Battery-powered RF tags and apparatus for manufacturing the same
First Claim
1. A portable power source assembly for providing electrical energy to a portable electronic device, said assembly comprising:
- an electrically insulating substrate;
a first pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar anode structure;
a second pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming a planar electrode structure; and
electrolyte applying means for applying an electrolyte on top of said planar electrode structure between said planar anode and cathode structures for forming a battery for providing said electrical energy to said portable electronic device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An RF tag (20) includes a low profile battery power source (22). The RF tag includes an electrically insulating substrate 21, an RF transmitter (24) on the substrate for transmitting a predetermined identification code, and the battery (22). The battery includes a first pattern of conductive material to form a planar anode structure (48) and a second pattern of conductive material on the substrate to form a cathode structure (50). A protective layer (92) overlies the substrate. The protective layer includes an opening (94) to expose the anode and cathode of the battery to permit an electrolyte to be applied to the anode and cathode for completing the formation of the battery and to provide electrical energy to the RF transmitter. A manufacturing apparatus (60) is also described which permits the RF tags to be manufactured in a low cost, reel-to-reel, basis. Also described is a dispenser (100) for activating and dispensing the RF tags one at a time at a point of use.
154 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A portable power source assembly for providing electrical energy to a portable electronic device, said assembly comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate; a first pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar anode structure; a second pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming a planar electrode structure; and electrolyte applying means for applying an electrolyte on top of said planar electrode structure between said planar anode and cathode structures for forming a battery for providing said electrical energy to said portable electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 22)
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4. A portable power source assembly for providing electrical energy to a portable electronic device, said assembly comprising:
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an electrically insulting substrate; a first pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form an anode structure; a second pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming an electrode structure; and electrolyte applying means for applying an electrolyte to said electrode structure between said anode and cathode structures for forming a battery for providing said electrical energy to said portable electronic device;
wherein said applying means comprises a reservoir for holding said electrolyte and wherein said reservoir is in coextensive alignment with said electrode structures when applying said electrolyte to form said battery; andwherein said reservoir is divided into discrete segments, and wherein said applying means includes means for selecting respective ones of said reservoir segments for applying said electrolyte to corresponding respective portions of said electrode structures whereby said formed battery provides said electrical energy to said portable electronic device for a preselected limited time period.
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5. An RF tag assembly comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate; an RF transmitter provided on said substrate for transmitting a predetermined identification code; a first pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar anode structure; a second pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming a planar electrode structure coupled to said RF transmitter; and electrolyte applying means for applying an electrolyte on top of said planar electrode structure between said planar anode and cathode structures for forming a battery for providing electrical energy to said RF transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 9, 10, 23)
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8. An RF tag assembly comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate; an RF transmitter provided on said substrate for transmitting a predetermined identification code; a first pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form an anode structure;
.a second pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming an electrode structure coupled to said RF transmitter; and electrolyte applying means for applying an electrolyte to said, electrode structure to said anode and cathode structures for forming a battery for providing electrical energy to said RF transmitter, wherein said applying means comprises a reservoir for holding said electrolyte and wherein said reservoir is in coextensive alignment, with said electrode structures when applying said electrolyte to form said battery; and wherein said reservoir is divided into discrete segments, and wherein said applying means includes means for selecting respective ones of said reservoir segments for applying said electrolyte to corresponding respective portions of said electrode structures whereby said formed battery provides said electrical energy to said portable electronic device for a preselected limited time period.
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11. An RF tag subassembly comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate; an RF transmitter on said substrate for transmitting a predetermined identification code; a first pattern of conductive material on said substrate to form an anode structure; a second pattern of conductive material on said substrate to form a cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming an electrode structure coupled to said RF transmitter; and a protective layer overlying .said substrate, said protective layer having an opening to expose said electrode structure to permit an electrolyte to be applied to said electrode structure for forming a battery to provide electrical energy to said RF transmitter.
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12. An RF tagging system comprising:
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a supply of RF tags, said RF tags being in series along a continuous web, each said RF tag comprising a flexible substrate of electrically insulating material, an RF transmitter on said substrate, and an electrode structure on said substrate coupled to its corresponding RF transmitter; and an RF tag dispenser including a housing for storing said supply of RF tags, electrolyte applying means for applying electrolyte to each said electrode structure to form a battery for each said RF tag, and a dispensing port for dispensing each said RF tag one at a time. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An RF tagging system comprising:
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an RF tag comprising a substrate of electrically insulating material, an RF transmitter on said substrate, a planar battery on said substrate, and interconnect means interconnecting said battery to said RF transmitter, said interconnect means being initially in a high impedance state and responsive to selected incident energy for being converted to a low impedance state; and activation means for directing said selected incident energy onto said interconnect means to convert said interconnect means to said low impedance state. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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24. A portable power source assembly for providing electrical energy to a portable electronic device, said assembly comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate; a first pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar anode structure; a second pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming a planar electrode structure; and a protective layer overlying said substrate, said protective layer having an opening to expose said planar electrode structure to permit an electrolyte to be applied to said electrode structure for forming a battery to provide electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. An RF tag subassembly comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate; circuitry, coupled to said substrate and receiving electrical energy from a battery, for providing a predetermined identification code; a first pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar anode structure; a second pattern of conductive material provided on said substrate to form a planar cathode structure, said anode and cathode structures forming a planar electrode structure; and a protective layer overlying said substrate, said protective layer having an opening to expose said planar electrode structure to permit an electrolyte to be applied to said electrode structure for forming said battery to provide electrical energy for said circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification