Apparatus and method using a sensor to detect improper orientation of an object

• US 20070139181A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, Paul, Law, Douglas, Sremaniak, Shawn, Eren, Selcuk, Jaeger, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Apparatus and method is provided for using low cost, passive RF sensor technology such as RFID tags, to determine whether containers or other objects are in a right-side-up orientation. A useful embodiment of the invention is directed to sensor apparatus for use in detecting an improper orientation of a conventional box or container with respect to a substantially horizontal surface. The apparatus includes a structure having two sides formed of plastic in spaced apart relationship, to define an enclosed space within the structure. Selected shielding material attached to the structure shields a specified region of the enclosed space against RF signals, the shielded region being located in the lowest portion of the enclosed space when the structure is in a reference orientation with respect to the horizontal surface. An RFID tag embedded in a disk is positioned in the enclosed space, the disk being sized to move freely within the space. A guide element guides the disk in moving between the shielded region and an unshielded region, when the structure is correspondingly moved between its reference orientation and an improper orientation corresponding to an improper orientation of the container. This allows a signal to be received from the RFID tag when it becomes unshielded, to indicate improper container orientation.

Claims

1. Sensor apparatus for use in detecting an improper orientation of an object with respect to a substantially horizontal surface, said apparatus comprising:

a structure having sides in spaced apart relationship to define an enclosed space;

selected material attached to said structure to shield a specified region of said enclosed space from RF signals, said shielded region being located in the lowest portion of said enclosed space when said structure is in a reference orientation with respect to said horizontal surface;

an RF sensor device positioned in said enclosed space, said RF sensor device being sized to move freely within said space; and

a guide element mounted in said space to guide said RF sensor device in moving between said shielded region and an unshielded region of said space, when said structure is correspondingly moved between said reference orientation and an improper orientation corresponding to an improper orientation of said object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said guide element comprises two linear members, each of said linear members residing partially in said shielded region and partially in said unshielded region of said enclosed space, said linear members being joined together within said shielded region to form a “

V”

configuration, said “

V”

configuration being positioned within said enclosed space so that both of said linear members incline downwardly into said shielded region, when said structure is positioned in said reference orientation, and at least one of said linear members inclines downwardly into said unshielded region, when said structure is positioned in an improper orientation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said RF sensor device is adapted to move downwardly along an incline provided by said guide element.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

said RF sensor device comprises an RFID tag supportably contained within a carrying device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

said carrying device comprises a circular disk disposed to roll downward along a downwardly inclined linear member.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

said apparatus includes means for fixably attaching said structure to said object, so that said structure is in said reference orientation when said object is in a proper orientation with respect to said horizontal surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

said sides of said structure respectively comprise sheets of plastic material bonded together proximate to their respective edges, and said attaching means comprises a layer of adhesive material applied to an outer side of one of said plastic sheets.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

said object comprises a six sided container, each side comprising a rectangular-shaped panel in substantially orthogonal relationship with each side adjacent thereto, one of the container sides being designated as the bottom side, and said apparatus includes means for attaching said structure to said container so that said structure is in said reference orientation when said bottom side is positioned to be the lowest side of said container.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said apparatus comprises a first apparatus that is substantially identical to a second apparatus, said first apparatus and said second apparatus being respectively attached to adjacent sides of said container, wherein said adjacent sides are in orthogonal relationship with one another and with said bottom side.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

said RFID tag is detectable by an RF reader when said RFID tag and said carrying device are in said unshielded region, and are undetectable when said RFID tag and said carrying device are in said shielded region.

11. Sensor apparatus for detecting an improper orientation of a container having sides in orthogonal relationship with one another, wherein every orientation of said container is improper except for a pre-specified right-side-up orientation, said apparatus comprising:

layers of specified material joined together to form a structure having an enclosed space;

shielding material attached to said structure to shield a specified region of said enclosed space from RF signals, while leaving the remainder of said enclosed space as an unshielded region;

an RF sensor device positioned in said enclosed space, said RF sensor device being sized to move freely within said space;

means for attaching said structure to a selected side of said container, so that said shielded region of said enclosed space will be below said unshielded region when said container is in its right-side-up orientation; and

a guide element mounted in said space to urge said RF sensor device to move between said shielded region and said unshielded region, when said container is correspondingly moved between said right-side-up orientation and an improper orientation.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said apparatus includes an RF transceiver device for projecting RF signals toward said structure, wherein a signal sent back to said transceiver by said RF sensor device, in response to one of said projected signals, provides notice of an improper orientation of said container.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

said guide element comprises two linear members, both of said linear members inclining downwardly into said shielded region when said container is in said right-side-up orientation, and at least one of said linear members inclining downwardly into said unshielded region when said container is in an improper orientation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said RF sensor device comprises an RFID tag, supportably contained within a circular disk disposed to roll downward along a downwardly inclined linear member.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

said apparatus comprises a first orientation sensor, and a substantially identical second orientation sensor is attached to a side of said container that is orthogonal to said selected side.

16. A method for detecting an improper orientation of a container having sides in orthogonal relationship with one another, wherein every orientation of said container is improper except for a pre-specified right-side-up orientation, said method comprising the steps of:

attaching shielding material to a structure having an enclosed space to shield a specified region of said enclosed space from RF signals, while leaving the remainder of said enclosed space as an unshielded region;

positioning an RF sensor device in said enclosed space, said RF sensor device being sized to move freely within said space;

attaching said structure to a selected side of said container, so that said shielded region of said enclosed space will be below said unshielded region when said container is in its right side up orientation; and

guiding said RF sensor device to move between said shielded region and said unshielded region, when said container is correspondingly moved between said right-side-up orientation and an improper orientation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

said method further includes operating an RF transceiver device to project RF signals toward said structure, wherein a signal is sent back to said transceiver by said RF sensor device in response to one of said projected signals, to provide notice of an improper orientation of said container.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said RF sensor device is moved downwardly along an incline into said shielded region, when said container is in said right-side-up orientation, and is moved downwardly into said unshielded region, when said container is in an improper orientation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said RF sensor device comprises an RFID tag, supportably contained within a circular disk disposed to roll downward along a downwardly inclined linear member fixably mounted in said enclosed space.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

said structure is attached to said selected side of said container by means of an adhesive material applied to an outer side of said structure.