MXPA00002514A - Laminated radio frequency identification device - Google Patents

Abstract

An RFID wristband incorporates identification circuitry (50) which may be of a read only, a read/write, a passive, or an active configuration. The wristband consists of a plurality of laminae (30, 32) which bear components of the RFID circuitry (50) and which encapsulate said cirtuitry upon the securement or adherence of said laminae (30, 32) to each or one another. The wristband is incorporated in an identification system particularly adapted for hospital patient identification and is associated with an RFID reader which generates a magnetic signal requesting identification from the wristband. The wristband is automatically assembled by the utilization of at least two laminae (30, 32) of a polymorphic flexible nature to encapsulate the RFID circuit (50) and includes the utilization of polymeric in conductive components in said circuit. The method of assembling the RFID components (50) with the respective laminae (30, 32) results in the complete isolation of the RFID circuit (50) from contact with deleterious and corrosive substances characteristic of hospital environments.

Description

LAMINATED DEVICE FOR RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION This application claims the benefit of the provisional application E.U.A. No. 60 / 058,653 filed September 11, 1997. This invention relates to a device for radio frequency identification (RFID) which is laminated from a plurality of sheets in a continuous process and which is exemplified by the use of the resulting laminate material in a bracelet for RFID or the like. Such bracelets are commonly used to identify individuals and to transmit relevant information pertaining to said individuals to a receiver, which may be a portable receiver or a master receiving and transmitting station. The RF circuitry is incorporated between the sheets during the assembly of the sheets in a laminated material and, as will be described in greater detail below, the resulting RF laminate bracelet is produced in a more efficient manner and functions more effectively than the labels for conventional RFID.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At present, identification devices, such as bracelets or the like, are widely used in hospitals or in crowd control situations, such as concerts, amusement parks or the like, to identify patients or individuals and to provide information concerning the patients or the individuals. In addition, such bracelets may be used in penal institutions and the like for the purpose of inmate control. Initially, such bracelets were confined to providing only the patient's name and, possibly, the patient's illness. In crowd control situations, the bracelets were used to indicate the admission condition of the individual wearing the bracelet, and often the duration, by colored indication, of the time the person will remain wearing the bracelet. Recently, bracelets for identification with encoded information have been provided in the form of bar codes or the like with which considerable additional information can be obtained about the individual carrying the bracelet, including, in the case of a hospital patient, relevant data about of the medications, the condition of the patient or similar. In crowd control situations, bracelets can be used to provide data such as the amount of money or payments not expended by the individual wearing the bracelet. Therefore, in amusement parks or similar, the bracelet, using the coded information, can control the admission of the individual carrying the bracelet to specific games. Since each game is evaluated against the bracelet, the sum of money remaining for expenses is reduced.

By using such bracelets, various types of bar code readers are provided to the relevant personnel who read the bar codes to determine, in the case of patient care, the therapeutic measures, such as the administration of medications or some other services for the patient. In the case of crowd control, such as in amusement parks, the reader charges the bracelet entry to the specific game desired by the bracelet holder. Although the use of bar codes or other coded materials has constituted a considerable advance compared to the previous printed information, once the bar code has been applied to the identification bracelet, particularly in the case of a hospital patient, the alteration of information in the bracelet imposes the replacement of a new band or a companion band. In addition, due to physical limitations, the information provided by bar codes or the like is necessarily limited. A possible solution that could overcome the limitations of identification bracelets which are provided with bar codes or similar coded printed material could be to provide an RF circuit in the bracelet that could incorporate a semiconductor circuit with logic, memory and an RF circuit connected to an antenna that can store and dispense information so that a staff member carrying a transponder can challenge the RF circuit of the bracelet to evoke a broad spectrum of information that is not normally available in the conventional bracelets. Unfortunately, the available RF circuits are relatively expensive and, because conventional bracelets are disposable after use, such circuits would have to be discarded if they were integral components of the bracelet.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a bracelet manufactured from a laminated material consisting of at least two sheets and, preferably, three sheets in which a label incorporating an RF circuit is provided on one or more of the sheets which are formed from flexible materials such as polyester and low density polyethylene. The respective sheets, therefore, constitute a flexible substrate for the label which is thus easily secured to the wrist of an individual using the laminated bracelet. Another object of the invention is to provide an RF bracelet that is constituted by three sheets, that is, a central sheet formed from polyester sheet material and two upper and lower external sheets manufactured from polyethylene sheet materials. Low density or any suitable material that can be laminated. Obviously, there are numerous methods by which sheet materials can be used as sheets secured to one another to provide the resulting laminate. One of the most effective methods involves feeding the polyester core sheet as the initial sheet. Another object of the invention is to provide an article, such as a laminated bracelet, in which a plurality of labels are secured to a surface of the central sheet before the subsequent assembly of the second and third sheets of upper and lower polyethylene with the sheet central. A further object of the invention includes the concept of temporarily securing the aforementioned labels in separate relation on the central sheet, said securing being sufficient to place and retain the labels on the central sheet before the assembly process. A further object of the invention is to provide a bracelet in which the retention of the aforementioned labels in a predetermined relation to the bracelet is achieved by the method of adhering the upper or lower sheet to the central sheet so that the label is maintained in a predetermined safe position in the bracelet and additional means to secure the label is not unnecessary. A further object of the invention is the method of securing a plurality of labels in separate relation on one of the sheets in which the adherence of the labels before lamination is sufficient to preserve the labels in operative relation with the sheet during the process of lamination and the assurance as such of the labels occurs when the last lamination of the plurality of sheets is presented. Another object of the invention is a method for assembling a plurality of labels in operative relation, separated with the sheets of a laminated material during the assembly of the sheets of the laminated material by inserting said labels between the respective sheets during the securing of the sheets one with the other. other. Another object of the invention includes the step of depositing various components of the RF circuit on the sheets before or during the rolling process. Such deposition can be achieved by various types of conductive or semiconducting inks or conductive polymers to build the necessary set of RF circuits. A related object of the invention is to provide a bracelet in which one or more of the sheets incorporate the printed circuit assembly. A further object of the invention is to provide a bracelet in which the various elements of an RF circuit can be assembled on one of the sheets of a laminated bracelet before securing all the sheets to each other. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings which are for the sole purpose of illustrating the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top plan view of a laminated bracelet. Figure 2 is a cutaway view of the cuff in the closed position which is considered to be approximately the wrist of a user or other object to be identified. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on dotted line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing an RFID tag mounted on one of the blades of the multi-lamella cuff; like the one in figures 1-3. Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the use of two sheets for mounting and affixing the RFID tag of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing an alternative RFID circuit. Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the central sheet of a tri-laminated bracelet with an RFID circuit secured thereto. Figure 8 is a view of the topsheet of said tri-laminate material. Figure 9 is a view of the lower sheet.

Figure 10 is a diagram of the system of the RFID circuit shown in Figure 7. Figure 11 is a portion of an RFID circuit secured to the top of the intermediate sheet of a tri-laminated bracelet. Figure 12 is a portion of the RFID circuit secured to the underside of the intermediate sheet. Figure 13 is a circuit diagram of the components of the circuit shown in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 14 is a schematic view showing the printing and assembly of a two-layered bracelet. Fig. 15 is a schematic view showing the assembly of a tri-laminated bracelet; and Figure 16 is a schematic view showing the mutual communication between a reader and the bracelet of the invention.

PREFERRED MODALITIES OF THE INVENTION Laminated bracelets Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1-3 thereof, there is shown a laminated bracelet 10 whose opposite ends 16 and 18 are kept in operative relation with each other around an object to be identified, such as the wrist of a hospital patient, as best shown in Figure 2, by means of a fastener 20. The fastener 20 and its relation to the cuff 10 are described in the US patent 5,448,846 and reference is made to said patent for the construction and operation of said fastener. The bracelet 10 is a tri-laminate bracelet, as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. This includes a top sheet 30, an intermediate sheet 32 and a bottom sheet 34. The sheets can be manufactured from a wide variety of sheet materials such as polyester, low density polyethylene and the like. In this case, the upper and lower sheets 30 and 34 are manufactured from low density polyethylene and the intermediate or middle sheet 32 is made from polyester resin. There is a wide variety of methods for manufacturing laminated bracelets such as bracelet 10, but the preferred method is to provide rolls of sheet plastic material which are dispensed in a synchronized manner and are finally secured with one another by glue or other means. In the manufacture of the bracelet 10, the intermediate sheet 32 is initially dispensed from its roll and the upper and lower sheets 30 and 34 are subsequently secured thereto. After being secured in this way, the laminated sheets are subjected to the formation of a plurality of bracelets by the use of marker dice or the like. As the resulting laminate leaves the lamination site, it is wound onto a collector roll from which it is subsequently dispensed to allow the bracelets to be cut from one another. In some cases, the bracelets are left in the form of a sheet, in the form of a roll or in individual sheets and are shipped to the end user in that configuration. Conventionally, when an identification bracelet is prepared to apply it to, say, the wrist of a hospital patient, the basic information about the patient, that is, his name, hospital identification number and the like, are printed on the upper sheet and a bar code 40 is also printed on top sheet 30 which contains other relevant but limited information regarding the patient. Once the bracelet 10 is installed on the wrist of the patient, the information printed on the upper sheet 30 is consulted by the nurse or another person who meets the needs of the patient. Anyone familiar with hospital procedures today has observed that the printed materials on the upper sheet 30 of the cuff 10 are often difficult to read and partially erased due to frequent handling during the patient's stay in the hospital. Additionally, visual comparisons are frequently made in a hasty manner in dim light and in confined rooms, which contributes to the possibility of errors on the part of the staff. In addition to the tri-laminated bracelets, such as bracelet 10 of Figures 1-3, bi-laminated bracelets are provided which are frequently manufactured from vinyl sheet material or the like by incorporating the bracelet configurations into the sheets by stamped with heat or similar. It is possible to incorporate the teachings of the invention into bilaminated bracelets, but the use of trilaminated bracelets is preferred due to the increased strength of the trilaminate bracelet and some other structural and operational advantages over the bilaminated bracelets.

Laminated Bracelet / Assembly of RFID Circuitry Assembly The broad concept of the invention is that one or more lamellae will have one or more components of an RFID circuit assembled thereon or printed thereon or connected thereto during manufacture of the same. bracelet by securing the respective upper, intermediate and lower sheets one with another. For example, in Figure 4 of the drawings the assembly of a fully prefabricated label 50 is shown with the label 50 being secured to the intermediate sheet 32 of the cuff 10. Temporary securing of the label 50 to the upper or lower surface of the foil intermediate 32 is achieved prior to the initiation of the assembly procedure for the cuff sheets 10. One or more labels 50 are temporarily secured to the upper or lower surface of the intermediate sheet 32 by a point of glue or similar material, since no it is intended to achieve permanent assurance of the label 50 to the respective surface of the sheet 32 but only to ensure that the labels 50 will be carried on the intermediate sheet 32 to the point at which the labels 50 can be wrapped in the desired location on the intermediate sheet 32 overlapping the topsheet 30 or conversely, the bottom sheet 34, as illustrated in the figure Figure 5 of the drawings. This method of assembly relies on the permanent affixation of the label 50 on the bracelet 10 by the action of the respective upper or lower sheet 30 or 34 as they are secured to the intermediate sheet 32 on which the label 50 has previously been deposited. In another method of assembly, the label 50 is deposited on the intermediate sheet 32 immediately before assembling the topsheet 30 with said intermediate sheet. The deposition of labels 50 on the intermediate sheet 32 can be achieved by automatic dispensing heads located in proximity to the transverse line of the cuff sheet during the assembly procedure. The deposition of the labels 50 can be achieved from an arrangement above the head, with a downward fall or by a transverse slider which feeds the labels 50 from the side of the path of movement of the sheets 30, 32 and 34 Contrary to the use of a fully integrated RFID circuit, such as the tag 50, it is also possible to provide the deposition of separate components of the circuit together with other components which can be stamped, deposited on thin metal sheet, deposited on wire or similar. In Figure 6 the combinations of the prefabricated RFID assemblies with portions of the RFID circuit are illustrated, which are printed or otherwise provided on a surface of the intermediate sheet 32 in which all the components 60 of an RFID circuit are provided on a surface of the sheet 32 with a separate antenna 62, said antenna being made of thin metal sheet or the like or being printed on the surface of the intermediate sheet 32. The antenna is operatively connected to protuberances or pads in the housing 64 of the components of the RFID circuitry. Again, the complete assembly of the circuitry 60 and the antenna 62 can be achieved by applying a variety of such combinations to the respective surface of the intermediate sheet 32 before dispensing the sheet 32 from its roll in conjunction with the upper sheets 30 and 34 and lower. On the other hand, the printing of the antenna 62 can be achieved before the assembly of the respective sheets 30, 32 and 34 by assembling the other RFID components with the antenna during the assembly of the sheets 30, 32 and 34. It is well known for those skilled in the art that the RFID circuitry of the type discussed is provided in a plurality of configurations; for example, read-only, read / write, passive and active. The read-only type provides previously installed information from the RFID circuit through a compatible reader. The read / write circuit allows the reader device to install or alter information stored in the circuit. The passive circuit is one whose activation and operation energy depends on the signal emitted by the reader while the active circuit includes a battery or other source of internal power which can be activated by the signal coming from the reader. A read / write RFID circuit including a silica tag 70 and di-pole antennas 72 is described in Figures 7-10 of the drawings, said dipole antennas being manufactured by a wide variety of procedures such as wire implantation. , assurance with thin metal sheet, printing with conductive ink and the like. The installation of the antennas and the associated circuits can be achieved by various means, equipment and at the moments referred to hereinbefore when discussing the prior embodiments of the invention. The topsheet 30 has a bar code 65 and additional information that can be read 66 disposed on the upper surface thereof while the lower sheet is secured to the underlying side of the intermediate sheet 32. The read / write RFID circuit is shows in figure 10 including the antennas 72, an energy converter 74, logic 76 of control, NV Ram 78, and the set of circuits for demodulating and modulating 82. As best shown in figures 11-13 of the In the drawings, an alternative read / write RFID circuit 90 can be used to impart and receive the necessary information about the particular situation that a laminated bracelet is capable of providing by using an appropriate reader, not shown. The circuit 90 is designed to be used in a tri-laminated bracelet and to be installed on the upper and lower surfaces of the intermediate sheet 32. The circuit 90 includes a conductive plate 92 which is applied to the upper surface of the sheet 32 and it can be in the form of an application in metal foil, printed, or the like and functions as a side of a first capacitor circuit. An integrated RFID circuit 94 is secured to the upper surface of the sheet 32 in juxtaposition to the plate 92 and is connected thereto by a conductor 96. The integrated circuit 94 is electrically connected to the terminals of the integrated circuit 98 and 102 using conductive ink, thin metal foil or other means. The electrical connection can be made by conductive adhesive, ultrasonic welding, welding protuberances or similar. The conductor 96 connects the terminal 98 of the integrated circuit to the plate 92 which has a significant surface area and forms one side of a capacitor circuit. The conductor 103 electrically connected to the terminal 102 of the integrated circuit 94 is deposited in a spiral pattern 104 on the upper surface of the sheet 32. This spiral pattern forms an inductor 106. The other side of the coil 106 is connected to a conductive plate 108 forming one side of a second capacitor circuit. Formed on the lower surface of the sheet 32 in essentially the same manner as the circuit on the upper surface of the sheet is a plate 92 ', which completes the first capacitor circuit with the plate 92 on top of the sheet 32. The plate 92 'is connected to one end of a spiral coil 106' which, in turn, is connected to a plate 108 'which establishes the second capacitor circuit with the plate 108. Accordingly, two capacitor circuits are provided. : the first circuit constituted by the plates 92 and 92 'and the second circuit constituted by the plates 108 and 108'. When the circuits incorporating the capacitor plates 92/92 'and 108/108' are printed or formed in some other way on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate constituted by the centrally located sheet 32, these are placed in superposed relation one to another so that the capacitor circuits mentioned above can incorporate the dielectric capacity of the plastic material used to form the substrate constituted by the sheet 32. When the respective components on the upper and lower part of the Sheet 32 are juxtaposed in the manner suggested above herein, these form an electronic circuit connecting the antenna terminals of the RFID integrated circuit to a network consisting of two inductors and two capacitors. In this embodiment of the invention, the turns of the upper or lower coils are wound in the same direction. Accordingly, the upper and lower inductor patterns form an output antenna for receiving and transmitting electromagnetic signals to and from an RFID reader. In Figure 13 of the drawings there is shown a series resonant LC 90 circuit electrically connected to the terminals 98 and 102 of the antenna of the integrated circuit 94. Therefore, the circuit, operating with equivalent circuit values corresponding to the geometrical dimensions of the structures of the opposite surfaces of the sheet 32 will work at the resonant frequency of the equivalent circuit. Figure 14 of the drawings shows a schematic view of the assembly of an RFID circuit in the bi-laminar bracelet in which an upper sheet 30 of sheet plastic material is stretched from a dispensing roll 120 between the media 122 of circuit printing and a roll 124 of backup. The circuit printing means 122 may be composed of a plurality of different printing devices which results in the formation of a complete circuit. The RFID circuit (not shown) is printed on the lower surface 123 of the topsheet 30 and the topsheet 30 is fed to a lamination station 126 where it is adhesively or in some other way secured to the lower sheet 32. stretched from a dispensing roll 130. A backup roll 132 supports assembly during the final manufacture of the bracelet 10. In Figure 15 of the drawings a tri-laminar assembly apparatus is shown which includes a dispensing roll 140 for material of sheet plastic for an intermediate sheet 32 which is dragged on a guide roll 142. A printing means 144 prints the RFID circuitry on the upper surface 146 of the intermediate sheet 32 which is supported during the printing process by a roll 138 of backing. If desired, downstream from the printing apparatus 144, a supplementary apparatus can be located under the sheet 32 to provide supplementary circuits so that they are deposited by the printing apparatus 144. After the printing process has been completed, the topsheet 30 and the bottom sheet 34 are stretched from the supply rolls 152 and 154 to an assembly station 156 where they are sealed in surrounding and encapsulating relationship with the intermediate sheet 32. Mutual communication between the RFID reader 160 and the bracelet 10 is illustrated in Figure 16 of the drawings. Initially, the RFID circuitry of the bracelet is programmed to provide identification information and other information and the reader can evoke such information from the RFID circuitry of the bracelet. In a read / write configuration of the circuitry of the bracelet 10, the reader can also impart information to, alter information about, or delete information from the bracelet 10. Although specific examples of the assembly and construction of the bracelet and the components of the bracelet have been described. RFID associated therewith, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that alternative configurations may be used which remain within the scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - In an identification bracelet for emitting a radio frequency identification signal, the combination of: a first flexible polymer sheet having an external surface and an internal surface; a second flexible polymer sheet having an outer surface and an inner surface; programmable coding circuits printed on the internal surface of one of said sheets to define the identification information; an antenna encapsulated between said sheets; and a signal generating circuit printed on the internal surface of one of said sheets and which can respond to said coding circuits to apply a radio frequency signal that carries said identification information to said antenna and said sheets being secured one to another to encapsulate said circuits.

2.- On an identification bracelet to emit a radio frequency identification signal, the combination of: a first flexible polymer; a second flexible polymer; programmable coding circuits encapsulated between said sheets to define the identification information; an antenna encapsulated between said sheets; and a signal generating circuit encapsulated by said sheets and which can respond to said encoder circuits to apply a radio frequency signal that carries said identification information to said antenna from polymeric materials deposited on one of said sheets.

3. On an identification bracelet for emitting a radio frequency identification signal, the combination of: a first flexible polymer sheet; a second flexible sheet of polymer; programmable coding circuits encapsulated between said sheets to define identification information; an antenna encapsulated between said sheets; and a signal generating circuit encapsulated by said sheets and which can respond to said coding circuits to apply a radio frequency signal carrying said identification information to said antenna; and a third intermediate sheet located between said first and second sheets, said intermediate sheet having said circuits deposited thereon together with said antenna and encapsulated between said first and second sheets.

4. On an identification bracelet for emitting a radio frequency identification signal, the combination of: a first flexible polymer sheet; a second flexible sheet of polymer; programmable coding circuits encapsulated between said sheets to define the identification information; an antenna encapsulated between said sheets; a signal generating circuit encapsulated by said sheets and which can respond to said encoder circuits to apply a radio frequency signal that carries said identification information to said antenna; and said circuits being incorporated in an integrated circuit deposited on a third intermediate sheet and encapsulated between said first and second sheets.

5. The identification bracelet according to claim 4, further characterized in that said circuits are formed of polymeric materials deposited on said third intermediate sheet.

6.- In a system to provide identification information, the combination of: a reader to emit an electromagnetic signal; an identification bracelet that can respond to said electromagnetic signal producing an identification signal, said bracelet including: a first sheet of polymeric material having an external surface and an internal surface; a second sheet of polymeric material secured to said first sheet having an outer surface and an inner surface; an antenna for receiving said electromagnetic signal located between said sheets; and printed circuits on the internal surface of one of said sheets coupled to said antenna to generate said identification signal in response to said electromagnetic signal received by said antenna, and said reader being able to respond to said identification signal.

7. The identification bracelet according to claim 6, further characterized in that portions of said circuits are defined by a pattern of conductive ink disposed in one of said sheets.

8. - The identification bracelet according to claim 6, further characterized in that said set of circuits is defined by polymeric conductor patterns on one of said sheets.

9. In a system for transmitting and receiving information, the combination of: a reader for emitting an electromagnetic signal; an identification bracelet for receiving said electromagnetic signal and producing a response identification signal, said bracelet including: a first sheet of polymeric material; a second sheet of polymeric material; and a third sheet of intermediate polymeric material interposed between said first and second sheets, said first, second and third sheets being secured with one another; an antenna for receiving said electromagnetic signal included between two of said sheets; a set of circuits between said sheets coupled to said antenna to generate said identification signal in response to said electromagnetic signal received by said antenna; and said reader can respond to said identification signal.

10. The identification bracelet according to claim 9, further characterized in that portions of said circuits are defined by a pattern of conductive ink deposited on said third intermediate sheet.

11. The identification bracelet according to claim 9, further characterized in that portions of said circuits are defined by polymeric conductors on said third intermediate sheet.

12. In a method for manufacturing a bracelet to produce a radio frequency identification signal, the steps of: dispensing a first continuous sheet of polymeric material having an external surface and an internal surface; printing an RFID circuit on said inner surface of said first sheet; depositing an antenna on said first sheet connected to said RFID circuit; printing a second polymeric sheet having an external surface and an internal surface on said RFID circuit and securing it to said first sheet and encapsulating said RFID circuit and said antenna between said first and second sheets.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said RFID circuit is provided by conductive ink on said first sheet.

14. The method according to claim 12, further characterized in that said RFID circuit is provided by polymeric conductive means on said first sheet.

15. The method for forming an identification bracelet to produce a radio frequency identification signal, said method including the steps of: dispensing an intermediate polymeric sheet; depositing an RFID circuit including an antenna on said intermediate sheet; securing a polymer sheet superior to said intermediate sheet in superposed relation with said RFID circuit; and securing a lower polymeric sheet in underlying relation with said intermediate sheet to encapsulate said intermediate sheet, and forming the configuration of said bracelet on said sheets to allow the separation of said bracelet from them.