High durability printed livestock tag and tracking system

• US 7,503,495 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intech Direct, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SSG II Incorporated
• Inventors: Peterson, Chris, Schmitt, Stephen E., Rosland, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US11/182,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/342, 235/380, 235/487, 235/494, 235/462.01, 347/101, 347/105, 347/106
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00214 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0011 Pre-treatment or treatment during printing of the recording material, e.g. heating, irradiating after-treatment of prints B41M7/00; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0047 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0064 on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers

Abstract

An identification system such as a system used to identify livestock and track ongoing livestock activities or data is provided.

Claims

1. A livestock identification system comprising:

a plurality of individuated printed identification devices each comprising a unique identifier comprising livestock identification information correlated to ongoing livestock activity; and

a correlation system configured to correlate ongoing livestock activity information with the identification information;

wherein each of said plurality of livestock identification devices further comprises;

a surface; and

an image printed on the surface of the item, wherein the image comprises said identification information; and

wherein the image is comprises a bar code readable after at least about 250 Taber cycles.

2. The livestock identification system of claim 1 wherein the image is readable after at least about 300 Taber cycles.

3. The livestock identification system of claim 2 wherein the image is readable after at least about 500 Taber cycles.

4. The livestock identification system of claim 1 wherein the image is infrared readable.

5. The livestock identification system of claim 1 wherein the image comprises a two dimensional bar code.

6. A livestock identification system comprising:

a plurality of individuated printed identification devices each comprising a unique identifier comprising livestock identification information correlated to ongoing livestock activity; and

a correlation system configured to correlate ongoing livestock activity information with the identification information;

wherein each of said plurality of livestock identification devices further comprises;

a surface; and

an image printed on the surface of the item, wherein the image comprises said identification information; and

wherein the image has a percent loss in color density of less than or equal to about 60% after about 350 Taber cycles applied to at least a portion of the image structure.

7. A livestock identification system comprising:

a plurality of individuated printed livestock identification devices each comprising a unique identifier comprising livestock identification information correlated to ongoing livestock activity; and

a correlation system configured to correlate said ongoing livestock activity information with the livestock identification information;

wherein each of said plurality of livestock identification devices further comprises;

a surface; and

an image printed on the surface of the item, wherein the image comprises said livestock identification information; and

wherein the image is printed by;

conveying the item through a plasma treatment stage;

treating the surface of the item at the plasma treatment stage by directing a plasma from a plasma source to the surface;

conveying the item to a printing stage.

8. The livestock identification system of claim 7 wherein the image is further printed with a printing element having a resolution of at least about 150 dpi.

9. An identification system comprising:

a plurality of individuated printed identification devices each comprising a unique identifier comprising identification information correlated to ongoing activity information; and

a correlation system configured to correlate ongoing activity information with the identification information,

wherein each of said plurality of identification devices further comprises;

a surface; and

an image printed on the surface of the item, wherein the image comprises said identification information; and

wherein the image has a percent loss in color density of less than or equal to about 60% after about 350 Taber cycles applied to at least a portion of the image structure.

10. The identification device of claim 9 wherein the identification device is a livestock identification tag and wherein the information comprises livestock identification information.

11. The identification device of claim 10 wherein the identification information comprises unique identification information, wherein the identification device is a livestock identification tag and wherein the information comprises livestock identification information correlated to ongoing livestock activity.

12. The printed item of claim 11 wherein the image is infrared readable.

13. The printed item of claim 12 wherein the image comprises a two dimensional bar code.

14. An identification system comprising:

a plurality of individuated printed identification devices each comprising a unique identifier comprising identification information correlated to ongoing activity information; and

a correlation system configured to correlate ongoing activity information with the identification information,

wherein each of said plurality of identification devices further comprises;

a surface; and

an image printed on the surface of the item, wherein the image comprises said identification information; and

wherein the image is comprises a bar code readable after at least about 250 Taber cycles.

15. The livestock identification system of claim 14 wherein the image is readable after at least about 300 Taber cycles.

16. The livestock identification system of claim 15 wherein the image is readable after at least about 500 Taber cycles.

17. The identification device of claim 14 wherein the identification device is a livestock identification tag and wherein the information comprises livestock identification information.

18. The identification device of claim 14 wherein the identification information comprises unique identification information, wherein the identification device is a livestock identification tag and wherein the information comprises livestock identification information correlated to ongoing livestock activity.

19. The printed item of claim 14 wherein the image is infrared readable.

20. The printed item of claim 14 wherein the image comprises a two dimensional bar code.