Golf ball with encapsulated RFID chip

An RFID ball reading system, the system comprising,

• an RFID reader that includes an antenna;
• and
• a spherical compressible ball having an RFID tag, the ball including,
• an RFID integrated circuit that includes a memory configured to store at least one unique identifier;
• an encapsulating material that encapsulates the RFID integrated circuit to form an encapsulated RFID integrated circuit;
• a plurality of RFID contact pads that are electrically coupled to the encapsulated RFID integrated circuit;
• a wire that is electrically coupled to one of the plurality of RFID contact pads
• a plurality of stranded wires that is electrically coupled to the wire, the wire having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the plurality of stranded wires;
• a molded compressible core that includes a molded impression configured to receive the encapsulated RFID integrated circuit and the plurality of stranded wires;
• and
• a molded shell that further encapsulates the molded compressible core.

A method for embedding an RFID integrated circuit into a compressible ball, the method comprising:

• placing a compressible compound in a mold that includes a projection;
• heating the compressible compound in the mold;
• removing the mold;
• generating a molded compressible core that includes a molded impression of the projection;
• encapsulating the RFID integrated circuit in an encapsulating material to form an encapsulated RFID integrated circuit;
• placing the encapsulated RFID integrated circuit into the molded impression such that the encapsulated RFID integrated circuit is disposed within a golf ball core, the RFID integrated circuit including a memory with at least one unique identifier, wherein the encapsulated RFID integrated circuit is electrically coupled to a plurality of RFID contact pads, at least one of the plurality of RFID contact pads electrically coupled to a wire, the wire electrically coupled to a plurality of stranded wires, the wire having a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the plurality of stranded wires;
• and
• further encapsulating the molded compressible core in a molded shell.