RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) SURVEILLANCE TAG

• US 20100033323A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UChicago Argonne LLC
• Original Assignee: UChicago Argonne LLC
• Inventors: Tsai, Han-Chung, Liu, Yung Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,013,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.310
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation

Abstract

An enhanced method and apparatus are provided for tracking and managing a plurality of packagings, particularly packagings containing radioactive and fissile materials. A radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag is provided with an associated packaging. The RFID surveillance tag includes a tag body and a back plate including predefined mounting features for mounting the surveillance tag to the associated packaging. The RFID surveillance tag includes a battery power supply. The RFID surveillance tag includes a plurality of sensors monitoring the associated packaging including a seal sensor. The seal sensor includes a force sensitive material providing a resistivity change responsive to change in a seal integrity change of the associated packaging. The resistivity change causes a seal integrity tag alarm. A tag memory stores data responsive to tag alarms generated by each of the plurality of sensors monitoring the associated packaging.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag for use with an associated packaging comprising:

a tag body;

a back plate coupled to said tag body, said back plate including predefined mounting features for mounting to the associated packaging;

a battery power supply;

a plurality of sensors monitoring the associated packaging, said plurality of sensors including a seal sensor;

a respective control logic function coupled to said plurality of sensors including said seal sensor and said battery power supply;

said seal sensor including a force sensitive material providing a resistivity change responsive to change in a seal integrity change of the associated packaging; and

said respective control logic function coupled to said seal sensor responsive to said resistivity change, generating a seal integrity tag alarm; and

a sensor memory storing each said generated seal integrity tag alarm.

2. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein the RFID surveillance tag is adapted for extended use in an environment of radioactive and fissile materials.

3. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said seal sensor includes passive components, and operation of said seal sensor exerts substantially no load on the battery power supply

4. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said tag memory is nonvolatile, whereby data in said sensor memory is maintained with a low-battery state.

5. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of sensors includes a low battery status sensor, said low battery status sensor triggering a warning responsive to a low-battery state.

6. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said battery power supply includes multiple batteries.

7. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said battery power supply includes multiple Li—

SOCl₂ batteries.

8. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said battery power supply includes multiple batteries, and only one battery of said multiple batteries being activated at a time.

9. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 includes a battery management function and wherein said battery power supply includes multiple batteries, and said battery management function monitors a current battery being used, and automatically switches to a next battery when the current battery is discharged.

10. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said back plate includes a predefined shape selectively provided for mounting with the associated packaging.

11. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 10 wherein said selected shape of said back plate enables simple modifications for different packagings.

12. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said tag body includes a universal form for use with multiple different types of the associated packaging.

13. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said tag body has a predefined profile to fit within a diameter of a drum cover of the associated packaging.

14. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 further includes a central processor unit.

15. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 further includes a system memory coupled to said central processor unit.

16. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 further includes a user memory coupled to said central processor unit.

17. The radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of sensors includes a radiation dosimeter sensor

18. A method for tracking and managing a plurality of packagings containing radioactive and fissile materials comprising:

providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance tag with an associated packaging of the plurality of packagings;

providing said RFID surveillance tag with a tag body and a back plate including predefined mounting features for mounting the surveillance tag to the associated packaging;

said RFID surveillance tag including a battery power supply;

said RFID surveillance tag including a plurality of sensors monitoring the associated packaging including a seal sensor;

said seal sensor includes a force sensitive material providing a resistivity change responsive to a seal integrity change of the associated packaging;

said RFID surveillance tag generating a seal integrity tag alarm responsive to said resistivity change and including a sensor memory storing each said generated seal integrity tag alarm.

19. The method for tracking and managing a plurality of packagings containing radioactive and fissile materials as recited in claim 18 includes providing nonvolatile sensor memory to maintain data stored in said sensor memory with a low-battery state.

20. The method for tracking and managing a plurality of packagings containing radioactive and fissile materials as recited in claim 18 providing a plurality of batteries defining said battery power supply;

and activating only one battery at a time and monitoring a current battery being used, and automatically switching to a next battery when said current battery is discharged.