Products having RFID tags to provide information to product consumers

• US 20040124988A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Kimball, James F., Leonard, Stephen B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,009,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/612
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0002 incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0038 Inner container disposed in an outer shell or outer casing
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0054 Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1057 Triggers, i.e. actuation means consisting of a single lever having one end rotating or pivoting around an axis or a hinge fixedly attached to the container, and another end directly actuated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/081 responsive to the weight of a reservoir or container for liquid or other fluent material; responsive to level or volume of liquid or other fluent material in a reservoir or container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/242 Mounting arrangements for electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

RFID tags attached to a product contain information regarding the product and communicate this information to a reader. This information can include the age of the product, the amount of product left and preparation or care instructions for the product. To record the age of a product, a timer is initiated in the RFID tag. Thereafter, the elapsed time on the timer can be read and displayed by the reader. For other products, the RFID tag can have contacts monitoring the level of remaining product. Once the contacts sense that the amount of product is low, this information can be transmitted and communicated by the reader. Preparation and care instructions are prerecorded on the tag. Instructions can also be communicated between a product and a base, such as a heater.

Claims

1. A system for signaling level of product in a container, comprising:

a container having a sensor affixed to one portion thereof,

contacts extending downwardly from said sensor;

an electrical circuit broken when the level of product in said container falls below said contacts, and

a device for generating a signal from said sensor when said electrical circuit is broken for alerting a user that the level of product is low, and

a remote receiver separate from said container for communicating said signal for alerting the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an RFID chip.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an RFID chip that signals a timer in a primary device, base station or similar device to countdown a present time to refill.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said sensor comprises an RFID chip that signals a timer in a primary device, base station or similar device to countdown a present time to refill.

5. The unit, comprising:

a base,

a container having an RFID tag, said container fitting in said base, wherein

said RFID tag signals the presence of the container to said base when the container is placed in proximity to said base.

6. The unit of claim 5, wherein said base is a heater.

7. The unit of claim 5, wherein said container contains a flowable product.

8. The unit of claim 5, wherein said container contains a fragrance.

9. The unit of claim 5, wherein said container is a dispensing device.

10. The unit of claim 5, wherein said RFID tag communicates a heating regimen to said base.

11. The unit of claim 5, wherein said RFID tag communicates a heating history for said container to said base.

12. The unit of claim 5, wherein said RFID tag is attached to said container,

Said base having a radio frequency identification reader/writer in operable connection with a microprocessor-based control circuit, said reader/writer transmitting updated information for storage in an electronic memory associated with said RFID tag,

13. A volatile dispensing system, comprising:

at least one container having a volatile,

a holder retaining said at least one container, and

an RFID tag controlling dispensing of said volatile.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said volatile is a air freshener.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said volatile is a fragrance.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one container is a plurality of containers, each container having an RFID tag, and further comprising a controller, said controller controlling which one of said plurality of containers is dispensed.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said holder is a heater, said RFID tag is connected to said at least one container, and said RFID tag controls dispensing by initiating heating of said container.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said RFID tag controls dispensing by communicating heating instructions to said heater.

19. A system for monitoring the age of an item, comprising

an RFID tag associated with said item,

a reader having a timer, said reader initializing said timer and displaying elapsed time since initiation when said RFID tag is in proximity to said reader.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said item is a container, said RFID attached to said container.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said item is a container, said RFID tag attached to a device designed for closing said container.