flexible, porous polymer sheet material core strip adjoining the planar radio frequency transponder assembly; and

carrier means configured for holding the planar radio frequency identification element and for releasably securing the planar radio frequency identification element to a user to be identified by the planar radio frequency identification element.

2. The personal identification device of claim 1 wherein the at least one strip of flexible, porous, polymer sheet material is a microvoided sheet material having a porosity of greater than fifty percent.

3. The personal identification device of claim 2 wherein the core includes a second core strip of flexible, printable polymer sheet material having an inner major side facing and overlying the inner major side of the flexible, microvoided, polymer sheet material and the planar radio frequency transponder assembly, the second core strip being permanently and fixedly joined with the inner major side of the at least one strip of flexible, microvoided, polymer sheet material, sealing the planar radio frequency transponder assembly between the at least one strip of the flexible, microvoided, polymer sheet material and the second core strip.

4. The personal identification device of claim 3 wherein the second core strip of planar, flexible, printable sheet material is a second sheet of microvoided, sheet material having a porosity greater than fifty percent.

5. The personal identification device of claim 1 further comprising a first flexible transparent non-porous cover strip integrally and permanently secured to the first outer side of the core, the first cover strip being coextensive with the first outer side of the core.

6. The personal identification device of claim 5 further comprising a unique code printed on a visible outer major planar face of at least one of the core and the first flexible transparent cover strip to uniquely identify the planar identification element from all other planar identification elements.

7. The personal identification device of claim 5 further comprising a metallic layer located on the device between the planar radio frequency identification element and the user.

8. The personal identification device of claim 1, where the planar radio frequency identification element is integral with the carrier means, the at least one strip of flexible, porous polymer forming part of the carrier means and being of a length sufficient to wrap around a portion of a user to secure the device to the user.

9. The personal identification product of claim 1, further comprising a metalized layer as a side of one of the element and the carrier means facing the user with the device secured to the user.

10. The personal identification device of claim 1 wherein the opposing first and second major opposing outer sides of the core are planar and parallel, wherein the planar radio frequency transponder assembly includes an antenna connected with circuit portion, and wherein the at least one strip of flexible, porous, polymer sheet material is a microvoided sheet material having opposing planar parallel major sides at least before incorporation into the device and a porosity of greater than fifty percent formed by microvoids.

11. A method of making an RFID personal identification device comprising the steps of:

providing an at least generally planar RFID element including first and second opposing major planar outer sides with indicia printed on at least one of the outer sides; and

providing an attachment portion with a holder portion sufficiently large to contain the RFID element and at least one strap with one securement capable of holding the holder portion on a user'"'"'s wrist;

wherein the step of providing a planar RFID element comprises the steps of;

providing a first planar substrate sheet having major opposing first and second sides;

applying a first one of either a radio frequency identification array antenna and a radio frequency identification array printed circuit chip to the first major side of the first planar substrate sheet;

separately applying a second remaining one of the radio frequency identification array antenna and the radio frequency identification array printed circuit chip to the first major side of the first planar substrate sheet in operative overlying relationship and connection with the first one to form an operative radio frequency identification array on the first planar substrate sheet;

fixedly and permanently joining a first major outer side of a second planar substrate sheet to the first major side of the first planar substrate sheet overlying the applied antenna and printed circuit chip to form at least part of a multilayer planar core having first and second major outer sides, at least one of the first and second planar substrate sheets being microvoided;

fixedly and permanently applying at least a first planar cover sheet to at least the first major outer side of the planar core; and

scoring the planar core and at least first planar cover sheet to define at least one multilayer, integral, individual planar radio frequency identification element removable from the core and at least first planar cover sheet, the planar radio frequency identification element containing the operative radio frequency identification array and the planar radio frequency identification element having opposing major planar sides fitting into an area no greater than about three and five-eighths by about two and three-eighths inches.

12. The multilayer, integral, individual planar identification element made by the method of claim 11.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of printing on the second major side of the second planar substrate sheet before the fixedly and permanently joining step.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of printing on the second major side of the first planar substrate sheet before the step of applying the first cover sheet.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of printing on the second major side of the first planar substrate sheet occurs before the step of applying a first one.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of printing on the second major side of one of the first and second planar substrates includes printing a unique machine readable code.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein at least both of the first and second planar flexible sheets are microvoided material sheets.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing a metalized layer on one of the RFID element and the attachment portion on a side to be facing the user with the device secured to the user.

19. A method of making an individual planar radio frequency identification device comprising the steps of:

providing a first planar substrate sheet having major opposing first and second sides;

applying a first one of either a radio frequency identification array antenna and a radio frequency identification array printed circuit chip to the first major side of the first planar substrate sheet;

separately applying a second remaining one of the radio frequency identification array antenna and the radio frequency identification array printed circuit chip to the first major side of the first planar substrate sheet in operative overlying relationship and connection with the first one to form an operative radio frequency identification array on the first planar substrate sheet;

fixedly and permanently joining a first major outer side of a second planar substrate sheet to the first major side of the first planar substrate sheet overlying the applied antenna and printed circuit chip to form at least part of a multilayer planar core having first and second major outer sides, at least one of the first and second planar substrate sheets being microvoided; and

scoring the planar core to define at least one multilayer, integral, individual planar radio frequency identification wristband removable from the core, the planar radio frequency identification wristband including a central holder portion containing the operative radio frequency identification array and the planar radio frequency identification element and a pair of straps extending away from opposite sides of the holder portion.

20. The device formed by the method of claim 19.

21. A personal identification device comprising:

a planar radio frequency identification element, the element including a flexible core having opposing first and second major planar parallel polymer opposing outer sides, the core being formed from at least a first strip of a flexible, porous polymer sheet material and a second strip of a flexible polymer sheet material, and a planar radio frequency transponder assembly including an antenna operably connected with a circuit portion and being permanently and integrally encapsulated between the first and second strips and fixed with at least an inner major side of the first strip of flexible, porous polymer sheet material, the first strip of flexible, porous polymer sheet material having a porosity greater than fifty percent formed by microvoids in the sheet material; and

carrier means configured for holding the planar radio frequency identification element and for releasably securing the planar radio frequency identification element to a user to be identified by the planar radio frequency identification element.