ARTICLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100019035A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: G & K Services
• Original Assignee: G & K Services
• Inventors: Ward, Chad, Thompson, Andrew J., McPherson, Eric, Larson, David F., Dasary, Solomon, Windy, Ryan R., Grandfield, David, Duddlesten, Jeremy, Frew, Dean, Svalesen, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present disclosure includes methods and systems for identifying articles. One method embodiment includes positioning a number of movable Faraday screens in particular locations relative to a number of different stages in a laundering process, and moving a mobile electronic identification device (EID) reader past the locations.

Claims

1. A method for identifying articles, comprising:

positioning a number of movable Faraday screens in particular locations relative to a number of different stages in a laundering process; and

moving a mobile electronic identification device (EID) reader past the locations.

2. The method of claim 1, including transporting articles having EIDs to screened areas defined by the movable Faraday screens.

3. The method of claim 2, including dynamically re-positioning the Faraday screens based on article quantity changes within the screened areas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stages are selected from a group comprising:

receiving, washing, drying, sanitizing, storage, and shipping.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile EID reader includes:

a processor;

a memory; and

computer executable instructions stored in the memory and executed by the processor to;

obtain an EID identifier, wherein the EID identifier is associated with an article in the laundering process.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein computer executable instructions are further executed by the processor to:

obtain additional EID data including;

characteristics of the article; and

a set of laundering information for the article.

7. A method for identifying articles, comprising:

selectively reading, with an electronic identification device (EID) reader having a first antenna, an EID associated with each article in a first group; and

shielding, with Faraday screening, a communication path from the first antenna to EIDs associated with articles not in the first group.

8. The method of claim 7, including moving the EID reader to establish a communication path between the first antenna and the first group.

9. The method of claim 7, including:

positioning the Faraday screening to define a first area, the first group being in the first area; and

repositioning the Faraday screening to modify the first area.

10. The method of claim 9, including:

associating an EID with the first area; and

associating the EID of each article in the first group with the first area.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the EID is a radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the EID reader has a range, and the communication path is shielded to EIDs associated with articles not in the first group located within the range.

13. The method of claim 7, including:

selectively reading, with the EID reader having a second antenna, an ED associated with each article in a second group; and

shielding, with Faraday screening, a communication path from the second antenna to EIDs associated with articles not in the second group.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first antenna is arranged to not have a communication path to the second group, and the second antenna is arranged to not have a communication path to the first group.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the EID reader, the first antenna, and the second antenna are mounted on a mobile cart, and the method includes positioning the mobile cart between the first and second groups.

16. The method of claim 7, including determining a path of the mobile cart based on positioning of the Faraday screening.

17. The method of claim 16, including positioning the Faraday screening based on an available path for the mobile cart relative to a number of different stages in a laundering process.

18. A method for recycling an electronic identification device (EID), comprising:

moving the EID past an EID reader by gravity;

determining an identity of the EID;

dis-associating the EID from an article to which it was associated in a database; and

unprogramming information, other than the identity, stored in the EID, after determining an identity of the EID.

19. The method of claim 18, including removing the article from the database.

20. The method of claim 18, including programming the EID to be associated with a second article in the database.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the EID is a radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.

22. A system for selectively discriminating a first group of electronic identification devices (EIDs) from a second group of EIDs during reading, comprising:

a mobile ED reader, having an antenna, configured to read the first group of EIDs; and

a number of Faraday screening panels positioned according to a particular arrangement to shield transmission of communication signals between the second group of EIDs and the antenna during reading of the first group of EIDs based on an available path of the mobile EID reader in a laundry facility.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the number of Faraday screening panels are further arranged to shield transmission of communication signals between the first group of EIDs and the antenna during interrogation of the second group of EIDs.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the number of Faraday screening panels are arranged to confine transmission of communication signals from the antenna to a particular area of the laundry facility.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the number of Faraday screening panels are movable.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the number of Faraday screening panels are formed of conductive material arranged in a mesh that passes visible light and attenuates radio frequency identification (RFID) signals.

27. A system for identifying an article, comprising:

an electronic identification device (EID) having identifying data stored therein;

an inventory tracking server including;

a processor;

a memory;

computer executable instructions stored in the memory and executed by the processor to maintain an inventory-tracking database having an article associated with the identifying data; and

an EID recycle station communicatively coupled to the inventory tracking server, and having an EID reader including an antenna, configured to;

read the EID deposited therein as it falls by gravity;

retrieve the identifying data; and

communicate to the inventory-tracking database that the identifying data is to be dis-associated from the article.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the recycle station reader is programmed to initialize the EID after the retrieving the identifying data.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the EID is initialized by erasing.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the EID recycle station is contained by a Faraday cage.