Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
  • G08B13/22—Electrical actuation
  • G08B13/24—Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
  • G08B13/2402—Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting
  • G08B13/2428—Tag details
  • G08B13/2448—Tag with at least dual detection means, e.g. combined inductive and ferromagnetic tags, dual frequencies within a single technology, tampering detection or signalling means on the tag
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
  • E05B73/00—Devices for locking portable objects against unauthorised removal; Miscellaneous locking devices
  • E05B73/0017—Anti-theft devices, e.g. tags or monitors, fixed to articles, e.g. clothes, and to be removed at the check-out of shops
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
  • G09F3/005—Identification bracelets, e.g. secured to the arm of a person

Definitions

• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/040,962, filed March 12, 1997.
• This invention relates to RF identification devices and, more particularly, to RF identification devices designed to permit the transmission of information about a person or thing to whom or which the RF identification devices are secured.
• the RF identifica- tion devices of the invention have particular application in the identification of individuals and the transmission of relevant information about said individuals to a master receiving and transmitting station whereby, when said master station addresses the RF identification devices on particular individuals, it will be able to ascertain various aspects of relevant data pertinent to the condition, situation, or other pertinent information about the individual.
• a hand-held reader capable of receiving information from the identification device and, in certain instances, of transmitting information to the memory of the identification device for storage therein, can be used in substitution for the master station referred to hereinabove.
• identification devices such as wristbands or the like are widely used in hos- pitals to identify patients and to provide information regarding the patients.
• wristbands are also utilized in various other applications, including prisoner identification and crowd control.
• wristbands were confined to providing the bare minimum of the patient's name and, possibly, the nature of the patient's illness.
• wristbands have been provided with encoded information in the form of bar codes or the like whereby considerable additional information about the patient can be ascertained, including such relevant data as medication, the patient's condition, or the like.
• bar code readers are provided to the nursing or other staff members and the nurse or other staff member reads the bar code before administering medication or performing various therapeutic measures.
• a possible solution which would overcome the limitations of identification wristbands which are bar- coded or the like would be to provide an RF circuit in the wristband which would incorporate a semi-conductor circuit with logic, memory, and an RF circuit connected to an antenna capable of receiving and transmitting information so that a nurse or other staff member carrying a transponder could query the RF circuit of the wristband to elicit a wide spectrum of information not presently available in conventional wristbands.
• available RF circuits are relatively expensive and, since conventional wristbands are disposable after use, such circuits would have to be discarded if they were integral components of the wristband.
• An object of the invention is the provision of an RF identification device which includes attachment means for attaching the RF identification device on a person or object to be identified and securement means for said attachment means whereby said attachment is retained in operative relationship with said person or object.
• the attachment means for hospital patient use can be in the form of a wristband and the wristband can be maintained in operative relationship with the wrist of the patient by securement means which holds the wristband on the patient's wrist, ankle or the like.
• the RF circuit is located in the securement means and, when the wristband is discarded, the securement means can be sterilized and reused, thus permitting the reuse of the RF circuit with the consequent economies resulting from such reuse.
• Another object of the invention is the provision of an RF identification device of the aforementioned character wherein said attachment means incorporates an antenna and said securement means incorpo- rates a transponder operatively connected to said antenna for receiving and transmitting information relating to the person or thing on which said attachment means is retained by said securement means.
• a further object of the invention is the pro- vision of an RF identification device in which said attachment means is constituted by the strap of an identification wristband and said securement means maintains said strap in operative relationship with a person or object to be identified.
• Another object of the invention is the provision of an identification wristband incorporating an RF identification device, said wristband having an attachment portion constituted by an elongated strap and a securement means for maintaining said attachment portion in operative relationship with an object or person to be identified, said strap incorporating an antenna and said securement means incorporating a transponder operatively connected to said antenna whereby said wristband can receive and transmit signals imparting information regarding said person or object.
• a further object of the invention is the pro- vision of a wristband of the aforementioned character wherein said securement means is demountably associated with said strap to permit said strap to be discarded and said securement means to be reused, thus permitting repeated utilization of said transponder in said securement means.
• An additional object of the invention is the provision of a wristband of the aforementioned character wherein the securement means incorporates a complete RFID tag including the antenna so that the neces- sity for securing the RFID device to a separate antenna is eliminated.
• Fig. 1 is a partially sectional view of a wristband strap or body demountably connected to the securement means therefor;
• Fig. 2 is a partially sectional view of a wristband strap and securement means with the strap portion secured by the securement means;
• Fig. 3 is a view showing an alternative securement means and securement means construction;
• Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the securement means disposed in operative relationship with the extremities of the attachment means.
• Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1-2 thereof, I show a portion of an identification wristband 10 which includes an attachment means 12 and a securement means 14. The securement means 14 is demountably secured to the attachment means 12 by a boss 16.
• the boss 16 has a slightly enlarged upper extremity which is larger than the mating opening 17 provided in the adjacent extremity of the wristband 10. Therefore, the opening 17 in the wristband 10 can be forced over the slightly enlarged extremity of the boss 16 to hold the wristband in operative rela- tionship with the securement means 14. However, when the use of the wristband by a patient or other person is finished, the wristband can be removed from operative relationship with the boss 16 by prying the extremity of the wristband 10 from operative engagement with the boss 16.
• the attachment means is constituted by the strap or body portion 18 of the wristband 10, said body portion incorporating a space 22 between two laminae 24 and 26.
• the structure and operation of the wristband 10 are more fully described in U.S. Letters Patent No. 5,479,797, the present description being limited to the incorporation in the securement means 14 of an RF circuit 30 shown in phantom in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
• the securement means is fabricated by any suitable process from synthetic plastic material.
• high-density polyethylene can be used to fabricate the securement means 14 by the injection molding process with the boss 16 formed as an integral component thereof.
• an IC chip 30 or RFID module is molded into the securement means 14.
• a receptacle can be formed in the securement means 14 and the IC chip 30 or RFID module can be located in the receptacle for reuse in conjunction with the securement means 14.
• the antenna 33 can be fabricated in conjunction with the fabrication of the wristband 10 by various methods including foil strips, the use of conductive inks or conductive wires. The showing in Fig. 1 is not intended to indicate the requisite length of the antenna 33 since this is determined by the characteristics of the IC chip 30 or RFID module.
• the conductive bosses 32 can be fabricated in any desirable configuration and are not limited to the buss configuration shown in the drawings.
• the conventional cylindrical contacts can be substituted for the buss bar configuration.
• the securement means 14 can be separated from the strap or body portion of the attachment means 12 by disengaging it from the boss 16.
• the strap or body portion 18 of the attachment means 12 can be discarded and the securement means 14 can be sterilized and returned to a point of use, such as an admittance desk.
• the IC chip 30 can be loaded with relevant data and associated with the attachment means 12 by forcing the opening 17 in the attachment means over the boss 16 of the securement means 14 to bring the contacts, not shown, of the antenna into engagement with the corresponding contacts 32 of the IC chip or RFID module 30.
• the continued repeated usage of the securement means 14 and the IC chip 30 materially reduces the per-patient cost of the RF identification device 10.
• an antenna 33 in conjunction with the RFID module 30 has been disclosed, it is to be understood that a self-contained RFID module can be utilized with said module incorporating its own antenna, thus eliminating the necessity for providing an antenna, such as the antenna 33 in the wristband 10.
• the capacitative circuits of the two embodiments of that application can be applied with equal cogency to the RF circuit or chip 30.
• the antenna 33 can also be incorporated in the securement means 14 if the design parameters of the circuitry permit.
• FIG. 3 and 4 of the drawings An alternative form of RFID is shown at 40 in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings as including an attachment means 42 constituted by an elongated tubular strip or band 44 having an internal chamber 46 provided therein.
• the construction and mode of operation of the band 44 and the securement means 60 provided for usage therein are disclosed more fully in co-pending application Serial No. 08/787,757, filed January 28, 1997, entitled TUBULAR IDENTIFICATION WRISTBAND, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
• the securement means 60 is fabricated from a suitable synthetic plastic and has an RFID chip module 62 incorporated therein with a conductive contact or contacts 64 provided on the surface of the securement means 60 for engagement with one or more conductors of an antenna 66 located in the chamber 46 of the band or body 44.
• the chip 62 is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings with the opposite extremities 68 of the body 44 secured on the opposite extremities of the securement means 60.
• antenna 66 is located in one extremity of the chamber 46 and that extremity is marked to indicate the location of the extremity 68 of the band or body 44 which incorporates the antenna.
• the antenna 66 can also be imprinted or otherwise applied to the wall of the chamber 46, if desired.
• the chip 62 is located internally of the securement means 60 and has a contact 64 engagable with a corresponding conductor, not shown, on the antenna 66.
• the securement means 60 and the attachment means 42 are assembled in the manner of Fig. 4, the chip 62 is electrically connected to the antenna 66 and the chip 62 and antenna can serve to receive and transmit signals in response to a suitably designed READER.
• the band or body 44 is disposed of for sanitary reasons and the securement means 60 can be sterilized and reused, thus achieving the economies incident to reuse of the chip 62.
• a chip can be inserted in the internal chamber 46 of the tubular strip or band 44 of the attachment means 42.
• the chip can be associated with the identification card conventionally located in the chamber 46 as shown in the above-referenced application, Serial No. 08/787,757, filed January 28, 1997.
• a complete RFID tag with antenna can be incorporated into securement means 60.
• the chip can be removed from the pocket and the wristband discarded.
• the chip can be sterilized and re-used in the same manner as the chip of the previously-discussed embodiment of the invention.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)
• Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)
• Cash Registers Or Receiving Machines (AREA)
• Transmitters (AREA)
• Burglar Alarm Systems (AREA)

Priority Applications (8)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=21913955

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1998
  • 1998-03-03 JP JP53961498A patent/JP2001519918A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1998-03-03 AT AT98908878T patent/ATE244436T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-03-03 AU AU66801/98A patent/AU734257B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-03-03 DE DE69816045T patent/DE69816045T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-03-03 CA CA002283504A patent/CA2283504A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-03-03 DK DK98908878T patent/DK0966735T3/da active
  • 1998-03-03 WO PCT/US1998/004098 patent/WO1998040867A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-03-03 BR BR9808229-9A patent/BR9808229A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-03-03 ES ES98908878T patent/ES2202819T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-03-03 EP EP98908878A patent/EP0966735B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-03-03 PT PT98908878T patent/PT966735E/pt unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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