Patent ID: 7649460
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: G06K,G08B

Abstract:
1. A system and method whereby personal consumer information stored in a radio frequency identification (hereinafter “RFID”) transponder attached to a retail product sold by a retailer is split into two pieces for the purpose of ensuring the privacy of any personal consumer information which may be contained thereon from various types of information spying, including skimming, eavesdropping or hacking comprising: the RFID transponder with an integrated circuit package said transponder being comprised of a retained piece and a detachable piece said retained piece and detachable piece being composed of silicon and being encased on, or enfolded in, a substrate and said retained piece and detachable piece being linked by conductive ink so that electromagnetic signals can traverse from one piece to the other piece and vice versa, and further whereby the detachable piece is to be retained by the retailer and whereby the retained piece is to be retained by a consumer or purchaser; a silicon antenna integrated into the detachable piece of the RFID transponder said detachable piece further having a memory section able to contain all electronic product code (EPC) data as required for the RFID transponder and inputted by a product manufacturer and or any additional information as required by the retailer; transistors in the retained piece of the RFID transponder for powering an integrated circuit package and the retained piece further having an alpha numeric identifier written in a read write memory section separate from the memory section implanted into the memory section of the detached piece of the RFID transponder; means by which the RFID transponder detachable piece and the RFID transponder retained piece are detachable from one another at the time of retail checkout by tearing a perforation to the substrate which encases these same two pieces or by unfolding the substrate which encases these same two RFID transponder pieces thereby shearing the conductive ink linking them and thereby severing said conductive ink electromagnetic signal connection between the said two pieces; the method whereby when the conductive ink connection is severed, the detachable piece and the retained piece of the said RFID transponder integrated circuit package will not function as separate and disconnected pieces and therefore any information contained on the RFID integrated circuit package cannot be the subject of consumer or purchaser information skimming, eavesdropping or hacking and is therefore secure; means to validate for return for exchange or refund a consumer product (herein and hereinafter referred to as a “returnable”), which has the retained piece of the RFID transponder attached; an RFID interrogator; a backend computer host and associated data base.