RU2601508C1 - Radio frequency identification label - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering.

SUBSTANCE: radio-frequency label comprises at least one radio-frequency integrated circuit, a first antenna in electrical communication with said integrated circuit and a non-conducting coating on surface of radiofrequency label. Integrated circuit comprises a memory element, providing an electrical storage device for binary-coded word, comprising at least one bit, and output contacts. First antenna is electrically connected with output contacts. Non-conducting coating covers integrated circuit and determines perimeter. Said perimeter is located above and opens access to part of antenna.

EFFECT: disclosed is a sensor system comprising a radio frequency label.

12 cl, 3 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention relates to systems and methods for providing product information. In particular, the invention relates to a remote request for product information and to the subsequent use of the information received.

BACKGROUND

Consumer goods having a useful life determined in relation to the consumption of goods are well known. The useful life can be considered as one or more events associated with the consumption of at least part of the useful quantity of goods. Information related to the environmental conditions of use of the goods and / or the quantity of goods used and remaining at the disposal of the goods may exist, but may also be generally inaccessible to the ordinary consumer of the goods. There is a need for a system and method for retrieving information related to a product in such a way as to make the information easily accessible and convenient for use by the consumer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the sensor system comprises an RF tag. The RFID tag includes at least one RFID integrated circuit, a first antenna located in electrical communication with said integrated circuit and a non-conductive coating located on the surface of the RFID tag. The integrated circuit contains a memory element providing an electric storage device for a binary-coded word containing at least one bit, and output contacts. The first antenna is in electrical communication with the output contacts. A non-conductive coating covers the integrated circuit and forms a perimeter. The specified perimeter is located on top and opens for access part of the antenna.

In one aspect, a method of providing product information includes the steps of:

providing a product comprising an RFID tag and a polling device adapted to detect radiation associated with RFID data; polling the status of the radio frequency tag; interpretation of the state of the RFID tag; and creating an output related to the interpreted state of the RF tag. The RFID tag contains a digital memory that stores data related to the product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through consideration of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Definitions

The following text provides an extensive description of the many different embodiments of the present invention. The description should be interpreted only as illustrative, and it does not describe each possible embodiment, since a description of each possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible, and it should be understood that any characteristic feature, characteristic, component, composition, component, product, step or the methodology described in this disclosure can be completely or partially eliminated, combined with or replaced by any other characteristic feature, characteristic, component, composition, component, product, apom or the procedure described in the present disclosure. Numerous alternative embodiments may be implemented using either modern technology or technology developed after the filing date of this application, which will still fall within the scope of the claims.

It should also be understood that, unless a term in this application is explicitly defined using the sentence "In the sense in which it is used in this disclosure, the term" _ "is defined in this disclosure as meaning ..." or similar proposal, there is no intention, directly or indirectly, to limit the meaning of this term beyond its generally accepted or ordinary meaning, and such a term should not be interpreted as being limited in scope on the basis of any affirmation A birth made in any of the sections of this application (other than the wording of the claims). No term is intended to be essential to the present invention unless it is defined as such. To the extent that any term set forth in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this application in a manner consistent with a single meaning, this is only to provide clarity so as not to confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such a term in the claims are limited, indirectly or otherwise, by this single meaning. Finally, unless an element of the claims is defined by mentioning the word “means” and functions without stating any construction, it is not intended that the scope of any element of the claims be construed in accordance with the sixth paragraph of Section 112 of Section 35 of the United States Code.

The “integrated circuit” disclosed herein may be replaced by an integrated circuit-free radio frequency identification element, as is known in the art. In the described embodiments, instead of an integrated circuit, an RF tag based on a resonant LC circuit or a multi-resonance element can be used.

In one aspect, the sensor system comprises an RF tag. An RFID tag may comprise one or more layers of conductive ink applied to a substrate. Examples of base materials include: polyester, paper, dielectric materials with high dielectric constant and FR-4 refractory material. Multi-layer structures may also include partial layers of non-conductive material separating at least portions of the conductive layers. Examples of conductive layers include copper and silver inks. The radio frequency tag contains a radio frequency integrated circuit and a first antenna arranged as a circuit on a card, coin or insert. The integrated circuit may be active or passive. Examples of integrated circuit / first antenna combinations include model numbers: RI-I03-112A-03 (13.56 MHz) and RI-INL-R9QM (134.2 kHz) or TRF7970A, each of which is available from Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas The antenna may have the physical shape of a coil or a symmetrical vibrator. The integrated circuit / first antenna combination can be integrated into the RF tag from Kovio, San Jose, California.

The RF tag further comprises an external non-conductive coating. Examples of non-conductive coating materials include polypropylene, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. The coating is located on the surface of the RF tag so that part of the RF tag remains uncovered and is exposed to the environment surrounding the RF tag. The bare area is limited to the perimeter of the non-conductive coating. The exposed portion of the RFID tag may comprise a portion of the antenna, up to the entire antenna. In one embodiment, the configuration of the integrated circuit circuit and the antenna include a break, so the circuit is open. In this embodiment, the gap remains open to environmental influences, rather than being protected by a non-conductive coating. The radio frequency tag circuit can be closed by exposure to a conductive environment, the conductive material providing the necessary electrical conductivity in the gap region. Conductive environments include conductive gels, powders or liquids, with the gap being closed by a conductive substance. Urine, blood and salt water - have conductive properties. Gels and powders containing electrolytes are also conductive materials.

An RF tag can be read using a radio frequency protocol such as Near Field Communication (NFC). When polling or reading an RF tag, power is supplied to the RF tag circuit. The RFID memory is then read by the polling device.

The sensor system may also include a polling device. The interrogation device includes a power source and a second antenna, adapted to generate electromagnetic radiation, including the resonant frequency of the first antenna, as well as a receiver, adapted to detect electromagnetic radiation and demodulate the detected radiation with the extraction of the embedded data from the detected radiation. One form of interrogation device is illustrated by a bluetooth ^tm RFID Reader RFID reader, model number 223012, available from GAO RFID, Toronto, Canada. The polling device of model 223012 has the ability to interrogate an RF tag, determine the memory status of the RF tag, and thus retrieve information associated with the output of the sensor or sensors related to the surrounding conditions of the RF tag. Model 223012 also contains a secondary network communication channel using the Bluetooth ^tm communication protocol to transmit information extracted from the RF tag to a secondary device or a secondary polling device, such as a computer or smartphone with Bluetooth ^tm connected. The secondary interrogator can further analyze information related to the state of the RF tag and / or the surrounding conditions of the RF tag, and generate output associated with a particular RF tag and / or the state of the surrounding conditions of the RF tag. The polling device may also include a display element, such as a liquid crystal screen (LCD) or a light emitting diode (LED) screen, for displaying output associated with the analyzed RFID information. The polling device may also contain one or more sensors to establish information related to the environmental conditions of the polling device. Such sensors can be sensors of temperature, humidity, acceleration. The polling device may also contain one or more cameras that capture images associated with the product, the RF tag, or environmental conditions. The polling device may provide for global positioning, allowing the polling device to establish and provide collective access to information related to the geographical location of the polling device.

In one aspect, a smartphone may be a single polling device. In this aspect, the smartphone may interrogate the RF tag, whereby setting information from the RF tag memory. The polling device can analyze or otherwise interpret the information and can generate output. The output can be delivered to the user of the system through audio output, visual output, tactile output, or combinations thereof. When creating an output, the polling device, in addition to the RFID information, can use inputs from sensors or smartphone systems. Examples of smartphones appropriately configured to function as a system polling device are: Acer ^tm E320 Liquid Express, Blackberry ^tm Bold ^tm 970, available from Research In Motion; Casio IT-800; Google Nexus 7 ^tm , available from Google, Inc., Mountain View, California; HTC Desire C ^tm , available from HTC; LG Optimus Elite; Motorola Droid ^tm Razr ^tm , available from Motorola; Nokia 700; Panasonic BizPad ^tm ; and Samsung Galaxy S Advance ^tm .

In one aspect, the sensory system may comprise a product. The term “product (s)” is used in its broadest sense and refers to any product, group of products, services, communications, entertainment, environmental conditions, organizations, systems, tools, etc. For example, an example of a product group is personal and household products, such as products used by an individual, family, or household. Examples from a representative and non-limiting list of product categories within a group of personal and household products are antiperspirants, infant care products, colognes, commercial products (including wholesale, industrial commercial market counterparts of consumer goods), cosmetics, deodorants, dishwashing detergents, feminine hygiene products, hair care products, hair dyes, medical supplies, household detergents, environments laundry detergents, oral care products, paper products, personal detergents, disposable absorbent products, pet health and nutrition products, prescription drugs, prestigious fragrances, skin care products, food products, snacks and drinks, special tissue care products, shaving products and other hair growth management products, small appliances, devices and batteries, services such as haircuts, beauty treatments, treatments with mineral waters, copper Insko, dental and ophthalmic services, entertainment venues, such as theaters, stadiums and entertainment services, such as movie screenings and film screenings, performances and sporting events. Under each of these product categories can fall into many forms of products.

Examples of product forms and brands are described on the Procter & Gamble website at www.pg.com and the linked sites. It should be understood that consumer products that are part of product categories other than those listed above are also contemplated by the present invention and that alternative product forms and trademarks other than those disclosed on the above website are also covered by this invention.

Examples of products in the category of detergents are detergents (including powdered, liquid, tableted and in other forms), bleaches, conditioners, softeners, antistatic products and fresheners (including liquid fresheners and wipes impregnated with an anti-static agent). Examples of products in the category of oral care products are toothpaste, dental floss, toothbrushes (including hand and mechanized forms), mouthwashes, gum care products, teeth whitening products and other care products with teeth. Examples of feminine hygiene products are panty liners, tampons, cleft care products, and panty liners attached to underwear. Examples of infant care products are diapers, wet wipes, bibs, diapers and bedcloths, as well as foaming bath soap for the hands.

Examples of medical care products include laxatives, dietary fiber supplements, oral and local painkillers, products for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract, products for the respiratory tract and cough / cold treatment, heating products and water treatment products. Examples of paper products are toilet paper, paper towels and cosmetic wipes. Examples of hair care products are shampoos, conditioners (including rinsable and indelible forms) and hair styling products. Examples of home care products are sweeping products, floor cleaning products, cleaning products for wooden floors, antibacterial floor cleaning products, fabric and air fresheners, and vehicle cleaning products. Skin care products include, but are not limited to, body lotions, face cleansers, hand lotions, moisturizers, conditioners, tightening agents, peeling products, skin micro-grinding and exfoliating products, skin rejuvenation products, anti-aging products, masks, products for protection against ultraviolet radiation, as well as skin care puffs, wet wipes, discs, fabrics, sheets, accessories and devices (containing or not containing skin care compositions).

Among other things, other product groups include, without limitation, sports equipment, entertainment (books, films, music, etc.), spectacles, home-based medical and first aid.

An RFID tag may be affixed to a product packaging such as a primary packaging for a liquid product or a granular product. An RFID tag may be immersed in the product or floating over the surface of a packaged liquid or granular product. An RFID tag may be placed in the product, for example in a disposable absorbent article, for example in a diaper, in order to detect the effects on the absorbent layer of the diaper. An RFID tag may be located on the surface of the product itself.

It is believed that adapting the antenna of the RF tag to the shape of the outer surface of the product leads to a system where the connection between the polling device and the RF tag can be omnidirectional or achievable at multiple angles between the polling device and the RF tag.

One of the difficulties associated with creating a communication device for various products appears when the communication device is used on conductive bodies. The principles of propagation of radio waves in free space are not applicable near conductive bodies. In addition, antenna performance is greatly degraded when antennas are placed near metals. As such, simply placing a radio frequency identification tag on a battery or on an object with a conductive housing may not lead to the desired result, for example, data transfer. Moreover, this difficulty is not limited to rechargeable / disposable batteries. For example, a jar with gel, foam, etc. shaving or packaging containing a metallized film may experience the same problems due to the conductivity of the packaging. In general, an RFID tag next to a metal body reduces the signal coupling between the reader and the RFID by 10 times.

One way to prevent effects resulting from the proximity of the metal to the antenna is to prevent the electromagnetic field from entering the metal. For example, by placing a material, characterized by suitable electromagnetic properties and dimensions, between the antenna and the metal surface, the electromagnetic field may be directed around the metal / conductive body of the product. The properties of the discharge material depend on the particular metal used and on the frequency of the radio frequency identification. Magnetic discharge material effectively isolates the RFID tag from the metal packaging.

In one aspect, a method of providing information to a product includes the following steps: providing a product containing an RF tag, as described above. The RFID tag includes at least one sensor adapted to provide an output similar to a change in environmental conditions of the sensor. The sensor contains at least one output contact. The radio frequency tag also comprises an radio frequency integrated circuit comprising a memory element, input contacts and output contacts, and a first antenna in electrical communication with the output contacts of the integrated circuit.

The method also includes providing a polling device adapted to detect radiation associated with the radio frequency tag data. The interrogator may be a reader or RF protocol NFC, associated with support Bluetooth ^tm, as described above, or a smart phone, or other computing device containing the reading RF-enabled device, perhaps with support for NFC.

The polling device can be used to determine the current state of the RF tag using an RF communication protocol such as the NFC protocol. A polling device can interpret data received from an RF tag using a software application written for this purpose.

In one aspect, the method can be minimized to provide products containing radio frequency tags and provide software compatible with devices available on the market or owned by consumers. The consumer may choose to use application software that will allow his device to function as the described polling device.

In one embodiment, the RF tag can be used to hold a certain amount of product remaining in the package. In this embodiment, the RF tag can be made with the exposed part of the antenna, while the exposure of the conductive product to it closes the circuit, thereby bringing the RF tag into a dormant state until the exposed part of the RF tag is freed from the product due to a drop in the level of the product relative to the RF tag . Alternatively, the RFID tag may be configured such that the perimeter of the non-conductive coating provides a break in the circuit. In this embodiment, the RF tag will be readable as long as the gap is closed due to the presence of a conductive product, and will be unreadable in the absence of the product.

In one embodiment, the dipole antenna may be coated with a non-conductive polymer. The coating may include a group of gaps that open the antenna wires for exposure to the environment surrounding the RF tag. In this embodiment, the conductivity of the RFID antenna will vary depending on whether more or fewer gaps are covered by the conductive fluid. The change in conductivity can be predetermined and the purpose of the survey can be to establish the current state of the conductivity of the antenna as an indicator of contact with the liquid, that is, to establish the level of fluid substance relative to the RF tag / antenna.

The absorbent article may include an RF tag, and the interrogator will only receive output if the product / RF tag was affected by use and the exposed part of the RF tag circuit has come into contact with a conductive fluid such as blood or urine. Alternatively, the RFID tag of the product may be configured to provide output to the polling device until the product is used / influenced and the RFID tag circuit is closed.

In one embodiment, the RF tag may comprise a combination of the two configurations described above. In this embodiment, the first integrated circuit will be readable only in the absence of the product, while the second integrated circuit will be readable only in the presence of the product. This embodiment provides the beneficial effect that the output to the polling device is always provided, regardless of the quantity of the product.

The RFID tag described above, characterized by a configuration that allows reading in two states, can be enclosed in a diaper or other absorbent product. In this example, the RF tag will provide output to the polling device both in the state when it was influenced and in the state when it was not affected. The user will receive information about the status of the product and he will not have any doubts about whether the status of the product has changed, or whether something has happened with the RF tag.

In one aspect, the polling device may comprise a secondary network communication module, enabling the device to send and receive data over a cellular telephone network or other networks, including local area networks or WiFi networks. In such an aspect, the polling device may transmit data received from the RF tag and / or from analyzing data from the RF tag. The polling device software application can analyze the data from the RF tag to determine if replenishment of the product associated with the RF tag is necessary, or to designate when replenishment of the product associated with the RF tag will be necessary, or to designate when such replenishment will become necessary based on the product’s application history established through a series of RFID surveys. In this aspect, the application can be used to complete the purchase of an additional product through the network. The application can also be used to invite the user to purchase related products or to offer other products not directly related to a particular product.

In one embodiment, the RF tag of the system may be divided into parts. One part may contain at least a part of the antenna and the integrated circuit, and the other part may contain a system of conductive polymer and any remaining part of the antenna. An antenna and a non-conductive coating that is exposed to the functional environment of the absorbent product can be located on two parts of the RF tag, while a part in the form of an integrated circuit can be removed from the area of the functional environment of the product. The integrated circuit part can be made removable and thus also reusable. The sensor may be removable, while parts in the form of an antenna and an integrated circuit are held in the product. In one embodiment, the removable sensing element may be connected to a permanent integrated circuit / element in the form of an antenna. As an example, a personal care device, such as a razor or oral care device, may be configured with a permanently mounted antenna and an integrated circuit with contacts for inserting and removing the sensing element. The sensing element may be removed for disposal or replacement, or for cleaning and reinstallation. In one embodiment, conductive Velcro fasteners, such as those available from APLIX Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina, can be used to create an interface between the functional environment surrounding the product and the exterior of the product. The mechanism for securing the product, the sensor, and the removable RFID tag to ensure conductivity can be a Velcro fastener, compression fastening (for example, elastic strip, garter belt), adhesive fastening (for example, adhesive strip), magnetic fastening, or combinations of these types of fastening . In this embodiment, the antenna and the non-conductive coating system can be made in the form of a node in electrical contact with the conductive Velcro fasteners, which, in turn, are located on the outer surface of the product, while the antenna and the non-conductive coating system are located inside the product. Corresponding Velcro fastener elements can be included as part of an integrated circuit assembly, and two corresponding assemblies can be combined using Velcro fastener elements for the functional use of the RF tag. Thus, the more expensive integrated circuit assembly can be reusable, thereby reducing the total cost associated with using the system with a plurality of suitable disposable items. Corresponding nodes can be formed using a conductive adhesive, such as available from MG Chemicals, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, to fix the electrical wires of the respective parts of the RF tags to their respective Velcro fasteners.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1000 comprises an absorbent article 300 and an interrogation device 200. The absorbent article 300 contains an RF tag 100. The RF tag 100 comprises a removable integrated circuit 130, a non-conductive coating 115 forming a perimeter 125, and an antenna 140. The interrogator 200 contains a sensor 210, a power source 220, an antenna 230, an analysis element 240, an image element 250 and a network communication line 260. As shown in FIG. 2, the absorbent article 300 comprises an RF tag 100. The RF tag 100 comprises a removable integrated circuit 130, a non-conductive coating 115 forming a perimeter 125, and an antenna 140. As shown in FIG. 3, the absorbent article 300 comprises an RF tag 100. The RF tag 100 comprises a removable integrated circuit 130, a non-conductive coating 115, conductive wires 150, and an antenna 140.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the indicated exact numerical values. On the contrary, unless otherwise indicated, each such size should be implied both as a specified value and as a functionally equivalent range covering a given value. For example, a dimension indicated as “40 mm” should be understood as “approximately 40 mm”.

Each document referred to in the present description, including any cross-reference or related patent or application, is hereby fully incorporated into this description by reference, with the exception of clearly indicated exceptions or other restrictions. The citation of any document is not an assumption that it is a prototype of any disclosed or claimed invention, or that it, or in combination with another source or sources, provides explanations, assumptions or discloses any of these inventions. Also, in the event that any meaning or definition of a term in this document contradicts any meaning or definition of the same term in the document incorporated by reference, the value or definition assigned to such a term in this document shall have priority.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims (12)

1. A sensory system comprising:
an RF tag, wherein the RF tag contains:
- at least one removable radio frequency integrated circuit and output contacts;
- the first antenna in electrical communication with the output contacts of the integrated circuit,
- non-conductive coating located on the surface of the label, and this coating covers the integrated circuit and forms a perimeter, and this perimeter is located on top and opens for access part of the antenna,
- a polling device comprising a power source and a second antenna configured to generate electromagnetic radiation characterized by a resonant frequency of the first antenna, and a receiver configured to detect electromagnetic radiation and demodulate the detected radiation by extracting embedded data from the detected radiation, the polling device comprising network communication channel
product, and
an electrical shielding element located between the first antenna and the product. 2. The sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that the interrogation device further comprises an analyzing element configured to interpret the retrieved embedded data and displaying an element configured to display the interpretation results. 3. The sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that the polling device further comprises a sensor. 4. The sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first antenna is an omnidirectional antenna. 5. The sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that the RF tag includes part of the product. 6. The sensor system according to claim 5, characterized in that the product includes a disposable absorbent product. 7. The sensor system according to claim 5, characterized in that the product contains a portable power source. 8. The sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that the shielding element includes a part of the radio frequency tag. 9. A method for providing product information, the method comprising the steps of:
- provide a product containing an RF tag, while the RF tag contains a partially open antenna for access and a removable integrated circuit;
- provide an electric shielding element located between the antenna and the product;
- provide a polling device configured to detect radiation associated with data on the state of the environment surrounding the RF tag;
- change the state of the environment surrounding the RF tag, in accordance with the state of the environment surrounding the part of the antenna that is open for access;
- interrogate the state of the RF tag after changing the environment surrounding the open part of the antenna;
- interpret the state of the RFID tag;
- provide output of data associated with the interpreted state of the RF tag. 10. The method according to p. 9, characterized in that the step of providing a polling device further comprises providing a polling device comprising a network communication channel, the method further comprising the step of accessing data associated with the status of the shortcut via the network communication channel. 11. The method according to p. 10, characterized in that it further includes the step of collective access to data from the sensor of the polling device through a network communication channel. 12. The method according to p. 10, characterized in that it further includes the step of acquiring a product unit using a network communication channel.

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