MULTI-FUNCTIONAL TAG FOR THROUGHOUT THE PLANT LIFE CYCLE

Abstract

A multi-functional tag for marking cultivated plants and agricultural product throughout the whole plant and product cycle.

Claims

1-21. (canceled)

22. A multi-functional one-piece tag for marking a plant throughout a life cycle of the plant, comprising: A. a first layer comprising visual data; B. a second layer comprising electronic circuit; C. a layer comprising an electronic circuit; and D. at least one layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive configured to bind said two layers; wherein said tag comprises elements configured to attach to the plant in a plurality of modes of attachment.

23. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein at least one of the following is true: A. said first layer is laminated to said layer comprising an electronic circuit using pressure sensitive adhesive; B. said adhesive is selected from a group consisting of acrylic, acrylate, silicone, polyurethane and rubber; and C. said pressure-sensitive adhesive binding said second and layer comprising an electronic circuits is characterized as a low-tack pressure-sensitive adhesive.

24. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein at least one of the following is true: A. each of said layers have a thickness of at least 50 microns; and B. said layers are constructed from a material selected from a group consisting of HDPE, PP, PE, PVC, PC, PET, TPU and PA.

25. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein said visual data is selected from a group consisting of graphics, printed characters or barcodes.

26. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein said layer comprising an electronic circuit additionally comprises an electronic communication unit, at least one of the following being true: A. said electronic communication unit comprises an antenna and integrated circuit (IC); B. said layer comprising an electronic circuit additionally comprises a battery; and C. said electronic communication unit is characterized as RFID, NFC or BLE.

27. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein said plurality of modes of attachment are selected from a group consisting of attaching to at least one part of a plant, attaching to at least part of a container, inserting in the earth or placing on the earth.

28. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein said tag additionally comprises perforation placed between at least two of said plurality of modes of attachment.

29. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein said first and second layers are configured as at least one sticker.

30. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 22, wherein at least one of the following is true: A. at least one of said plurality of modes of attachment comprises attachment for marking a packaged plant or plant part; and B. at least one of said plurality of modes of attachment comprises attachment for marking a harvested plant, plant part or package.

31. A multi-functional one-piece tag for marking a plant thorough out a life cycle of the plant, comprising: A. at least one attachment for marking at least one of the position of said plant or plant product, or the container of said plant or plant product; and B. at least one attachment for marking said plant; wherein said tag comprises three layers: a first layer comprising visual data; a second layer comprising electronic circuit; a layer comprising an electronic circuit; and at least one layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive configured to bind said layers.

32. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein at least one of the following is true: a. said first layer is laminated to said layer comprising an electronic circuit using pressure sensitive adhesive; b. said adhesive is selected from a group consisting of acrylic, acrylate, silicone, polyurethane and rubber; and c. said pressure-sensitive adhesive binding said second and layer comprising an electronic circuits is characterized as a low-tack pressure-sensitive adhesive.

33. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein at least one of the following is true: a. each of said layers have a thickness of at least 50 microns; and b. said layers are constructed from a material selected from a group consisting of HDPE, PP, PE, PVC, PC, PET, TPU and PA.

34. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein said visual data is selected from a group consisting of graphics, printed characters or barcodes.

35. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein said layer comprising an electronic circuit additionally comprises an electronic communication unit, at least one of the following being true: a. said electronic communication unit comprises an antenna and integrated circuit (IC); b. said layer comprising an electronic circuit additionally comprises a battery; and c. said electronic communication unit is characterized as RFID, NFC or BLE.

36. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein said plurality of modes of attachment are selected from a group consisting of attaching to at least one part of a plant, attaching to at least part of a container, inserting in the earth or placing on the earth.

37. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein said tag additionally comprises perforation placed between at least two of said plurality of modes of attachment.

38. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein said first and second layers are configured as at least one sticker.

39. The multi-functional one-piece tag of claim 31, wherein at least one of the following is true: a. at least one of said plurality of modes of attachment comprises attachment for marking a packaged plant or plant part; and b. at least one of said plurality of modes of attachment comprises attachment for marking a harvested plant, plant part or package.

40. A method of marking a plant throughout a life cycle of the plant, comprising steps of: A. obtaining a multi-functional one-piece tag comprising: i. a first layer comprising visual data; ii. a second layer comprising electronic circuit; iii. a layer comprising an electronic circuit; and iv. a pressure-sensitive adhesive configured to bind said two layers; B. marking the seed position of a plant in the ground or a container with said tag, using a first mode of attachment; C. attaching the multi-functional one-piece tag to said plant using a second mode of attachment, at such time as said plant is strong enough to hold said tag, wherein said tag is attached to ground or a container using said first mode of attachment and is attached to said plant using said second mode of attachment.

41. The method of claim 40, additionally comprising at least one of the following steps: a. tracking the growth of said plant, said tracking being conducted by reading visual or electronic data of said tag; and b. attaching said multi-functional one-piece tag to a package containing a harvested plant, plant part or plant product.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention wherein:

[0053] FIG. 1 - presents a schematic representation of a tag with two segments

[0054] FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c - presents a schematic representation of a multi-layer tag

[0055] FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c - demonstrates an example of the tag of the present invention

[0056] FIG. 4 - presents an embodiment of the tag of the present invention

[0057] FIG. 5 - presents an embodiment of the tag of the present invention

[0058] FIG. 6 - presents a method of manufacturing the tag of the present invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0059] The following description is provided, alongside all chapters of the present invention, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make use of the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out this invention. Various modifications, however, are adapted to remain apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined specifically to provide compositions and methods.

[0060] In this application the term “Radio-frequency identification (RFID)” refers to and identification system that uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify at item with a label (or tag). In many embodiments, an RFID system consists of a radio receiver, a (tiny) radio transponder and transmitter. When triggered by an electromagnetic interrogation pulse from a nearby RFID reader, the tag transmits a signal comprising digital data, such as an identifying inventory number, to the reader. This system can enable the rapid identification and tracking of items and containers.

[0061] In this application the term “Near-field communication” (NFC) refers to a technology which can be used for contactless exchange of data over short distances. There a numerous NFC standard that regulate communication protocols and data exchange formats for NFC device(s).

[0062] In this application the term “ Bluetooth Low Energy” (Bluetooth LE or BLE) refers to a low energy protocol that acts as a wireless personal area network technology. What else does BLE need?

[0063] Passive BLE is like passive RFID - there is an antenna and IC, the energy come from a reader or gateway, there is an energy harvesting and the response is transmitted back to the reader/gateway.

[0064] As used herein, the term “thermoplastic” (or “thermosoftening plastic”) refers to a plastic or polymer material that becomes pliable (and therefore moldable) when heated at or above a certain temperature and solidifies upon cooling.

[0065] As used herein, the term “PE” refers to polyethylene (or polythene), a commonly used thermoplastic polymer. “HDPE” (or “PEHD”) refers to High-density polyethylene (or polyethylene high-density). Other common thermoplastic polymers that can be used are Polypropylene (also known as polypropene) ‘PP’, Polyvinyl chloride “PVC”, Polycarbonates “PC”, Polyethylene terephthalate “PET” or “PETE” and polyamide “PA”.

[0066] Unless otherwise stated, with reference to numerical quantities, the term “about” refers to a tolerance of ±25% of the stated nominal value.

[0067] Unless otherwise stated, all numerical ranges are inclusive of the stated limits of the range.

Detailed Description of the Present Invention

[0068] Identification tag was developed to serve as an integral part of a monitoring system and as a tool for success in a convenient and reliable solution for different types of agricultural crops tracking. The tag is designated to accompany the plant at all stages, from the moment it is implanted until it is harvested.

[0069] RFID labels can be characterized as active or passive. Passive tags are powered by energy of the radio waves, emitted by the RFID reader. Active tags additionally comprise a power source (such as a battery) and can therefore be read by the RFID reader at much greater ranges (up to hundreds of meters).

[0070] The RFID can be replaced by any passive element that is able to transmit and/or receive RF (RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, BLE or any other frequency on the spectrum).

[0071] In some embodiments, two NFC-capable devices (such a tag and a reader) can be connected via a point-to-point contact over a distance of up to 20 cm. This connection can be used to exchange data (such as process data and maintenance and service information) between the devices.

[0072] NFC is based on inductive coupling between two “antennas” in the NFC-enabled devices (such as a tap and a reader) to enable communicating in one or both directions. NFC typically used a frequency of 13.56.

[0073] The current invention, is described as follows:

[0074] A single tag, with a multiple mode of attachment or connection and operation, without the need of any additional components for continued use, throughout the plant different stages of growth. Reference is made to FIG. 1, showing a schematic representation of a tag 10 with two segments, one segment for attaching to a plant 11, and one segment for attaching to a container or the earth 12, with the tag having a segment having information regarding the plant 13.

[0075] In some embodiments, the tag has at least two modes: [0076] The first is configured for the first stage(s) of the plant’s life cycle. For the first stages of grown the tag is configured to not need the support of the plant for marking the plant. The tag could be placed in the ground next to each young seedling, contain s spike-like segment for inserting into the ground of a holder for attaching to the plant container. [0077] The second is configured for attaching to a mature plant. In some embodiments, the plant is mature enough to support the weight of the tag. In some embodiments, the tag can be connected to the seedling using tie (such as a zip tie, a tie etc) that is bound to the stronger part of the plant (such as the seedling’s main stem), through the hole that is placed on the top of the tag.

[0078] In some embodiments, the tag can be separated from the first mode of attachment, when the second mode is utilized. The separation can be by the use of scissors (or another blade), or by inserting a perforation during production.

[0079] In some embodiments, the tag(s) can be delivered in a continuous-roll form factor. The continuous-roll form enables continuous manufacturing, a process which is very efficient. It is also enabling the option to print and encode the tag(s) on site using RFID/BLE printers.

[0080] The tag of the present invention comprises three layers (FIG. 2a) [0081] 1. A top/outer layer 21 constructed from a weather resistant material (such as PP, PE, PVC, PC, PET, PA or a blend thereof), at a thickness of 50-1000 .Math.m. In some embodiments, the outer layer contains visual/graphic data, such as a barcode, text, and graphics. [0082] 2. A middle layer 23 comprising an electronic element (such as a RFID or BLE element), such as Gen2 UHF RFID inlay or any other RF element. In some embodiments, the middle layer has a smaller surface size that the two protective layers. [0083] 3. A bottom layer 22 constructed from a weather resistant material (such as PP, PE, PVC, PC, PET, PA or a mixture thereof), at a thickness of 50-1000 .Math.m.

[0084] The tag additionally comprises two layers of pressure-sensitive-adhesive 24(a,b), positioned to bond the three layers.

[0085] Reference is made to FIGS. 2(b,c), showing other embodiments of the tag: [0086] 1. A top/outer layer 21ʹ constructed from a weather resistant material (such as PP, PE, PVC, PC, PET, PA or a blend thereof), at a thickness of 50-1000 .Math.m. In some embodiments, the outer layer contains visual/graphic data, such as a barcode, text, and graphics. [0087] 2. A middle layer 23′ comprising an electronic element (such as a RFID or BLE element), such as Gen2 UHF RFID inlay or any other RF element. In some embodiments, the middle layer has a smaller surface size that the two protective layers. [0088] 3. A bottom layer 22′ constructed from a weather resistant material (such as PP, PE, PVC, PC, PET, PA or a mixture thereof), at a thickness of 50-1000 .Math.m.

[0089] The tag additionally comprises one (FIG. 2b) or two layers (FIG. 2c) of pressure-sensitive-adhesive 24′(a,b), positioned to bond the three layers.

[0090] The RFID component comprises 2 main elements: [0091] an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal. The antenna can be produced by printing (with conductive ink), die cut aluminum/cupper, etching (on another carrier) and [0092] an integrated circuit (IC), a microchip, configured to store and process information and modulates and demodulates radio-frequency (RF) signals. The IC can be connected by various methods, such as flip chip and direct chip.

[0093] In some embodiments, the data is stored in a non-volatile memory, inside the IC.

[0094] The RFID tag can comprise fixed or programmable logic for processing the transmission and sensor data, respectively. Tags can be characterized as read-only (having a factory-assigned ID number), or as read/write (where ID data can be written into the tag by the system user).

[0095] The RFID tag can be categorized as passive, active or power-assisted passive. An active tag has a power source (such as a battery), enabling the transmission of its (ID) signal. A power-assisted passive tag has a power source (such as a small battery) and is activated in the presence of an RFID reader. A passive uses the radio energy transmitted by the reader.

Example 1

[0096] Reference is made to FIG. 3a, showing the construct of an embodiment of the invention, comprising a plurality of tags 31, having an electronic element 32, a sharp section 33 and an opening for tying the tag 34, connected by a perforation 35 for easy separation. The separated tag can be placed on the ground, next to the seed (or seedling), before being attached to the larger plant.

[0097] Reference is made to FIG. 3b, showing the tag 31, connected to a bag 36, with the tie opening 34 and to FIG. 3c, showing the tag 31, connected to a plant 37, with the tie opening 34.

Example 2

[0098] Reference is made to FIG. 4, showing the construct of an embodiment of the invention, showing a tag, comprising a main body 41, having an electronic element 42, connected to a spike 43, configured to placing in the earth and to two ties 45′/45″, configured to tying to the plant. In some embodiment, the spike 43 and main body 41, are attached by a perforation 44 for easy separation. The spike-tag can be placed in the ground, next to the seed (or seedling), while the plant is note strong enough to hold the weight of the tag.

Example 3

[0099] Reference is made to FIG. 5, showing the construct of an embodiment of the invention, comprising a tag 31, having one or more removable electronic element and barcode label 32, that can be peeled off from the tag, so as to be stuck on a package or a document. In some embodiments, this came be used as a sticker or post-it.

Example 4

[0100] Reference is made to FIG. 6, showing a method of constructing the tag of the present invention, comprising feeding a reel of the plastic film 61, a reel of the electronic element 62, a reel of the plastic film 63, and being placing in a die cutter 64, to produce the final product 65, a roll of tags.