RFID system and method for tracking food freshness

• US 20040100380A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lindsay, Jeff, Reade, Walter C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,982,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure

Abstract

A method is provided for tracking the freshness or expiration dates of food products put into storage. The food products placed into storage are provided with smart tags, the smart tags containing food product information regarding the freshness or expiration date of the food product. The food products are scanned with a smart tag scanner prior to placing the products into storage, the scanner configured to retrieve the food product information from the smart tags. The user may be alerted if the retrieved information indicates that the food product being placed into storage has expired or is no longer fresh. The food products are placed in storage, and the user may be alerted when any of stored products have expired or are no longer fresh.

Claims