System and method for tracking shipment of items utilizing RFID-tags

• US 20060071072A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glenn E. Mcdonald
• Original Assignee: Glenn E. Mcdonald
• Inventors: McDonald, Glenn E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,416,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00024 Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0004 Determining the location of mailpieces outside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A system and method of tracking a plurality of items during transfer from a source location to a destination. One embodiment is a method comprising associating information identifying the plurality of items with a radio frequency (RF) tag that identifies a carrier unit. The method further comprises storing said associated information in at least one of the RF tag and a computer memory. The method further comprises communicating with the RF tag to identify the location of the carrier unit. The method further comprises identifying the location of at least one of the plurality of items based at least in part on the location of the carrier unit. Another embodiment is a system configured to perform an embodiment of the method.

Claims

1. A method of tracking at least one item during transfer from a first location to a second location, the method comprising:

associating information identifying the item with a wireless identifier tag that identifies a carrier unit;

storing said associated information in a memory;

communicating with the wireless identifier tag to identify the location of the carrier unit; and

identifying the location of the item based at least in part on the location of the carrier unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing said associated information in a memory comprises storing said associated information in a memory of the wireless identifier tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing said associated information in a memory comprises storing said associated information in a memory of a handheld electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing said associated information in a memory comprises storing said associated information in a computer memory.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the location of at least one of the plurality of items to an electronic device over a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of items comprises a container.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the container comprises a tray.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining utilization of the carrier unit based at least in part on the associated information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating information comprises matching the carrier unit to each of the plurality of items.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating information comprises receiving an identifier from the wireless identifier tag and storing said identifier in a database that relates the identifier with the plurality of items.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating comprises receiving an identifier from a wireless identifier tag identifying the item, and storing the identifier in a database that relates the item with the carrier unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of associating the identifier of the item comprises sending an interrogation signal to the wireless identifier tag of the item and receiving an identifier from the wireless identifier tag.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing comprises storing an identifier of the item in a memory associated with the wireless identifier tag that identifies the carrier unit.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading the items onto the carrier unit.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identifier of the carrier unit;

receiving an identifier for the item; and

storing data that associates the identifier of the carrier unit with the identifier of the item.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing associated information comprises storing in the wireless identifier tag at least one of:

the weight of the item, the total weight of the at least one item, the volume of the item, the total volume of the at least one item, a mail class, an expiration date, and a destination.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating information comprises associating an expiration date with the at least one item and the method further comprising comparing the expiration date associated with the at least one item to predetermined criteria.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing associated information comprises associating information specific to the at least one item and the method further comprising comparing the information to predetermined criteria.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the location of the at least one item comprises identifying the location of the wireless identifier tag of the carrier unit.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying at least one of the carrier and an item comprises at least one of a barcode, an RFID, or human readable text.

21. A system for tracking a plurality of items during transfer from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

a carrier unit configured to transport the plurality of items;

an RF tag coupled to the carrier unit, wherein the RF tag is configured to identify the carrier unit and to store information identifying each of the plurality of items; and

a processing station in communication with the RF tag, wherein the processing station is configured to identify the location of at least one of the plurality of items based at least in part on the location of the carrier unit.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station comprises at least one of a processor, a computer, a server, a receiver, a transmitter, a network interface, and a storage medium.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the RF tag comprises an active RF tag.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the RF tag comprises an active RF tag and a passive RF tag.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station is configured to match each of the plurality of items to the carrier unit.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station is configured to receive an identifier from the RF tag and to store said identifier in a database that relates the identifier with the plurality of items.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station is configured to receive an identifier from each of a plurality of RF tags, each of the plurality of RF tags identifying one of the plurality of items and wherein the processing station is further configured to store information identifying the plurality of RF tags in a database that relates the plurality of RF tags with the carrier unit.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a reader configured to send an interrogation signal to each of the plurality of RF tags and receive an identifier from each of the plurality of RF tags, wherein the reader is further configured to communicate the identifier to the processing station.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the RF tag is embedded in the carrier unit.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the RF tag is embedded in the item.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station is configured to store the identifiers of the plurality of items into a memory associated with the RF tag that identifies the carrier unit.

32. The system of claim 21, further comprising a mover configured to load the items onto the carrier unit.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station is further configured to:

receive an identifier of the carrier unit;

receive an identifier for each of the plurality of items; and

store data that associates the identifier of the carrier unit with the identifier of each of the plurality of items.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the RF tag is configured to store at least one of:

the weight of at least one of the plurality of items, the total weight of the plurality of items, the volume of at least one of the plurality of items, the total volume of the plurality of items, a mail class, an expiration date, and a second location.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station is configured to compare an expiration date with at least one of the plurality of items.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the processing station is configured to compare the expiration date associated with the at least one of the plurality of items to predetermined criteria.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing station is configure to identify the location of the carrier unit based at least in part on identifying the location of the RF tag.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein the RF tag comprises an RF identification (RFID) tag.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein the information identifying at least one of the carrier and an item comprises at least one of a barcode, an RFID, or text.

40. A method of tracking utilization, the method comprising:

receiving data associating a plurality of items with an RFID tag of said at least one carrier unit;

determining a utilization level of the at least one carrier unit, providing data indicative of the space available in each of the carrier units;

determining data indicative of the efficiency of utilizing the plurality of carrier units.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

associating said at least one carrier unit with a transport unit;

determining a utilization level of the transport unit based, at least in part, on the utilization level of said at least one unit.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein receiving the data comprises receiving at least one volume measurement from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein each of the plurality of carrier units comprises a tray.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the transport unit comprises a truck.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein determining data indicative of the efficiency comprises determining a volume utilization rate or percentage of the plurality of items.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein determining the utilization level comprises determining an occupancy level.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein determining the occupancy level comprises determining a volume occupancy percentage.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein determining the occupancy level comprises determining a weight occupancy percentage.

49. A system for tracking at least one item during transfer of said at least one item from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

means for identifying at least one item;

means for transporting the item;

means for identifying the means for transporting via an RF signal;

means for storing information identifying at least one item;

means for processing data associating the means for transporting with the at item; and

means for locating the item based at least in part on the location of the means for transporting.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the means for processing data comprises at least one of a processor, a computer, a server, a receiver, a transmitter, a network interface, and a storage medium.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the means for identifying the at least one item comprises at least one of an RF tag, a barcode, and human readable text.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein the means for transporting comprises an active RF tag.

53. The system of claim 49, wherein the means for identifying the means for transporting comprises an active RF tag and a passive RF tag.

54. The system of claim 49, wherein means for processing comprises means for matching the at least one item to the transporting means.

55. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

means for receiving an identifier from the means for identifying the transporting means; and

means for storing said identifier in association with an identifier of the at least one item.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein said means for receiving an identifier from the means for identifying the transporting means comprises means for sending an interrogation signal to the means for identifying and receiving an identifier from the means for identifying, and wherein said system further comprises means for communicating the identifier to the processing means.

57. The system of claim 49, further comprising means for loading the item onto the means for transporting.