Patent Publication Number: US-9836688-B2

Title: System, method, and apparatus for RFID hang tag

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/560,532 filed on Dec. 4, 2014, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,471,868 on Oct. 18, 2016, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/911,802 filed on Dec. 4, 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Radio frequency identification (RFID) labels and tags are a common tool for labeling, identifying, and tracking various goods and people. The goods so labeled involve a wide range of industries and include packages being shipped, cars, keys, livestock, identification badges, and merchandise in stores. RFID tags, either active or passive, are typically used with an RFID reader to read information from the RFID tag embedded in the label. For passive tags, a typical RFID reader/writer energizes transponder circuitry in the tag by transmitting a power signal. The power signal may convey data, which can be stored in a transponder memory, or the transponder circuitry may transmit a response signal containing data previously stored in its memory. If the transponder circuitry transmits a response signal, the RFID reader/writer receives the response signal and interprets the stored data. The data is then transmitted to a host computer for processing. 
     Even with a growing trend toward RFID labels, there are advantages to placing optical information on a label so that the good has both optical and RFID information, such as having the ability to read the label using more than one technology. This may be beneficial because RFID label technology is not as widespread as barcode technology, and many businesses or users may not have suitable RFID readers to read the RFID tag. Thus, it is desirable to have both RFID and optically readable information on a single label. It is common for these labels to come in the form of adhesive stickers placed, for example, on packages for shipping. 
     However, creating an adhesive RFID/optical label is not the best option for many applications. Adhesives can be destructive to a good&#39;s surface, for example when attempting to peel off the label. Also, adhesives do not allow a label to be re-used very easily. 
     Additionally, the ability to manufacture a large amount of labels in a fast and efficient manner is highly desirable. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a hang tag may be disclosed. The hang tag can include an RFID tag, a hole, and an upper and lower portion separated by a perforation. The hang tag can additionally be manufactured on a web whereby once the tag is removed from the web, substantially no tackiness may remain on the hang tag. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
       Exemplary  FIG. 1  shows an RFID hang tag; 
       Exemplary  FIG. 2  shows an RFID hang tag on a web for printing; 
       Exemplary  FIG. 3  shows a cross-section view of an RFID hang tag on a web; and 
       Exemplary  FIG. 4  shows a cross section of a label  100  adhered to a web  10  of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows. 
     As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiment are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
     According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a hang tag may be disclosed. The hang tag can include an RFID tag, a hole, and an upper and lower portion separated by a perforation. The hang tag can additionally be manufactured on a web whereby once the tag is removed from the web, substantially no tackiness may remain on the hang tag. 
     Exemplary  FIG. 1  shows a label  100  which may include an upper portion  110  and a lower portion  120 . The label  100  of the present invention, once removed from web  10  may act as a tag in one embodiment. Upper portion  110  may include radio frequency identification (RFID) aspect such as tag  130  which may be a conventional passive or active RFID tag. The size, dimension, and position of RFID tag  130  are shown for discussion and illustration purposes, and do not indicate a preferred size or placement of the tag. RFID tag  130  may further include an antenna, a transponder, a memory, and/or an optional energy storage device, or as desired for a particular application. In one embodiment, the RFID tag  130  uses a strap for attachment of a chip to the antenna. RFID tag  130  may be interrogated and read via any suitable RFID reader. Additionally, RFID tag  130  may be re-programmable or fixed, or as desired. 
     Upper portion  110  may also include an opening such as a hole  140 . Hole  140  may be used to hang label  100  on a product or other object. Hole  140  may be of any size, as desired. Upper portion  110  may be separated from lower portion  120  by a perforation  150 . Perforation  150  may allow a user to easily separate upper portion  110  from lower portion  120 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other means of separation may also be used, such as a partial depth-wise cut disposed along the complete width of the label. The separation means can also simply be a printed indicia that indicates to the user where the label is to be cut for separation. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates that the label  100  of the present invention may be manufactured in roll form and that once the label  100  is printed and the RFID component of the label  100  is encoded, a hang tag, ticket or label that is yielded which has rounded corners and acts like a peel off or piggy back ticket, hang tag, and/or label. In one embodiment, the ticket, hang tag, and/or label that is removed from a web, has at least four fully rounded corners and is free of notches. The present invention contemplates the corners of the tag, ticket or label are not limited to a rounded shape but may be any sort of geometrical shape. 
     Now referring to exemplary  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , label  100  may be manufactured on a web  10 . Multiple labels  100  may be manufactured upon a single web  10 , which may be an efficient method of manufacture of labels  100 . Additionally, label  100  and web  10  may be constructed in a layered or laminated fashion. Cuts or dies made using any sort of cutter such as a die cutter, a laser cutter, may be used to define the shape of label  100  upon web  10  and allow for a user to easily peel label  100  off of web  10 . In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the label having an integrated RFID tag  130  acts as a piggy back type of label which may be used for example as a peel off coupon on a product in a store. 
     Label  100  may include a tag stock  160 , an RFID tag  130 , a first adhesive layer  170 , and a liner  180 . Tag stock  160  may be a material on which optically readable information can be printed. The tag stock  160  of the present invention may be any sort of material and is not limited to paper, plastic, fabric. In some non-limiting examples, the optically readable information may be a bar code, text, symbols, and/or numbers. Liner  180  may be a conventional release liner, for example a silicone-covered liner. In one embodiment of the present invention, the liner is a bleached glassine white liner with good roll label roll label converting properties designed for low to medium speed dispensing applications. Adhesive layer  170  may bond tag stock  160 , RFID tag  130 , and liner  180  together such that when label  100  is removed from web  10 , label  100  remains structurally sound. The present invention contemplates that the liner  180  in one embodiment of the invention, the liner becomes part of the label  100  so that when the label  100  is removed the web  10 , the liner  280  is part of the label construction and the adhesive  14  and face stock of the web  10  is discarded. 
     Web  10  may include a face stock  12  and a second adhesive layer  14 . Face stock  12  may be any conventional face stock for a printing web. Adhesive layer  14  may keep label  100  in contact with web  10  at least while printing, encoding, and manufacturing. Further, adhesive layer  14  may remain on web  10  when label  100  is removed from web  10  by a user. The contact interface between liner  180  and adhesive layer  14  may be designed such that upon removal from web  10 , label  100  may retain substantially no tackiness and thus the end label may serve as a label, ticket or hang tag. 
     Multiple labels  100  may be printed on a single web  10 , and each label  100  may be defined by a cut, for example a die cut, such that each label  100  may be lifted or peeled off of web  10  when desired. 
     According to at least one non-limiting exemplary embodiment and referring generally to exemplary  FIGS. 1-4 , at least one, and optionally a plurality, of a label  100  may be manufactured on a web  10 . A tag stock  160 , an RFID tag  130 , a first adhesive layer  170 , a liner  180 , a second adhesive layer  14 , and a face stock  12  may be combined in a laminated fashion. RFID tag  130  may be encoded with a particular set of information, and tag stock  160  may have optically readable information printed upon it. Once removed from web  10 , label  100  may have substantially no tackiness on it due to the inherent properties of liner  180 . Additionally, label  100  may have an opening  140  and a perforation  150  defined upon it and may be utilized in an RFID system for labeling and/or tracking goods. Label  100  may be hung upon an object using hole  140 . An external reader may interrogate RFID tag  130  to obtain information stored in RFID tag  130  and/or information may be obtained by reading the optically readable information printed on tag stock  160 . Lower portion  120  may be removed if desired, for example for record-keeping purposes. 
       FIG. 4  of the present invention illustrates a cross section of the label  100  adhered to a web  10  in which the label  100  may be removed from web  10  such that the liner  180  becomes a part of the label construction. The label  100  of  FIG. 4  comprises a tag stock  160 , a RFID component  130 , a first adhesive layer  170  and a liner  180 . The tag stock  160  has a first  161  and second face  162  in which a first adhesive layer is adhered to the second face  162  of the tag stock  160 . The RFID component or tag  130  is located on the second face  162  of the tag  130  and the periphery of the adhesive layer  170  extends beyond the total area of the RFID component  130 . Thus, the second face  162  of the tag stock  160  is in contact with both the RFID component  130  and the first adhesive layer  170  and the first adhesive layer  170  adheres the RFID component  130  to the second face  162  of the tag stock  160 . The first adhesive layer has both a first  171  and second face  172  in which a liner  180  is adhered to the second face  172  of the adhesive layer  170 . The liner  180 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , may be adhered to a web portion  10  that includes a second adhesive layer  14  and a face stock  12 . 
     The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
     Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.