Packaging bag having radio frequency identification tag with information security mechanism

Abstract

A packaging bag includes a sealed bag and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to an easily tearable line proximate to a sealed end of the sealed bag, such that when a user tears the sealed bag along the easily tearable line, the RFID tag is damaged to effectively prevent confidential information stored in the RFID tag from being stolen by others.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging bag, in particular to a packaging bag having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag installed at a position on an easily tearable line at a sealed end of the packaging bag, such that when the sealed end of the packaging bag is torn, the RFID tag will be damaged to effectively prevent information stored in the RFID tag from being stolen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, since electronic technology advances, communication related engineers and technicians are using more advanced electronic technologies to develop various novel communication technologies as well as related software and hardware, wherein the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, also known as RFID tag, is a communication technology that has been developed in recent years. The RFID tag generally includes a chip and a transmitting/receiving antenna, wherein the chip is connected with the transmitting/receiving antenna, so that a professional worker (such as a medical pharmacist) can use an electronic device to write data (including medicine name, composition, expiration date, patient identification and history data, etc) of an object (such as medicine) into the chip, and then the professional worker can pack the object into a packaging bag and attach the RFID tag onto a surface of the packaging bag, such that the professional worker can access the data of the object conveniently and quickly through a wireless reader within a predetermined distance at a later date, and the professional worker can achieve automated management and logistic distribution effectively, without the need of visually identifying the packaging bag or the data of the object one by one manually. Thus, the RFID tag can improve the professional worker's management and logistic distribution efficiency substantially.

However, hidden drawbacks of the applications of the RFID tag start emerging as the RFID tag becomes increasingly more popular in our daily life. For example, an object such as a medicine is packed into a packaging bag, and a RFID tag is attached onto an exterior of the packaging bag, and a chip of the RFID tag is provided for storing data such as medicine name, composition, expiration date, patient identification and history data of the medicine. Since the patient identification and history data are confidential data relating to personal privacy of a user (such as a patient), and the user generally does not want to let others access or look at such confidential data freely. However, since the data stored in a RFID tag can be read within a predetermined distance by a wireless reader, anyone who intends to steal a user's confidential data can move to a position within a signal receiving range of a wireless reader, without being found by the user, and then use the wireless reader to read the RFID tag attached onto a packaging bag of the user's medicine and steal the user's confidential data easily. Although the RFID tag can improve the management and logistic distribution efficiency of the professional work, it also incurs a risk of losing confidentiality and privacy of the user, and causes the user to feel uneasy with such packaging bag attached with an RFID tag and reluctant to use any medicine packaged in such packaging bag. As a result, related manufacturers have difficulties of promoting such packaging bag attached with an RFID tag in the industrial areas relating to medical treatments and medicines or any other industrial areas involving data confidentiality and personal privacy.

In addition, in order to prevent the RFID tag from being separated or fallen off from the packaging bag, manufacturers generally use a stronger glue to attach the RFID tag onto the packaging bag, or install the RFID tag into a packaging material of the packaging bag during the manufacturing process of the packaging bag. Therefore, when a user wants to tear off or remove the RFID tag from the packaging bag so as to prevent the confidential data from being stolen, since the RFID tag is attached closely with the packaging bag, or installed in the packaging material of the packaging bag, the user cannot remove the RFID tag from the packaging bag easily unless tearing the packaging bag apart. Thus, the packaging bag is damaged and unable to use for storing the object properly anymore, and the object may then easily be moistened or deteriorated.

Therefore, it is an important subject for the present invention to design a novel packaging bag having a RFID tag to effectively overcome the problems existing in the prior arts, which not only causes the confidential and private data of the user to be easily stolen by others, but also causes the packaging bag to be easily damaged, while the RFID tag is removed by the user from the packaging bag, and unavailable for properly storing the object again, and eventually causes the object to be easily moistened or deteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism to overcome the problems of the conventional packaging bag attached with the RFID tag that may lose the confidential data (such as medicine name, patient identification and history data, etc) or/and the private data of the user (such as a patient). The invention can also overcome the problems of easily damaging the packaging bag while removing the RFID tag out from the packaging bag, causing the packaging bag to be unavailable for properly storing an object again, and eventually causing the object to be easily moistened or deteriorated.

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism, wherein the packaging bag is a sealed bag for packing an object, and the packaging bag has an easily tearable line disposed at a position proximate to a sealed end of the packaging bag. The packaging bag includes a RFID tag installed at a position corresponding to the easily tearable line. The RFID tag includes a chip and a transmitting/receiving antenna, wherein the chip is connected to the transmitting/receiving antenna, such that when a sealed end of the packaging bag is torn open, an opening is formed at the packaging bag, and the connection between the chip and the transmitting/receiving antenna no longer exists. Therefore, a professional worker (such as a medical pharmacist) can use the packaging bag to pack an object and write data (such as medicine name, composition, expiration date, patient identification and history data, etc) of the object into the chip through an electronic device so as to facilitate the professional worker or a user to identify the object by a wireless reader later. When the user wants to take the object from the packaging bag, the user simply needs to tear the seal end of the packaging bag along the easily tearable line to obtain the object. In the meantime, the chip is separated from the transmitting/receiving antenna, and others cannot read data of the object stored in the chip from a far position through the wireless reader easily, and thus the packaging bag in accordance with the present invention can overcome the problem of causing the confidential and private data of the user stored in the chip to be easily stolen.

Another objective of the present invention is to install an interlock unit transversally on an internal side of the packaging bag and situated at a position between a central position of the packaging bag and the easily tearable line, such that the interlock unit can selectively seal the opening after the sealed end of the packaging bag is torn open. After a user obtains the object from the opened packaging bag, the interlock unit can be selectively used for sealing the opening again to keep the remained portion of the object in the sealed packaging bag to prevent the object from being moistened and deteriorated effectively. The user also can open the sealed packaging bag through the interlock unit for taking the object from the opened packaging bag for the next time of use conveniently.

A further objective of the present invention is to install the chip at a position between the sealed end of the packaging bag and the easily tearable line, such that when a user tear open the sealed end of the packaging bag, the user can destroy the chip together with the sealed end of the packaging bag, and such arrangement not only prevents the user from damaging the packaging bag, while tearing open the packaging bag, to cause the packaging bag to be unavailable for storing the object properly, but also prevents the user's confidential and private data from being stolen by others.

Another objective of the present invention is to install the chip at a position between a central position of the packaging bag and the easily tearable line, such that when a user tears the sealed end of the packaging bag, the chip can be remained on the packaging bag, and only the transmitting/receiving antenna is damaged, such that only a portion of the transmitting/receiving antenna is remained on the chip, and the data stored in the chip can be read by a wireless reader nearby. After the user tears open the packaging bag, the wireless reader can still identify the object and confirm the data (such as medicine name, composition, expiration date and using instruction, etc) of the object, such that the user can use the object correctly. However, since the range for the wireless reader to read the data stored in the chip is reduced greatly, it will effectively prevent the user's confidential data from being stolen by others.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1 for a packaging bag having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with an information security mechanism in accordance with the present invention, the packaging bag 1 comprises a sealed bag 10 and a RFID tag 13, wherein the sealed bag 10 has a sealed edge 100 disposed at the periphery of the sealed bag 10 and made of the same material that makes the sealed bag 10, wherein the sealed edges 100 are formed at two corresponding positions by gluing or thermal fusion to seal the periphery of the sealed bag 10 effectively, so that a containing space 101 is formed in the sealed bag 10 and provided for containing an object 2 (such as a medicine), and the sealed bag 10 includes an easily tearable line 11 disposed transversally at a position proximate to a sealed end of the sealed bag 10, such that a user can tear the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 along the easily tearable line 11 to form an opening 12 on the sealed bag 10, and the RFID tag 13 is installed on the sealed bag 10 and at a position corresponding to the easily tearable line 11. The RFID tag 13 includes a chip 130 and a transmitting/receiving antenna 131, wherein the chip 130 and the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 are connected with each other, such that when the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 is torn, the connection between the chip 130 and the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 will be destroyed.

Therefore, a professional worker (such as a medical pharmacist) can pack an object 2 (such as a medicine) into the sealed bag 10 and write data (such as medicine name, composition, expiration date, patient identification and history data, etc) of the object 2 into the chip 130 through an electronic device (not shown in the figure) to facilitate the professional worker or a user (such as a patient) to identify the object 2 by a wireless reader (not shown in the figure). When the user wants to take the object 2 out from the sealed bag 10, the user simply needs to tear the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 along the easily tearable line 11 in order to take the object 2 out from the opening 12. Now, the connection between the chip 130 and the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 no longer exists, and thus other people cannot easily read the data of the object 2, particularly confidential data (such as medicine name, patient identification and history data, etc) stored in the chip 130 at a far position through a wireless reader. With the design of an information security mechanism of the easily tearable line 11 installed at a position of the sealed bag 10 corresponding to the RFID tag 13, the invention can overcome the confidentiality and information security issues and prevent the confidential data stored in the chip 130 from being stolen by others.

In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, the RFID tag 13 is attached onto an internal side of the sealed bag 10 to prevent the RFID tag 13 from being affected, damaged or fallen off by external factors (such as scratch or moisture). In addition, the chip 130 of the embodiment is installed at a position between a central position of the sealed bag 10 and the easily tearable line 11, and the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 is in a shape of a thin plate, and both ends of the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 are extended towards both ends of the sealed bag 10 respectively, such that when a user tears the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 along the easily tearable line 11, the user damages the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 and keeps the chip 130 remained on the sealed bag 10. Since a portion of transmitting/receiving antenna 131 remains on the chip 130, therefore the data stored in the chip 130 can be read by the wireless reader nearby. After the user has torn open the sealed bag 10, the user can use a personal wireless reader to identify the object 2 and confirm the data (such as medicine name, composition, expiration date and using instruction, etc) of the object 2, so that the user can use the object 2 correctly according to the data, and the invention also effectively reduces the range for the chip 130 to read the data stored in the chip 130, such that others cannot read the data of the object 2 in the chip 130 from a wireless reader at a far position, so as to prevent the user's confidential data from being stolen by others.

In a second preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2, the RFID tag 13 is attached onto an internal side of the sealed bag 10 to prevent the RFID tag 13 from being affected, damaged or fallen off by external factors (such as scratch or moisture). In addition, the chip 130 of the embodiment is installed at a position between the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 and the easily tearable line 11, and the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 is in a shape of a strip, and the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 includes an antenna pattern formed around the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 and in a direction towards another end of the sealed bag 10, such that after the user tears the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 along the easily tearable line 11, the user will destroy the chip 130 together with the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 at the same time. With the easily tearable line 11, the sealed bag 10 can be torn with a neat-cutting edge to prevent the user from tearing the sealed bag 10 accidentally as well as preventing the sealed bag 10 from being damaged or resulting in a failure of storing the object 2 in the packaging bag 1 properly. When the user destroys the chip 130 together with the sealed end of the sealed bag 10, others will be unable to read the data of the object 2 stored in the chip 130 from a far position by a wireless reader easily, and thus the packaging bag 1 of the invention can prevent the user's confidential data from being stolen by others.

In a third preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3 the RFID tag 13 is manufactured directly into a material that makes the sealed bag 10 to prevent the RFID tag 13 from being damaged or fallen off easily due to external factors (such as scratch or moisture).

In each embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the sealed bag 10 further includes an interlock unit 14 installed transversally on an internal side of the sealed bag 10 and at a position between a central position of the sealed bag 10 and the easily tearable line 11, and comprised of a groove portion 140 and a flange portion 141, and the groove portion 140 and the flange portion 141 are fixed onto two corresponding internal sides of the sealed bag 10 respectively, and the groove portion 140 and the flange portion 141 are movably interlocked with each other, such that after the sealed end of the sealed bag 10 is torn by a user, the groove portion 140 and the flange portion 141 can movably seal the opening 12 by the interlock unit 14, so that the user can open the sealed bag 10 to take the object 2 out or seal the opening 12 by the interlock unit 14 to effectively store the remaining object 2 in the sealed bag 10 again, so as to prevent the remaining object 2 from being moistened or deteriorated. When the user needs to use the object 2 stored in the sealed bag 10 for the next time, the user can open the sealed bag 10 again through the interlock unit 14.

In each embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transmitting/receiving antenna 131 can be designed with any other shape according to the actual shape of the RFID tag 13, in addition to the shape of a thin plate or a strip. As long as the wireless reader can receive and read the data stored in the chip 130 by the transmitting/receiving antenna 13, such transmitting/receiving antenna 131 can be used for the present invention. In addition, the RFID tag 13 is installed on the sealed bag 10 or at any place of the packaging bag 1 according to the actual design. As long as the RFID tag 13 can be prevented from being damaged or fallen off due to external factors and the sealed edge 100 can be formed by a glue or a thermal fusion such that the periphery of the sealed bag 10 can be sealed by the sealed edge 100 to form the containing space 101 for packing the object 2, such sealed edge 100 can be used in the present invention.

In summation of the description above, the present invention can achieve the following functions and effects:

1. The invention prevents users from damaging the sealed bag 10 and resulting in a failure of storing the object in the packaging bag 1 properly.

2. The invention overcomes the issues of information security and confidentiality and prevents confidential data stored in the RFID tag 13 from being stolen by others.

Claims

1. A packaging bag having a radio frequency identification (RFIG) tag with an information security mechanism, comprising:

a sealed bag, having a sealed edge disposed at a periphery of the sealed bag, a containing space formed in the sealed bag, an easily tearable line disposed transversally on the sealed bag and at a position proximate to a sealed end of the sealed bag, and an opening formed at the sealed bag when the sealed end of the sealed bag is torn along the easily tearable line; and

a RFID tag, installed on the sealed bag and at a position corresponding to the easily tearable line, and including a chip and a transmitting/receiving antenna, wherein the chip and the transmitting/receiving antenna are connected with each other, and the chip and the transmitting/receiving antenna will be disconnected when the sealed end of the sealed bag is torn.

2. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein the chip is installed at a position between the sealed end of the sealed bag and the easily tearable line.

3. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein the chip is installed at a position between a central position of the sealed bag and the easily tearable line.

4. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 2, wherein the sealed bag includes an interlock unit installed transversally on an internal side of the sealed bag, and disposed at a position between a central position of the sealed bag and the easily tearable line, such that after the sealed end of the sealed bag is torn, the interlock unit can movably seal the opening.

5. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 3, wherein the sealed bag includes, an interlock unit installed transversally on an internal side of the sealed bag, and disposed at a position between a central position of the sealed bag and the easily tearable line, such that after the sealed end of the sealed bag is torn, the interlock unit can movably seal the opening.

6. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 4, wherein the interlock unit is comprised of a groove portion and a flange portion, and the groove portion and the flange portion are fixed on two corresponding internal sides of the sealed bag respectively, so that the groove portion and the flange portion can be movably interlocked with each other.

7. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 5, wherein the interlock unit is comprised of a groove portion and a flange portion, and the groove portion and the flange portion are fixed on two corresponding internal sides of the sealed bag respectively, so that the groove portion and the flange portion can be movably interlocked with each other.

8. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 6, wherein the transmitting/receiving antenna is in the shape of a thin plate.

9. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 7, wherein the transmitting/receiving antenna is in the shape of a thin plate.

10. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 6, wherein the transmitting/receiving antenna is in the shape of a strip.

11. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 7, wherein the transmitting/receiving antenna is in the shape of a strip.

12. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 6, wherein the RFID tag is attached onto an internal side of the sealed bag.

13. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 7, wherein the RFID tag is attached onto an internal side of the sealed bag.

14. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 6, wherein the RFID tag is manufactured directly into a material that makes the sealed bag.

15. The packaging bag having a radio frequency identification tag with an information security mechanism as recited in claim 7, wherein the RFID tag is manufactured directly into a material that makes the sealed bag.