MOBILE PORTAL FOR RFID APPLICATIONS

• US 20060208892A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Ehrman, Kenneth S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,667,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03

Abstract

A mobile portal for RFID applications includes an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in the environment. A communicator is coupled to the RFID reader to receive the read identifications and then communicate the received read identifications over the wireless interface, through one of the gateways, to the central data processing system. Each mobile portal may be actuated for RFID read operations in response to information sensed concerning operation of the mobile asset/vehicle. Additionally, the central data processing system may issue instructions concerning mobile asset/vehicle operation, with those instructions communicated over the wireless interface to the mobile portal. Responsive to implementation of those instructions, the mobile portal actuates the RFID reader and compares the read identifications to identifications of certain RFID tagged items to be manipulated which were identified in the received instruction.

Claims

1. A mobile RFID portal, comprising:

an RFID reader mountable to a mobile asset/vehicle;

a communicator, mountable to the mobile asset/vehicle, coupled to the RFID reader, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items, receive the read identifications and communicate the received read identifications over a wireless interface; and

an interface for connection to mobile asset/vehicle operational sensors, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to an indication received from the mobile asset/vehicle operational sensors.

2. The portal of claim 1 further comprising sensors for sensing mobile asset/vehicle operations and wherein the communicator further comprises an interface for connecting to those sensors, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to sensing of mobile vehicle/asset operation by the sensors.

3. The portal of claim 1 wherein the communicator further stores read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items for subsequent communication over the wireless interface.

4. The portal of claim 1 wherein the communicator bi-directionally communicates over the wireless interface and receives an instruction for the mobile asset/vehicle to perform a certain function comprising the manipulation of certain RFID tagged items, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to mobile asset/vehicle manipulation and comparing the read identifications to identifications of the certain RFID tagged items identified in the instruction.

5. The portal of claim 1 further comprising:

a mobile asset/vehicle motion sensor; and

a mobile asset/vehicle RFID tagged item manipulation sensor;

wherein the communicator further includes an interface for connecting to the mobile asset/vehicle motion sensor and the mobile asset/vehicle RFID tagged item manipulation sensor, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to input from the mobile asset/vehicle RFID tagged item manipulation sensor indicative of a manipulation of certain RFID tagged items and the communicator subsequently actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to input from the mobile asset/vehicle motion sensor indicative of mobile vehicle/asset movement, the communicator further processing the read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in comparison to identify the certain RFID tagged items which were manipulated.

6. A system, comprising:

a mobile RFID portal for attachment to a mobile asset/vehicle, the mobile RFID portal including an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items and a communicator coupled to the RFID reader to receive the read identifications and communicate the received read identifications over a wireless interface; and

a central data processing system coupled to the wireless interface to receive the read identifications communicated from the communicator in the mobile RFID portal,

wherein the communicator of the mobile RFID portal operates in an autonomous manner to control RFID reader operation without instruction or control being exercised by the central data processing system.

7. The system of claim 6 further including a gateway node connected to the central data processing system and operable to wirelessly communicate with the communicator in the mobile RFID portal.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the communicator further includes an interface for connecting to mobile asset/vehicle operational sensors, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to an indication received from the mobile asset/vehicle operational sensors.

9. The system of claim 6 further including sensors for sensing mobile asset/vehicle operations and wherein the communicator further includes an interface for connecting to those sensors, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to sensing of mobile vehicle/asset operation by the sensors.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the communicator further stores read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items for subsequent communication over the wireless interface.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the mobile RFID portal further includes:

a mobile asset/vehicle motion sensor; and

a mobile asset/vehicle RFID tagged item manipulation sensor;

and wherein the communicator further includes an interface for connecting to those sensors, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to input from the mobile asset/vehicle RFID tagged item manipulation sensor indicative of a manipulation of certain RFID tagged items and the communicator subsequently actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to input from the mobile asset/vehicle motion sensor indicative of mobile vehicle/asset movement, the communicator further processing the read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in comparison to identify the certain RFID tagged items which were manipulated.

12. A system, comprising:

a mobile RFID portal for attachment to a mobile asset/vehicle, the mobile RFID portal including an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items and a communicator coupled to the RFID reader to receive the read identifications and communicate the received read identifications over a wireless interface; and

a gateway node operable to wirelessly communicate with the communicator in the mobile RFID portal over the wireless interface and receive the communicated read identifications,

wherein the communicator includes a data processing functionality programmed to control when and where the RFID reader is actuated to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the communicator further includes an interface for connecting to mobile asset/vehicle operational sensors, the data processing functionality actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to an indication received from the mobile asset/vehicle operational sensors.

14. The system of claim 12 further including sensors for sensing mobile asset/vehicle operations and wherein the communicator further includes an interface for connecting to those sensors, the data processing functionality actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to sensing of mobile vehicle/asset operation by the sensors.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the gateway node transmits an instruction to the mobile RFID portal for the mobile asset/vehicle to perform a certain function, the instruction communicated over the wireless interface to the communicator in the mobile RFID portal.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the certain function specified by the instruction comprises the manipulation of certain RFID tagged items, the communicator actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in response to mobile asset/vehicle manipulation and comparing the read identifications to identifications of the certain RFID tagged items identified in the instruction.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the communicator of the mobile RFID portal operates in an autonomous manner to control actuation of the RFID reader without the need to receive any instructions from over the wireless interface.

18. A system for tracking RFID tagged items, the system comprising:

a plurality of mobile RFID portals for attachment to a plurality of mobile asset/vehicles, each mobile RFID portal including an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items, a data storage device for storing read identifications, and a communicator for transmitting read identifications over a wireless interface;

a central data processing system coupled to the wireless interface to receive the read identifications communicated from the communicators in the plurality of mobile RFID portals;

wherein the central data processing system maintains records of the location of a plurality of RFID tagged items present in a predetermined geographic area;

wherein the central data processing system receives data from each of the plurality of mobile RFID portals representative of the RFID tagged items moved by the mobile asset/vehicle associated with the respective mobile RFID portal;

wherein one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals reads the identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items a first time when a first predetermined mobile asset/vehicle operational data is identified and a second time when a second predetermined mobile asset/vehicle operational data is identified;

wherein the one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals transmits data representative of the RFID tagged items read the first time and the second time and a location at which the second reading was made to the central data processing system; and

wherein the central data processing system stores the data representative of the location at which the second reading was made as a current location for each of the RFID tagged items that were read both the first time and the second time.