Radio frequency identification tag having a printed antenna and method

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Radio frequency identification tags in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention utilize a printed antenna formed onto a substrate.
The substrate may form a portion of an article, a package, a package container, a ticket, a waybill, a label and/or an identification badge.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a coupling region is formed in the printed pattern by forming, by print depositing conductive ink, a conductive pattern on a substrate and then precisely forming coupling regions in the conductive pattern relative to the substrate.
Referring to FIG.
1 of the drawings, shown in exploded assembly view a radio frequency identification tag 14 includes a radio frequency identification tag circuit chip ("circuit chip") 12 secured to an antenna 10.
Antenna 10 may form the basis for or a portion of a personal identification badge, a ticket, a waybill, a label, a package container (such as a box or envelope), a portion thereof or the like.
As will also be appreciated, antenna 10 may also form a basis for a radio frequency identification tag circuit chip assembly (i.
e.
, substrate and conductive pattern) as described in the aforementioned United States Patent Application entitled "Radio Frequency Identification Tag Having an Article Integrated Antenna" without departing from the fair scope of the present invention.
As seen, antenna 10 includes a conductive pattern 22 disposed upon a substrate 16.
With continued reference to FIG.
1, substrate 16 may be paper, plastic (including polyester and metalized polyester material), synthetic paper, reinforced paper, cardboard, synthetic paper coated cardboard and the like chosen for the particular application.
Substrate 16 includes a first surface 18 and a second surface 20.
Formed on first surface 18 is a conductive pattern 22 including a first antenna element 24 and a second antenna element 26.
Each of first antenna element 24 and second antenna element 26 are formed from a conductive material that is bonded or otherwise formed on substrate 16