Processes for distribution and use of a mobile RFID container

• US 10,395,076 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promega Corporation
• Original Assignee: Promega Corporation
• Inventors: Phillips, Travis, Sehmer, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mirza F
• Application Number:
  US15/954,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2121 Chip on media, e.g. a disk or tape with a chip embedded in its case
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A mobile RFID container, such as a case, cargo container, vehicle, etc., includes an RFID detector configured to conduct an RFID scan to generate scan data concerning the items carried in the mobile RFID container, and location determining circuitry for generating location data concerning the location of the mobile RFID container. A method for distributing RFID-tagged items using the mobile RFID container includes placing a plurality of RFID-tagged items in the mobile RFID container, conducting one or more RFID scans to generate scan data concerning the contents of the RFID container, and processing the scan data and location data to determine the location of the mobile RFID container at times when the contents of the RFID container have changed. The RFID scans may be performed, for example, in response to (a) sensing that the contents of the container have been accessed, (b) a request from a remote device, and/or (c) the location of the RFID container relative to geofence boundary corresponding to a particular geographical location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile container configured to carry a plurality of items with a corresponding plurality of RFID tags inside the mobile container, wherein the mobile container includes;

an RFID detector configured to conduct at least one RFID scan and responsively generate scan data concerning the plurality of RFID tags;

location determining circuitry configured to determine location data corresponding to a current location of the mobile container;

a communications interface configured to wirelessly transmit the scan data and the location data; and

a door providing access to an interior region of the mobile container where the plurality of items with the corresponding plurality of RFID tags reside; and

an enterprise resource planning (“

ERP”

) system remote from the mobile container, wherein the ERP system is configured to;

communicate with the mobile container to receive the scan data and the location data;

determine whether the mobile container is within a geofence boundary of an end user based on the location data, at a distribution center, or in transit between the geofence boundary of the end user and the distribution center;

determine an identity of items removed from the mobile container while in the geofence boundary of the end user based on the scan data and the location data; and

determine restocking information for the mobile container based on the scan data before the mobile container arrives at the distribution center.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises at least one of cellular triangulation data or global positioning system (GPS) data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the location data comprises the cellular triangulation data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ERP system is further configured to generate an invoice based on the identity of items removed when the mobile container was within the geofence boundary of the end user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the ERP system is further configured to automatically schedule restocking of the mobile container at the distribution center based on the scan data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ERP system is further configured to automatically schedule restocking of the mobile container at the distribution center based on the scan data and the location data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID detector is further configured to automatically conduct at least one RFID scan when the door closes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID detector is further configured to automatically conduct the at least one RFID scan based on a comparison between the location data and the geofence boundary of the end user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the RFID detector is further configured to automatically conduct the at least one RFID scan when the mobile container exits the geofence boundary of the end user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID detector is further configured to automatically conduct the at least one RFID scan based on a comparison between the location data and a geofence boundary of the distribution center.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the RFID detector is further configured to automatically conduct the at least one RFID scan when the mobile container is within a predetermined distance from the geofence boundary of the distribution center.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the RFID detector is further configured to automatically conduct another at least one RFID scan when the mobile container exits the geofence boundary of the distribution center and before the mobile container enters the geofence boundary of the end user.