Systems and methods for monitoring condition compliance via RFID tag

• US 10,360,488 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2018
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Steven J., Stiefel, Tom, Taulbee, Alvin S., Tingler, Jeremy R., Sunday, Eugene P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Odom, Curtis B
• Application Number:
  US16/144,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20190095770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/04 for conservation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/045 the record carrier being of the non-contact type, e.g. RFID, and being specially adapted for attachment to a disc, e.g. a CD or DVD
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/072 the record carrier comprising a plurality of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein useful to monitoring condition compliance. In some embodiments, an RFID tag comprises a first chip and a second chip, an antenna, a switch, wherein the switch is configured to switchably connect the first chip and the second chip to the antenna based on occurrence of a condition, a memory device, and a control circuit configured to write, in response to a connection between the first chip and the antenna, a first marker and an indication of a first state to the memory device, write, in response to a connection between the second chip and the antenna, a second marker and an indication of a second state to the memory device, determine an amount of time in which compliance was not met, and transmit, to an RFID reader, an indication of the amount of time in which compliance was not met.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for monitoring condition compliance, the RFID tag comprising:

a first chip and a second chip;

an antenna;

a switch, wherein the switch is configured to switchably connect the first chip to the antenna and the second chip to the antenna based on occurrence of a condition;

a memory device; and

a control circuit, the control circuit configured to;

write, in response to a connection between the first chip and the antenna, a first marker and an indication of a first state to the memory device;

write, in response to a connection between the second chip and the antenna, a second marker and an indication of a second state to the memory device;

determine, based on the second marker and the first marker, an amount of time in which compliance was not met; and

transmit, to an RFID reader, an indication of the amount of time in which compliance was not met.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the switch is one or more of a bimetallic strip, a conductive material, a liquid, and a metallic liquid.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the condition is one or more of a temperature, a magnetic field, and a humidity level.

4. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the first marker and the second marker are time stamps.

5. The RFID tag of claim 4, wherein the determination of the amount of time in which compliance was not met is based on a difference between the first marker and the second marker.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine, based on the amount of time in which compliance was not met, a total out of compliance time.

7. The RFID tag of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the total out of compliance time exceeds a threshold; and

transmit, to the RFID reader, an indication that the total out of compliance time exceeds the threshold.

8. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the condition is a temperature and the switch comprises one of a bimetallic strip and mercury.

9. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the indication of the first state is that the first chip is connected to the antenna and the indication of the second state is that the second chip is connected to the antenna.

10. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the switch is a bimetallic strip, wherein the bimetallic strip comprises a first material and a second material, and wherein a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion for the first material and a coefficient of thermal expansion for the second material is at least 1×

10<sup>−

6</sup> inches per inch-degrees Fahrenheit.

11. A method for monitoring condition compliance using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the method comprising:

toggling, based on occurrence and non-occurrence of a condition, a switch between a first chip of an RFID tag and a second chip of the RFID tag to switchably connect the first chip of the RFID tag to an antenna and the second chip of the RFID tag to the antenna;

writing, in response to a connection between the first chip and the antenna, a first marker and an indication of a first state to a memory device of the RFID tag;

writing, in response to a connection between the second chip and the antenna, a second marker and an indication of a second state to the memory device of the RFID tag;

determining, based on the second marker and the first marker, an amount of time in which compliance was not met; and

transmitting, to an RFID reader, an indication of the amount of time in which compliance was not met.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the switch is one or more of a bimetallic strip, a conductive material, a liquid, and a metallic liquid.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the condition is one or more of a temperature, a magnetic field, and a humidity level.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first marker and the second marker are time stamps.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determination of the amount of time in which compliance was not met is based on a difference between the first marker and the second marker.

16. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the amount of time in which compliance was not met, a total out of compliance time.

17. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising:

determining that the total out of compliance time exceeds a threshold; and

transmitting, to the RFID reader, an indication that the total out of compliance time exceeds the threshold.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the condition is a temperature and the switch comprises one of a bimetallic strip and mercury.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the indication of the first state is that the first chip is connected to the antenna and the indication of the second state is that the second chip is connected to the antenna.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the switch is a bimetallic strip, wherein the bimetallic strip comprises a first material and a second material, and wherein a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion for the first material and a coefficient of thermal expansion for the second material is at least 1×

10<sup>−

6</sup> inches per inch-degrees Fahrenheit.