Patent Application
20080186186
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to shielding of radio frequency chips. More specifically, the invention provides a shield having a metallic layer deposited on a non-metallic substrate, that may easily be incorporated into books such as passports, envelopes, folders, briefcases, other containers, or other items which may contain a radio frequency chip that must be selectively read or shielded from reading.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radio frequency chips, and particularly radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, are becoming an increasingly popular means of storing information. A typical radio frequency chip is adapted to transmit a radio frequency signal that may be read from a distance of up to about 4 inches away from the chip. Such chips have been proposed to replace bar codes for inventory tracking, and as an additional means of storing information within a passport.
U.S. Patent Application Number US 2004/0224135 A1, filed by R. R. Krebs, on Mar. 8, 2004, discloses printing an RFID antenna using a conductive ink on a core, and including a conductive mesh shield on the same surface as the antenna. The goal is to allow reading of desired RFID tags while resisting the reading of neighboring RFID tags. The core may be dry paper, a resin saturated or untreated Kraft paper, cardboard or card stock, or a synthetic or plastic type material, such as polyester or nylon. The antenna is printed on the core by a technique such as silk screening, flexigraphic, or gravure techniques. Alternatively, it may be painted using a mask, template, or robotic arm. A second core may be placed over the first core to sandwich the antenna therebetween. In some embodiments, a protective shield may be provided by laying a steel mesh on the core, so that the steel mesh is in the same layer as the antenna, and between cores. The shield disclosed by this patent therefore fails to selectively permit or resist reading the RFID tags, and does nothing to resist the unauthorized reading of the RFID tags.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,714, issued to H. Goto on Mar. 3, 1987, discloses a composite sheet material for magnetic and electronic shielding. The sheet material comprises an electrodeposited iron foil which is made by electrodepositing iron on an electrodeposition body such as a rotating electro-deposition drum, and then exfoliating the electrodeposited iron layer from the drum. The iron foil may then be plated with an electrically conductive metal such as zinc, tin, nickel, chromium, or copper to resist rust. Alternatively, a lead plating layer may be used for shielding from radioactive rays. A covering layer is adhesively secured over the plated layer. The resulting foil may be adhesively secured where shielding is desired, or incorporated into envelopes and other containers. This patent fails to disclose a non-metallic substrate, and instead requires the additional steps associated with producing the iron foil.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,544, issued to J. A. Petsinger on Sep. 19, 2000, discloses an electromagnetic shield made from a soft magnetic alloy which may be sandwiched between two plastic reinforcing shells. The magnetic shielding material is preferably an alloy made from about 80% nickel, with the remainder being iron, molybdenum, chromium, or copper. The shield disclosed in this patent would be too rigid for use in a book such as a passport, having a soft cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,109, issued to N. Yamagishi et al. on Apr. 27, 2004, discloses a passport with an anti-counterfeit ID chip. The ID chip contains the identity and nationality of the passport holder, and is embedded in a front cover, back cover, or a page containing a photograph and other identification. Shielding of the ID chip is not disclosed within this patent.
U.S. Patent Application Number US 2003/0080917 A1, filed by M. T. Adams et al. on Jul. 12, 2002, discloses surrounding a RFID antenna or circuit with a dielectric material, thereby resisting contact between the RFID circuit and any conductive surfaces with which it may come in contact. This application is therefore directed towards facilitating the reading of an RFID circuit instead of resisting unauthorized reading of the RFID circuit.
U.S. Patent Application Number US 2003/0168514 A1, filed by S. Ratsion et al. on Apr. 25, 2002, discloses a multi-layer cover paper for a booklet such as a passport, containing a radio frequency identification device. This patent fails to disclose any means of resisting unauthorized reading of the RFID device.
Accordingly, there is a need for a shield for radio frequency chips that is both inexpensive to manufacture and sufficiently durable to be incorporated into articles having an expected lifespan of several years. There is a further need for a shield for a radio frequency chip that is sufficiently inexpensive to manufacture to be useful as a single use, disposable item. There is another need for a shield for radio frequency chips that may be easily incorporated into passports, folders, envelopes, or which may be adhesively adhered to an item having a radio frequency chip disposed thereon, without adding a substantial amount of bulk.
The above needs and others are met by a shield for radio frequency chips having a metallic coating applied to a non-metallic substrate. The shield may be incorporated into any container for containing an item having an RFID chip thereon or therein, or attached to any item having an RFID chip thereon or therein. For the purpose of this description, removal of the shield from the RFID chip includes any procedure by which the shield and RFID chip are separated a sufficient distance to permit reading the RFID chip, regardless of whether such removal includes the detachment of the shield from any surface to which the shield is attached or incorporated.
The substrate for the shield may be made from polyester, polymeric films such as polystyrene, cellulose, and acetate, or other thin, durable, flexible materials. The metal coating may be aluminum, copper, chromium, or other metal, and may be applied by vacuum coating, or by depositing the coating in the form of a conductive ink.
A shield of the invention may be incorporated within the front cover, back cover, or within any page of a passport or other book. If the book contains a RFID chip, incorporating the shield and RFID chip within different portions of the cover or different pages will position the shield sufficiently close to the RFID chip to interfere with radio frequency waves transmitted by the RFID chip and thereby resist reading the chip, when the book is closed. Opening the book separates the shield and RFID chip sufficiently to permit reading the RFID chip.
In one example embodiment, the RFID chip is secured to one cover portion, for example, the back cover, and the shield is secured to the other cover portion, for example, the front cover. A sheet of page material may be adhesively secured to the inside of the cover, so that both the RFID chip and the shield are disposed between the cover stock and the page material. A spacer may be disposed adjacent to the shield to compensate for the difference in thickness between the shield and the RFID chip, thereby making both cover portions substantially the same thickness.
Alternatively, a shield of the invention may be incorporated within a folder, envelope, a carrying bag or case such as a briefcase, or other container. The shield may be secured to one side of the folder or envelope, or secured between adjacent layers of material forming a side. Examples of containers wherein such a shield is useful include mailing envelopes for credit cards containing RFID chips, internal envelopes containing credit cards having RFID chips, which may then be placed within a mailing envelope or a user's wallet, or legal or medical files having RFID chips incorporated therein to assist within intraoffice file tracking and locating of the files while resisting reading the RFID chips during transportation of the files.
Another embodiment of the shield may be structured to be adhesively secured to an article having an RFID chip disposed thereon. For example, a credit card having an RFID chip may have a shield adhesively secured thereon during mailing. The shield may then be removed by the recipient. The shield may be adhesively secured using either a removable adhesive, or using static cling. In some embodiments, the shield may be applied to the credit card by providing shield material and credit card material in sheets sufficiently large to make several credit cards having shields attached thereon, adhering the sheets together, and then cutting the combined sheets into individual shielded credit cards.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips that is sufficiently inexpensive for single use applications.
It is another object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips that may be incorporated into articles having an expected life of several years.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips having a flexible, non-metallic substrate having a metal coating.
It is another object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips that may be incorporated within a passport so that closing the passport (or other book), brings the shield sufficiently close to the RFID chip to interfere with radio waves transmitted by the RFID chip and thereby resists reading the chip, while opening the passport separates the shield from the RFID chip sufficiently to permit reading the chip.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips that may be incorporated into mailing envelopes, other envelopes, and file folders.
It is another object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips that may be removably adhered to an article having a radio frequency chip, thereby resisting reading of the chip until the shield is removed therefrom.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips that may be fabricated alongside articles containing RFID chips, and adhered to the articles containing RFID chips prior to separating the individual articles from the sheet from which they are manufactured.
It is another object of the invention to provide a shield for radio frequency chips that resists reading the chip when the shield is positioned in a first location with respect to the chip, and permits reading the chip when the shield is removed to a second location with respect to the chip.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and drawings.
Like reference characters denote like elements throughout the drawings.
Embodiments of the invention provide a shield for use in selectively resisting and permitting the reading of radio frequency chips such as RFID chips.
Referring to
Referring to
Although the shield 15 and RFID chip assembly 28 are illustrated on the front cover portion 18 and back cover portion 20, respectively, these locations could be reversed. Additionally, either the shield 15, the RFID chip assembly 28, or both, may be disposed upon any of the pages in between the front cover portion 18 and back cover portion 20.
In use, closing the cover 16 will bring the shield 15 sufficiently close to the RFID chip assembly 28 to interfere with radio frequency waves transmitted by the RFID chip assembly 28, thereby resisting reading the RFID chip 22. Opening the cover 16 positions the shield 15 sufficiently far from the RFID chip assembly 28 to permit reading the RFID chip 22.
Referring to
From the above description, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the envelope 36 could be a mailing envelope, or it could be another envelope placed inside a mailing envelope, with the article 40 inside the envelope 34. This embodiment of the shield 34 is particularly useful for mailing a credit card having an RFID chip to a consumer. Alternatively, the envelope 36 could be a folder containing, for example, legal or medical records. It may be desired to locate and track such folders using RFID chips when the folders are located within the user's office, and to shield such folders from having their RFID chips read when they are removed from the office to protect the confidentiality of the patient or client whose records are contained therein.
Referring to
Referring to
The invention therefore provides a shield for RFID chips that is sufficiently inexpensive for single use applications, and yet sufficiently durable for incorporation into articles having an expected life of several years. The shield may be incorporated with a passport or other book, within an envelope or folder, or adhesively secured to a credit card, identification card, or other article having an RFID chip incorporated thereon, so that reading the RFID chip may be selectively permitted or resisted by separating the shield from the RFID chip, or positioning the shield adjacent to the RFID chip. The shield may be fabricated alongside credit or identification cards containing RFID chips, and adhere to the articles containing RFID chips prior to separating the individual articles from the sheet from which they are manufactured.
While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.
