Shelf-life monitoring sensor-transponder system
First Claim
1. A perishable integrity indicator system, comprising:
- (a) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(b) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(c) a memory module containing data representing one or more predefined temperature-dependent shelf-life trends;
(d) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status by applying the measurement data to the trend data from the memory module;
(e) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module; and
(f) a power management module.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A perishable integrity indicator system includes a RFID transponder and a perishable integrity sensor. The RFID transponder includes a RF integrated circuit coupled with an antenna. The sensor monitors the time and temperature of the perishable. A freshness determining module receives time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determines a current freshness status. A communications interface to the RFID transponder permits a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module. The system further includes a power management module.
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Citations
108 Claims
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1. A perishable integrity indicator system, comprising:
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(a) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(b) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(c) a memory module containing data representing one or more predefined temperature-dependent shelf-life trends;
(d) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status by applying the measurement data to the trend data from the memory module;
(e) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module; and
(f) a power management module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A perishable integrity indicator system, comprising:
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(a) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(b) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(c) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status;
(d) one or more memory media containing a RFID transponder program portion for controlling the RFID transponder, and a dedicated sensor data portion comprising freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the determining module, or special commands for retrieving said data, or a combination thereof, and configured such that said data is directly accessible by a RFID reader without disturbing the sensor;
(e) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve the current freshness status data from the memory media; and
(f) a power management module. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A perishable integrity indicator system, comprising:
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(a) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(b) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(c) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status;
(d) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module; and
(e) a power management module for periodically waking up the freshness monitoring component from a sleep or other low power state to gather the sensor measurements. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. A method for efficiently monitoring perishable integrity over multiple segments of a product supply chain, comprising:
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(a) providing a perishable integrity indicator system that comprises;
(i) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(ii) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(iii) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status;
(iv) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module; and
(v) a power management module; and
(b) transferring the freshness status data to a second perishable integrity indicator system. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A system for monitoring perishable integrity over multiple segments of product supply chain, comprising:
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(a) a perishable integrity indicator system that comprises;
(i) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(ii) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(iii) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status;
(iv) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module; and
(v) a power management module; and
(b) a second perishable integrity indicator system configured for transferring the freshness status data from the first indicator system to the second indicator system. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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98. A perishable integrity indicator system that comprises:
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(a) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(b) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(c) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status;
(d) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module; and
(e) a power management module, (f) wherein the freshness status data comprises a shelf life log that tracks time at fractions of shelf life lost. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102)
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103. A perishable integrity indicator system that comprises:
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(a) a RFID transponder including a RFID integrated circuit coupled with an antenna;
(b) a perishable integrity sensor that monitors the time and temperature of the perishable;
(c) a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the perishable integrity sensor and determining a current freshness status;
(d) a communications interface to the RFID transponder permitting a RFID reader to retrieve current freshness status data corresponding to the freshness status determined by the freshness determining module; and
(e) a power management module, (f) wherein the freshness status data comprises a custody log that tracks information relating to multiple custody periods over a perishable product'"'"'s shelf life. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106, 107, 108)
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Specification