RFID tag and methods of use and manufacture

• US 9,886,661 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smarthin Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smarthin Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Tercsinecz, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyen K
• Application Number:
  US15/342,779
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 235451, 235488, 235492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07718 the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole

Abstract

Thin RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags that are waterproof, made of materials able to withstand high pressure, hot and cold temperatures, and durable enough for a wide variety of applications, including being attached, affixed to, woven in, or otherwise enclosed within clothing, towels, linen, or other laundry, or affixed to other products, including consumer products, food products, and other goods and inventory. The tags have up to two antennas printed from a conductive ink solution comprising DuPont e782 Silver ink, graphite, and neodymium on a substrate foil made of materials including ST505 PET polymide, polyester, kapton, or a combination of ST505 PET polymide and kapton, Information stored on such RFID tags can be read using a variety UHF readers or a smartphones using RFID or Bluetooth or other forms of wireless communication.

Claims

1. An RFID tag comprising:

a first substrate carrier comprising a flexible waterproof material and configured to include a substrate carrier foil comprising at least a first antenna printed on the substrate carrier foil from a conductive ink liquid solution;

at least first and second resonance amplifiers printed on the substrate carrier foil and connected to the at least first antenna;

a UHF RFID circuit integrated into the substrate carrier foil at the first antenna; and

a second substrate carrier comprising a flexible waterproof material configured to cover the first substrate carrier and the UHF RFID circuit, wherein the substrate carrier foil comprises kapton and the first antenna has a length of 5 to 255 mm, a width of 0.005 to 5 mm, and a thickness of 0.05 to 9 nm,

wherein the conductive ink solution comprises 65-75% DuPont e782 Silver ink, 15-25% graphite, and 5-15% neodymium.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the substrate carrier foil comprises ST505 PET polymide.

3. The RFID tag of claim 2, wherein the substrate carrier foil further comprises polyester.

4. The RFID tag of claim 2, further comprising a second antenna printed on the substrate carrier foil from the conductive ink solution, wherein the second antenna has a length of 5 to 255 mm, a width of 0.005 to 5 mm, and a thickness of 0.05 nm to 0.9 nm.

5. The RFID tag of claim 2, further comprising a second antenna printed on the substrate carrier foil from the conductive ink solution, wherein the second antenna has a length of 5 to 255 mm, a width of 0.005 to 5 mm, and a thickness of 0.05 to 0.9 nm and the first antenna and the second antenna are symmetrically offset across a longitudinal centerline at at least four offset points, further comprising a third and fourth resonance amplifier, wherein the third and fourth resonance amplifiers are printed on the substrate carrier foil at two of the four offset points.

6. The RFID tag of claim 2, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

7. The RFID tag of claim 3, wherein the substrate carrier foil further comprises kapton laminate.

8. The RFID tag of claim 3, further comprising a second antenna printed on the substrate carrier foil from the conductive ink solution, wherein the second antenna has a length of 5 to 255 mm, a width of 0.005 to 5 mm, and a thickness of 0.05 to 0.9 nm.

9. The RFID tag of claim 3, further comprising a second antenna printed on the substrate carrier foil from the conductive ink solution, wherein the second antenna has a length of 5 to 255 mm, a width of 0.005 to 5 mm, and a thickness of 0.05 to 0.9 nm and the first antenna and the second antenna are symmetrically offset across a longitudinal centerline at at least four offset points, further comprising a second resonance amplifier, wherein the first and second resonance amplifiers are printed on the first substrate carrier foil at the four offset points.

10. The RFID tag of claim 3, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or rd at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

11. The RFID tag of claim 7, further comprising a second antenna printed on the substrate carrier foil from the conductive ink solution, wherein the second antenna has a length of 5 to 255 mm, a width of 0.005 to 5 mm, and a thickness of 0.05 to 0.9 nm.

12. The RFID tag of claim 7, further comprising a second antenna printed on the substrate carrier foil from the conductive ink solution, wherein the second antenna has a length of 5 to 255 mm, a width of 0.005 to 5 mm, and a thickness of 0.05 to 0.9 mm and the first antenna and the second antenna are symmetrically offset across a longitudinal centerline at at least four offset points, further comprising a second resonance amplifier, wherein the first and second resonance amplifiers are printed on the first substrate carrier at the four offset points.

13. The RFID tag of claim 7, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

14. The RFID tag of claim 11, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

15. The RFID tag of claim 4, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or read at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

16. The RFID tag of claim 8, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

17. The RFID tag of claim 5, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or read at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

18. The RFID tag of claim 9, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or read at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

19. The RFID tag of claim 12, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or read at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

20. The RFID tag of claim 1, configured to read at least 150 tags per second at a range of up to 4 meters using a mobile UHF reader or read at least 950 tags per second at a distance of up to 10 meters using a gate reader.

21. A method of manufacturing an RFID tag comprising:

loading rolled foil in a feeding unit;

unrolling the foil to a printer unit comprising a squeegee and press screen having holes;

passing the unrolled foil underneath the press screen;

moving the squeegee of the printing unit back and forth over the press screen to dispense a preset amount of conductive ink solution at a preset pressure on the foil through the press screen to create at least one antenna on the foil of 5-255 mm in length, 0.05-5 mm in width, and a thickness of 0.05-0.9 nm;

passing the unrolled foil to a drying unit;

subjecting the unrolled foil to heat in at least two heating units to dry the at least two needle shaped antennas on the foil;

loading the unrolled foil in a bonding unit;

dispensing epoxy resin from the bonding to the unrolled foil;

mounting an ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID integrated circuit to the unrolled foil with the epoxy resin at at least two points of the at least one antenna;

mounting at least two resonance amplifiers to the unrolled foil at at least two points of the antenna;

placing the foil in a first, flexible, waterproof substrate carrier and covering and sealing the first substrate carrier with second flexible, waterproof substrate carrier configured to cover the first substrate carrier and the UHF RFID circuit,

wherein the conductive ink solution comprises 65-75% DuPont e782 Silver ink, 15-25% graphite, and 5-15% neodymium.

22. The method of manufacturing of claim 21, wherein the unrolled foil comprises kapton.

23. The method of manufacturing of claim 21, wherein the unrolled foil comprises ST505 PET polymide.

24. The method of manufacturing of claim 21, wherein the unrolled foil comprises polyester.

25. The method of manufacturing of claim 21, wherein the unrolled foil further comprises kapton laminate.

26. The method of manufacturing of claim 21, wherein the preset pressure is 1-3 bar.

27. The method of manufacturing of claim 26, further comprising moving the squeegee of the printing unit back and forth over the press screen to dispense a preset amount of conductive ink solution at a preset pressure on the foil through the press screen to create a second antenna on the foil of 5-255 mm in length, 0.05-5 mm in width, and a thickness of 0.05-0.9 nm;

and mounting a third and fourth resonance amplifiers to the unrolled foil at at least two points of the second antenna.

28. The method of manufacturing of claim 26, wherein the preset amount of conductive ink is 195-205 ml.

29. The method of manufacturing of claim 28, wherein the drying unit comprises four heating areas, a first heating area where the unrolled foil is subjected drying at 70 degrees Celsius in heating area 610 for 3 to 4 minutes, a second heating area where the unrolled foil is subjected to drying at 90 degrees Celsius for 3 to 4 minutes, a third heating area, where the unrolled foil is subjected to drying at 107 degrees Celsius for 3 to 4 minutes, and a fourth heating area where the unrolled foil is subjected to heating again at 107 degrees Celsius for 3 to 4 minutes.