Chipless radio frequency identification (RFIT) for tamper evidence

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10210448-B2
Application number	US-201615154761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or transponder that outputs a first signal when a product or product package is sealed. During one particular use, unsealing the product or product package disables the RFID tag, such that no active second signal is output (i.e., the second signal is a passive second signal). In another particular use, unsealing the product or product package removes one or more resonators of a multiresonator such that the second signal is an active second signal that is different from the first signal. The RFID tag need not be visible to identify whether the product or product package is in a sealed state or an unsealed state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tamper-evident seal, comprising:
a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder comprising a carrier and a plurality of resonators positioned over the carrier, the plurality of resonators being electrically interposed between, and electrically coupled with, a receive antenna and a transmit antenna, the RFID transponder being a chipless transponder;
a support film attached to at least a portion of the plurality of resonators, wherein the plurality of resonators are positioned directly between the support film and the carrier, the support film configured to be physically and electrically separated from the carrier;
a first portion of the plurality of resonators being configured to remain attached to the carrier after physically and electrically separating the support film from the carrier, and a second portion of the plurality of resonators being configured to remain attached to the support film after physically and electrically separating the support film from the carrier;
a first adhesive having a first adhesive strength that physically attaches the first portion of the plurality of resonators to the carrier, and a second adhesive having a second adhesive strength that physically attached the second portion of the plurality of resonators to the carrier, wherein the first adhesive strength is higher than the second adhesive strength, the first adhesive comprises one or more of a cyanoacrylate, methyl 2-cyanoacrylate, ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate, n-butyl cyanoacrylate, and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate, and the second adhesive comprises one or more of a natural rubber adhesive, a synthetic rubber adhesive, a urethane rubber adhesive, a urethane rubber-based adhesive, and a polyurethane rubber adhesive;
the RFID transponder being configured to output a first response to an interrogation when the tamper-evident seal is in a sealed state; and
the RFID transponder being configured to output a second response to an interrogation when the tamper-evident seal is in an unsealed state, the second response being different than the first response.

2. The tamper-evident seal of claim 1 , wherein the RFID transponder is configured to remain functional and outputs an active second response after the carrier is physically and electrically separated from the support film.

3. The tamper-evident seal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first surface of a product, wherein the carrier is positioned on, and physically attached to, the first surface of the product; and
a second surface of the product, wherein the support film is positioned on the second surface of the product and the carrier is configured to physically and electrically separate from the support film when the first surface is moved relative to the second surface.

4. The tamper-evident seal of claim 3 , wherein the first surface is a first interior surface of the product and the second surface is a second interior surface of the product.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Gibson George A
• Buchar Wayne A
• Divincenzo John P
• Casey Brendan C

Classifications

• G06K19/073

  Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory (protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14) · CPC title

• G06K19/0672

  with resonating marks · CPC title

• G06K19/07372 Primary

  by detecting tampering with the circuit · CPC title

• G08B13/2417

  having a radio frequency identification chip · CPC title