Methods and systems for monitoring groups of items, elements, and/or products using radio frequency identification

• US 20070102506A1
• Filed: 11/08/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Re Community Holdings II, Inc. (Republic Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Casella Waste Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Stevens, S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,696,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring one or more products by grouping the products into lots are described. Methods and systems of the present invention provide significant benefits over adding an RFID tag to represent and monitor a group of products. For example, the present invention simplifies data management by monitoring information associated with lots, rather than each individual product. In addition, information pertaining to all products included in a lot may be obtained by although only a small portion of products in the lot can be identified.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented and/or user assisted method for monitoring one or more products, comprising:

a) grouping one or more products into a first lot;

b) reading, utilizing a first radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more products of the first lot;

c) storing the data associated with the one or more products of the first lot in a first repository;

d) storing at least one additional data associated with the first lot in the first repository to generate a first collective data; and

e) retrieving data pertaining to one or more products of the first lot from the first collective data to monitor the one or more products in the first lot.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

f) grouping one or more additional products into a second lot;

g) reading, utilizing a second radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more products of the second lot;

h) storing the data associated with the one or more products of the second lot in a second repository;

i) storing at least one additional data associated with the second lot in the second repository to generate a second collective data;

j) retrieving data pertaining to one or more products of the first and/or second lots from the first and/or second collective data to monitor the one or more products in the first and/or second lots.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first RFID reader device and the second RFID reader device are the same.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

k) grouping the first lot with the second lot to obtain a master lot;

l) storing information pertaining to the first and second lots in a master repository;

m) storing at least one additional data associated with the master lot in the master repository to generate a master collective data;

n) associating the master repository with the first and second repositories; and

o) retrieving data pertaining to one or more products of the master lot from the master collective data to monitor the one or more products in the master lot.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

f) grouping the first lot with one or more additional products to obtain a master lot;

g) reading, utilizing a second RFID reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more additional products;

h) storing the data read from an RFID tag associated with the one or more additional products in a master repository;

i) storing information pertaining to the first lot in the master repository;

j) storing at least one additional data associated with the master lot in the master repository to generate a master collective data;

k) associating the master repository with the first repository; and

l) retrieving data pertaining to one or more products of the master lot from the master collective data to monitor the one or more products in the master lot.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first RFID reader device and the second RFID reader device are the same.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

f) sub-dividing the first lot to obtain at least one sub-lot, wherein the sub-lot has a smaller number of products than the first lot;

g) reading, utilizing a second RFID reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more products of the sub-lot;

h) storing the data read from an RFID tag associated with the one or more additional products in a sub-lot repository;

i) storing at least one additional data associated with the sub-lot in the sub-lot repository to generate a sub-lot collective data;

j) associating the sub-lot repository with the first repository; and

k) retrieving data pertaining to one or more products of the sub-lot from the sub-lot collective data to monitor the one or more products in the sub-lot.

8. A computer-implemented and/or user-assisted method for monitoring one or more products, comprising:

a) grouping a first product having a first RFID tag responsive to a first frequency range and a second product having a second RFID tag responsive to a second frequency range to obtain a lot;

b) reading, utilizing a first RFID reader device emitting at least one frequency in the first frequency range and a second RFID reader device emitting at least one frequency in the second frequency range, data stored on the first and second RFID tags;

c) storing the data associated with the first and second products in a repository;

d) storing at least one additional data associated with the lot in the repository to generate a collective data;

e) reading, utilizing a first RFID reader device emitting at least one frequency in the first frequency range, data stored on the first RFID tag;

f) identifying the lot based on the data read in step e); and

g) retrieving data pertaining to the first product, the second product, or the first and second products from the collective data to monitor the one or more products in the lot.

9. A computer-implemented and/or user-assisted computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

a) group one or more products into a first lot;

b) read, utilizing a first radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more products of the first lot;

c) store the data associated with the one or more products of the first lot in a first repository;

d) store at least one additional data associated with the first lot in the first repository to generate a first collective data; and

e) retrieve data pertaining to one or more products of the first lot from the first collective data to monitor the one or more products in the first lot.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

f) group one or more products into a second lot;

g) read, utilizing a second radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more products of the second lot;

h) store the data associated with the one or more products of the second lot in the second repository;

i) store at least one additional data associated with the second lot in the second repository to generate a second collective data; and

j) retrieve data pertaining to one or more products of the first and/or second lots from the first and/or second collective data to monitor the one or more products in the first and/or second lots.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first RFID reader device and the second RFID reader device are the same.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

k) group the first lot with the second lot to obtain a master lot;

l) store information pertaining to the first and second lots in a master repository;

m) store at least one additional data associated with the master lot in the master repository to generate a master collective data;

n) associate the master repository with the first and second repositories; and

o) retrieve data pertaining to one or more products of the master lot from the master collective data to monitor the one or more products in the master lot.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

f) group the first lot with one or more additional products to obtain a master lot;

g) read, utilizing a second RFID reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more additional products;

h) store the data read from an RFID tag associated with the one or more additional products in a master repository;

i) store information pertaining to the first lot in the master repository;

j) store at least one additional data associated with the master lot in the master repository to generate a master collective data;

k) associate the master repository with the first repository; and

l) retrieve data pertaining to one or more products of the master lot from the master collective data to monitor the one or more products in the master lot.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the first RFID reader device and the second RFID reader device are the same.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

f) sub-divide the first lot to obtain at least one sub-lot, wherein the sub-lot has a smaller number of products than the first lot;

g) read, utilizing a second RFID reader device, data stored on an RFID tag associated with the one or more products of the sub-lot;

h) store the data read from an RFID tag associated with the one or more additional products in a sub-lot repository;

i) store at least one additional data associated with the sub-lot in the sub-lot repository to generate a sub-lot collective data;

j) associate the sub-lot repository with the first repository; and

k) retrieve data pertaining to one or more products of the sub-lot from the sub-lot collective data to monitor the one or more products in the sub-lot.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first RFID reader device and the second RFID reader device are the same.

17. A computer-implemented and/or user-assisted computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

a) group a first product having a first RFID tag responsive to a first frequency range and a second product having a second RFID tag responsive to a second frequency range to obtain a lot;

b) read, utilizing a first RFID reader device emitting at least one frequency in the first frequency range and a second RFID reader device emitting at least one frequency in the second frequency range, data stored on the first and second RFID tags;

c) store the data associated with the first and second products in a repository;

d) store at least one additional data associated with the lot in the repository to generate a collective data;

e) read, utilizing a first RFID reader device emitting at least one frequency in the first frequency range, data stored on the first RFID tag;

f) identify the lot based on the data read in step e); and

g) retrieve data pertaining to the first product, the second product, or the first and second products from the collective data to monitor one or more products in the lot.