EP4792238A1

EP4792238A1 - Bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label and method of making same

Info

Publication number: EP4792238A1
Application number: EP24802053.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Craig R. Szklany; George H. WEST
Original assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC
Current assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC
Priority date: 2023-10-17
Filing date: 2024-10-17
Publication date: 2026-08-19
Also published as: WO2025085630A1

Abstract

A dual RFID and AM label or tag, and method for making the same, including a first housing portion comprising a first bio-degradable material and having a side wall defining a cavity, a second housing portion comprising a second bio-degradable material and connected to the first housing portion, an acousto-magnetic resonator sized to moveably fit within the cavity, and an RFID label associated with one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

Description

BIO-DEGRADABLE DUAL RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION AND ACOUSTO-MAGNETIC LABEL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[1] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/590,842 entitled “BIO-DEGRADABLE DUAL RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION AND ACOUSTO- MAGNETIC LABEL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME” filed October 17, 2023, which is assigned to the assignee hereof, and incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[2] The present disclosure generally relates to a dual radio-frequency identification (RFID) and acousto-magnetic (AM) label, and more particularly to a bio-degradable AM and RFID label and a method of making the bio-degradable RFID and AM label, such as for use in an electronic article surveillance system.

BACKGROUND

[3] Merchandise items offered by a vendor may be sold in one or more "brick-and-mortar" stores of the vendor. The customer may enter the one or more brick-and-mortar stores of the vendor and purchase the merchandise items. Unfortunately, the vendor and/or the customer may encounter loss due to theft.

[4] To reduce theft, many vendors utilize loss-prevention measures to minimize the number of stolen merchandise. Some loss-prevention measures include security monitoring, inventory tracking, and electronic article surveillance. In particular, electronic article surveillance may include using an acousto-magnetic (AM) or radio frequency identification (RFID) label or tag attached to the merchandise. The AM or RFID label responds to an interrogation signal from transmitting apparatus situated, for example, either at an exit door of the premises to be protected, or at an aisleway adjacent to a cashier or check out station. A receiving coil, on the opposite side of the exit or aisleway from the transmitting apparatus, receives a signal produced by the AM label in response to the interrogation signal. The presence of the response signal indicates that the AM label has not been removed or deactivated by the vendor, and that the article bearing it may not have been paid for or properly checked out. However, improper disposal of AM labels can be harmful to the environment, as non-ecofriendly materials, such as plastics, are often used to make AM labels.

[5] Thus, improvements are desired in the design and manufacture of radio frequency identification (RFID) and acousto-magnetic (AM) labels.

SUMMARY

[6] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[7] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an article security tag, including: a first housing portion including a first bio-degradable material and having a side wall defining a cavity, a second housing portion including a second bio-degradable material and connected to the first housing portion;, an acousto-magnetic resonator sized to moveably fit within the cavity, and a radio frequency identification label associated with one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

[8] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of producing an article security tag, including: forming a first housing portion including a first bio-degradable material and having a side wall defining a cavity, forming a second housing portion including a second biodegradable material and connected to the first housing portion; placing an acousto-magnetic resonator moveably within the cavity, and associating a radio frequency identification label with one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

[9] Additional advantages and novel features of the device, system and method of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[10] In the descriptions that follow, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same numerals, respectively. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain drawings may be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a mode of use, further features and advances thereof, will be understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative implementations of the disclosure when read in conjunction with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[11] Figure 1 is a top view of an example bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label according to an aspect of the disclosure; [12] Figure 2 is a front view of the of the bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label of Figure 1 , and the rear side view is a mirror image of the front side view;;

[13] Figure 3 is a bottom view of the of the bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label of Figure 1;

[14] Figure 4 is a left side view of the of the bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label of Figure 9, and the right side view is a mirror image of the left side view;

[15] Figure 5A is an exploded bottom perspective view of the bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label of Figure 1;

[16] Figure 5B is an exploded bottom perspective view of the bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label of Fig. 1 and including another example of the RFID label in a plan view;

[17] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an example stamping process for the production of a portion of the housing of the bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto- magnetic labels, including the RFID antenna or the complete RFID label, according to an aspect of the disclosure;

[18] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of an example assembly of sheets of the top and bottom housing portions (with resonators removed for clarity) being fixedly attached together by an adhesive layer, with the RFID labels on the outer surface of the top housing portions (not visible in this view), thereby forming a plurality of bio-degradable dual RFID and acousto-magnetic labels according to an aspect of the disclosure;

[19] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an example sheet top housing portions having the RFID labels on the outside of the top housing portions; [20] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an example sheet of top housing portions with RFID labels on the inside of the cavity of the top housing portions;

[21] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of another example assembly of sheets of the top and bottom housing portions (with resonators removed for clarity) being fixedly attached together by an adhesive layer, with the RFID labels on the outer surface of the bottom housing portions, thereby forming a plurality of bio-degradable acousto-magnetic labels according to an aspect of the disclosure; and

[22] Figure 11 is flow chart of an exemplary method of producing a bio-degradable dual radio frequency identification and acousto-magnetic label.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[23] Various aspects of the disclosure are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to promote a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of the disclosure. It may be evident in some or all instances, however, that any aspects described below can be practiced without adopting the specific design details described below.

[24] Aspects of the disclosure include a bio-degradable dual radio-frequency identification (RFID) and acousto-magnetic (AM) label or tag (“label” and “tag,” or “dual label” or “dual tag,” being used interchangeably herein) and a method of making a bio-degradable dual RFID and AM label.

[25] In one example implementation, which should not be construed as limiting, the dual RFID and AM label includes at least a first housing portion having a cavity sized to receive one or more resonators, and a second housing portion configured to attach to the first housing portion to form a housing for moveably containing the one or more resonators, a bias strip attached to an outside of the housing, and an RFID label attached to the outside of the housing, thereby defining an AM and RFID label. Additionally, the first housing portion and/or the second housing portion may be formed from a bio-degradable material, such as but not limited to a paper material, a fibrous material, and/or a bio degradable resin (i.e., PLA from corn, wheat and sugar cane scratch). Also, in some aspects, an adhesive may be utilized to connect the first housing portion to the second housing portion, as well as the bias strip and the RFID label to the housing.

[26] Besides adding RFID capabilities, the described bio-degradable dual RFID and AM label provides numerous advantages over traditional plastic-based AM labels. One advantage relates to the use of a bio-degradable material to form all or at least a portion of the housing of the dual RFID and AM label. The bio-degradable material may include, but is not limited to, a paper material such as Kraft paper, or other similar paper alternatives, a fibrous material, and/or a resin-based material, for example, cardstock paper, cold press substrate, cardboard, and the like. Kraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard (cardboard) produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process (i.e., Kraft paper does not involve extensive bleaching, which decreases the strength of the paper and increases manufacturing costs; Kraft paper may also use resinous pine and bamboo). Such bio-degradable materials are heavy-duty in nature and have high tear resistance (i.e., able to withstand > = 601b of pressure distributed evenly over the material without causing damages that deteriorates performance), which makes them ideal for electronic article surveillance label formation. Additionally, the use of a bio-degradable material in the production of the dual RFID and AM labels allows for the potential use of recycled paper or other eco-friendly materials, which will significantly reduce the environmental footprint generally created during the production of such devices.

[27] Referring specifically to Figures 1-5A-B, and more generally to Figures 1-11, in one example implementation that should not be construed as limiting, a bio-degradable dual radiofrequency identification (RFID) and acousto-magnetic (AM) label 100 includes a top housing portion 102 affixed to a bottom housing portion 104 in a manner that encloses one or more resonators 106 (see Figs. 5A-B) within a cavity 108 (see Figs. 5-B), formed in one or both of the housing portions, a bias 116 (see Figs. 2-5) spaced apart from the resonator 106, and an RFID label 118 affixed to one of the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104. In an implementation, edge or flange portions of the top housing portion 102 and the bottom housing portion 104 are connected together, such as with adhesive, and in some cases they are sealingly fixed together. The bias 116 (referred to herein as bias or bias magnet) may be located, in some aspects, outside of the cavity 108, affixed on the outside of either the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104. More specifically, the bias 116 may be located on either the top side of the bottom housing portion 104 or on the bottom side of the bottom housing portion 104. The top side and the bottom side of the bottom housing portion 104 are on oppositive sides of the bio-degradable dual RFID and AM label 100. Although two resonators 106 are illustrated in Figs. 5A-B, any number of resonators may be implemented, for example but not limited hereto, one, two, or three resonators. The resonator(s) 106 may be formed of a metal material, such as an amorphous metal, while the bias 116 may be a magnet or formed of a magnetized and/or ferromagnetic material. For instance, the resonator(s) 106 and bias 116 are configured to have an induced mechanical resonance when subjected to a 58 kHz magnetic field and to provide a magnetic signal when the field is turned off due to the interaction of the resonator(s) 106 and the bias 116. Such a magnetic signal may be received by an antenna of a pedestal of an electronic article surveillance (EAS) security system, and set off an alarm. Additionally, the RFID label 118, including an RFID antenna and an RFID computer chip configured to wirelessly communicate data to another device, may be located on either the top side or the bottom side of either the top housing portion 102 or bottom housing portion 104. For instance, the RFID label 118 may be located either on the inside or the outside surface of the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 102. In an aspect, the RFID label 118 is preferably located on the outside surface of the housing portion that is on a side of the bio-degradable dual RFID and AM label 100 opposite to an item to which the label 100 is attached, for example being located on the outside surface of the top housing portion 102, in order to provide spacing of the RFID label 118 from the attached item in order to improve radio communication capabilities of the RFID label 118. In some cases, in addition to the RFID antenna and the RFID computer chip, the RFID label 118 includes a substrate on which the RFID antenna and the RFID computer chip are affixed, and optionally may include a protective layer over the RFID antenna and the RFID computer chip. The substrate and the protective layer of the RFID label 118 may be formed of any suitable material respectively for mounting the antenna and chip or for resisting damage to the antenna and/or chip, such as but not limited to respectively being a paper material and a biodegradable plastic material.

[28] Optionally, referring specifically to Figs. 5A-B, in some aspects, the bio-degradable RFID and AM label 100 may include an attachment mechanism 112, such as an adhesive or one or more adhesive layers, to affix together the components, such as to affix the top housing portion 102 to the bottom housing portion 104, to affix the bias 116 to one of the housing portions 102 or 104, and/or to affix the RFID label 118 to one of the housing portions 102 or 104. Suitable examples of an adhesive or adhesive layer include glue, a water-based adhesive activated by heat, double sided film tape, varnish coating, or any other type of adhesive, layer, or coating that allows the components to be affixed to one another. In an aspect, the attachment mechanism 112 is applied only to a flange area 114 (see Figs. 5A-B) of the top housing portion 102, and/or a corresponding area on the bottom housing portion 104, such that the cavity 108 remains free of any adhesive in order to allow the resonator 106 to move, including vibrate, within the cavity 108. In an alternative or additional aspect, instead of using attachment mechanism 112 in the form of an adhesive or adhesive layer, the flange area 114 of the top housing portion 102 may be joined to the bottom housing portion 104 by other techniques, such as but not limited to sonic welding, press fitting both housing layers into multiple cavities, crimping together the flange area 114 of the top housing portion 102 and a corresponding edge area of the bottom housing portion 104, applying an adhesive layer on the outside surface of the flange area 114 of the top housing portion 102 and a corresponding edge area of the bottom housing portion 104, etc.

[29] In one aspect of the disclosure, the cavity may be between 1-1.2 mm, but may be up to 2 mm. For example, the cavity 108 may be formed by one or more walls 110 extending from a surface of the top housing portion 102. In one aspect of the disclosure, the AM label 100 may include up to 4 resonators. In some implementations, all or some portion of the one or more walls 110 may extend along a respective side of the RFID and AM label 100 along a non-linear line (e.g., in a sinusoidal pattern, in a curved or scalloped pattern, in a triangular or square tooth pattern, as viewed from the top looking down), which may increase the structural integrity of the part of the top housing portion 102 that forms the cavity 108. In some implementations, all or some portion of the one or more walls 110 may extend along a respective side of the RFID and AM label 100 along a linear line, which may increase the overall size of the cavity 108. [30] Notably, one or both of the top housing portion 102 and the bottom housing portion 104 may be formed from a bio-degradable material, such as but not limited to a paper material, a fibrous material, and/or a resin. The housing portions 102 and 104 are plastic free. The bio-degradable material may be a thin sheet material, which in an example of a paper material may be produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibers derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fiber evenly distributed on the surface, followed by pressing and drying. Suitable examples of paper material may include, but are not limited to, Chipboard (kraft) paper having a thickness of 15 to 45 points (e.g., where each point is 1/1000^th of an inch), or more preferably from 20 to 40 points, or more preferably from 25 to 35 points, or more preferably about 30 points. In some aspects, the use of a lower point materials may become fragile and break during formation. Further, in another aspect higher point material may create low detail regarding the shape during formation, and also generate a smaller internal cavity that will decrease the functionality of the RFID and AM label.

[31] In some aspects, the bio-degradable material is not bleached, to avoid weakening the structure, or is subject to minimal bleaching such that a color of the top housing portion 102 and the bottom housing portion 104 is non- white, or closer in color to the natural material color than white.

[32] In some aspects, the bio-degradable material includes a heat sealable Kraft paper with a coating of water-based adhesive that is activated by heat. In another aspect of the disclosure, the paper material may be formed by a biodegradable material that is coated with a water-based heat activated adhesive.

[33] In an aspect, referring specifically to Figs. 5A-B, the AM portion of the RFID and AM label 100 includes one or more resonators 106 (e.g., two in this example), formed from one or more strips of magnetostrictive, ferromagnetic amorphous metal, and the bias 116 formed from a strip of a magnetically semi-hard metallic strip, which is used as a biasing magnet (to increase signal strength) and to allow deactivation. The one or more strips of the resonator 106 are not bound together but are free to oscillate mechanically within the cavity 108. For example, amorphous metals are used due to their good magnetoelastic coupling, which implies that they can efficiently convert magnetic energy into mechanical vibrations. The detectors for such tags, such as security pedestals located at an access point of a store, emit periodic tonal bursts at about 58 kHz, the same as the resonance frequency of the amorphous strips of the resonator 106. In another aspect of the disclosure, other frequencies may be implemented, for example, UHF, HF etc. In any case, the periodic tonal bursts cause the resonator 106 to vibrate longitudinally by magnetostriction, and it continues to oscillate after the burst is over. The vibration causes a change in magnetization in the amorphous strip, which induces an AC voltage in the receiver antenna of the detector. If this signal meets the certain parameters (correct frequency, repetition, etc.), then the security pedestal may initiate activation of an alarm. Further, when the semi-hard magnet forming the bias 116 is magnetized, the AM portion of the RFID and AM label 100 is activated. The magnetized strip makes the amorphous strip respond much more strongly to the detectors, because the direct current (DC) magnetic field given off by the strip offsets the magnetic anisotropy within the amorphous metal. The AM portion of the RFID and AM label 100 can also be deactivated by demagnetizing the strip, making the response small enough so that it will not be detected by the detectors.

[34] As mentioned above, the bias or bias magnet 116 may be located on the outside of either the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104, as described above. In another aspect of the disclosure, a first bias 116 may be located on the top side of the top housing portion 102, and a second bias 116 may be located on the bottom side of the top housing portion 102 or on or within the bottom housing portion 102. Additionally a spacer, such as a layer of paper or adhesive, may be located between the bias 116 and either the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104 to improve performance of the RFID and AM label 100 in receiving or transmitting signals.

[35] In another aspect, referring specifically to Figs. 5A-B, the RFID label 118 may be affixed to any surface of the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104. In some cases, referring to Fig. 5A, the RFID label 118 may be attached to a top-most outer surface of the top housing portion 102. In other cases, referring to Fig. 5B, the RFID label 118 may have a relatively narrower size so as to allow the RFID label 118 to be affixed to inner or outer walls or surfaces of either the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104. In some instances, for instance to allow for a longer RFID antenna length, the RFID label 118 may have longitudinal length longer than the length the of the bio-degradable dual RFID and AM label 100, such that the RFID label 118 wraps around two or more inner or outer walls or surfaces of the bio-degradable dual RFID and AM label 100. For instance, the RFID label 118 may extend across two or more walls the define the inner or outer surfaces of the cavity 108, or the RFID label 118 may extend across two or more flanges or edge portions of either the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104.

[36] One example of a method of fabrication and assembly of the bio-degradable dual RFID and AM label 100 is described in more detail below.

[37] Referring to Figure 6, in one example implementation, to form the cavity 108 of the top housing portion 102, a sheet or roll of the bio-degradable material may be subject to a pressing or stamping process 600. For instance, in one implementation, which should not be construed as limiting, a sheet of the bio-degradable material 601 for the top housing portion 102 is placed between a first die 602 that includes a shape corresponding to the cavity 108 and a second die 604 that includes a corresponding shape (e.g., an extending body) to fill the cavity 108 but leave room for the bio-degradable material. In an aspect, the sheet of the bio-degradable material 601 for the top housing portion 102 includes the RFID label 118 or at least a portion thereof, such as the RFID antenna, attached thereto, pre-printed thereon, or formed therein, such as but not limited to affixed/formed inside of the cavity, or affixed/formed on any inside or outside surface of the material 601, or within the cavity, such as by any attachment, forming, printing, or affixing mechanism. Additionally the RFID antenna may be pre-printed or otherwise affixed to the inside or outside of either of the first housing portion or the second housing portion. Preprinting may include chemically etching, laser etching, die cutting, or standard printing the antenna onto the housing. In other words, the RFID label 118 and/or a portion thereof (e.g., the antenna) may be affixed within the internal cavity to the first or second housing portion, and alternatively the RFID label 118 and/or a portion thereof (e.g., the antenna) may be affixed on the outside of the label, so as to be visible, on either of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

[38] During this attachment process, the RFID label 118 may be have its antenna tuned to accommodate for the frequency shift when applied to paper or biodegradable material and/or based on being in close proximity to metal, such as from the resonators 106 included within the cavity 108 and/or the bias 116 attached to the bottom housing 104. In an additional aspect, in order to further buffer the RFID label 118 from the metal of the resonators 106 and bias 116, the assembly may include a spacer located between the antenna of the RFID label 118 and the resonator 106 and/or bias 116. For instance, the spacer may be attached to the top housing portion 102, and the

RFID label 118 (or at least the antenna) may be attached to the spacer. The spacer may be a layer of material, including a resilient or elastomeric material such as rubber, which may further serve to protect the RFID label 118 during the formation of the cavity 108 during the pressing or stamping process 600.

[39] A press or stamping machine 606 then operates to press together the corresponding dies 602, 604 to form the cavity 108 in the bio-degradable sheet of material, which is pre-sized or can be cut to size to form top housing portion 102. In some aspects, one or both of the dies 602, 604 may utilize rounded edges to prevent damage to the cavity 108 when implementing a dry press formation process. For example, in some aspects, if sharp edges are used during the formation of the cavity 108, then the bio-degradable material to tear, or lose structural integrity. In one aspect of the disclosure, the rounded edges may have a radius between .2 mm and ,9mm, and more specifically, ,45mm.

[40] Additionally, in an aspect, the portion of the dies 602, 604 that forms the cavity 108 may have a draft angle (relative to being perpendicular to a plane of the tag/label) to help to form the cavity 108. For example, the draft angle may be in the range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees, or more preferably in the range of 1.0 degree to 2.0 degrees, or even more preferably about 1.5 degrees (plus or minus typical manufacturing tolerances). As such, the cavity 108 may be formed with the same and/or a similar angle. In other words, the draft angle helps to prevent breakdown of the biodegradable material during formation of the cavity 108, and the walls of the cavity angle inward from the base of the AM label 100 to the opposing wall of the cavity 108.

[41 ] After the pressing or stamping process, the sheet of the bio-degradable material 601 for the top housing portion 102 including the cavity 108 (see Bottom View) on one side and the RFID label 118 (or at least a portion thereof, such as the RFID antenna) on the top of the extending surface opposite the cavity 108 (see Top View). [42] Although Figure 6 has been described with the RFID label 118 being affixed to the outside of the cavity 108, it should be understood that the RFID label 118 may alternatively be affixed to the inside of the cavity 108, or alternatively to the outside or inside surface of the bottom housing portion 104.

[43] When forming the top housing portion 102, multiple top housing portions 102 may be produced at once, either in a row or in rows and columns, depending on the configuration of the dies 602, 604, which allows for mass production.

[44] Referring to Figures 7-10, in one example, a sheet of top housing portions 102 (with resonators 106 not shown for clarity) may be affixed to a sheet of bottom housing portions 104 by a sheet of an adhesive layer 112, thereby forming a plurality of bio-degradable RFID and acousto- magnetic labels 100. In one aspect, referring specifically to Figures 7 and 8, the RFID antennas or complete RFID labels 118 (not visible in Figure 7) may be preprinted or pre-affixed onto the top housing portions 102 on the outer surface, e.g., opposite the cavity 108, and the bias 116 (not illustrated for clarity) may be affixed to the bottom housing portions 104. In another aspect, referring specifically to Figure 9, the RFID antennas or complete RFID labels 118 may be preprinted or pre-affixed onto the top housing portions 102 on the inner surface, e.g., on the inside of the cavity 108. In yet another aspect, referring specifically to Figure 10, the sheet of bottom housing portions 104 may be pre-printed or pre-affixed with RFID antennas or the complete RFID labels 118 on the outer surface, and the sheet of the top housing portions 102 may be affixed with the bias 116 (e.g. , on the outer surface, which is not visible in this view). In the assembly process, the sheet of top housing portions 102 created by the pressing or stamping process can be assembled into complete RFID and AM housing members by being adhered, using a heat based adhesive 112, to a second sheet of paper, which forms the bottom housing portion 104. The adhesive 112 may be placed onto the bottom housing portion 104 and the bottom housing portion 104 is placed over the cavity 108 of the top housing portion 102, or plurality of cavities 108 of the plurality of top housing portions 102. Similarly, an adhesive layer 112 may be used to affix the plurality of bias 116 to the bottom housing portions 104 (or the top housing portions 102, depending on the implementation). A heated plate is then pressed onto the top and bottom housing portions 102, 104, which cures the adhesive 112, and secures the top housing portion 102 to the bottom housing portion 104. In one aspect of the disclosure, the heating plate may also be a heating roller or any form of a heating surface. This in turn encloses the cavity 108 and secures the components of the RFID and AM label 100, such as the resonators 106, within the cavity 108.

[45] Once the heating and curing of the adhesive 112 has been completed, a sheet of fully formed and sealed RFID and AM labels 100 is the result. The sheet of RFID and AM labels 100 may then be cut, manually or automatically, via a laser, a blade or any sharp device as known in the art, into individual AM labels. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, the RFID and AM labels 100 may be formed as a sheet as illustrated in Figure 7, or a roll of RFID and AM labels, or the like.

[46] It should be noted that if the RFID label 118 is affixed on the outside of the cavity 108 of the top housing portion 102, or the outside of the bottom housing portion 104, the RFID label 118 will then be visible upon completion of the assembly process. Alternatively, when the RFID label 118 is affixed on the inside of the cavity 108 of the top housing portion 102, , or the inside of the bottom housing portion 104, the RFID label 118 will not be visible upon completion of the assembly.

[47] In an optional aspect, the computer chips may be attached to the RFID antennas to form the RFID labels 118 after the sheets of the top and bottom housing portions 102 and 104 (including the resonators 106 and the bias 116) are assembled. In this case, during this attachment process, the RFID label 118 may be tuned to accommodate for the frequency shift when applied to paper or biodegradable material and wherein the RFID label 118 is in close proximity to metal, such as from the resonators 106 and bias.

[48] Referring now to Figure 11, an exemplary method 1100 of producing dual RFID and AM labels is shown and described. As described above with relation to Figure 6, the first step 1102 includes placing a sheet of bio-degradable material 601, which may include pre-printed RFID labels 118 (or portions thereof, such as antennas) and additional spacers on an outer or inner surface thereof, within the first die 602 and the second die 604 and pressing the die 602 and 604 together to form a first or top housing portion 102 with the RFID labels 118.

[49] The method includes using different dies 602 and 604 structured to create different sized cavities 108, which in turn results in RFID and AM labels of varying lengths and widths. An exemplary width for a relative wide paper RFID and AM label could include a width of 12.420 mm and a length of 46.43 mm. Alternatively, a relative narrow RFID and AM label could have a width of 8.402 mm and a length of 46.43 mm. In another aspect of the disclosure, the RFID and AM label may be smaller than or equal to 16mm wide and a length of 55mm. In an alternative aspect the RFID antenna may be printed on the or be affixed to the outside of the first housing portion or second housing portion and wrap around the RFID and AM label. In this aspect, for instance, the AM and RFID label may have a width of up to about 25mm and a length of up to about 60mm, such as but not limited to being 54mm x 20mm. Using dies as discussed in step 1102 allows for RFID and AM labels of varying sizes to be produced at a high volume and in an efficient manner. [50] In step 1104, of the method 1100, one or more resonators 106 are placed within the cavity 108 of the top housing portion 102.

[51] Step 1106 of the method 1100 includes applying an adhesive to a second sheet of paper to form a second or bottom housing portion 104. In this step a second sheet of bio-degradable material is used, which may be the same as or different from the material used to create the top housing portion 102. This sheet of bio-degradable material may have a heat-based adhesive applied to the surface. Alternatively heat sealable kraft paper may be used, which is a paper with a coating of a water-based adhesive activated by heat. The use of the heat sealable kraft paper would eliminate the need to apply adhesive to each sheet of paper during the production process as this paper would have a pre-applied adhesive coating. Moreover, the adhesive may be located in areas away from the cavity 108 in the sheet of the first housing portion such that the resonators do not come into contact with the adhesive.

[52] Steps 1108 and 1110 of the method 1100 include associating the second, adhesive coated sheet of paper with the top housing portion 102, e.g., affixing the housing portions, and, optionally, applying pressure (and, optionally, heat) to the top housing portion 102 and the bottom housing portion 104 to adhere the top housing portion 102 to the bottom housing portion 104, thereby enclosing the resonator within the cavity 108 of the top housing portion 102 and the bottom housing portion 104. In steps 1108 and 1110, in one implementation, the bottom housing portion 104, or the second sheet of paper coated with the adhesive, is placed in such a manner as to cover the cavity 108 of the top housing portion 102. This secures all of the components of the dual RFID and AM label, such as the resonators 106, in the cavity 108 between the top and bottom housing portions 102, 104. Pressure, and optionally heat, may then be applied to the top and bottom housing portions 102, 104. The pressure and heating may be applied using a heating plate, which is pressed against either the top housing portion 102 or the bottom housing portion 104 to cure the adhesive. Alternative heating methods may also be utilized, which conform to the heating properties of the materials used to form the top and bottom housing portions 102, 104.

[53] In an alternative or additional aspect, the method 1100 may further include affixing a bias magnet 106 to the first housing portion or the second housing portion, outside of the cavity 108, as described above.

[54] One or more aspects of the disclosure may be implemented according to one or more of the following clauses.

[55] Clause 1. An article security tag, comprising: a first housing portion comprising a first biodegradable material and having a side wall defining a cavity; a second housing portion comprising a second bio-degradable material and connected to the first housing portion; an acousto-magnetic resonator sized to moveably fit within the cavity; and a radio frequency identification label associated with one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

[56] Clause 2. The article security tag of clause 1 , wherein at least one of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material includes paper.

[57] Clause 3. The article security tag of any preceding clause, wherein the second housing portion is flat paper that encloses the cavity.

[58] Clause 4. The article security tag of any preceding clause, wherein the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material are a same bio-degradable material.

[59] Clause 5. The article security tag of any preceding clause, wherein the radio frequency identification label attached to an outer surface of the first housing portion or the second housing portion. [60] Clause 6. The article security tag of any preceding clause, wherein the radio frequency identification label attached to an inner surface of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

[61] Clause 7. The article security tag of any preceding clause, wherein one or both of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material has a thickness of 15 to 45 points, wherein each point is 1/1000th of an inch.

[62] Clause 8. The article security tag of any preceding clause, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees.

[63] Clause 9. The article security tag of any preceding clause, wherein one or both of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material comprises a non-white paper having a thickness of 20 to 40 points, or of 25 to 35 points, wherein each point is 1/1000th of an inch, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees, and further comprising an adhesive layer between the second housing portion and a flange of the first housing portion.

[64] Clause 10. The article security tag of any preceding clause, further comprising a second resonator movably positioned within the cavity, wherein the second housing portion is affixed to a flange of the first housing portion thereby enclosing the cavity between the first housing portion and the second housing portion

[65] Clause 11. A method of producing an article security tag, comprising: forming a first housing portion comprising a first bio-degradable material and having a side wall defining a cavity; forming a second housing portion comprising a second bio-degradable material and connected to the first housing portion; placing an acousto-magnetic resonator within the cavity, wherein the acousto-magnetic resonator is movable within the cavity; and associating a radio frequency identification label with one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

[66] Clause 12. The method of clause 11, further comprising attaching the second housing portion to the first housing portion, thereby enclosing the cavity between the first housing portion and the second housing portion.

[67] Clause 13. The method of any preceding clause, wherein at least one of the first biodegradable material and the second bio-degradable material includes paper.

[68] Clause 14. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the second housing portion is flat paper that encloses the cavity.

[69] Clause 15. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material are a same bio-degradable material.

[70] Clause 16. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising affixing a bias magnet to the first housing portion or the second housing portion, outside of the cavity.

[71] Clause 17. The method of any preceding clause, wherein associating the radio frequency identification label to one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion comprises attaching the radio frequency identification label to an outer surface or an inner surface of the first housing portion, or attaching the radio frequency identification label to an inner surface or an outer surface of the second housing portion.

[72] Clause 18. The method of any preceding clause, herein one or both of the first biodegradable material and the second bio-degradable material has a thickness of 15 to 45 points, wherein each point is 1/1000th of an inch.

[73] Clause 19. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees. [74] Clause 20. The method of any preceding clause, wherein one or both of the first biodegradable material and the second bio-degradable material comprises a non-white paper having a thickness of 20 to 40 points, or of 25 to 35 points, wherein each point is 1/1000th of an inch, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees, and further comprising an adhesive layer between the second housing portion and a flange of the first housing portion

[75] In general, the description of the aspects disclosed should be considered as being illustrative in all respects and not being restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is shown by the claims rather than by the above description, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all changes in the scope. While preferred aspects of the disclosure have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. 1

Claims

1. An article security tag, comprising: a first housing portion comprising a first bio-degradable material and having a side wall defining a cavity; a second housing portion comprising a second bio-degradable material and connected to the first housing portion; an acousto-magnetic resonator sized to moveably fit within the cavity; and a radio frequency identification label associated with one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

2. The article security tag of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material includes paper.

3. The article security tag of claim 1 , wherein the second housing portion is flat paper that encloses the cavity.

4. The article security tag of claim 1 , wherein the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material are a same bio-degradable material.

5. The article security tag of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identification label is associated with an outer surface of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

6. The article security tag of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identification label is associated with an inner surface of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

7. The article security tag of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material has a thickness of 15 to 45 points, wherein each point is 1/1 OOOth of an inch.

8. The article security tag of claim 1, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees.

9. The article security tag of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material comprises a non-white paper having a thickness of 20 to 40 points, or of 25 to 35 points, wherein each point is 1/1 OOOth of an inch, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees, and further comprising an adhesive layer between the second housing portion and a flange of the first housing portion.

10. The article security tag of claim 1, further comprising a second resonator movably positioned within the cavity, wherein the second housing portion is affixed to a flange of the first housing portion thereby enclosing the cavity between the first housing portion and the second housing portion.

11. A method of producing an article security tag, comprising: forming a first housing portion comprising a first bio-degradable material and having a side wall defining a cavity; forming a second housing portion comprising a second bio-degradable material and connected to the first housing portion; placing an acousto-magnetic resonator within the cavity, wherein the acousto-magnetic resonator is movable within the cavity; and associating a radio frequency identification label with one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising attaching the second housing portion to the first housing portion, thereby enclosing the cavity between the first housing portion and the second housing portion.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material includes paper.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second housing portion is flat paper that encloses the cavity.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material are a same bio-degradable material.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising affixing a bias magnet to the first housing portion or the second housing portion, outside of the cavity.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein associating the radio frequency identification label to one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion comprises attaching the radio frequency identification label to an inner surface or an outer surface of the first housing portion, or attaching the radio frequency identification label to an inner surface or an outer surface of the second housing portion.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein one or both of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material has a thickness of 15 to 45 points, wherein each point is 1/1 OOOth of an inch.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first bio-degradable material and the second bio-degradable material comprises a non-white paper having a thickness of 20 to 40 points, or of 25 to 35 points, wherein each point is 1/1 OOOth of an inch, wherein the cavity has a draft angle in a range of 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees, and further comprising an adhesive layer between the second housing portion and a flange of the first housing portion.