Low temperature radio frequency identification tracking system

• US 20050247782A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gougen Ambartsoumian
• Original Assignee: Gougen Ambartsoumian
• Inventors: Ambartsoumian, Gougen
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data to and/or from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. More specifically, the invention relates to a low or ultra-low temperature storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data between a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID tag transceiver and its use for item identification, organization, classification, databasing, tracking or locating.

Claims

1. A low or ultra-low temperature storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data between a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID tag transceiver, wherein the storage device further comprises a door or port to access inside the storage device.

2. The storage device of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver for data acquisition and communication between the RFID tag and the antenna.

3. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is located distal to the door or port of the storage device within a distance from the RFID tag to allow the antenna to transmit data between the RFID tag and the transceiver.

4. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is installed on or in an exterior surface, an interior surface, a door frame, a door, a hinge, a shelf, a rack, a drawer, a container, a seal, a compartment, an access port cover or an access port frame.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a refrigerator, a cold room, a refrigerated truck, a freezer, a cryogenic freezer, a dry ice container, or a cryogenic storage tank.

6. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a liquid nitrogen storage tank.

7. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the low temperature is +4°

C. and below.

8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the ultra-low temperature is −

70°

C. and below.

9. The storage device of claim 8, wherein the ultra-low temperature is generated by liquid phase or vapour phase liquid nitrogen.

10. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is an active or passive RFID tag.

11. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is a read-only, write-once-read-many (WORM), or read-write RFID tag.

12. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag operates in a high, intermediate or low frequency band.

13. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the high frequency band is between 850-950 MHz or 2.4-6.8 GHz, the intermediate frequency band is between 10-15 MHz, and the low frequency band is between 100-500 kHz.

14. The storage device of claim 1, wherein said RFID tag operates at a frequency band greater than or equal to 30 kHz.

15. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the data is variable information selected from the group consisting of content and characteristics of storage device and items, categories and subcategories that items and item content belong to, location of the storage device, position and coordinates of the item in the storage device, item, destination of the item, modification date, expiry date, date and time item was stored in, removed from or moved within the storage device, name of person storing item in, removing item from, manipulating item in, or moving item within the storage device, tracking number, identification number, patient name or ID number, place, origin, chronology and history of item or item content or item content creation, treatments and modifications that an item content or item content source or item content host were subjected to, contact coordinates, references and information on owner, distributor or supplier, description of content, instructions, name of mutation, type of mutation, category of mutation, name of disease, type of disease, category of disease, tumor name, any pathological condition, name of species, name of organism, name of organ, name of body part, name of tissue, and name of cell.

16. A method of identifying, tracking or locating an RFID tagged item in a storage device according to claim 1, comprising:

a) activating the RFID tag;

b) receiving data from the RFID tag by the antenna; and

c) identifying, tracking or locating the item based on the data received.

17. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the antenna receives data from a plurality of RFID tags simultaneously.

18. The storage device of claim 17, wherein the antenna receives data from up to and including 150 RFID tags simultaneously.

19. The storage device of claim 17, comprising a plurality of antennae.

20. The storage device of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of transceivers for data acquisition and communication between the RFID tags and the antennae.

21. A method of determining variable information for an item comprising an RFID tag kept at a low or ultra-low temperature, comprising:

(a) providing a low or ultra-low temperature storage device as set forth in claim 1;

(b) programming the RFID tag with variable information whenever the item remains in, is put into, removed from or moved within the storage device;

(c) reading the variable information so programmed; and

(d) determining the variable information for the item based thereon.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the variable information is selected from the group consisting of content and characteristics of storage device and items, categories and subcategories that items and item content belong to, location of the storage device, position and coordinates of the item in the storage device, item, destination of the item, modification date, expiry date, date and time item was stored in, removed from or moved within the storage device, name of person storing item in, removing item from, manipulating item in, or moving item within the storage device, tracking number, identification number, patient name or ID number, place, origin, chronology and history of item or item content or item content creation, treatments and modifications that an item content or item content source or item content host were subjected to, contact coordinates, references and information on owner, distributor or supplier, description of content, instructions, name of mutation, type of mutation, category of mutation, name of disease, type of disease, category of disease, tumor name, any pathological condition, name of species, name of organism, name of organ, name of body part, name of tissue, and name of cell.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the device allows determination of variable information for a plurality of items simultaneously.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the device allows determination of variable information for up to 150 items simultaneously.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the data is used to generate an inventory, database or classification of items.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the data is used to identify, track the movement of or determine the location of an item.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the variable information for the item is provided in real-time.

31. An information system for identifying, tracking or locating an item, comprising a plurality of storage devices according to claim 1, linked in a network, and means for linking the storage devices into the network, wherein linking the network allows for combining data comprising the variable information of each item in each storage device into a single list, for centralized access or searching thereof, wherein combining the data allows for identifying, tracking or locating an item stored within the plurality of storage devices.

28. A kit comprising:

(a) a storage system for low or ultra-low temperature storage; and

(b) an antenna for transmission of data between a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID tag transceiver.

29. The kit of claim 28, further comprising a transceiver for data acquisition and communication between the RFID tag and the antenna.

30. A kit comprising:

(a) an antenna for transmission of data between a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID tag transceiver in a low or ultra-low temperature environment; and

(b) a transceiver for data acquisition and communication between the RFID tag and the antenna.