Active wireless tagging system on peel and stick substrate

• US 20040131897A1
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cymbet Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cymbet Corporation
• Inventors: Jenson, Mark L., Klaassen, Jody J., Sullivan, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/119 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/121 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5066 Type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) device provided on a thin-film battery. A system includes the RFID device in communication with a remote radio frequency (RF) transmitter and/or receiver. In some embodiments, the RFID device of the system includes a flexible substrate, a thin-film battery deposited on the flexible substrate, an electronic circuit placed on the battery and coupled to the battery to provide power, and a Radio Frequency (RF) antenna connected to the electronic circuit. In some embodiments, the battery of the RFID device is a rechargeable battery, and the battery is recharged when energy is transmitted from the remote device. Another aspect of the invention provides a system for making an RFID device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device for communication with a remote radio frequency (RF) transmitter and/or receiver device, wherein the RFID device includes;

a flexible substrate;

a pressure sensitive adhesive for connecting the RFID device to a surface;

a thin-film battery deposited on the flexible substrate;

an electronic circuit placed on the battery and coupled to the battery, wherein the battery is operatively coupled to the electronic circuit to provide power; and

a Radio Frequency (RF) antenna connected to the electronic circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery, and wherein the battery is recharged when energy is transmitted from the remote device through the RF antenna and the electronic circuitry.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit includes an RF-activated switch.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the RF-activated switch couples the thin-film battery in communication with the electronic circuit.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the RF-activated switch awakens the electronic circuit from a low-power sleep mode.

6. A method comprising:

providing a flexible peel-and-stick RFID device that includes a multi-bit identifier value and a thin-film battery deposited on a flexible substrate;

pressure-adhering the RFID device to an article;

receiving RF energy at the RFID device; and

based on the reception of the RF energy, coupling battery power to the RFID device to activate a circuit and initiate a task in the RFID device using the power from the battery, wherein the task includes transmitting an identifier (ID) value based on the multi-bit identifier of the RFID.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the task includes storing a start time for an activity in the RFID device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the task includes:

running a self-check in the RFID device; and

storing the result of the self-check.

9. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

receiving an interrogation code into the RFID device from a remote RF transmitter device;

performing an analysis of the interrogation code; and

transmitting the ID value from the RFID device to a remote RF receiver device based upon the analysis of the interrogation code.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising storing a timestamp for an event based on receiving the interrogation code into the RFID device.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

storing a first timestamp to mark a shipping event;

storing a second timestamp to mark a receiving event; and

comparing the first and second stored timestamps to determine the duration of shipping related events.

12. A method of forming an RFID device, the method comprising:

providing a flexible substrate;

depositing a battery, including depositing an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte separating the anode and cathode;

depositing a wiring layer;

placing an electronic circuit onto the deposited layers, wherein the electronic circuit is operatively connected to the battery by the wiring layer;

depositing a pressure sensitive adhesive to allow peel-and-stick applications; and

covering the RFID device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a layer order arrangement of the elements of the RFID device comprises:

(i) the cover,

(ii) the electronic circuit,

(iii) the wiring layer,

(iv) the battery,

(v) the substrate, and

(vi) the pressure sensitive adhesive.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a printed label on the RFID device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the depositing of the battery on the flexible substrate includes using an energy between about 50 eV and about 95 eV.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the depositing of the battery on the flexible substrate includes using an energy between 70 eV and 90 eV.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the battery deposited on the flexible substrate is rechargeable.

18. A flexible peel-and-stick battery-operated device comprising:

a plurality of layers wherein the layers are held to one another as a single package, wherein the layers include;

a flexible substrate;

an electronic circuit;

a thin-film battery operatively coupled to the electronic circuit to provide power;

a radio frequency (RF) antenna operatively coupled to the electronic circuit; and

an adhesive layer.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit includes an RF-enabled switch that electrically activates the electronic circuit.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the RF-enabled switch includes a MEMs device.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in the order comprising:

the adhesive layer wherein the adhesive layer is pressure sensitive and covered by a peel-able release layer;

the flexible substrate;

the thin-film battery deposited on the flexible substrate;

the wiring layer including an RF antenna deposited on the previous layers; and

the electronic circuit including an RF-enabled switch deposited on the wiring layer.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the RF antenna is integrated into the substrate.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein the battery is rechargeable.

24. A rolled release layer having releasably affixed thereon a plurality of the device according to claim 18.

25. The device of claim 18, wherein the adhesive layer is pressure sensitive adhesive and is covered by a peel-able release layer.

26. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in an order from the group consisting of the adhesive layer, the substrate layer, the battery layer, the electronic circuit layer, and the RF antenna layer.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in an order from the group consisting of the substrate layer, the battery layer, a layer including the electronic circuit and the RF antenna, and the adhesive layer.

28. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in an order from the group consisting of the substrate layer, a layer including a) the battery, b) the electronic circuit and c) the RF antenna, and the adhesive layer.

30. A system for making an RFID device, the system comprising:

one or more supply reels that feed one or more source substrates;

one or more supply reels that feed one or more electronic circuits and an RF antenna;

one or more deposition stations that deposit layers onto the one or more substrates, wherein the layers include;

(i) layers to form a solid-state lithium-based battery, the battery layers including;

a) a cathode layer;

b) an electrolyte layer;

c) an anode layer;

(ii) a wiring layer to couple the battery to the electronic circuit layer, and to couple the RF antenna to the electronic circuit; and

a supply reel that feeds a peel-and-stick adhesive layer; and

a vacuum chamber that contains the supply reels and the deposition station.