RF-enabled pallet

• US 20050237184A1
• Filed: 06/14/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextreme LLC
• Original Assignee: Nextreme LLC
• Inventors: Muirhead, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/24308 comprising electronic elements or detection means, e.g. chips, RFIDs or barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/11 comprising two or more partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. honeycomb-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/15 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/157 Coating linked inserts, e.g. chains
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/02 Combined thermoforming and manufacture of the preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/12 of articles having inserts or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/46 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/543 joining more than two hollow-preforms to form said hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/545 one hollow-preform being placed inside the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7254 honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2017/00 Carriers for sound or information
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7126 large, e.g. for bulk storage
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7172 Fuel tanks, jerry cans
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7178 Pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0018 and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 : Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 : Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00139 : Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 : made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 : made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 : made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 : contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00407 : on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00412 : on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00437 : on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00442 : on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00557 : without separate auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 : chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0094 : nestable
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 : Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 : characterised by the shape
• 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 19/07767 : the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 : the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The inventions involve material handling apparatus developed to operate in radio frequency rich environments. Articles are provided having at least one large compartment capable of enclosing at least one electronic device or a package populated with a plurality of devices. RFID tags are also provided having three antenna arrays situated on three planes to improve electromagnetic and electrostatic coupling with an external distributed network of devices. Pallets are provided with cellular communications devices to provide track and trace functionality. Sensors and actuators are used in connection with the material handling apparatus.

Claims

1. A pallet assembly comprising:

a deck;

a base;

a plurality of legs supporting the deck above the base; and

at least one of said legs including a compartment, the compartment being exteriorly visible upon a surface of said deck and depending there from to form a leg pocket.

2. The pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein the compartment is formed in a center leg.

3. The pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein the compartment receives a removable cover to enclose the compartment.

4. The pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein the base includes a second compartment, the second compartment being exteriorly visible and developed to receive a second removable cover to enclose the second compartment.

5. The pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second compartmentscontains an electronic device.

6. A radio frequency identification tag comprising:

an integrated circuit having a unique identification code;

a carrier substrate supporting said integrated circuit and being foldable to provide a first section on a first plane, a second section a second plane and a third section on a third plane; and

three antennas connected to the integrated circuit, a first antenna being located on the first section, a second antenna being located on the second section and a third antenna being located on the third section, at least one of said first, second and third antennas being perpendicular to the direction of an external radio frequency signal.

9. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 9 wherein first, second and third sections of the carrier substrate each have multi-band and multi-mode antenna arrays so that the unique identification code can be tracked within a plurality of non-interoperable distributed networks characterizing a supply chain.

7. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 9 wherein the first, second and third sections of the carrier substrate each contain a first antenna resonant at a first radio frequency signal and a second antenna resonant at a second radio frequency signal.

8. The radio frequency identification tag of claim 9 wherein the first, second and third sections of the carrier substrate each contain a first antenna developed for electromagnetic coupling with a ultra high frequency first interrogation device and a second antenna developed for electrostatic coupling with a lower frequency second interrogation device.

10. A pallet tracking system comprising:

a pallet with a cellular communications device, the cellular communications device having a power supply and being identified by a unique ID code and located by GPS;

a digital cellular network and a cellular network host;

an Internet connection linking a client to the cellular network host; and

the cellular communications device is managed by the network host, and the network host enables the client to locate the pallet within a supply chain over the Internet.

11. The pallet tracking system of claim 13 wherein coupled to the cellular communications device is a sensor device and an actuator device, the sensor device monitoring a condition indicative of an environmental factor and the actuator triggering said cellular communications device to transmit a digital data stream indicating said condition indicative of the environmental factor.