MXPA99008364A - Identification device having reusable transponder - Google Patents

Abstract

A radio frequency identification device includes an attachment element (12) which is maintained in operative relationship with an object or individual by a securement element (14). The attachment element (14) is disposable and the securement element (14) is easily separable therefrom for reuse, the securement element (14) including a radio frequency identification circuit (30) which can be reused after the attachment element (12) has been disposed of. One form of the radio frequency identification device is an identification wristband (10) which incorporates attachment element (12) and securement element (14) for the attachment element (12), the securement element (14) incorporating an RFID such as a chip (30) which is removed from operative relationship with the attachment element (12) when the securement element (14) is removed to permit reuse of the securement element (14) and chip (30).

Description

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE WITH REUSABLE REPEATER DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY This application claims the benefit of the provisional application for E.U.A. No. 60 / 040,962, filed March 12, 1997. This invention relates to RF identification devices and, particularly, to RF identification devices designed to allow the transmission of information about a person or thing to which it is assigned. fixes the RF identification device. The RF identification devices of the invention have a particular application in the identification of persons, and the transmission of important information about said persons to a master reception and transmission station; When the aforementioned master station directs the RF identification devices in particular people, it can investigate various aspects of important data related to the condition, situation, or other appropriate information about the person. Of course, a hand-held reader can be used that can receive information from the identification device and, in some circumstances, transmit information to the memory of the identification device for storage therein, as a substitute for the master station mentioned above. .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Currently, identification devices, for example bracelets or the like, are widely used in hospitals to identify patients and provide information about the patient. Such wristbands also have other diverse applications, including prisoner identification and crowd control. Initially, said wristbands were limited to providing basic information about the patient, such as his name and, possibly, the nature of the patient's illness. Recently, said wristbands have information encoded in the form of a bar code or the like, in this way considerable additional information about the patient can be inquired, including important data such as medications, patient's condition, and the like. When using said wristbands, nurses or other staff members are provided with bar code readers, and the nurse or other staff member reads the bar code before administering the medication or performing various therapeutic measures. Although the use of bar codes or other coded materials has constituted a considerable advance, once the bar code has been applied to the identification bracelet, the alteration of the information on the bracelet implies the substitution by a new bracelet. In addition, due to physical limitations, the information provided by bar codes or the like is necessarily limited.

One possible solution that can overcome the limitations of identification bracelets that have bar codes or similar, would be to provide an RF circuit on the wristband that incorporates a semiconductor circuit with logic, memory and an RF circuit connected to an antenna that can receive and transmit information in such a way that a nurse or other staff member who has a repeater can ask the RF circuit about the wristband to produce a broad spectrum of information that is not currently available on conventional wristbands. Unfortunately, the available RF circuits are relatively expensive and, since conventional wristbands are disposable after use, such circuits would have to be discarded if they were integral components of the wristband.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide an RF identification device which includes joining means for attaching the RF identification device to a person or object to be identified and fixing means for said joining means where said joint is maintained in a operational relationship with the person or object mentioned. For example, the means of attachment for the use of a hospitalized patient may be in the form of a bracelet and the bracelet may be maintained in operative relation on the wrist of the patient through means of fixation that maintain the bracelet on the wrist, ankle or similar of the patient. The RF circuit is located in the fixing means and, when the bracelet is discarded, the fixing means can be slized and reused, this allows the RF circuit to be used again, with the resulting economy that can be used. re-use. Another object of the invention is to provide an RF identification device of the aforementioned charac wherein said joining means incorporate an antenna, and said fixing means incorporates a repeaoperatively connected to said antenna to receive and transmit information about the person. or a thing in which the aforementioned joining means are retained by the mentioned fixing means. Another object of the present invention is to provide an RF identification device in which the aforementioned joining means are constituted by a band of an identification wristband and the mentioned fixing means maintain said band in operative relation with a person or object to identify. Another object of the present invention is to provide an identification wristband incorporating an RF identification device, said wristband with a joining portion constituted by an elongate band and fixing means for maintaining said binding portion in operative relation with an object or Person to be identified, said band incorporates an antenna and said fixing means incorporate a repeaoperatively connected to said antenna, in such a way that said bracelet can receive and transmit signals that provide information about the aforementioned person or object. A further object of the present invention is to provide a bracelet with the aforementioned characstics wherein said fixing means are detachably associated with said band to allow said band to be discarded and said fixing means to be reused, allowing this in a continuous use of the aforementioned repeain the said fixing means. A further object of the present invention is to provide a wristband with the aforementioned characstics, wherein the fixing means incorporate a complete RF identification tag including the antenna, in such a way that the need to fix the RF identification device is eliminated to a separate antenna. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partially sectioned view of a band or body of bracelet detachably connected to the fixing means thereof.

Figure 2 is a partially sectional view of a wrist band and the fixing means with the band portion fixes the fixing means. Figure 3 is a view showing alternative fixing means and a construction of the fixing means. Figure 4 is a sectional view of the fixing means arranged in operative relation with the ends of the fixing means.

PREFERRED MODALITIES OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a portion of an identification wristband 10 including attachment means 12 and attachment means 14. The attachment means 14 are removably attached to the brackets 14. connecting means 12 by a protuberance 16. The protrusion 16 has a slightly elongated upper end which is longer than the coupling hole 17 provided in the adjacent end of the bracelet 10. Therefore, the hole 17 in the bracelet 10 can forced on the slightly elongated tip of the protrusion 16 to hold the bracelet in operative relation with the fastening means 14. However, when the patient or another person finishes using the bracelet, the bracelet may be separated from the operative relationship with the protuberance 16 by a lever action of the end of the bracelet 10 of the operative coupling with the protrusion 16. The joining means are const In the case of a band portion or body 18 of the bracelet 10, said body portion incorporates a space 22 between two sheets 24 and 26. The structure and operation of the bracelet 10 is described in more detail in the patent title of E.U.A. do not. 5,479,797; the present description is limited to the incorporation in the fixing means 14 of an RF circuit 30 that is shown in imaginary line in figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The fixing means are manufactured by any suitable method of a synthetic plastic material. In fact, high density polyethylene can be used to manufacture the fixing means 14 by the injection molding process with the protrusion 16 formed as an integral component thereof. During the injection molding process, an integrated circuit (IC) 30 or an RF identification module in the fixing means 14 is molded in the fixing means 14. Alternatively, a receptacle may be formed in the fixing means 14 and the integrated circuit 30 or the RF identification module can be located in the receptacle for being reused together with the fixing means 14. In space 22, between the sheets 24 and 26, an antenna 33 that can be electrically connected is formed. to the integrated circuit 30 by means of conductive protuberances 32 coupling the corresponding conductors, not shown, in the antenna 33. The antenna 33 can be manufactured together with bracelet 10 by various methods, including aluminum strips, the use of conductive inks or conductive wires. What is shown in Figure 1 is not intended to indicate the requirement length of the antenna 33, since it is determined by the characteristics of the integrated circuit or the RF identification module. The conductive protuberances 32 can be made of any desirable configuration and are not limited to the square boat configuration shown in the figures. For example, conventional cylindrical contacts can be substituted for the square boat bar configuration. As a consequence, the fastening means 14 can be separated from the band portion or body position by the fastening means 12 by releasing the protrusion 16. The band portion 18 or the body 18 the attachment means 12 can be discarded and the means Fixation 14 can be sterilized and reused, as to the admission area. In the admission area, when a patient enters, the integrated circuit 30 can be loaded with important data and associated with the joining means 12 by forcing the hole 17 in the joining means on the protrusion 16 of the fixing means 14 to make the contact, not shown, of the antenna in engagement with the corresponding contact 32 of the integrated circuit or of the RF identification module 30.

Therefore, continuous repeated use of the fixing means 14 and the integrated circuit 30 materially reduce the cost per patient of the RF identification device 10. Although the use of an antenna 33 together with the RF identification module 30 is already It has been described, it should be understood that a self-contained RF identification module can be used with the aforementioned module incorporating its own antenna, thereby eliminating the need to provide an antenna, such as the antenna 33 on the bracelet 10. It is possible to use other means conductors between the antenna 33 and the integrated circuit 30, for example the capacitor circuit described in the co-pending application serial number 60 / 040,143 filed on March 10, 1997, entitled REACTIVELY COUPLED ELEMENTS IN CIRCUITS ON FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATES. The capacitor circuits of the two modes of the application can be applied with equal efficiency to the RF circuit or integrated circuit 30. In addition, the antenna 33 can also be incorporated in the fixing means 14, if the design parameters of the circuit system so indicate. allow. In Figures 3 and 4 there is shown an alternative form of RF identification with the number 40 in includes joining means 42 constituted by an elongated tubular band or band 44 having an internal chamber 46 therein. The construction and mode of operation of the band 44 and the fixing means 60 that are provided for use therein are described in more detail in the co-pending application serial number 08 / 787,757 filed on January 28, 1997, entitled TUBULAR IDENTIFICATION WRISTBAND, the descriptions of these are incorporated by reference in the present invention. The fixing means 60 is made of a suitable synthetic plastic and has an integrated circuit module for identification of RF 62 incorporated therein with a conductive contact or contacts 64 on the surface of the fixing means 60 so that they are coupled to one or more conductors of an antenna 66 located in the chamber 46 of the band or body 44. The integrated circuit 62 is shows in figure 4 of the drawings the opposite ends 68 of the body 44 fixed on the opposite ends of the fixing means 60. In the case where an antenna 66 is used, it is located at an extremity of the chamber 46 and said extremity it is marked to indicate the location of the extremity 68 of the band or body 44 that incorporates the antenna. The antenna 66 can also be fixed or otherwise positioned to the wall of the chamber 46, if desired. In integrated circuit 62 the fixing means 60 is located within and has a contact 64 which can be coupled to a corresponding conductor, not shown, in the antenna 66. In this way, when the fixing means 60 and the joining means 42 they are assembled in the manner shown in Figure 4, the integrated circuit 62 is electrically connected to the antenna 66 and the integrated circuit 62 and the antenna can serve to receive and transmit signals in response to a properly designed reader. When the patient is discharged, the band or body 44 is discarded for hygiene reasons and the fixation means 60 can be sterilized and reused, thereby achieving the economic benefit of re-using the integrated circuit 62. In one embodiment As an alternative to the invention, an integrated circuit may be inserted into the internal chamber 46 of the tubular strip or band 44 of the joining means 42. The integrated circuit may be associated with the identification card conventionally located in the chamber 46 as shown in the application mentioned above with serial number 08 / 787,757, filed on January 28, 1997. In an alternative embodiment, a complete RF identification tag with an antenna can be incorporated in the fastening means 60. In addition, it is also possible to incorporate an integrated RF identification circuit in the cavity of the bracelet or in the cavity bracelet as described in patent no. E.U.A. number 5, 581, 924. After the wristband has been used, the integrated circuit can be removed from the cavity and the wristband discarded. The integrated circuit can be sterilized and reused in the same manner as the integrated circuit of the embodiment described above of the present invention. The teachings of the invention which relate to reusing an important component portion of an identification wristband or the like can be applied with equal effectiveness to a wide variety of devices that will be attached to an object or person whose identity and other data important can be detected for various reasons.

Claims (9)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A radiofrequency device comprising: disposable joining means for placing said device on an object or a person to be identified, said joining means being a bracelet, said bracelet has opposite ends; fastening means that can be attached to the opposite ends of said bracelet to maintain said bracelet in operative relation and that can be removed from the aforementioned extremities when the bracelet is discarded; and radiofrequency identification circuit means located in said fastening means for re-use with the said fastening means with a replacement bracelet after the original bracelet has been discarded.

2. The device according to claim 1, further characterized in that an antenna is located on said bracelet and communicates with said circuit means when said fixing means are operatively connected to said bracelet.

3. A radiofrequency identification device consisting of: disposable joining means having opposite ends; fastening means removably connected to said opposite ends of said joining means for maintaining said joining means in operative relation with an object or a person to be identified; and radiofrequency identification circuit means housed in the aforementioned fastening means that are removable relative to said fastening means of said attachment means for later use with replacement attachment means.

4. The device according to claim 3, further characterized in that the joining means is an identification wristband, whose ends are detachably fixed to said fixing means, said fixing means and radiofrequency circuit means can Reuse after having dismounted from the operative relationship with the aforementioned wristband.

5. The device according to claim 3, further characterized in that the aforementioned joining means are an elongated bracelet having opposite ends, and said fixing means have an opposite end that can be received at the opposite ends of the bracelet mentioned for maintaining said bracelet, said fixing means and said radiofrequency circuit being in operative relation with the object or person to be identified.

6. The device according to claim 5, further characterized in that the antenna means are located in said bracelet and communicates with the aforementioned radiofrequency circuit means.

7. - The fastening means that can be reused have a body with fastening portions thereon, said fastening portions can be coupled to the opposite ends of the disposable fastening means to maintain the aforementioned attachment means on an object or person, said The body has radiofrequency identification circuit facilities located in it.

8. The fastening means according to claim 7, further characterized in that said body has opposite ends that can be coupled to the mentioned ends of said joining means.

9. The fastening means according to claim 7, further characterized in that said body incorporates a cavity for the reception of said opposite ends of said joining means.