RFID enabled paper rolls and system and method for tracking inventory

• US 20040102870A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Andersen, Scott Paul, Kirkham, Richard Ferris Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/369,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20040102870A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 18/28 Wound package of webs
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/61 Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/13 Data carrier, e.g. chip, transponder, magnetic strip
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/50 Use of particular electromagnetic waves, e.g. light, radiowaves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/182 Identification means
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/184 Roll clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

An RFID enabled paper roll includes a tubular core, a paper stock wound around the core, and a radio frequency integrated circuit electrically coupled to an antenna and positioned on the core. A system for reading a radio frequency integrated circuit positioned on an item of inventory in a warehouse comprises a material handling device and an RFID reader coupled to the material handling device. The material handling device has at least member for use in transporting an item of inventory. The reader is configured to read the radio frequency integrated circuit associated with the item of inventory when the item is in proximity to the material handling device.

Claims

1. An RFID enabled paper roll comprising:

a core;

a paper stock wound around the core; and

an RFIC electrically coupled to an antenna and positioned on the core.

2. The paper roll of claim 1, wherein the core is tubular and the RFIC is positioned on an RFID inlet, with the RFID inlet including an adhesive surface and the adhesive surface being positioned on one of the inner surface or the outer surface of the core.

3. The paper roll of claim 2, wherein the RFID inlet includes a tag having a substrate, and the RFIC and antenna are positioned on the substrate.

4. The paper roll of claim 2, wherein the core has an inner and an outer surface and the RFID inlet is positioned on the outer surface of the core such that a portion of the paper stock comes in contact with the RFID inlet when wound around the core.

5. The paper roll of claim 1, wherein the RFIC is an inductive system and the antenna is an inductive antenna.

6. The paper roll of claim 1, wherein the RFIC is one of a capacitive system and a radiative system and the antenna is a corresponding one of a radiative antenna and a capacitive antenna.

7. The paper roll of claim 1, wherein the RFIC is read/writable.

8. The paper roll of claim 1, further comprising a sensor for sensing an environmental condition, said sensor coupled to the RFIC and positioned on the core.

9. A system for reading an RFIC positioned on an item of inventory in a warehouse comprising:

a material handling device having at least one member for use in transporting an item of inventory, said item of inventory having an RFIC associated therewith; and

at least one RFID reader coupled to the material handling device for reading the RFIC associated with the item of inventory when the item is in proximity to the material handling device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the material handling device is a fork lift truck, the at least one member is associated with arms extending outwardly from the fork lift truck, and the at least one reader is positioned on the fork lift truck so that when the arms are in proximity to the item of inventory, the at least one reader can communicate with the RFIC associated with the item of inventory.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the RFIC is positioned on an inlet and is electrically coupled to an antenna, with the inlet being positioned on the item of inventory.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the arms are a pair of clamp arms having clamp pads and the item of inventory is a paper roll, with the clamp arms encircling the paper roll to transport the paper roll.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one reader is operative to communicate with the RFIC when the paper roll is at least partially encircled by the pair of clamp arms, said reader being operative when manually activated by an operator.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising pressure switches that are coupled to the movement of the pair of clamp arms, with the pressure switches monitoring a pressure applied by the clamp arm pads to the paper roll, wherein the pressure of the clamp arm pads against the paper roll increases above a triggering level as the clamp arms engage the paper roll and decreases below a triggering level as the clamp arms deposit a paper roll, and the at least one reader is operative when the pressure reaches the triggering level.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the fork lift truck comprises a truck body, the pair of clamp arms, a lift mast to which the clamp arms are operatively associated, and a back plate coupled between the lift mast and the clamp arms, and at least one of the readers is positioned on the fork lift truck.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a reader antenna coupled to each of the at least one readers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the reader antenna is a conductive loop that extends from the fork lift truck and is connected to the fork lift truck by at least one bracket.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the reader antenna is a conductive coating on a non-conductive insulating material disposed on the pair of clamp arms, and the at least one reader is electrically coupled to the conductive coating on the arms.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the reader antenna comprises a rigid, conductive tube positioned in the shape of a loop and a plurality of antenna wires are suspended in the tube, said antenna wires being wound around the loop within the tube and electrically isolated from the tube.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one reader positioned on the fork lift truck comprises two readers, with the associated reader antennae positioned on either side of and being electrically spaced from the lift mast.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one reader positioned on the fork lift truck comprises one reader, with the associated reader antenna being positioned around, but spaced from, the lift mast.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one reader positioned on the fork lift truck comprises two readers, with the associated reader antennae being positioned on each of the clamp arms of the fork lift trucks.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein a trough is formed in at least one of the clamp arms and clamp pads, and the reader antennae are positioned in the trough, with an insulating dielectric positioned between each reader antenna and trough.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the reader antenna lies in a plane and the plane is positioned at an angle relative to the lift mast.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one reader comprises a plurality of readers with a reader antenna coupled to each of the readers, wherein the reader antennae are position adjacent one another to form a grid that extends from or is positioned on the fork lift truck.