Patent Publication Number: US-2022215223-A1

Title: Non-transferable radio frequency identification label or tag

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS INFORMATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/144,359 filed Jan. 8, 2021, which in turn in a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/530,921 filed on Aug. 2, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,891,533, issued Jan. 12, 2021, which in turn is a continuation of Ser. No. 15/957,633 filed on Apr. 19, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,373,044, issued Aug. 6, 2019, which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/413,147 filed on Jan. 23, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,978,012 issued May 22, 2018, which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/581,576, filed on Dec. 23, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,552,541, issued Jan. 24, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/736,806, filed on Jan. 8, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,915,449, issued on Dec. 23, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/573,825, filed Oct. 5, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,350,704, issued on Jan. 8, 2013, which in turn claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/102,645, filed Oct. 3, 2008, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if set forth in full. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The embodiments described herein are related to preventing the removal of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) label or tag once it has been affixed to an appropriate item in order to associate the label or tag with another item. 
     2. Related Art 
     The embodiments described herein are related to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems and more particularly to methods and apparatus to prevent unwanted and/or unwarranted access to information stored on an RFID chip. 
     RFID is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. The technology requires some extent of cooperation of an RFID reader and an RFID tag. An RFID tag is an object that can be applied to or incorporated into a variety of products, packaging, identification mechanisms, etc., for the purpose of identification and tracking using radio waves. For example, RFID is used in enterprise supply chain management to improve the efficiency of inventory tracking and management. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader. 
     Most RFID tags contain at least two parts: One is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a radio-frequency (RF) signal, and other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal. As the name implies, RFID tags are often used to store an identifier that can be used to identify the item to which the tag is attached or incorporated. But in today&#39;s systems, a RFID tag can contain non-volatile, possibly writable EEPROM for storing additional data as well. 
     Most RFID systems use a modulation technique known as backscatter to enable the tags to communicate with the reader or interrogator. In a backscatter system, the interrogator transmits a Radio Frequency (RF) carrier signal that is reflected by the RFID tag. In order to communicate data back to the interrogator, the tag alternately reflects the RF carrier signal in a pattern understood by the interrogator. In certain systems, the interrogator can include its own carrier generation circuitry to generate a signal that can be modulated with data to be transmitted to the interrogator. 
     RFID tags come in one of three types: passive, active, and semi passive. Passive RFID tags have no internal power supply. The minute electrical current induced in the antenna by the incoming RF signal from the interrogator provides just enough power for the, e.g., CMOS integrated circuit in the tag to power up and transmit a response. Most passive tags signal by backscattering the carrier wave from the reader. This means that the antenna has to be designed both to collect power from the incoming signal and also to transmit the outbound backscatter signal. 
     Passive tags have practical read distances ranging from about 10 cm (4 in.) (ISO 14443) up to a few meters (Electronic Product Code (EPC) and ISO 18000-6), depending on the chosen radio frequency and antenna design/size. The lack of an onboard power supply means that the device can be quite small. For example, commercially available products exist that can be embedded in a sticker, or under the skin in the case of low frequency RFID tags. 
     Unlike passive RFID tags, active RFID tags have their own internal power source, which is used to power the integrated circuits and to broadcast the response signal to the reader. Communications from active tags to readers is typically much more reliable, i.e., fewer errors, than from passive tags. 
     Active tags, due to their on board power supply, also may transmit at higher power levels than passive tags, allowing them to be more robust in “RF challenged” environments, such as high environments, humidity or with dampening targets (including humans/cattle, which contain mostly water), reflective targets from metal (shipping containers, vehicles), or at longer distances. In turn, active tags are generally bigger, caused by battery volume, and more expensive to manufacture, caused by battery price. 
     Many active tags today have operational ranges of hundreds of meters, and a battery life of up to 10 years. Active tags can include larger memories than passive tags, and may include the ability to store additional information received from the reader, although this is also possible with passive tags. 
     Semi-passive tags are similar to active tags in that they have their own power source, but the battery only powers the microchip and does not power the broadcasting of a signal. The response is usually powered by means of backscattering the RF energy from the reader, where energy is reflected back to the reader as with passive tags. An additional application for the battery is to power data storage. 
     The battery-assisted reception circuitry of semi-passive tags leads to greater sensitivity than passive tags, typically 100 times more. The enhanced sensitivity can be leveraged as increased range (by one magnitude) and/or as enhanced read reliability (by reducing bit error rate at least one magnitude). 
     The enhanced sensitivity of semi-passive tags place higher demands on the interrogator concerning separation in more dense population of tags. Because an already weak signal is backscattered to the reader from a larger number of tags and from longer distances, the separation requires more sophisticated anti-collision concepts, better signal processing and some more intelligent assessment of which tag might be where. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID system  100 . In system  100 , RFID interrogator  102  communicates with one or more RFID tags  110 . Data can be exchanged between interrogator  102  and RFID tag  110  via radio transmit signal  108  and radio receive signal  112 . RFID interrogator  102  comprises RF transceiver  104 , which contains transmitter and receiver electronics, and antenna  106 , which are configured to generate and receive radio transit signal  108  and radio receive signal  112 , respectively. Exchange of data can be accomplished via electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the RF spectrum in combination with various modulation and encoding schemes. 
     RFID tag  110  is a transponder that can be attached to an object of interest and act as an information storage mechanism. In many applications, the use of passive RFID tags is desirable, because they have a virtually unlimited operational lifetime and can be smaller, lighter, and cheaper than active RFID tags that contain an internal power source, e.g. battery. Passive RFID tags power themselves by rectifying the RF signal emitted by the RF scanner. Consequently, the range of transmit signal  108  determines the operational range of RFID tag  110 . 
     RF transceiver  104  transmits RF signals to RFID tag  110 , and receives RF signals from RFID tag  110 , via antenna  106 . The data in transmit signal  108  and receive signal  112  can be contained in one or more bits for the purpose of providing identification and other information relevant to the particular RFID tag application. When RFID tag  110  passes within the range of the radio frequency magnetic field emitted by antenna  106 , RFID tag  110  is excited and transmits data back to RF interrogator  102 . A change in the impedance of RFID tag  110  can be used to signal the data to RF interrogator  102  via receive signal  112 . The impedance change in RFID tag  110  can be caused by producing a short circuit across the tag&#39;s antenna connections (not shown) in bursts of very short duration. RF transceiver  104  senses the impedance change as a change in the level of reflected or backscattered energy arriving at antenna  106 . 
     Digital electronics  114 , which can comprise a microprocessor with RAM, performs decoding and reading of receive signal  112 . Similarly, digital electronics  114  performs the coding of transmit signal  108 . Thus, RF interrogator  102  facilitates the reading or writing of data to RFID tags, e.g. RFID tag  110  that are within range of the RF field emitted by antenna  104 . Together, RF transceiver  104  and digital electronics  114  comprise reader  118 . Finally, digital electronics  114  and can be interfaced with an integral display and/or provide a parallel or serial communications interface to a host computer or industrial controller, e.g. host computer  116 . 
     With today&#39;s processing technology, and because they do not need a battery, conventional passive tags can be made very thin and very small. Consequently, they are finding more and more application in various industries for tracking and identification. For example, today&#39;s passive tags can be incorporated into a label that can be affixed to merchandise, books, documents, passports or visas, car license plates or windshields, etc. A problem that arises, however, is how to prevent someone from removing such a label from the appropriate item and re-attaching or affixing it to another, e.g., counterfeit item? 
     Most conventional solutions to this problem involve designing the tag or label so that the tag is altered and will no longer function, or will not be able to function optimally, if the tag or label is removed from the item to which it was originally affixed. One problem with this solution is that the tag typically cannot be used to identify the original item either. 
     SUMMARY 
     A non-transferable RFID tag or label that maintains its functionality when someone attempts to remove the tag or label from the item to which it is attached and that can indicate an attempt to tamper with the tag or label is disclosed herein 
     A Non-transferable Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) assembly for attachment to an article comprises a RFID module; and a antenna module coupled with the RFID module, the antenna module comprising a conductive layer, a substrate, and an adhesive modification layer between the conductive layer and the substrate, the adhesive modification layer configured such that when the assembly is attached to the article and attempt to remove the assembly will cause the substrate to release and leave the conductive layer intact. 
     A Non-transferable Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) assembly for attachment to an article, comprises a RFID module; and a antenna module coupled with the RFID module, the antenna module comprising a conductive layer, a substrate, and an adhesive modification layer between the conductive layer and the substrate, the adhesive modification layer configured such that when the assembly is attached to the article and attempt to remove the assembly will cause the substrate and the conductive layer to completely release from the assembly leaving the RFID module intact. 
     A Non-transferable Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) assembly for attachment to an article, comprises a antenna module; and a RFID module coupled with the antenna module, the RFID module comprising a substrate, a conductive layer on the substrate, a chip attached to the conductive layer, and an adhesive modification layer between the conductive layer and the substrate, the adhesive modification layer configured such that when the assembly is attached to the article and attempt to remove the assembly will cause the antenna module, the substrate, and the conductive layer to completely release from the assembly. 
     These and other features, aspects, and embodiments are described below in the section entitled “Detailed Description.” 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Features, aspects, and embodiments are described in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID system; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a two part RFID tag construction that includes an RFID module in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are diagrams illustrating the construction of a non-transferable RFID tag in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrams illustrating the construction of a non-transferable RFID tag in accordance with various other embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example RFID tag  200  that uses a capacitively coupled module construction. As can be seen, tag  200  comprises a module  202  and a tag antenna  204 . Module  202  comprises a loop  210  coupled with a chip  208  via conductive traces  212 . In certain respects, module  202  is itself a mini-tag that can transmit and receive signals, typically in the Intermediate Frequency (IF) range; however, module  202  is designed to be couple with a plurality of boost antennas, such as antenna  204  illustrated in the example of  FIG. 1 . 
     Thus, antenna  204  and module  202  are configured such that they will, when combined, provide the appropriate operational characteristics, such as frequency and range for a given application. It will be understood, therefore, that module  202  will include a matching circuit configured to match the combined impedance of antenna  204  and loop  210  with the inputs to chip  208 . By using such a two part construction, cost reduction can be achieved when producing multiple tag types, e.g., low, medium, and high dielectric tags, in even moderate quantities. This is because chip  208  can be attached to module  202  and tested, either through direct contact or through loop  210  without the need to test the entire tag  200 , which can be more cumbersome and costly. 
     Module  202  can be constructed on a substrate (not shown), such as a flexible plastic substrate, by, e.g., printing, screening, etc., loop  210  and traces  212  on the substrate. For example, the substrate can be a thin mylar film, e.g., nominally 0.003″ thick. Chip  210  can then be attached, e.g., via soldering, conductive adhesive, etc., to traces  212 . Similarly, antenna  204  can be constructed on a substrate (not shown), e.g., via printing, screening, etc. Capacitive coupling can then be used to couple loop  212  with antenna  204 . 
     In capacitive coupling, module  202  is adhered with the, e.g., mylar substrate (not shown) of module  202  isolating the, e.g., conductive ink used to form loop  212  from the, e.g., conductive ink used to form antenna  204 . This forms a capacitive region  206  where loop  212  overlaps antenna  204 . The two pieces, i.e., module  202  and antenna  204  can be pressed and held together by an adhesive not shown. The RF energy gathered from booster antenna  204  will transfer through the adhesive, through the RFID module  202  substrate (not shown) and conduct the RF energy into RFID module  202 . There is no need for any type of ohmic via between layers with this structure as in conventional devices. 
     By using this capacitive coupling technique, RFID modules can be manufacturing in an efficient and cost-saving layout with high density. The same RFID module design could be used with many booster antenna designs and styles. As long as the module can be mated with the booster antenna and the capacitive coupling overlap area is present, booster antennas of many types or sizes can be modified at will to fit the customer&#39;s application. 
     The capacitive coupling can prevent transfer of tag  200  from one device to another.  FIG. 3A  is a diagram illustrating one approach to preventing transfer of such a tag. As can be seen, the tag or label illustrated in  FIG. 3A  consists of an antenna substrate  302  and a conductive layer  306 . Conductive layer  306  can comprise the conductive pattern that forms antenna  204 . An adhesive modification layer can be interposed between substrate  302  and conductive layer  306 . 
     Tag  300  can further comprise a module  316  comprising a substrate  310 ; a conductive layer  312 , comprising the conductive pattern that forms loop  210  and traces  212 ; and a chip  313 . Module  316  can be attached to the rest of the assembly via an adhesive layer  308 . When module  316  is applied over adhesive  308  to enable the performance gain offered by the capacitive coupling of booster antenna  314 , much of the surface area of booster antenna  314  will remain uncovered by module  316  and provide the surface area for attachment to the customer&#39;s item. 
     Once this assembly  300  is applied to an item and held to that surface by adhesive  308 , booster antenna  314  will provide all the adhesion surface area. If assembly  300  is removed from the original surface, the booster antenna pattern  306  will be disturbed in the areas where adhesion modification layer  304  was deposited, and the range performance gain offered by the booster antenna will be altered. 
     However, module  316  does not have any adhesion modification or adhesive applied to it. When antenna  314  is disabled, or module  316  is removed from antenna  314 , module  316  will return to its native performance characteristic, being functional for only a very short distance. This can allow verification of the memory contents of chip  313 . Further, module  316  can be used again. It should be noted, however, while module  316  can be reused, tag or label  300  cannot simply be removed from the appropriate item and placed on another item. 
       FIG. 3B  is a diagram illustrating another example nontransferable assembly  301  in accordance with another embodiment. In this example, an adhesive modification layer  311  is included between conductive layer  312  and substrate  310 , such that if someone attempt to remove assembly  301 , loop  210 , traces  212 , or both will be disturbed so that RF energy cannot activate chip  313  on module  316 . With this construction, assembly  301  can be rendered nonfunctional at any power level. 
     It can be desirable for the assembly to remain intact and operational should someone attempt to remove the assembly from the item to which it is attached.  FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrams illustrating further example embodiments of non-transferable tags or labels that remain operational when someone attempts to remove them. In these embodiments, when the RFID tag liner or carrier is peeled away or removed from the authentic item the transponder including antenna ink will remain intact on the authentic item such that the performance is not adversely affected. The RFID tag is therefore nontransferable and cannot be transferred to an unauthorized or counterfeit item because the carrier media that originally supported the tag has been removed. The removal of the carrier also serves to identify a physical tampering of the RFID tag. The carrier itself can also incorporate other security printing inks, fibers, and tamper evident features, such as holograms. The carrier can be constructed from plastic, PVC, mylar, polycarbonate, teslin, demetalized foils, or other flexible substrates. 
       FIG. 4A  is a diagram illustrating a multi-layer assembly  400  similar to that illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . The first layer  418  is the Booster layer. It begins with a blank substrate  402 , which can be completely coated with a release agent  404 . Antenna  406  composes the next layer. Antenna  404  can be silver ink, copper, aluminum, etc. An adhesive  408  coating then completes the first layer  418 . 
     The second layer is the module layer  420 . It also begins with a blank substrate  410 . A module antenna  412  can then be attached to blank substrate  410 . Antenna  412  can be formed by silver ink, copper, aluminum, etc. An IC chip  414  can then be attached to module antenna  412 . 
     The two layers  418  and  420  can be assembled by attaching the module substrate  410  to booster layer  418  via adhesive  408 . A protective liner  416  can be placed atop the assembly in order to protect the exposed adhesive  408  that is not already covered by module substrate  410 . This will protect booster antenna  406  until it is placed on the original/authentic item. Protective liner  416 , if present, will be removed to expose adhesive  408  before assembly  400  is placed on the original or authentic item. 
     Module  420  can be coupled with antenna  418  via a conductive, inductive, or capacitive coupling technique. Module  410  and booster antenna  418  must have some area where they overlap so that the capacitive or direct coupling of energy can occur. The RF energy gathered from booster antenna  418  will transfer, e.g., through adhesive  408 , through substrate  410  and conduct the RF energy into RFID module  420 . 
     In this embodiment, when someone attempts to remove assembly  400 , the entire assembly  400  will release from substrate  404  and will remain affixed to the item such that the performance is not adversely affected. The removal of substrate  402  from assembly  400  can be used as an indicator of a physical tampering with assembly  400 . Thus, the booster antenna adhesive  408  remains attached to the original or authentic item, along with the conductive trace pattern that forms antenna  406 . Release agent  404  under the conductive trace pattern allows substrate  402  to be removed without altering booster antenna  418  or module  420 . However, since substrate  402 , which acts as a carrier for assembly  400  is removed, there is virtually no method to transfer assembly  400  to, e.g., a counterfeit item. 
       FIG. 4B  is a diagram illustrating a single layer assembly  401 . Assembly  401  comprises a release layer  404  applied to a substrate  402 . An antenna  406  can then be applied on top of release layer  404 . Antenna  406  can be formed with silver ink, copper, aluminum, etc. An IC chip  414  can then be attached to antenna  406 . A protective liner  416  can be placed atop the assembly in order to protect the exposed adhesive  408 . This will protect the antenna  406  until it is placed on the original/authentic item. 
     The operation of assembly  401  will then be similar to that described with respect to assembly  400 . In other words, if someone attempts to remove assembly  401 , substrate  402  will release leaving the remaining layers intact, operational, and attached to the authentic item. Removal of substrate  402  will also indicate tampering with assembly  401 . 
     While certain embodiments have been described above, it will be understood that the embodiments described are by way of example only. Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein should not be limited based on the described embodiments. Rather, the systems and methods described herein should only be limited in light of the claims that follow when taken in conjunction with the above description and accompanying drawings.