CN-114830128-B - Flexible water-resistant sensor label

Abstract

A method for configuring a sensor tag includes printing one or more antennas on a flexible substrate layer using conductive ink, depositing one or more sensors on the flexible substrate layer, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is deposited in electrical contact with at least one of the one or more antennas, and applying a coating over the one or more sensors.

Inventors

• Gopal chandmore
• David toresilapeta

Assignees

• 先讯美资电子有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20201120

Priority Date

20200320

Claims (20)

1. 1. A method for configuring a sensor tag, comprising: Printing one or more antennas on a flexible substrate layer using a conductive ink, wherein the one or more antennas are configured to operate in or on a High Frequency (HF) band; Depositing one or more sensors on the flexible substrate layer, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is deposited in electrical contact with at least one of the one or more antennas, and Applying a coating over the one or more sensors; Wherein the flexible substrate layer comprises a layer over a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) layer.
2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a colorless or colored Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) layer or a polyurethane coated (PU) fabric layer.
3. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer comprises a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) layer, a fabric layer, a polyurethane coated (PU) fabric layer, a nylon plain layer, a polyester plain layer, or a rubber layer.
4. 4. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the layer comprises a layer of fabric; wherein the printing comprises printing on the layer, and Wherein the depositing comprises depositing on the layer.
5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the applying comprises encapsulating the one or more sensors between the layer and the coating.
6. 6. The method according to claim 5, Wherein the coating comprises Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Wherein the applying further comprises leaving a TPU free boundary around the flexible substrate layer.
7. 7. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the layer comprises a fabric layer, and Wherein the applying comprises encapsulating the one or more sensors and at least a portion of the fabric layer within the coating.
8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the coating comprises a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU).
9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the applying further comprises retaining a TPU-free boundary around the fabric layer.
10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors.
11. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) sensor.
12. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensor and an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) sensor.
13. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing comprises screen printing, stencil printing, inkjet printing, or coating.
14. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing comprises printing at least a portion of the one or more antennas in a stripe, rectangular, or curved shape.
15. 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising curing the one or more antennas after the printing and before the depositing.
16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the curing comprises oven drying or thermal curing.
17. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying comprises lamination or heat sealing.
18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the laminating or heat sealing comprises using a heat gun.
19. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive ink comprises conductive nanoparticles in a solvent.
20. 20. A sensor tag, comprising: A flexible substrate layer; One or more antennas printed on the flexible substrate layer using conductive ink, wherein the one or more antennas are configured to operate in or on a High Frequency (HF) band; One or more sensors deposited on the flexible substrate layer, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is deposited in electrical contact with at least one of the one or more antennas, and A coating applied over the one or more sensors; Wherein the flexible substrate layer comprises a layer over a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) layer.

Description

Flexible water-resistant sensor label Cross Reference to Related Applications The application claims the benefit of U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 16/825,448 entitled "Flexible Water-resistant sensor Label (FLEXIBLE WATER-RESISTANT SENSOR TAG)" and filed on even 20/3/2020, U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/941,402 entitled "Flexible Water-resistant sensor Label (FLEXIBLE WATER-RESISTANT SENSOR TAG)" and filed on even 27/11/2019, and U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/939,757 entitled "Flexible Water-resistant sensor Label (FLEXIBLE WATER-RESISTANT SENSOR TAG)" and filed on even 25/11/2019, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to sensor tags (e.g., radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags) that may be attached to or incorporated into textiles or other articles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to thin flexible sensor labels having a waterproof coating. Background In the retail industry, it would be advantageous to provide a sensor tag, such as an RFID tag, that can be attached to a textile or other item so that the sensor tag becomes an integral part of the item (and is difficult to detect). In some aspects, it may also be advantageous to provide a sensor tag, for example, for a garment or the like, which is designed to be permanently attached to the garment. Such labels need to be highly waterproof to prevent water penetration by repeated washings. One disadvantage of using RFID and other sensor devices to tag items against theft is that the thief typically sees the tag itself. In many cases, shoplifters can locate the RFID tag and simply remove, disable, or shield the RFID element to evade detection by the exit RFID reader. In particular, because of the increasing importance of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in retail logistics, there is a need for a less obtrusive, smaller, more difficult to detect RFID solution. Some known systems use electronics (electronic thread) technology, allowing integration of electronics into textiles. In one aspect, the microelectronic component (e.g., RFID chip) may be attached to the fabric using conductive wires (e.g., electronic wires) woven into the fabric. The electronics provide a metal antenna for the RFID chip. In another aspect, a pattern of conductive ink may be applied to the fabric to form an electronic circuit containing electronic components attached to the fabric. On the other hand, allows fully functional self-contained electronic components to be fully encased within a length of wire or yarn. These threads or thread segments can be woven into the textile. In one example, the RFID chip, antenna, and associated energy harvesting circuitry may be contained within a length of wire or yarn. In yet other examples, other loss prevention techniques may be included within a portion of the thread or yarn. It is highly advantageous to insert the RFID tag and antenna directly into the textile/garment to be protected by the RFID tag. As described above, known techniques involve wrapping the RFID component in a thread or yarn that may be sewn into the fabric. However, this is difficult and requires a special machine to mount the wire to the cloth. For physical strength, the wire is coated with a thick coating. This allows the line to be perceived when touching the garment and to be seen after ironing the garment. In addition, the cost of this solution is high. The current solution has thicker RFID-containing wires, which cannot meet the needs of customers. Disclosure of Invention The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. The present disclosure provides systems, devices, and methods for providing a sealed and flexible sensor tag. In one aspect, a method for configuring a sensor tag includes printing one or more antennas on a flexible substrate layer using conductive ink, depositing one or more sensors on the flexible substrate layer, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is deposited in electrical contact with at least one of the one or more antennas, and applying a coating over the one or more sensors. In another aspect, a sensor tag includes a flexible substrate layer, one or more antennas printed on the flexible substrate layer using conductive ink, one or more sensors deposited on the flexible substrate layer, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is deposited in electrical contact with at least one of the one or more antennas, and a coating applied over the one or more s