Integrated document holder and RFID tag
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsJohn Charles Weller, Clayton Craig Bonnell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated document holder and RFID tag device is disclosed herein. The document holder may take the form of a shipping envelope which is affixed to an item and carries documents related to the item such as a packing list or shipping manifest. The device includes an RFID tag integrated into the shipping envelope which allows both the RFID tag and the shipping envelope to be affixed to the item in a single labor effort.
Claims28
A document holding device comprising:
- a front layer;
- a back layer configured to be connected to an external surface of an item, the back layer being removably connected to at least a portion of the front layer such that when the portion of the front layer is connected to the back layer a receptacle for receiving an object is defined between the front and back layers, and such that when the portion of the front layer is removed from connection with the back layer, the receptacle is not defined;
- and
- an RFID inlay secured in the back layer for retaining an RFID tag in a fixed position relative to the back layer both when the portion of the front layer is connected to the back layer and when it is removed therefrom.
A method of tracking an item in a transportation network, the method comprising:
- writing data regarding the item to an RFID tag, the RFID tag being embedded in a first layer of a document holder which comprises said first layer and a second layer removably connected to the first layer so as to form a receptacle between a portion of the first and second layers;
- and
- affixing the first layer of the document holder to an external surface of the item;
- and
- at a destination in the transportation network, removing at least a portion of the second layer from connection with the first layer such that the receptacle is no longer formed between the portion of the first and second layers.
A document holding device for connection to an external surface of an item comprising:
- a member having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface having at least a portion that is removably connected to the inner surface so as to define a receptacle therebetween;
- an RFID tag permanently mounted on said inner surface;
- and
- an affixing means attached to said inner surface for attaching the inner surface to the item;
- wherein when the portion of the outer surface is removed from connection with the inner surface, the receptacle is no longer defined therebetween.
A document holding device comprising:
- a first layer;
- a second layer configured to be connected to an external surface of an item and positioned to cooperate with the first layer in defining a receptacle for receiving an object there between, wherein the second layer is configured such that at least a portion thereof is removable from cooperation with the first layer so that the receptacle is no longer defined therebetween;
- and
- an RFID inlay secured in the first layer for retaining an RFID tag in a fixed position relative to the first layer.
An integrated document holder and RFID tag device comprising:
- a first layer;
- and
- a second layer including a means for affixing the second layer to an external surface of an item, the second layer having an RFID inlay for securing an RFID tag in a fixed position relative to the second layer, wherein the first layer is positioned with respect to the second layer so as to define a document carrying area between the first layer and the second layer, and wherein the first layer is configured such that at least a portion thereof is removable from cooperation with the second layer such that the document carrying area is no longer defined between the first and second layers.
A document holding device comprising:
- a first and second sheet positioned to form a gap for receiving documents, wherein said first sheet includes a means for affixing the first sheet to an external surface of an item and wherein at least a portion of the second sheet is removably connected to the first sheet such that upon removal of the portion of the second sheet from connection with the first sheet, the gap is no longer formed;
- and
- an RFID tag permanently affixed to said first sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.