Pallet with wireless transceiver for communicating pallet manifest, condition and location information

• US 20110227725A1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scott A.W. Muirhead
• Original Assignee: Scott A.W. Muirhead
• Inventors: Muirhead, Scott A.W.
• Application Number:
  US13/068,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0016 and each contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/38 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00139 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00303 Cell type, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00358 Cell type, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00437 on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00442 on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00567 mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07792 the antenna adapted for extending in three dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 : Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 : used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 : Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 : Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 : Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

The inventions involve material handling apparatus including pallets developed to operate in radio frequency rich environments. Apparatus are provided having at least one large compartment capable of enclosing at least one electronic device or a package populated with a plurality of devices. Articles with attached RFID item tags are loaded onto the apparatus. The apparatus includes an RFID reader/writer interrogator for communicating with the RFID item tags to maintain a pallet manifest. The apparatus includes RFID pallet tags that communicate with the device, the RFID item tags and RFID beacon tags positioned within distributed RFID networks. The RFID pallet tags include sensors to monitor pallet conditions to which a pallet management system is responsive. The apparatus includes wireless transceivers for communicating indicative information through LAN, WLAN and Cellular communications networks. The apparatus includes a power resource in order to facilitate long term autonomous operation.

Claims

1. A pallet tracking system comprising:

a cellular network;

a network host having means for communicating with said cellular network;

a pallet tracking device having a circuit board with a communications module for communicating with said network host through said cellular network, a reader/writer for communicating with an RF tag, and a power supply providing power to said communication module and said reader/writer, and;

said network host communicating with said pallet tracking device to read an RF tag using said reader/writer and to transmit information associated with the RF tag from said communications module to said network host.

2. The pallet tracking system according to claim 1, further comprising:

said pallet tracking device comprises at least one of a RFID pallet tag and a LAN communications module for acquiring the information concerning a situation where it is placed, in which the information acquired and the RF tag information are transmitted to said network host by the cellular network.

3. The pallet tracking system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a charging section for charging a pallet user for access to said pallet tracking device.

4. A pallet used for transporting an article, said pallet comprising:

a base adapted to load an article thereon;

reader/writer means for conducting non-contact communications with an RFID tag put on the article; and

portable power supply means for supplying electric power to the reader/writer means,

wherein a transmission direction of said reader/writer means is directed inward above the base, so that a communication area of said reader/writer means is set to allow reliable communication only with the RFID tag of an article loaded on said base.

5. The pallet as in claim 4 wherein the communication distance of said reader/writer means is limited to such an extent that said reader/writer means would be able to communicate with an RFID tag within the loading range in which articles can be loaded above the base.

6. The pallet as in claim 4 comprising a fork insertion section for allowing a fork of a forklift to insert from a side, wherein said reader/writer means are disposed circumventing the fork insertion section.

7. The pallet as in claim 4 comprising an electromagnetic shield for blocking a radio frequency signal so as not to communicate with an RFID tag outside the area above the base.

8. The pallet as in claim 4 comprising wireless communications means for communicating with an external pallet management entity through a wireless network beyond the range of the reader/writer means and a control means for controlling execution of communications with the RFID tag in accordance with an execution command signal received from the pallet management entity and transmission of acquired information to said entity.

9. The pallet as in claim 8 wherein the wireless communications means is disposed inside the pallet.

10. The pallet as in claim 4 wherein the whole shape of the pallet is composed of plastic and the plastic forms a top surface for supporting a load thereon.

11. The pallet as in claim 4 wherein the whole shape of the pallet is formed to accommodate four side walls like a box container.

12. The pallet of claim 4 further comprising at least one of a RFID pallet tag, a reader/writer means further adapted to establish contact with RFID tags outside said loading range, and said wireless communications means for acquiring information concerning where the pallet is placed.