Abstract: A label includes a first portion that is printable with optically readable information and a detachable second portion that has an RFID tag that can be encoded with corresponding RFID information. The printable portion and the RFID portion can thus be printed and encoded, respectively, with information for the same container or object. Both portions can then be kept together until the label is ready to be applied. This greatly reduces the chances of applying mismatched optical and RFID labels.

Abstract: Radio-frequency identification (RFID) apparatus and methodology enable a plurality of or all of the RFID tags in a stack of items such as cartons and boxes—including items that do not have a line of sight to a reader—to be read. An RFID system includes RFID tags and a transmission line. The RFID tags are mountable to items to be read and include an RFID circuit that generates tag energy when activated by activation energy from a reader. The transmission line carries activation energy from the reader and tag energy from the tags. The transmission line is positionable in operative or coupling proximately to a plurality of the tags when the plurality of the tags are mounted to items and when the items are stacked. Accordingly, when carrying activation energy from the reader, the transmission line couples with and thereby enables activation of the plurality of the tags.

Abstract: An RFID device includes a chip, an antenna operatively coupled to the chip, and a visual indicator operatively coupled to the chip. The visual indicator provides a visual indication of an operative state of the device. The visual indication may be human readable and/or machine readable, and may provide visual indication that is dependent on a change in an operative state of the device. The operative state that triggers the visual indication may include a state in which the chip has temporarily or permanently been rendered inoperative or disabled, that is, in which the chip no longer responds to, or otherwise interacts with, ordinary incoming RF signals such as from a device reader. The visual indicator may be included in a display that functions by any of a variety of suitable mechanisms, such as by use of electrochromic materials, thermochromic materials, liquid crystals, or chemically-reactive materials.

Abstract: A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a facestock and a liner. The facestock includes an RFID circuit with an operating parameter, and the liner is releasably attached to the facestock such that when the liner is detached from the facestock, the operating parameter of the RFID circuit is desirably modified. The RFID tag may be configured so that the operating parameter that is modified is, for example, a read range or a propagation direction. The RFID circuit may include an RFID chip and an antenna, and the liner may include an electrical element that modifies a read range of the RFID circuit when the liner is attached to the facestock. More specifically, the electrical element may electrically couple with the antenna when the liner is attached to the facestock, thereby reducing the read range of the circuit. When the liner is removed, the antenna is decoupled from the electrical element and thereby enabled to operate at another read range, i.e., a specified operating range.

Abstract: An RFID device includes conductive tabs, and a conductive structure, with a dielectric layer between the conductive tabs and the conductive structure. The conductive structure overlaps the conductive tabs and acts as a shield, allowing the device to be at least somewhat insensitive to the surface upon which it is mounted, or to the presence of nearby objects, such as goods in a carton or other container that includes the device. The dielectric layer may be a portion of the container, such as an overlapped portion of the container. Alternatively, the dielectric layer may be a separate layer, which may vary in thickness, allowing one of the conductive tabs to be capacitively coupled to the conductive structure. As another alternative, the dielectric layer may be an expandable substrate that may be expanded after fabrication operations, such as printing.

Abstract: A method of forming an electrically-conductive pattern includes selectively electroplating the top portions of a substrate that corresponds to the pattern, and separating the conductive pattern from the substrate. The electroplating may also include electrically connecting the conductive pattern to an electrical component. Conductive ink, such as ink including carbon particles, may be selectively placed on the conductive substrate to facilitate plating of the desired pattern and/or to facilitate separation of the pattern from the substrate. An example of a conductive pattern is an antenna for a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device such as a label or a tag. One example of an electrical component that may be electrically connected to the antenna, is an RFID strap or chip.

Abstract: An RFID device includes an antenna structure that provides good performance throughout a range of different positions relative to nearby materials, such as metallic objects in a carton or other container. The antenna structure has compensation elements that interact with the nearby materials to provide good performance over the range of different positions. The compensation elements include both electrical compensation elements, which interact with the nearby materials primarily using electric fields, and magnetic compensation elements, which interact with the nearby materials primarily using magnetic fields. The electrical compensation elements and the magnetic compensation elements may be selected and may be positioned within the antenna structure such that the performance of the antenna structure is substantially unchanged (or at least acceptable) through the range of different positions.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes an antenna configuration coupled to an RFID chip, such as in an RFID strap. The antenna configuration is mounted on one face (major surface) of a dielectric material, and includes compensation elements to compensate at least to some extent for various types of dielectric material upon which the antenna configuration may be mounted. In addition, a conductive structure, such as a ground plane or other layer of conductive material, may be placed on a second major surface of the dielectric layer, on an opposite side of the dielectric layer from the antenna structure.

Abstract: A wireless communication device coupled to a wave antenna that provides greater increased durability and impedance matching. The wave antenna is a conductor that is bent in alternating sections to form peaks and valleys. The wireless communication device is coupled to the wave antenna to provide wireless communication with other communication devices, such as an interrogation reader. The wireless communication device and wave antenna may be placed on objects, goods, or other articles of manufacture that are subject to forces such that the wave antenna may be stretched or compressed during the manufacture and/or use of such object, good or article of manufacture. The wave antenna, because of its bent structure, is capable of stretching and compressing more easily than other structures, reducing the wireless communication device's susceptibility to damage or breaks that might render the wireless communication device coupled to the wave antenna unable to properly communicate information wirelessly.

Abstract: A radio-frequency identification (RFID) and an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag includes an RFID device and an EAS device. The RFID device may operate in a plurality of states including an activated state in which communication with a reader is enabled and a deactivated state in which communication with a reader is disabled. The EAS device may operate in a plurality of states including an activated state in which activation of an alarm is enabled and a deactivated state in which activation of an alarm is disable. The RFID device may be deactivated when the EAS device is deactivated. For example, the same piece of equipment that deactivates the EAS device also deactivates the RFID device at the same time. The RFID device may include an antenna, an RFID chip connected to the antenna for communicating with a reader, and an active element operatively disposed with respect to the antenna.

Abstract: An RFID device, such as an RFID tag or label, includes a magnetic coupler between an interposer or strap, and an antenna. The interposer or strap includes a transponder chip and an interposer magnetic coupling element that is operatively coupled to the transponder. An antenna portion magnetic coupling element is operatively coupled to the antenna. The magnetic coupling element s together constitute a magnetic coupler that is used to magnetically couple the transponder chip of the interposer to the RFID antenna. A high permeability material may be used to enhance the magnetic coupling between the magnetic coupling elements. The magnetic coupling elements single-turn conductive loops or multiple-turn coils. The magnetic coupler may function as a transformer, with the voltage across the antenna transformed to a different voltage across the transponder chip, and vice versa.

Abstract: An RFID device, such as an RFID tag or label, includes a combined reactive coupler electrically coupling a transponder chip to an antenna. The combined reactive coupler includes a magnetic coupler and a capacitive coupler. The magnetic coupler and the reactive coupler may have respective coupling elements on both the interposer and on an antenna substrate.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for discs such as CDs, DVDs or minidiscs includes a special RFID transponder and antenna configuration. The discs normally include an outer metallized annular zone where information is stored, a central hole, and an inner annular zone between the hole and the outer annular zone. The transponder may be located in the inner annular zone, with antenna elements coupled to the transponder extending in opposite directions part way across the outer annular zone. Multilayer labels with a recess for the transponder chip, and antenna elements formed by conductive material may be employed to apply the RFID assembly to the discs. A monopole or dipole mode of antenna operation, prominently involving the metallized disc layer, results from the antenna configuration, and serves to more than double the range of the system.

Abstract: An RFID device preparation system includes a printer combined with a short-range tester/reader. The tester/reader operatively couples to the RFID device using capacitive and/or magnetic coupling. By use of capacitive and/or magnetic coupling, good read characteristics may be obtained, while obtaining excellent discrimination between various RFID devices that may be in or near the tester/reader. Thus, RFID devices may be inexpensively and reliably tested one at a time, without appreciable interference or effect due to the presence of other RFID devices. The tester/reader may include electric-filed and/or magnetic-field coupling elements that are configured to receive different signals, in order to test a variety of configurations of RFID devices. This may enable the device preparation system to accommodate various types and configurations of RFID devices, increasing versatility of the system.

Abstract: A radio-frequency identification (RFID) system including an RFID tag and an RFID-enabled object. The RFID tag may include a pair of antennas and an RFID circuit. The antennas receive activation energy from a reader, and the RFID circuit modulates tag energy when activation energy is received by one of the antennas. The tag may also include a transmission line for operatively coupling the RFID circuit to the antennas. A first one of the antennas may receive activation energy which, in turn, may be radiated by a second one of the antennas. The second antenna may also receive tag energy radiated by an antenna of another RFID tag. The received tag energy may then be radiated by the first antenna. Accordingly, when a plurality of the RFID tags are positioned in sequence in operative proximity with each other, activation energy may be propagated through the sequence from one RFID tag to another in one direction, and tag energy may be propagated through the sequence from one RFID tag to anther in another direction.

Abstract: A method of thermocompressive bonding of one or more electrical devices using individual heating elements and a resilient member to force the individual heating elements into compressive engagement with the electrical devices is provided. The individual heating elements may be Curie-point heating elements or conventional resistive heating elements. A method of thermocompressive bonding of one or more electrical devices using a transparent flexible platen and thermal radiation is also provided. In one embodiment, the thermal radiation is near infra-red thermal radiation and the transparent flexible platen is composed of silicone rubber. The bonding material may be an adhesive or a thermoplastic bonding material. A method of capacitively coupling a semiconductor chip to an electrical component with a pressure sensitive adhesive is also provided. The method includes compressing the chip by forcing a flexible platen of a bonding device into compressive engagement with the semiconductor chip.

Abstract: A method of coupling an RFID chip to an antenna includes the steps of, iteratively until a test criterion is met, positioning an RFID chip relative to an antenna and testing the RFID chip and antenna. Once the test criterion is met, the RFID chip is coupled with the antenna. A method of coupling an RFID chip to one of a plurality of various antennas is also provided. A method of coupling an RFID chip to an antenna on an object is also provided.

Abstract: A wireless communication device includes an antenna for wireless communication with a remote interrogator. Several embodiments are disclosed to increase the options available to designers of wireless communication devices. In some embodiments, the antenna is a quarter wavelength long with one end of the antenna being grounded to provide desired impedance matching characteristics. The position of the ground plane relative to the antenna is also varied between embodiments. The connection from a wireless communication chip to the antenna is also varied between embodiments to provide alternate structures.

Abstract: Multiple RFID devices may be tested by moving a sheet, roll, or web of the devices in conjunction with a test apparatus having multiple RFID device testers, so that the RFID devices to be tested are each spatially static with regard to one of the RFID device testers for a period of time, during which testing may be performed. The device testers may be arrayed along the circumference of a circular test wheel or roller, or may be arrayed along the perimeter of a flexible belt. The coupling between the RFID devices and the RFID device testers may be capacitive. By utilizing short-range capacitive coupling, difficulties caused by simultaneous activation of multiple RFID devices may be reduced or avoided.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) device detection system includes an RFID device reader configured to detect RFID devices within a predetermined designated area, and two or more jamming signal transmitters configured to prevent the RFID device reader from detecting and reading devices outside of the designated area. The jamming signal transmitters may include a pair of low-frequency field generator loops driven out of phase with one another. RFID devices for use with the detection system may have a pair of antennas, one for detection by the RFID reading system, and another antenna for use in receiving signals from the jamming signal transmitters, in order to prevent communication with a wireless communication device such as an RFID chip, to which the antennas are coupled. The two antennas may be coupled to the RFID chip in parallel, with the antennas each coupled to the same contacts of the RFID chip.