Abstract:
A radio frequency identification device includes an attachment means which is maintained in operative relationship with an object or individual by securement means. The attachment means is disposable and the securement means is easily separable therefrom for reuse, the securement means including a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit which can be reused after the attachment means has been disposed of. One form of the radio frequency identification device is an identification wristband which incorporates attachment means and securement means for said attachment means, the securement means incorporating an RFID such as a chip which is removed from operative relationship with the attachment means when the securement means is removed to permit reuse of the securement means and chip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/040,962, filed Mar. 12, 1997. In addition, this application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. Ser. No. 09/033,832, filed Mar. 3, 1998. 
    
    
     This invention relates to radio frequency (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 identification 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. 
     Of course, 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. 
     At the present time, identification devices such as wristbands or the like are widely used in hospitals to identify patients and to provide information regarding the patients. Such wristbands are also utilized in various other applications, including prisoner identification and crowd control. Initially such wristbands were confined to providing the bare minimum of the person or wearer&#39;s name and, possibly, in a medical application, the nature of the wearer&#39;s illness. Recently, such wristbands have been provided with encoded information in the form of bar codes or the like whereby considerable additional information about the wearer can be ascertained, including such relevant data as medication, patient condition, or the like when used in a medical application, or other types of information related to the wearer when the wristband is used in other applications. 
     In utilizing such wristbands, bar code readers are provided to appropriate authorized personnel, such as nursing or other staff members in a medical environment, to permit personnel to read the bar code information and provide an appropriate response, such as administering medication or performing various therapeutic measures when the wristband is used in a medical application. 
     While the use of bar codes or other encoded materials has constituted a considerable advance, once the bar code has been applied to the identification wristband, the alteration of the information on the wristband entails the substitution of a new wristband. In addition, because of physical space limitations, the information imparted by bar codes or the like is necessarily limited. 
     A possible solution which would overcome the limitations of identification wristband 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 wherein the RF circuit is connected to an antenna capable of receiving and transmitting information, so that authorized personnel having or carrying a transponder could query the RF circuit of the wristband to elicit a wide spectrum of information not presently available in conventional wristbands. 
     Unfortunately, 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. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     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 means is retained in operative relationship with said person or object. For instance, the attachment means 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 person&#39;s wrist, ankle or the like. 
     The RF device or circuit is located in or carried by the securement means. Upon removal of the wristband from the associated person or object, the attachment means and securement means can be separated or disassembled for convenient and economical discarding of the attachment means. The securement means can be sterilized, if appropriate, and reused, thus permitting the reuse of the RF device or circuit carried thereby, 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 incorporates 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 provision 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 provision 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 necessity for securing the RFID device to a separate antenna is eliminated. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings: 
         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 wrist band 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; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 4 , but depicting a further alternative preferred form of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     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 relationship 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. Pat. No. 5,479,797, which is incorporated by reference herein, the present description being limited to the incorporation in the securement means  14  of an RF circuit  30  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings. The securement means is fabricated by any suitable process from synthetic plastic material. For instance, 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. During the injection molding process an IC chip  30  or RFID module is molded into the securement means  14 . 
     Alternatively, 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 . 
     Formed in the space  22  between the laminae  24  and  26 , is an antenna  33  which can be electrically connected to the IC chip  30  by conductive bosses  32  engaging corresponding conductors, not shown, on the antenna  33 . 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 which may be formed from organic or polymeric materials, 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. For instance, the conventional cylindrical contacts can be substituted for the buss bar configuration. 
     Consequently, 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  inclusive of the RF circuit component such as IC chip or RFID module can be re-sterilized and returned to a point of use. As one example, such point of use may comprise an admittance desk at a medical facility or the like. At such admittance desk, when a medical patient is admitted to the facility, the IC chip  30  or the like can be loaded or re-programmed with relevant data and associated with a new or replacement one of a plurality of interchangeable attachment means  12  (shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 1 ) by forcing the opening,  17  in the replacement attachment means over the boss  16  of the re-sterilized and re-programmed securement means  14  to bring the contacts, not shown, of the antenna  33  into engagement with the corresponding contacts  32  of the IC chip or RFID module  30 . Persons skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that the invention is not confined to use in a medical facility environment or the like, but that a range of alternative uses including but not limited to crowd control are also contemplated. 
     Continued repeated usage of the securement means  14  and the re-programmable RF circuit component such as the IC chip  30  or the like materially reduces the per-person cost of the RF identification device  10 . Although the use of 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 . 
     Other than the conductive means between the antenna  33  and the chip  30 , it is also possible to utilize the capacitative circuit disclosed in the co-pending application Ser. No. 60/040,143 filed Mar. 10, 1997, entitled REACTIVELY COUPLED ELEMENTS IN CIRCUITS ON FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATES, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,287, issued Jan. 30, 2001. The capacitative circuits of the two embodiments of that application can be applied with equal cogency to the RF circuit or chip  30 . 
     Furthermore, the antenna  33  can also be incorporated in the securement means  14  if the design parameters of the circuitry permit. 
     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 Ser. No. 08/787,757, filed Jan. 28, 1997, entitled TUBULAR IDENTIFICATION WRISTBAND, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,623, issued Apr. 21, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     The securement means  60  is fabricated from a suitable synthetic plastic and has an RF circuit component such as 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  FIGS. 3 and 4  of the drawings mounted within the securement means  60 , with the opposite extremities  68  of the body  44  of the attachment means  42  secured or fitted on the opposite extremities of the securement means  60 . 
     Where an antenna  66  is used, it is located in one extremity of the chamber  46  in the band or body  44 , and that extremity is marked as indicated by reference numeral  67  in  FIG. 3  at one or a first end thereof 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  engageable with a corresponding conductor, not shown, on the antenna  66 . 
     Alternatively, as viewed in  FIG. 5 , the band or body  44  may incorporate the antenna  66  to extend along the entire length thereof, so that opposite ends of the antenna  66  are exposed at both of the opposite end extremities of the band or body  44 , for connection with an RFID chip or module  62  mounted on or within the securement means  60  by means of conductive contacts  64  at both ends of the securement means  60 . In this configuration, appropriate operational coupling of the antenna  60  to the RFID chip or module  62  is achieved if and only if both ends of the antenna  66  are coupled to the RFID component  62 . Accordingly, cutting of the band or body  44  will sever the antenna  66  and render the device inoperable. Similarly, the application of sufficient elongation stress to the wristband, as will typically occur in the event of an unauthorized attempts to remove the wristband from the authorized wearer, will cause at least one end of the antenna  66  to separate or uncouple from the RFID component  62 , thereby again rendering the device inoperable. 
     In the embodiments of  FIGS. 3-5 , when the securement means  60  and the attachment means  42  are assembled in the manner shown, 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. At the conclusion of a normal or first use cycle, such as when a medical patient is discharged from a medical facility, the entire wristband or the like is removed from the wearer. The attachment means  42  inclusive of the band or body  44  is separated from the securement means  60  for convenient and economical disposal of said attachment means  42  for sanitary reasons. The securement means  60  can be sterilized (if appropriate) and reused for a second or subsequent use cycle in association with a new or replacement one of a plurality of interchangeable attachment means  42  (shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 3 ) for mounting onto a second or subsequent wearer, with appropriate re-programming of the included RF circuit component such as the chip  62 , thus achieving the economies incident to reuse of the chip  62 . 
     In an alternative embodiment of the invention, 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 Ser. No. 08/787,757, filed Jan. 28, 1997. In an alternative embodiment, a complete RFID tag with antenna can be incorporated into securement means  60 . 
     Moreover, it is also possible to incorporate an RFID chip in the pocket of pocket-style wristbands such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,924. After the wristband has been utilized, 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. 
     The teachings of the invention relating to reuse of a significant component portion of an identification wristband or the like can be applied with equal cogency to a wide variety of devices to be attached to an object or person whose identity and other significant data must be detected for various reasons.