One and two-part printable EM tags

• US 8,794,533 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HID Global Corporation (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Omni-Id Cayman Limited (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Cote, Andre, Clarke, Paul Richard, Kington, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/544,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/451, 235/492, 340/572.2, 340/572.7, 340/572.8
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07722 the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets flat articles in general, see B32B37/00
• 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: G06K 19/07771 the record carrier comprising means for minimising adverse effects on the data communication capability of the record carrier, e.g. minimising Eddy currents induced in a proximate metal or otherwise electromagnetically interfering object
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10212 Programmable component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of assembly, labeling and programming decoupled EM tags used in the tagging and tracking of items wherein the tags including a printable label portion and a decoupler portion which are combined after printing on the surface of and programming a programmable device associated with the label portion.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a decoupled EM tag comprising the steps of:

preparing a printable label including a printable layer having a first surface and a second surface, an adhesive material layer adjacent to the printable layer second surface and an antenna electrically connected to a programmable device both located between the printable layer and the adhesive layer;

preparing a decoupler having a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface defining a first conductive side wall;

attaching the printable label to the decoupler top surface by adhering the printable label adhesive layer into contact with the decoupler top surface; and

forming an image on the printable layer first surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a printer is used to print on the printable surface of the printable label before the printable label is attached to the decoupler surface to form a printed label.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the programmable device is programmed at a time selected from before the printable label is printed, during the printing of the printable label and after printing of the printable label.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler includes a second conducting side wall and a conducting end wall conductively connected to the first conducting side wall and second conducting side wall the first conducting side wall and second conducting side wall being spaced apart and substantially parallel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler first conducting side wall is attached to the surface of an item and thereafter the printable label is attached to the decoupler.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler is built into an item.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoupler includes a second conducting side wall that defines at least part of the decoupler top surface and wherein the second conducting side wall includes at least one gap.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the printable layer of the printable tag is printed with a standard bar code printing device on demand with printed features selected from standard one dimensional, two dimensional, and human readable, variable, and sequential data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the printable label includes a carrier film layer between the printable layer and the adhesive layer wherein the programmable device and the antenna are associated with the carrier film layer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the image formed on the printable label first surface is one or more of a logo, label, human readable text, machine readable text, machine readable graphics, one dimensional bar code, multi-dimensional bar code, and holographic image.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the image formed on the printable label is formed by printing.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the image formed on the printable label is formed by applying a label to the printable label first surface.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the image formed on the printable label is formed before the printable label is attached to the decoupler top surface.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the image formed on the printable label is formed after the printable label is attached to the decoupler top surface.