RF POINT OF SALE AND DELIVERY METHOD AND SYSTEM USING COMMUNICATION WITH REMOTE COMPUTER AND HAVING FEATURES TO READ A LARGE NUMBER OF RF TAGS

• US 20110192901A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promega Corporation
• Original Assignee: Promega Corporation
• Inventors: Linton, John, Linton, William A., Krueger, Julia E., Dearing, Michael, Vidugiris, Gediminas
• Granted Patent: US 8,113,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/35 for the management of goods or merchandise
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for providing point-of-sale and point-of-delivery and/or distribution of products in a restricted access unit near the customer. The method and system utilize products equipped with radio frequency tags and reduce the effects of energy sharing, shadowing, and nulls. In one embodiment, a plurality of RF tagged products are placed within a refrigerator, cabinet, or other micro-warehouse that has a door or opening that can detect access to the micro-warehouse. In one embodiment, one or more antennas are positioned within the door. Each antenna may have a transmission line of sight and be configured to emit a signal at predefined frequencies. Each antenna generates an electromagnetic field within the micro-warehouse. In one embodiment, the products are positioned in one or more bins, compartments, or similar devices located within the micro-warehouse such that at least two of the plurality of products are spaced a distance from each other to reduce energy sharing. The electromagnetic field is moved or altered within the micro-warehouse through the use of reflectors, devices that move the antennas, or other mechanisms.

Claims

1. An RFID cabinet system for monitoring items having an RFID tag, the cabinet system comprising:

a cabinet having a back, a first side, a second side, a third side, a bottom, and at least one locking door;

a temperature sensor associated with the cabinet;

an RFID detector associated with the cabinet for monitoring items placed within the cabinet and for identifying the data embedded on an RFID tag located on an item placed within the cabinet; and

a computer coupled to the RFID detector,

wherein

the computer controls unlocking and locking of the locking door,

the computer is configured to receive an input that identifies a user, and

the computer is configured to, at a plurality of times, record data read from an RFID tag by the RFID detector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is connected to a remote host computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer actuates a lock down condition of the locking door when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor varies outside of a limit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cabinet further comprises a door open indicator coupled to the computer to indicate that the locking door is open.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cabinet further comprises a refrigeration motor sensor coupled to the computer.

6. A method for controlling removal of items having an RFID tag from an RFID cabinet, the method comprising:

providing a cabinet having at least one locking door;

providing an RFID detector for monitoring RFID tags placed within the cabinet and for identifying the data embedded on an RFID tag located on an item placed within the cabinet;

providing a temperature sensor that measures the temperature inside the cabinet;

using a computer coupled to the RFID cabinet and the temperature sensor,

reading an input that identifies an authorized user;

receiving an input that identifies a user at the computer;

determining whether the user at the computer is an authorized user;

unlocking the door to the RFID cabinet if the user is an authorized user; and

at a plurality of times scanning all the items in the RFID cabinet to determine if any items have been removed by the user.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising the further step of reporting the sensed temperature detected by the temperature sensor to a remote host computer.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising the further step of actuating a lock down condition of the locking door if the sensed temperature exceeds a limit.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising the further step of detecting when the locking door is open and reporting a door open indication to a remote host computer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the cabinet further comprises a refrigeration motor sensor coupled to the computer, the method further comprising the computer forwarding data from the motor sensor indicating the state of the refrigeration motor to a remote host computer.

11. An RFID cabinet system for monitoring items having an RFID tag, the cabinet system comprising:

a cabinet having a back, a first side, a second side, a third side, a bottom, and at least one locking door;

an RFID detector configured for monitoring an RFID-tagged item placed within the cabinet and for identifying the data embedded on an RFID tag located on an item placed within the cabinet; and

a control computer operatively associated with the RFID detector and the locking door,

wherein

the control computer controls unlocking and locking of the locking door,

the control computer is configured to receive an input that identifies a user, and

the control computer is configured to at a plurality of times record data read from the RFID tags by the RFID detector.

12. The cabinet system of claim 11, wherein the control computer receives information regarding the expiration of at least one item placed within the cabinet from a host computer.

13. The cabinet system of claim 11, wherein the control computer determines the amount of time that at least one item has been in the cabinet.

14. The cabinet system of claim 11, wherein the control computer places the cabinet in a lock-down condition if a computed amount of time for at least one item is exceeded.

15. The cabinet system of claim 11, wherein the control computer places the cabinet in a lock-down condition if the control computer determines that at least one item has expired.

16. The cabinet system of claim 11, wherein the control computer provides a report to a host control computer containing the expiration status of at least one item in the cabinet.

17. A method for removing items having an RFID tag from an RFID cabinet, the method comprising:

providing a cabinet comprising a locking door;

providing an RFID detector associated with the cabinet for monitoring an item placed within the cabinet and for identifying the data embedded on an RFID tag located on an item placed within the cabinet;

providing a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature within the cabinet;

providing a timer for determining the amount of time that at least one RFID-tagged item has resided in the cabinet;

providing a control computer coupled to the RFID detector and the temperature sensor;

using the control computer,

controlling unlocking and locking of the locking door;

reading an input that identifies authorized users of the control computer;

receiving an input that identifies a user at the control computer;

unlocking the door to the RFID cabinet if the user at the control computer is allowed access; and

at a plurality of times scanning RFID-tagged items in the RFID cabinet to determine if any items have been removed by the user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the control computer to receive information regarding the expiration of at least one item placed within the cabinet.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the control computer to determine the amount of time that at least one item has resided in the cabinet.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the control computer to lock the cabinet door if at least one item in the cabinet has expired.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the control computer to report to a host computer concerning the expiration status of at least one item in the cabinet.