System for routing and tracking deliverables

• US 20050108076A1
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Scott, Jeffrey W., Gilbert, Ronald W., Clark, David A., Carrender, Curtis Lee
• Application Number:
  US10/712,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108076A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• 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 19/07758 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: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

A system for routing and tracking deliverables, the system including a flexible label having a flexible transponder associated therewith or formed therein for association with a respective deliverable, at least one transceiver configured to communicate with the transceivers to receive control signals; and a routing device coupled to the transceiver and configured to route and sort deliverables in response to control signals received at the transceiver from the transponder.

Claims

1. A device for use in the delivery of articles, comprising:

a passive electromagnetic transponder formed on a flexible substrate and configured to store and reflect information regarding at least delivery cost and routing information in response to electromagnetic signals.

2. A device for use in the delivery of articles, comprising a passive electromagnetic transponder integrally formed with a flexible label and configured to store information regarding routing of the label to a desired delivery point and to reflect control signals in response to a received signal.

3. A system for use in routing a deliverable, the system comprising a radio-frequency label adapted to be attached to the deliverable and configured to respond to electromagnetic signals to reflect signals regarding the location of the object and control signals for controlling routing of the deliverable.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the radio frequency signals and to receive the control signals from the label, the control signals comprising information regarding at least the routing of the object.

5. A system for routing a deliverable, the system comprising:

a plurality of routing devices, at least one passive, flexible transponder label configured for attachment to a deliverable, and a plurality of transceivers associated with the routing devices for controlling the sorting and routing of the deliverable in response to electromagnetic signals reflected from the label.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of transceivers is associated with a predetermined routing device.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising at least one encoding device configured to code the at least one label with information regarding at least one from among a delivery destination, a delivery date, a delivery route, information regarding a sender, information regarding a receiver, information regarding the deliverable, and information regarding delivery cost.

8. A system for routing and tracking of remote assets, comprising:

a plurality of transponders, each transponder associated with a respective asset;

at least one transceiver configured to send signals to the transponder and to receive control signals therefrom regarding the associated assets;

a routing device to a respective at least one transceiver to receive control and command signals via the transceiver and to sort and route the deliverable; and

an encoder configured to transmit programming signals to the at least one transponder.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each at least one transceiver is integrally formed with the respective routing device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each transceiver is configured to communicate with a predetermined group of transponders such that deliverables associated with the predetermined group of transponders are sorted and routed to a predetermined delivery path and all other deliverables are routed to a default path.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a tracking device for communicating with the transceivers to track the associated deliverable.

12. A method of routing and tracking deliverables, comprising:

providing a plurality of flexible, passive, programmable electromagnetic transponders, each transponder associated with a respective deliverable;

issuing signals from a transceiver coupled to a routing device;

receiving at the transceiver a control signal from a transponder in response to the signals;

controlling the routing device to route the deliverable to a delivery path.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising an initial step of encoding the transponder with information for use in generating control signals.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising purchasing at least one transponder and encoding the transponder with a purchase price.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising communicating via a device for tracking the location of deliverables with each transceiver to track the location of deliverables.