Flexible Currency Tracking Device with Segmented Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing currency anti-theft devices lack the necessary realism to disguise tracking and recovery devices effectively, making it difficult to distinguish them from real currency packs, thereby reducing their effectiveness in deterring theft.
Innovation Solution
A flexible electronic tracking device is designed to mimic a stack of currency, featuring a power pack with spaced power cells and a flexible printed circuit board that allows the device to bend and flex like real currency, incorporating wireless communication and GPS modules within a housing that resembles a stack of currency bills, providing remote tracking capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid housing is used for the tracking device, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility and realism are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) as the substrate for mounting electronic components instead of a rigid housing. The FPC allows the tracking device to bend and flex while maintaining structural integrity and electrical connectivity. This flexible substrate enables the device to adapt to curved surfaces and maintain a realistic appearance when inserted in currency packs, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and flexibility.
2Volume of moving object
If electronic components are densely packed, then device size is reduced, but flexibility and center of mass balance are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power supply into multiple separate power cells distributed across the flexible printed circuit board rather than using a single dense battery pack. This segmentation allows the device to maintain a larger surface area for flexibility while distributing weight to achieve proper center of mass balance. The spaced arrangement of power cells prevents excessive density in any one location, preserving the device's ability to flex naturally.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible substrate is used, then flexibility and realism are improved, but manufacturing precision and component mounting are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) as the substrate, which is specifically designed to provide both flexibility and precise component mounting capabilities. The FPC incorporates rigid mounting areas with precise holes and pads for securing electronic components, while maintaining overall flexibility through its thin-film construction. This resolves the contradiction by providing localized rigidity for manufacturing precision while preserving global flexibility for realism.
4Adaptability or versatility
If power cells are spaced apart, then flexibility and center of mass balance are improved, but energy density is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the power supply into multiple smaller power cells arranged in a distributed pattern across the flexible substrate rather than using a single large battery. This segmentation improves flexibility by allowing the device to bend without concentrated rigid sections, and enables better center of mass balance through strategic positioning. While energy density per unit area decreases, the total energy capacity is maintained through the combined output of multiple cells connected in series or parallel configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic tracking device comprising: a first power cell positioned on a first portion of a substrate; a second power cell positioned on a second portion of the substrate, the second power cell being spaced apart from the first power cell by a gap; the substrate comprising a flexible printed circuit board having a flexure disposed along a central transverse axis of the substrate between the first portion and the second portion of the substrate, the flexure being bendable to allow the first portion to move relative to the second portion between a first configuration wherein the first portion is substantially coplanar with the second portion of the substrate and a second configuration wherein the first portion and the second portion of the substrate forms an angle of greater than or less than about 180 degrees, wherein, in the first configuration, a center of mass of the electronic tracking device is located in the gap between the first power cell and the second power cell.