Abstract: Enhanced physical protection against vandalism for RFID reader/writer units is provided by a relatively thick metal front or housing which also functions as the antenna element of the reader/writer. The metal front is cut or slotted to define a radio frequency antenna integral with the metal front or housing for improved physical protection and good unshielded antenna function.

Abstract: Plastic cards with included electronic elements are made by laminating a carrier sheet bearing multiple electronic elements between top and bottom plastic sheets. The laminated composite is die cut into separate cards. Prior to lamination the carrier sheet is perforated in a web pattern such that the carrier sheet material is largely recessed from the side edges of the finished cards for better lamination and appearance of the finished card edges. The electronic elements may be obtained on continuous rolls of carrier material which is cut into sheets for lamination.

Abstract: A wireless data input system has one or more switches on a keypad or the like and a number of individually addressable RFID tags. Each switch operates to enable a corresponding subset of the individually addressable RFID transponder tags, such that a unique permutation of tag codes recognized by a RFID reader identifies actuation of each particular switch or key.

Abstract: Plastic cards with included electronic elements are made by laminating a carrier sheet bearing multiple electronic elements between top and bottom plastic sheets. The laminated composite is die cut into separate cards. Prior to lamination the carrier sheet is perforated in a web pattern such that the carrier sheet material is largely recessed from the side edges of the finished cards for better lamination and appearance of the finished card edges. The electronic elements may be obtained on continuous rolls of carrier material which is cut into sheets for lamination.

Abstract: Cards, labels and the like containing embedded microcircuits or other elements are fabricated in a continuous process by introducing microcircuits between ribbons of extruded material, pressing the ribbons into adhesion with each other while in a plastic state thereby to make a continuous composite sheet containing the microcircuits, cooling the composite sheet to solidify the extrudate material, and cutting out cards from the composite sheet, each card containing a microcircuit. The microcircuits may be introduced between the extruded ribbons on a continuous carrier sheet which may also serve as a printed circuit substrate for the microcircuits. Alternatively, the microcircuits are inserted as discrete units between the extruded ribbons by a suitable robotic device.

Abstract: Practical battery operation of radio-frequency proximity readers is made possible by monitoring activity in the RFID reader's sensing field with a secondary detector such as a passive infrared detector, and powering up the RFID reader only upon detection of activity by the secondary detector. The RFID reader is kept to a low duty cycle relative to the secondary detector which is chosen for relatively low power consumption to achieve a net reduction in operating power requirements of the combined RFID reader and secondary detector.

Abstract: A slotless card reader for reading magnetically encoded cards is disclosed having an array of magnetic sensors defining a card plane, a magnetically permeable covering over said array and defining a card touch surface exposed for manually applying a magnetic card downwardly against the touch surface, or for lifting a card from the touch surface, and positioning aids for accurately aligning a magnetic card held against the card touch surface in relation to the array of magnetic sensors. The reader may further include a number of position sensors which are simultaneously actuated upon correct positioning of a magnetic card for reading, as a condition for activating the reader device and prevent premature, erroneous readings.

Abstract: A programmable data storage element includes a self-nucleating bi-stable magnetizable wire and a body of permanently magnetizable material such as barium ferrite. The bi-stable magnetic wire is normally readable in a magnetic reader constructed to cause state reversal of the magnetic wire to induce an output pulse in a sensing coil. The body of permanently magnetizable material can be selectively magnetized in the vicinity of the bi-stable magnetic wire to inhibit reading of the wire in the reader. A given wire can thus be programmed to store a binary bit of data by being selectively enabled or disabled for reading in a suitable magnetic reader. An improved passcard may be constructed by including an insert of barium ferrite in a passcard on which are disposed a plurality of bi-stable magnetic wires in a predetermined pattern. The passcard may be encoded with an identification number or other information at any time subsequent to manufacture by magnetizing selected portions of the barium ferrite insert.