Method for producing an electrically conductive pattern on a substrate, wherein the method comprising the steps of forming an adhesive layer in a predetermined pattern on a substrate, adding electrically conductive solid particles onto the adhesive layer, wherein the particles stick onto the adhesive, heating the solid particles with electromagnetic radiation wherein the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum are in the range 600-1400 nm, preferably in the range 700-1200 nm, such that the temperature of the particles exceeding their characteristic melting point, and pressing the heated particles against the substrate in a nip, wherein the particles are flattened, such that the particles electrically connect to each other and thereby form the conductive pattern.

An embodiment of the present invention is an IC chip mounting apparatus includes: a conveyor configured to convey an antenna continuous body on a conveying surface, the antenna continuous body having a base material and plural inlay antennas continuously formed on the base material, the antenna continuous body having an adhesive and an IC chip placed at a reference position of each of the antennas; a measurement unit configured to measure an interval between adjacent two of the antennas of the antenna continuous body; a press unit moving machine configured to sequentially feed out press units each having a pressing surface, from a waiting position, to move each of the press units along the conveying surface; and a controller configured to control timing of feeding out each of the press units from the waiting position based on the interval measured by the measurement unit, so that the pressing surface of each of the press units presses a predetermined region containing the reference position of each of the antennas on the conveying surface.

Various embodiments of RFID switch devices are disclosed herein. Such RFID switch devices advantageously enable manual activation/deactivation of the RF module. The RFID switch device may include a RF module with an integrated circuit adapted to ohmically connect to a substantially coplanar conductive trace pattern, as well as booster antenna for extending the operational range of the RFID device. The operational range of the RFID switch device may be extended when a region of the booster antenna overlaps a region of the conductive trace pattern on the RF module via inductive or capacitive coupling. In some embodiments, all or a portion of the booster antenna may at least partially shield the RF module when the RFID switch device is in an inactive state.

Systems and methods are provided for labeling a piece of merchandise with a wireless communication device. In addition to a wireless communication device, the merchandise tag includes an associated label made of a washable fabric material. The wireless communication device is incorporated into the label and includes an RFID chip and a slot-loop hybrid antenna, with the antenna including a conductor sheet that defines a slot. The label is secured to a piece of merchandise at a sew line, with the sew line dividing the label into an upper portion and a lower portion. The RFID chip and the slot of the antenna are positioned within the upper portion of the label, which may itself be positioned within a seam or neckline or waistband of the piece of merchandise.

In an IC tag issuing apparatus including a plurality of row antenna units arranged by facing the IC tags in multiple rows aligned as an IC tag continuous body in each row, respectively, and conducting communication in an electromagnetic induction method with each of the IC tags of the IC tag continuous body by using a plurality of the row antenna units, a plurality of the row antenna units are arranged in a row direction or in a direction along a conveyance direction of the IC tag continuous body, and each of the row antenna units is electromagnetically shielded except the position faced with the IC tags of the IC tag continuous body (by a shield plate and an antenna case).

A surgical product supply system includes a cart having a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment has first, second, third and fourth walls. The first and second walls are constructed of radio-reflective material and the third and fourth walls are constructed of a radio-absorptive material. The first compartment has a first storage area. A first RFID antenna array is attached to the first wall and is positioned within the first storage area. The first RFID antenna array includes a first plurality of RFID antennas. A second RFID antenna array is attached to the second wall and is positioned within the first storage area. The second RFID antenna array includes a second plurality of RFID antennas. The first RFID antenna is offset relative to the second RFID antenna such that opposing central axes of the first and second RFID antennas are not colinear.

The invention concerns a label 1 for marking containers or equipment by adhering the label to a surface thereof, the label 1 comprising a support material base 11, at least one RFID microelectronic device 5c included in the support material base 11, and a plurality of antennas 5a,5b for different frequency ranges connected with the at least one RFID microelectronic device 5c and included in the support material base 11, wherein the plurality of antennas 5a, 5b include a first antenna 5a for the frequency range of 860 to 960 MHz and having a theoretical read range peak of more than 4 m when provided on a glass surface, wherein the label has a dimension of 40 mm*20 mm or less.

A wearable electronic device is described. The wearable electronic device includes two communications antennae. A first antenna of the two is a current-carrying antenna electrically and physically connected to a printed circuit board of the wearable electronic device and housed in a first portion of a housing that is configured for mounting on a person's skin. A second antenna of the two is a scatterer antenna physically connected to an interior surface of a second portion of the housing and configured to overlap a portion of the current-carrying antenna. The second portion of the housing faces away from the person's skin when the wearable device is mounted on the person's skin. Current from the current-carrying antenna is induced in the scatterer antenna to enable communications between the wearable electronic device and one or more other electronic devices.

An energy conversion device disposed in series with an RF driver circuit and an RF antenna, the energy conversion device being arranged to convert a portion of available RF power from the RF driver circuit into a different form of energy (direct current, thermal, or higher frequency electromagnetic waves such as light) which is converted, if needed, to DC and stored in an energy storage device coupled with the RF driver circuit for supplying recycled electrical energy thereto. The RF antenna may be an electrically small antenna and thus a antenna matching network may be provided between the RF driver circuit and the RF antenna. The energy conversion device may comprise, for example, (i) a transformer in combination with a rectifying circuit, (ii) a full wave rectifier, (iii) a half wave rectifier, (iv) a heat and/or light producing device, an energy converter (such as a generator) or a combination of the foregoing.

A “core” or “inlay” for a smartcard may comprise a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and may be formed by folding a single metal layer upon itself. A module cavity may be formed in the first metal layer by laser cutting, prior to laminating. An adhesive layer may be disposed between the two metal layers. A module opening may be formed in the second metal layer by milling, after laminating the first metal layer to the second metal layer. A slit in a metal layer may extend from an outer edge of the layer to the cavity or opening, thereby forming a coupling frame. The slit may have a termination hole at either end or at both ends of the slit. The slits of two metal layers may be positioned differently than one another.