EP1838589B1 - System and method for automatic marking, identification and tracing of substances or containers - Google Patents

Abstract

In a container (1) for transporting and storing substances that is provided with a transponder for radio frequency identification, it is provided that the container exhibits a substantially cylinder-shaped main section (12) having a curved lateral surface, and that the transponder includes an electronic memory (21) and, as a coupling element, an antenna coil (22), the antenna coil (22) being disposed in or on a wall surface of the container (1) and with its axis parallel to the cylinder axis of the main section (12). According to the present invention, the antenna coil (22) is disposed in the region of the cylinder-shaped main section (12) of the container on the lateral surface of the cylinder and exhibits one or more windings around the cylinder axis.

Description

The invention relates to a system and a method for automatic identification, identification and tracking of substances or containers.

State of the art

Transponder technology has been used successfully for many years in many applications: the non-contact company ID card that gives access to the workplace or the immobilizer based on a transponder installed in the vehicle key are typical examples. Bills for waste disposal in Germany have also been prepared for several years using transponders in household waste bins. Each time the garbage bin is emptied, the one-time code is automatically read in by the vehicle and the amount of garbage is assigned to the owner of the garbage bin [RFID Forum, Magazine for contactless data transfer 04/2004, Every Card Verlags GmbH Lüneburg, p. 33]. The transponder or RFID technology proves to be more robust than conventional labeling systems, in particular labels with barcodes: For dirty, concealed or damaged bar codes, the chances of detection are poor despite a growing number of built-in redundancies. By contrast, the RFID technology, which is independent of an optical line of sight, offers a consistently high reading quality even for heavily soiled data carriers.

Further advantages of the RFID technology are the generally high memory capacities (currently up to 64 kByte), the possibility of reprogramming and encrypted data transmission.

A transponder usually consists of a coupling element (coil or microwave antenna) and an electronic microchip. Outside the response range of a reader, the transponder, which typically does not have its own power supply (battery), typically behaves completely passively. Only within the response range of a reader, the transponder is activated. The energy required to operate the transponder is transmitted as well as clock and data by the coupling unit contactless to the transponder.

The mutual inductance M relevant for the power supply and data transmission of the transponder is proportional to the cross-sectional area A and number of turns n of the transponder coil and to the cosine of the angle θ between the magnetic field lines of the reader and the central axis of the coil: Mn · A · cos θ. A high mutual inductance allows a high read range of the transponder and / or a power supply of complex transponder chips, for example, with a large storage capacity or with a complex processor for performing anti-collision or encrypted data transmission.

B1:

Disks: Häufigste Bauform sind die sogenannten Disks oder Münzen, Transponder mit einem runden Spritzgussgehäuse mit Durchmessern von wenigen Millimetern bis zu 10 cm. Für eine gute Energieversorgung des Transponders muss. Der kleinste Disk-Transponder (Wäsche-Tag) im 13,56 MHz-Frequenzband auf dem Markt hat einen Durchmesser von 16 mm, verfügt jedoch nur über eine Speicherkapazität von 120 Byte [RFID-Forum 06/2004, S. 10].

B2:

Glasgehäuse: Für die Identifikation von Tieren wurden Glastransponder entwickelt, die unter die Haut des Tieres injiziert werden können. In ei- nem lediglich 12 bis 32 mm langen Glasröhrchen mit ca. 4 mm Außen- durchmesser befinden sich ein auf einem Träger montierter Mikrochip sowie ein Chipkondensator. Die Transponderspule wird aus nur 0,03 mm dickem Draht auf einen Ferritkern gewickelt. Für die mechanische Stabilität sind die inneren Komponenten in einen Weichkleber eingebet- tet.

B3:

Plastikgehäuse: Für Anwendungen mit besonders hohen mechanischen Anforderungen wurde das Plastikgehäuse (plasticpackage) entwickelt. Dieses Gehäuse wird auch gern in andere Bauformen integriert, so et- wa in Autoschlüssel für elektronische Wegfahrsperren. Der aus Mold- masse (IC-Vergussmasse) bestehende abgeschrägte Quader mit den Abmessungen 12 x 5,9 x 3 mm³ beinhaltet nahezu die gleichen Kompo- nenten wie der Glastransponder, hat aber durch die längere Spule eine größere Funktionsreichweite.

B4:

Chipkarten: Der von Kredit- und Telefonkarten bekannten Bauform ID-1 (85,72 x 54,03 x 0,76 mm³) kommt auch bei RFID-Systemen eine immer größer werdende Bedeutung als kontaktlose Chipkarte zu. Der Vorteil dieser Bauform für induktiv gekoppelte RFID-Systeme besteht in der großen Spulenfläche, wobei sich bei den Chipkarten hohe Reichweiten ergeben.
Kontaktlose Chipkarten entstehen durch das Einlaminieren eines Transponders zwischen vier PVC-Folien. Dabei werden die Einzelfolien bei hohem Druck und Temperaturen über 100°C zu einer unlösbaren Einheit verbacken.
Nicht immer ist jedoch die für ID-1 Karten geforderte maximale Dicke von 0,8 mm einzuhalten. Vor allem Mikrowellentransponder benötigen dickere Bauformen.

B5:

Smart-Label: Unter Smart-Label versteht man eine papierdünne Trans- ponderbauform. Hierbei wird die Transponderspule durch Siebdruck oder Ätztechnik auf eine 0,1 mm dicke Plastikfolie aufgebracht. Diese Folie wird häufig mit einer Papierschicht laminiert und auf der Rückseite mit einem Kleber beschichtet. Die Transponder werden als Selbstklebe- etiketten geliefert und können direkt aufgeklebt werden.

B6:

Coil-on-Chip: Bei den bisher vorgestellten Bauformen werden die Transponder aus einer separaten Transponderspule, die als Antenne funktioniert, und einem Transponderchip hergestellt (hybride Technolo- gie). Im Wege der Miniaturisierung liegt es nahe, auch die Spulen auf dem Chip zu integrieren (Coil-on-Chip). Die Spule wird hier als planare (einlagige) Spiralanordnung unmittelbar auf dem Isolator des Silizium- chips platziert und durch konventionelle Öffnungen in der Passivie- rungsschicht mit der darunterliegenden Schaltung kontaktiert. Die Grö- β e des Chips und damit des gesamten Transponders beträgt nur 3 x 3 mm². Zur besseren Handhabung werden die Transponder häufig noch in einen Kunststoffkörper eingebettet und gehören mit Ø 6 mm x 1,5 mm zu den kleinsten auf dem Markt verfügbaren RFID-Transpondem.

The following types of transponders are known:

B1:

Discs: Most common types are the so-called discs or coins, transponders with a round injection molded housing with diameters of a few millimeters up to 10 cm. For a good energy supply of the transponder must. The smallest disk transponder (laundry tag) in the 13.56 MHz frequency band on the market has a diameter of 16 mm, but has only a memory capacity of 120 bytes [RFID Forum 06/2004, p. 10].

B2:

Glass housing: For the identification of animals, glass transponders have been developed, which can be injected under the skin of the animal. A glass microchip mounted on a carrier and a chip capacitor are located in a glass tube with a diameter of only approx. 4 mm to a diameter of only 12 to 32 mm. The transponder coil is wound on a ferrite core of only 0.03 mm thick wire. For mechanical stability, the inner components are embedded in a soft adhesive.

B3:

Plastic housing: The plastic package (plasticpackage) was developed for applications with particularly high mechanical requirements. This housing is also often integrated into other designs, such as car keys for electronic immobilisers. The 12 x 5.9 x 3 mm ³ bevelled block consisting of molding compound (IC potting compound) contains almost the same components as the glass transponder, but has a wider range of functions thanks to the longer coil.

B4:

Chip cards: The ID-1 (85.72 x 54.03 x 0.76 mm ³ ) design known from credit and telephone cards is becoming more and more important as a contactless chip card in RFID systems. The advantage of this design for inductively coupled RFID systems is the large coil area, resulting in the chip cards high ranges.
Contactless chip cards are created by laminating a transponder between four PVC films. The individual films are baked at high pressure and temperatures above 100 ° C to form a permanent unit.
However, the maximum thickness of 0.8 mm required for ID-1 cards is not always met. Especially microwave transponders require thicker designs.

B5:

Smart label: Smart label is a paper-thin transponder design. Here, the transponder coil is applied by screen printing or etching on a 0.1 mm thick plastic film. This film is often laminated with a paper layer and coated on the back with an adhesive. The transponders are supplied as self-adhesive labels and can be affixed directly.

B6:

Coil-on-Chip: In the designs presented so far, the transponders are manufactured from a separate transponder coil, which functions as an antenna, and a transponder chip (hybrid technology). By way of miniaturization, it is obvious to also integrate the coils on the chip (coil-on-chip). The coil is placed here as a planar (single-layer) spiral arrangement directly on the insulator of the silicon chip and contacted by conventional openings in the passivation layer with the underlying circuit. The size of the chip and thus of the entire transponder is only 3 × 3 mm ² . For better handling, the transponders are often embedded in a plastic body and, with a diameter of 6 mm x 1.5 mm, are among the smallest RFID transponders available on the market.

By combining a transponder with a sensor, it is possible to transmit physical measurement data wirelessly in addition to an identification number [RFID-Forum 06/2004, p.20]. Active transponders, ie with an integrated battery, are used for autonomous acquisition of measured data outside the range of the reading station. Applications are in particular in the temperature control during the transport of sensitive goods, such as blood, plants or fresh meat.

For marking and ensuring the traceability of goods and the documentation of process steps in the flow of goods - be it steps of production, analysis, quality assurance, transport, goods transfer, consumption or disposal - often labeled containers are used. If transponders are to be used, a number of practical problems arise with regard to the optimal attachment to or integration into the container. This problem is particularly pronounced for small, thin-walled containers, especially if they have curved surfaces.

In addition, the assurance of a suitable orientation of the transponder coil relative to the magnetic field of the readout device in the read-out process is often a problem, since only at a suitable relative orientation sufficient interaction strength between reader and transponder is achieved. Also, touching or closely spaced containers may make it difficult or even impossible to read the data stored on the respective transponders trouble-free.

In DE 4313049 is a cuboid transport container described with a transponder, which is housed in a Randlaufleiste on a side wall. In this case, a pin-shaped transponder of the types B2 or B3 is used, which can be inserted into the edge strip. The font is limited to containers with a rectangular base and vertical side walls. The mentioned problems of marking small, thin-walled containers, containers with curved surfaces and ensuring the correct orientation is not solved in this document.

The utility model DE 9407696 U1 describes a plastic container containing a transponder in the container wall or in a thickened part of the container wall. The transponder is protected by being either attached in a slot introduced during injection molding in the container wall or poured directly into the wall. The transponder is mounted parallel to the surface. Thin-walled, small containers or containers with curved surfaces are thus not covered. Also statements to ensure correct orientation of the container missing.

In the publication WO 01/029761 there is described a container tracking system and a reusable container with a transponder. In this case, data about the whereabouts of the container, states or other data of the transported articles and data for obtaining a user profile of the container can be received by the transponder and queried. The description of the container itself is limited to a folding box with rectangular basic dimensions from 40 x 30 cm ² , in particular for the transport of food.

From the DE 103 10 238 is a container made of plastic with integrated transponder is known, which is made by injection molding, wherein the transponder is located in a plastic sheath, with which he is injected as an insert into the plastic material of the container during its manufacture. Advantages are the integration of the transponder into the injection-molded container, which in relation to its surface relatively thin design of the insert and the cost-effective production. However, this does not solve the problem of integrating the transponder on containers with curved surfaces, ensuring the correct orientation of the transponder coil relative to the magnetic field of the read-out device during the read-out process or ensuring the greatest possible distance between the transponders of two containers in contact or close to each other. Moreover, the integration of such a flat insert into small vessels, such as sample tubes, is difficult in practice.

The publication DE 299 10 452 U1 comprising a device and a test bottle for checking the operability of bottle inspection machines relates, discloses a test bottle with a transponder whose annular antenna is wound in the region of the annular groove between the mouth bead and the glans of the test bottle. The antenna coil is aligned concentrically to the bottle central axis in order to achieve a reliable query of the coding even with a transceiver unit with a stationary at a small distance over the path of movement of the transported test bottles antenna. However, the range of such an arrangement is very limited, so that the transmit-receive antenna must be arranged in the immediate vicinity of the antenna coil of the test bottles.

The publication US 5,491,483 discloses a device having an object associated with a non-contact electronic identification device. The object may for example be a garbage bin and is formed of a non-conductive material. A single loop antenna is placed adjacent to the object. Furthermore, a transponder is also arranged near the object and associated with it. The transponder is coupled to the antenna via an impedance converter.

The publication JP 2002 185358 discloses RFID tags for bottles and displays in Fig. 1 a design in which the antenna coil has a turn around the bottle axis and is arranged on the bottleneck. With this arrangement, a large distance between the antenna coil and the reading process disturbing bottle contents to be made.

The publication US 2004/0176872 relates to an article transport system employing RFID chip-equipped carriers. The objects are transported via hooks on a conveyor hanger of a rail system to a desired destination. To control a cover is attached to the front ends of the trailer hanger, which receives the transponder in a transponder chamber.

Presentation of the invention

This is where the invention starts. The invention, as characterized in the claims, the object is to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to provide a generic container, the safe and trouble-free readout of the transponder contained even in small and vaulted surfaces designs from a distance.

This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further advantageous details, aspects and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the description, the figures and the examples.

The following abbreviations and terms are used in the context of the present invention:

The abbreviation RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is used here generally for identification systems with contactless electromagnetic energy and data transmission - regardless of the carrier frequency used.

A transponder reader is a system that uses electromagnetic fields to supply a transponder with energy, read out data from its chip and optionally also write data to the chip.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a container of the aforementioned type has a substantially cylindrical main section with a curved lateral surface. In addition, the transponder contains an electronic memory and as a coupling element, an antenna coil which is arranged in or on a wall surface of the container and with its axis parallel to the cylinder axis of the main portion. According to the invention, the antenna coil is arranged in the region of the cylindrical main section of the container on the lateral surface of the cylinder and has one or more windings around the cylinder axis.

By applying the transponder coil in the region of the lateral surface, the coil surface corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the container and is thus maximally large at the given orientation. Consequently, the energy transfer and range associated with the mutual inductance M is also optimized for a given container cross-sectional area.

These measures can be used to ensure that the antenna coil of the container is aligned during the reading process in a correct orientation relative to the magnetic field of the read-out device. In addition, the greatest possible minimum distance between the response areas of the transponder of two contacting or close to each other standing container is guaranteed, thus facilitating a clear and trouble-free reading.

A feature of all embodiments is the fact that the container has a substantially cylindrical main portion with a curved lateral surface. The main section is either of its size or its function of essential importance for the container. The cylindrical main section can for example represent a receiving area which receives the substances to be transported or stored.

In another configuration, the main cylindrical portion constitutes a handling area for handling such as transportation or storage of the container. In the latter case, the main portion is preferably connected to a conically tapered receiving area, which receives the substances to be transported or stored. In other configurations, the cylindrical main section occupies more than 50%, in particular more than 70%, of the expansion of the container in the direction of the cylinder axis and thus dominates the design of the container.

The term "essentially cylindrical" encompasses, in particular, circular-cylindrical shapes, but also cylindrical shapes in which the actual, or if the main section transitions into another area, imagined bottom and top surfaces consist of at least 5-cornered polygons with rounded corners, circular edges. or elliptical arcs or other smooth curve sections. The individual sections go without kinks over each other.

In advantageous embodiments, the container itself is substantially cylindrical, it being understood that deviations from the cylindrical shape may occur in subordinate subareas, in particular in the region of the bottom or lid, for example by bevels towards the lid (eg bottles) or to Bottom (eg Eppendorf tube after DE 196 45 892 ) and by attaching brackets or threads or screw caps. There are small deviations from the cylindrical shape also in the cylindrical main section, for example by a sidecut, for the application described here without meaning.

According to another aspect of the invention, a container of the aforementioned type has a substantially cylindrical main portion with a curved lateral surface. In addition, the transponder contains an electronic memory and as a coupling element, an antenna coil which is arranged in or on a wall surface of the container and with its axis parallel to the cylinder axis of the main portion. According to the invention, the cylindrical main section is connected to a conically tapered receiving area, which receives the substances to be transported or stored. Also in this aspect of the invention, the embodiments of the antenna coil described above are used with advantage.

In all aspects of the invention, at least the main cylindrical portion or even the entire container, with the exception of closures, retainers or threads, advantageously has no edges. This ensures that the application of chip and antenna coil to the main section or container is not hindered by edges. On the other hand, curves - especially with a small radius of curvature - interfere with the application and reading of conventional barcode labels or smart labels.

The container is suitably made of a plastic material such as PE, PP, PS, PET, ABS, an epoxy resin, a molding compound or IC potting compound or glass. In an advantageous embodiment, the transponder is embedded under the surface of the container in plastic, glass or a lacquer layer. Preferably, the container is resistant to liquids, chemicals, mechanical stresses, in particular abrasion, or sterilization or autoclaving process formed.

The transponder is advantageously designed for a low-frequency operating frequency and inductive coupling, since in this frequency range material dependencies of typical substances to be transported or stored are not significant. Preferably, the transponder is designed for a working frequency between 9 kHz and 135 kHz, preferably between 100 kHz and 135 kHz. However, the transponder can also operate at an operating frequency in the ISM frequency range, in particular at an operating frequency around 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.125 MHz, 40.68 MHz, 433.92 MHz, 869.0 MHz, 915.0 MHz , 2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz or 24.125 GHz. The frequency range around 13.56 MHz with likewise inductive coupling represents a particularly preferred compromise, since material dependencies still remain within the range compared with higher frequencies, but at the same time rapid data transmission is possible in comparison with the low frequency range. In addition, this frequency range is currently becoming a standard for transponders worldwide.

Suitably, the container with an associated lid is closed, in particular with a clamping lid or screw cap.

The container may be a (deposit) bottle, a recycling container or a thermoformed cup. In other configurations, the container provides a reaction vessel, such as a sample tube, an Eppendorf tube or a Petri dish, especially for clinical and biochemical laboratories, or a sample vessel within a micro-Titterplatte represents.

The electrical memory of the transponder preferably contains data such as an identification code, specification of the content, origin of the content, patient data in clinical applications, processing steps carried out or to be performed, processing stations run through or to be passed through, locations and times, physical measured variables such as temperature, pressure, filling level, Acceleration derived in particular from a transponder-integrated sensor, date of manufacture of the contents and / or container, operating instructions or control code for processing systems.

The electrical memory may be designed as a read-only memory or as a rewritable memory.

The container may further comprise a rotation limiter, which prevents the rotation of the container about its own axis on a conveying path. In this way, a uniform orientation of a plurality of containers can be ensured.

In other embodiments, the container advantageously comprises a spacer which ensures a preselected minimum distance between adjacent containers on a conveyor line.

The invention also includes a method for automatic identification, identification and tracking according to claim 21.

According to an advantageous variant of the method, the electrical memory is described with an indication of the substance to be filled or filled. This can be done, for example, when writing to the identification code. If desired, the electrical memory may be described with a time identifier, location identifier, and / or substance editing data when the container is on one of the readout devices. When writing and / or reading the electrical memory is advantageously a secure data transfer, in particular via identification or Authorization protocols performed. The data communication can also be encrypted.

In the method, a plurality of similar containers are labeled and filled with substances and all containers are passed with the same orientation of their cylinder axis on the one or more read-out devices.

• Schutz des Transponders vor (mechanischer und chemischer) Beschädigung bei der Handhabung des Behälters oder durch die im Behälter transportierten Waren, insbesondere auch durch Flüssigkeiten und chemische Substanzen;
• Integration des Transponders in dünnwandige oder kleine Gefäße;
• Integration bzw. Anbringung des Transponders an Behältern mit gewölbten Oberflächen;
• Sicherstellung einer ausreichenden Energieversorgung und Reichweite;
• Sicherstellung der richtigen Orientierung der Transponderspule relativ zum Magnetfeld des Auslesegeräts beim Auslesevorgang;
• Sicherstellung eines möglichst großen Mindestabstands der Ansprechbereiche der Transponder zweier sich berührender oder nahe beieinander stehender Behälter, um eine eindeutige störungsfreie Auslesung zu erleichtern; und
• kostengünstige Herstellung des Systems.

Overall, the following advantages are realized by the invention:

• Protection of the transponder from (mechanical and chemical) damage during handling of the container or by the goods transported in the container, in particular also by liquids and chemical substances;
• Integration of the transponder into thin-walled or small vessels;
• Integration or attachment of the transponder to containers with curved surfaces;
• Ensuring sufficient energy supply and coverage;
• Ensuring the correct orientation of the transponder coil relative to the magnetic field of the read-out device during the read-out process;
• Ensuring as large a minimum distance as possible between the response ranges of the transponders of two containers in contact or close to each other in order to facilitate a clear, interference-free reading; and
• cost-effective production of the system.

Figur 1

ein Reaktionsgefäß mit einem nachträglich auf der äußeren Man- telfläche aufgebauten Transponder;

Figur 2

ein nicht erfindungsgemäßes Fläschchen mit einem in den Boden eingebrachten Transpon- der in Disk-Bauform;

Figur 3

die Herstellung einer RFID-Flasche mit Hilfe eines selbstkieben- den Transponderhalbzeugs: a) Selbstklebendes Transponderhalb- zeug mit offener Spule, b) Aufkleben des Transponderhalbzeugs auf die Flasche, c) fertige RFID-Flasche;

Figur 4

einen RFID-Becher bestehend aus zwei ineinander gesteckten Bechern, wobei der Transponder auf der äußeren Mantelfläche des inneren Bechers aufgebaut ist;

Figur 5

die Herstellung eines nicht erfindungsgemäßen RFID-Bechers im Tiefziehverfahren: a) Auf- bau des Transponders mit ebenen Trägerfolien, b) Laminieren und Tiefziehen;

Figur 6

den Einsatz von nicht erfindungsgemäßen RFID-Probenröhrchen in einer automatischen Synthese- bzw. Analysestation;

Figur 7

eine nicht erfindungsgemäße RFID-Flasche- mit einer Dipolantenne für den Betrieb im Ult- rahochfrequenz-Bereich nach einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung; und

Figur 8

die Herstellung einer nicht erfindungsgemäßen RFID-Flasche mit einer als offene Spule aus- gebildeten Dipolantenne: a) Selbstklebender Träger mit Transpon- der und Dipolantenne, b) Aufkleben des Trägers auf die Flasche, c) fertige RFID-Flasche.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments in conjunction with the drawings. Only the essential elements for understanding the invention are shown. It shows

FIG. 1

a reaction vessel with a transponder constructed subsequently on the outer shell surface;

FIG. 2

a vial not according to the invention with a transponder incorporated in the bottom in disk form;

FIG. 3

the production of an RFID bottle by means of a semi-finished transponder semi-finished product: a) self-adhesive transponder semi-finished product with open coil, b) gluing of the transponder semi-finished product to the bottle, c) finished RFID bottle;

FIG. 4

an RFID cup consisting of two nested cups, wherein the transponder is constructed on the outer surface of the inner cup;

FIG. 5

the production of a non-inventive RFID cup in the deep drawing process: a) construction of the transponder with flat carrier foils, b) lamination and thermoforming;

FIG. 6

the use of non-inventive RFID sample tube in an automatic synthesis or analysis station;

FIG. 7

a non-inventive RFID bottle with a dipole antenna for operation in the ultrahigh-frequency range according to a further embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8

the production of a non-inventive RFID bottle with a dipole antenna formed as an open coil: a) self-adhesive carrier with transponder and dipole antenna, b) sticking of the carrier on the bottle, c) finished RFID bottle.

Ways to carry out the invention

First, with respect to the Fig. 1 as an exemplary embodiment, a sample tube such as a so-called Eppendorf tube explained with a subsequently constructed on the outer surface transponder.

In Fig. 1 the reference numeral 1 denotes the plastic reaction vessel (with bottom 11, cylindrical main section 12 and cover 13), the reference numeral 21 the transponder chip, 22 the transponder coil, and 3 a plastic protective layer. As a reaction vessel is in this embodiment of a commercially available Eppendorf tube, as shown for example in the DE 196 45 892 described, went out.

This vessel comprises, in addition to a cylinder-shaped main section 12 relevant to the invention, which serves to handle the reaction vessel, a bottom 11 with bevels in the bottom area 111, a lid 13 with lid holder 131 (hinge) and snap closure 132.

On the lateral surface of the cylindrical portion 12 of the vessel of the coil wire of the transponder coil 22 is wound with an automatic winding machine. Preferably, the copper wires used are provided in addition to the usual insulating varnish with an additional layer of low-melting baking varnish. During the winding process, the vessel is heated to the melting temperature of the baked enamel. This melts during the winding process, whereby the individual turns of the transponder coil stick together. In this way, the mechanical stability of the coil is guaranteed even before the applied at the end of the production process protective layer. After the coil has been wound, two variants are available for contacting the transponder chip 21: If the mechanical stability requirements and the size of the reaction vessel permit the use of very thin coil wires (<= 50 μm), then the wire can be bonded directly to the transponder chip. Alternatively, a transponder module (transponder chip, which is fixed on a carrier or in a housing) is used. The connections of the coil are made with a spot welder welded to the pads of the transponder module. Finally, the entire transponder assembly is covered with a protective layer 3 made of plastic. The protective layer is applied either by casting or spraying still on the winding machine or by immersing the vessel in liquefied plastic.

• aus einer flächigen leitfähigen Beschichtung der Außenwand des Probenröhrchens - bevorzugt einer Kupferbeschichtung - mit Hilfe einer Maske herausgeätzt,
• aus einem leitfähigen Polymer, bevorzugt einem Silberleitkleber mit Epoxydharz, hergestellt, das bei rotierendem Probenröhrchen aufgetragen wird oder
• aus einer leitfähigen Paste (bekannt als: polymer thick film - PTF) hergestellt, die auf die Mantelfläche aufgedruckt wird.

In other embodiments of a sample tube with transponder, the antenna coil is not wound from wire, but either

• from a planar conductive coating of the outer wall of the sample tube - preferably a copper coating - etched out with the aid of a mask,
• made of a conductive polymer, preferably a silver conductive adhesive with epoxy resin, which is applied with a rotating sample tube or
• made of a conductive paste (known as polymer thick film - PTF), which is printed on the lateral surface.

Fig. 2 shows a non-inventive bottle 1 with a cylindrical main portion 12 and an inwardly curved or provided with a recess bottom 11, in the vault or recess a finished encapsulated transponder 2 is introduced in disk design. The fixation of the molded transponder 2 on the ground is done either by gluing in the recess of the prefabricated bottle or directly in the production process of the bottle by the transponder is melted as an insert during injection molding or blowing the bottle to the ground. In order to obtain a good connection between transponder housing and bottle in the second case, both are preferably made of the same material - for example polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PP).

The transponder in disk design contains, in addition to the transponder chip, an annular antenna which runs close to the lateral surface within the disk-shaped injection-molded housing. Due to the coaxial arrangement of Disk transponder and cylinder-shaped bottle, the following advantages of the invention are ensured: uniform orientation of the transponder coils in parallel bottles, ensuring a minimum distance (= bottle diameter) of the coil axes, a relative to the vessel large coil surface and thus high energy transfer and range. Further advantages of this arrangement are the protected position and thus stable fixation of the transponder in the recess of the soil, the possibility of attaching a transponder to thin-walled and small vessels and vessels with small radii of curvature.

Another non-inventive embodiment with comparable advantages is a petri dish (a flat cylindrical vessel) on its bottom or lid from the outside a smart label, i. a self-adhesive transponder label adhered such that the transponder coil extends around the cylinder axis. Preferably, a circular smart label is glued concentrically, so that the cylinder axis passes through the surface of the transponder coil.

Fig. 3 shows the production of an RFID bottle by means of a self-adhesive Transponderhalbzeugs. The self-adhesive transponder semi-finished product 20 ( Fig. 3a ) is built on a self-adhesive film 3 and comprises the transponder chip 21, tracks 22 for building the transponder coil and two bonding wires 23 for connecting the two outer tracks to the chip 21. The tracks 22 are arranged so that their open ends are contacted with each other, when the Transponderhalbzeug is glued to a cylindrical object with a predetermined circumference. To ensure reliable contact, a conductive adhesive (silver conductive adhesive) is applied to the contact points before sticking together.

In Fig. 3b is shown how the Transponderhalbzeug 20 is glued to the cylindrical portion 12 of a bottle 1. For completely glued transponder semi-finished products ( Fig. 3c ) form the tracks a closed Coil, which together with the contacted chip yields a functional transponder 2. The film 3 forms a continuous protective layer for the transponder. It can also serve as a printable label for the bottle.

Fig. 4 shows the production of an RFID cup from two nested cups. Both cups are preferably made by deep-drawing of a thin plastic plate - for example, polypropylene (PP) -. (More complex shapes, such as cups with screw cap, but can also be produced by injection molding.) They are dimensioned so that the inner cup 1 can be inserted into the outer cup 3 and welded to it. Both cups comprise a substantially cylindrical portion 12 and 32, respectively, which is minimally conical in order to facilitate the nesting of the cups. The cup wall in the cylindrical portion 12 and 32 is thin and flexible enough to compensate for nesting not only manufacturing tolerances, but also to record the transponder 2, which is mounted on the outer surface of the inner cup.

The transponder 2 consisting of chip 21 and coil 22 is, as by analogy Fig. 1 described, on the cylindrical portion 12 of the inner cup 1 constructed.

Then the cups are plugged into each other and welded together. Depending on the stability requirements welding takes place over the entire surface or only in the region of the cover flange (14 and 34) and, if necessary, in the bottom region (11 and 31).

Based on Fig. 5 the production of a non-inventive RFID cup by deep-drawing is explained below. The starting point is the construction of a transponder with flat plastic films, as is usual in the production of transponder chip cards ( Fig. 5a ). The production of transponder chip cards is in Finkenzeller Klaus, RFID Handbook, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich 2002, pages 344-351 which section is included in the present description. It can be done in 4 ways: i) winding technique (conventional winding of the coil and subsequent settling on the film), ii) laying technique (laying the wire with a sonotrode directly on the film), iii) screen printing technique (imprinting a conductive polymer thick film paste on the film by screen printing) and iv) etching (removal of the coil from a full-surface, laminated on the film and coated with photoresist coated copper foil).

A chip card is typically composed of four films: two inlet foils, one of which is a carrier foil 18, on which the transponder 2 is constructed, and an intermediate foil 17 punched out in the region 171 of the chip 21, and two cover foils (overlay foils 16, 19), which are the outside make the card. While rigid plastics are used for the production of chip cards, suitable thermally easily moldable plastics are preferred for the production of RFID cups according to the invention for thermoforming. It is advisable to use plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS) and in particular polypropylene (PP).

After the transponder has been set up and the foils have been laid one on top of the other, the foils are laminated, ie at elevated temperature (T = approx. 100 - 200 ° C) and high pressure (p = 20 - 120 kg / cm ² ) into a soft-elastic state brought and baked together. Subsequently, the baked films are shaped in the deep-drawing process to the cup according to the invention ( Fig. 5b ). If the deformation of the films during deep drawing in the region of the transponder is low, the lamination process and the deep drawing can also be carried out in a common step by shaping the four films with two mating molds 41 and 42 and baking them together. Preferably, therefore, the transponder is located in the bottom of the substantially cylindrical cup, wherein the Transponder coil runs around the cylinder axis parallel to the edge of the floor.

After lamination, thermoforming and cooling, the individual molded RFID cups 1 are punched out of the multiple-use sheet ( Fig. 5c ).

In a non-inventive variant of the RFID cup described here, only the bottom of the four films containing the transponder is laminated. The rest of the cup then consists only of a film which is brought into shape by deep drawing.

Fig. 6 shows by way of example the use of non-inventive RFID sample tubes in an automatic processing station, which can be used for the synthesis and analysis of chemical, biological or medical substances. The sample tubes 1, which are each provided with a transponder 2, come from a storage container or from upstream processing units and are guided past on a linear transport device 6 to a first transponder reader 51, a processing unit 7 and an analysis unit 8 and optionally to another transponder reader 52. The tubes are then transported to an output reservoir or other processing units.

The antennas of the transponder readout devices 511 and 521 are arranged in the vicinity of a breakpoint of the transponder 2 so that their magnetic field lines run parallel to the coil axis of a transponder present at the respective breakpoint and a selective readout of this transponder is made possible.

The arrangement of several processing stations in a row, optionally supplemented by (tempered) intermediate storage and sorting units, complex syntheses and analyzes can be performed. The whole Processing system is controlled by a central data processing unit 9.

The following data may be stored on the transponder 2 of each sample tube 1: identification number of the sample tube, specification of content, source of content, patient data in clinical applications, processing steps to be performed and performed, processing and processing stations run through, whereabouts and times, physical measures, e.g. Temperature, pressure, level, acceleration, in particular of a sensor integrated into the transponder, date of manufacture of the contents and / or of the container and operating instructions or control code for the processing unit.

The information is used in particular for the clear identification of the substances in the sample tubes, the control and documentation of the production and analysis steps and thus the traceability and quality assurance of the processes.

In the FIGS. 7 and 8 Embodiments of non-inventive containers are shown in which the antenna of the transponder 2 is designed as a dipole antenna 122. These embodiments are particularly suitable for operation in the ultra-high frequency range (UHF) - in particular for the passive UHF transponder in the frequency range 865 - 950 MHz - suitable. The disadvantage of a stronger material dependence of the functionality of transponders in this frequency range is as an advantage compared to the principle higher reading range.

FIG. 7 shows a bottle 1 with a cylindrical main section 12, on the lateral surface of a transponder 2 with transponder chip 21 and dipole antenna 122 is applied to a flexible support 3. In this case, the dipole antenna 122 is applied parallel to the cylinder axis of the main section 12.

The advantage of this arrangement is that in parallel (erected) bottles, the respective antennas are aligned with a uniform orientation and thus can be preferably read with a uniform, parallel orientation of the antenna of the reader. On a conveyor line transverse to the bottle axis so that a defined selective readout of each located in the main beam direction transponder is possible. The preference of a remote transponder (incorrect reading) due to different orientations is thus excluded.

Preferably, the container 1 and / or the conveying path comprises a means which prevents the container from rotating about its own axis.

Alternatively or additionally, the container and / or the conveying path may comprise a means which ensures a minimum distance of the lateral surfaces of adjacent bottles.

FIG. 8 shows the RFID tag of a cylindrical vessel 1, the cylindrical main portion 12 is shorter in the axial direction than the optimal length of the dipole antenna 122 for the transponder 2 in the desired frequency range. The dipole antenna 122 is in this case as an open coil around the cylindrical main portion 12 of Vessel 1 arranged. The coil axis is arranged according to the invention parallel to the cylinder axis. In order to achieve the best possible coupling of the antenna 122 to the electromagnetic field of the read-out device, the extension of the antenna in the direction of the cylinder axis-in other words, the pitch of the open coil-is selected to be as large as possible. In any case, the pitch of the coil is greater than the width of the track of the antenna 122.

FIG. 8a shows a transponder 2 with transponder chip 21, dipole antenna 122 and connecting wires 23 on a flexible substrate 3, which is suitable for RFID identification of the vessel 1 just described. In FIG. 8b It is shown how the transponder 2 with substrate 3 is applied to the cylindrical main portion 12 of the vessel 1. FIG. 8c shows the finished, labeled vessel 1 with transponder 2 and substrate. 3

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is not intended to be limiting. Instead, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to illustrate the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims (25)

1. A system for marking, identifying and tracking substances or containers, comprising:

   - a plurality of homogeneous containers for transporting and storing substances,

   - which are each provided with a transponder for radio frequency identification, and

   - which, in the system, are standing close together or are even touching each other,

   - wherein each of the homogeneous containers

   - - exhibits a substantially cylinder-shaped main section having a curved lateral surface, and

   - - the transponder includes an electronic memory and, as a coupling element, an antenna coil, wherein

   - - the antenna coil is disposed in or on a wall surface of the container and with its axis parallel to the cylinder axis of the main section, and the antenna coil is disposed in the cylinder-shaped main section of the container on the lateral surface of the cylinder and exhibits one or more windings around the cylinder axis,

   - and comprising for the transponders of the containers, one or more readout devices that are disposed at locations at which an identification or processing of the substances or containers is to take place, and past which the containers are directed with the same orientation of their cylinder axis.
2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the antenna coil of the containers is disposed in or on a wall surface of the container such that the cylinder axis of the main section passes through the area of the antenna coil (22).
3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cylinder-shaped main section of the containers constitutes a receiving region that receives the substances to be transported or stored.
4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cylinder-shaped main section of the containers is connected with a conically tapering receiving region that receives the substances to be transported or stored.
5. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylinder-shaped main section of the containers constitutes a handling region that serves the handling, such as the transportation or storage, of the container.
6. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylinder-shaped main section of the containers exhibits no edges.
7. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylinder-shaped main section of the containers takes up more than 50%, especially more than 70% of the dimension of the container in the direction of the cylinder axis.
8. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers consist of a plastic material such as PE, PP, PS, PET, ABS, an epoxide resin, a molding compound or IC sealing compound, or of glass.
9. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transponder of the containers is embedded under the surface of the container in plastic, glass or a lacquer layer.
10. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers are formed to be resistant to liquids, chemicals, mechanical stresses, especially abrasion, or sterilization or autoclaving processes.
11. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transponder of the containers is designed for an operating frequency between 9 and 135 kHz, preferably between 100 and 135 kHz.
12. The system according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the transponder of the containers is designed for an operating frequency in the ISM frequency range, especially for an operating frequency around 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.125 MHz, 40.68 MHz, 433.92 MHz, 869.0 MHz, 915.0 MHz, 2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz or 24.125 GHz, and particularly preferably for an operating frequency around 13.56 MHz.
13. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers are closable with an associated lid, especially with a seal lid or screw top.
14. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers are (returnable) bottles, recycling containers or cups manufactured in the deep drawing method.
15. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers are reaction vessels, such as a sample tube, an Eppendorf tube or a Petri dish, especially for clinical and biochemical labs, or sample vessels within a microtiter plate.
16. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic memory of the containers contains data, such as an identification number, specification of the contents, origin of the contents, patient data for clinical applications, processing steps performed or to be performed, processing stations passed through or to be passed through, staging points and times, physical measurands, such as temperature, pressure, fill level and acceleration, that stem especially from a sensor integrated into the transponder, manufacturing date of the contents and/or of the containers, and operating manual or control code for processing systems.
17. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic memory of the containers is a read-only memory.
18. The system according to one of claims 1 to 49, characterized in that the electronic memory of the containers is a rewritable memory.
19. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers comprise a rotation limiter that, on a conveyance path, prevents the rotation of the containers about their own axis.
20. The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers comprise a spacer that ensures a preselected minimum spacing of adjacent containers on a conveyance path.
21. A method for automatically marking, identifying and tracking substances or containers, having the following method steps:

    - providing a system in which homogeneous containers are standing close together or are even touching each other, according to one of claims 1 to 20,

    - writing an unambiguous identification code to the electronic memory of the transponder of the containers,

    - filling the substances into the containers, and

    - reading out the identification code when a container is located at one of the readout devices.
22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that information about the substance to be filled or the filled substance is written to the electronic memory.
23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, when the container is located at one of the readout devices, a time code, location code and/or data pertaining to the substance processing is written to the electronic memory.
24. The method according to one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that, when writing to and/or reading out the electronic memory, a secure data transmission is carried out, especially through identification or authorization protocols.
25. The method according to one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that a plurality of homogeneous containers is labeled and filled with substances, and all containers are directed past the readout device(s) with the same orientation of their cylinder axis.

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