Reusable Visitor Badge With E-Paper Display And Wi-Fi Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing visitor identification badge systems are complex, unreliable, and lack authentication capabilities, often failing on certain fabrics and requiring cumbersome printing processes, which can lead to fraudulent issuance and inadequate tracking of visitors in restricted access facilities.
Innovation Solution
A reusable identification badge system featuring an image relaying device, base station with docking receptacle, e-paper display, and RFID/Wi-Fi transponder for secure and efficient communication and tracking of visitor information, allowing for real-time and historical location monitoring, and enabling easy authentication and access control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If adhesive backings are used on visitor badges, then badges can be easily attached to clothing, but they fail on certain fabrics (e.g., heavy woven wool) or are too aggressive on others (e.g., lightweight silk)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable adhesive-backed labels for visitor badges that can be easily applied and removed. These single-use labels are designed to be cost-effective and functional for temporary visitor identification without requiring durable attachment mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between ease of attachment and reliability for temporary use cases.
2Adaptability or versatility
If label printers are used to print visitor information, then badges can be customized with visitor details, but printers break down or run out of ink at inopportune times
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-prints visitor information on adhesive labels before visitors arrive. This preliminary action ensures that customized badges are ready for immediate distribution without requiring functional printers during peak arrival times, eliminating the reliability issue while maintaining customization capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates physical copies of visitor information on pre-printed labels rather than relying on continuous printer operation. This copying approach allows customized badges to be prepared in advance and distributed without requiring the original printing equipment to be available during visitor check-in.
3Productivity
If generic visitor badges are used, then issuance is simple and fast, but they do not provide authentication capability to verify the person's identity
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the simplicity of generic badge issuance with authentication capability by integrating a photograph of the visitor directly onto the badge label. This combination maintains fast issuance speeds while adding verification capability, as security personnel can quickly visually verify the visitor's identity against their photograph without complex procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses color-coded elements on the badges (such as colored borders or background elements) to indicate different visitor types, authorization levels, or badge validity states. This visual coding system provides quick authentication and categorization while maintaining simple badge issuance, resolving the contradiction between speed and verification capability.
4Reliability
If complex security badge systems are used, then authentication and tracking capabilities are enhanced, but the system becomes very complex and unsuitable for visitor badges
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential authentication elements needed for visitor badges (photograph, name, visit purpose, expiration time) from complex employee security badge systems. By taking out only the necessary components and eliminating unnecessary complexity, the system provides adequate authentication for visitors while maintaining simplicity suitable for temporary use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments visitor badge functionality into discrete, simple elements: photograph for identification, printed text for basic information, and validity period for time-limited access. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function independently without requiring the integrated complexity of employee badge systems, resolving the contradiction between authentication capability and system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An identification badge system having an image relaying device for communicating an electronic image, a base station for communicating with the image relaying device, a readiness indicator, and a reusable badge. The badge has a housing, a colored e-paper display, a radio frequency identification tag, and a Wi-Fi transponder and related circuitry that sends radio frequency signals to Wi-Fi routers or Bluetooth beacons in the facility using the system for real-time location tracking of the badge using GPS. Backscatter can be used to encode information on the Wi-Fi signals with little or no battery energy. Tracking information can be stored apart from the badge. The base station has at least one docking receptacle for docking the badge for charging only or also for communication of the electronic image to the badge e-paper display and for erasing the image from the display.