Patent ID: 7327217

Claim:
An article comprising: a washable garment including a washable identification badge coupled to the washable garment and including a photograph of one and only one worker, the one and only one worker being a person intended to wear the washable garment while working in a facility of a company, the washable identification badge to provide security credentials for the one and only one worker as the one and only one worker moves about the facility; the washable identification badge including at least two substantially planar and parallel layers of polyurethane material wherein a first one of the planar layers is a first polyurethane layer and the other one of the planar layers is a second polyurethane layer; the washable identification badge including a security device including a radio frequency (RF) circuit capable of emitting a wireless RF signal, and wherein the security device includes opposite and substantially planar surfaces on opposite sides of the security device; the security device carried in between the first polyurethane layer and the second polyurethane layer and positioned so that the opposite and substantially planar surfaces are substantially parallel to surfaces of the at least two substantially planar and parallel layers; the wireless RF signal detectable by one or more receiver devices to correlate the wireless RF signal with the one and only one worker intended to wear the washable garment including the washable identification badge and to identify the security device within the facility; the washable identification badge including a polyester fabric layer including polyester fiber to carry the photograph of the one and only one worker intended to wear the garment, wherein the photograph is sublimated into the polyester fabric layer so that the photograph becomes substantially indelible, wherein the photograph includes at least a photograph of the one and only one worker's face, the photograph having sufficient detail to allow accurate identification of the one and only one worker by comparison of the photograph to the one and only one worker's face, the polyester fabric and the photograph sublimated in the fabric being washable; the washable identification badge coupled to the washable garment so that it stays attached to the garment through a plurality of washings of the washable garment; and wherein the identification badge further includes a non-woven fabric element having first and second sides wherein the first polyurethane layer is fused to a first side of the non-woven fabric element with the first polyurethane layer/element positioned between the polyester fabric and the non-woven fabric element so that the non-woven fabric element strengthens and reinforces the polyester fabric substrate and increases durability and the second polyurethane layer is bonded on the second side of the non-woven fabric element to seal the second side of non-woven fabric element and to protect against washing agents during washing of the identification badge.