SELF-CONTAINED RFID-ENABLED DRAWER MODULE

• US 20120044054A1
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Inventors: Hussain, Shariq, Elizondo, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,013,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/00 ICT specially adapted for medical diagnosis, medical simulation or medical data mining; ICT specially adapted for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A self-contained RFID-enabling drawer module includes a probe antenna to introduce a robust EM field into a container within a Faraday cage to activate RFID tags within the container, regardless of the container'"'"'s resonant frequency. A receiving antenna and reader read the data of the activated RFID tags, and a processor and communications module transmit the RFID tag data to a remote processor. The RFID-enabling module is self-contained in that it needs only power and a data connection with which to operate. Where an Ethernet is used, power is obtained by PoE. The RFID-enabling module may be used to retrofit existing medication drawers of a medication cabinet or may be used during the construction of a new cabinet. The RFID-enabling system includes auto tuning of the antenna to dynamically compensate for loading changes on the EM field. Assembly and testing costs are reduced and serviceability of the system is increased.

Claims

1. An RF-enabling module system for establishing an RF field within a container having a predetermined size in which items are placed, the RF-enabling module system comprising:

a base having a mounting fixture configured to mount the base in a selected location in relation to a container in which items are placed, the container having a container size and the base having a base size selected to be compatible with the container size so that the base and components thereof may interact with items placed within the container;

a tunable probe antenna located on the base and configured to establish a robust activating RF field within the container within a predetermined frequency range regardless of a resonant frequency of the container, wherein the robust RF field covers all items placed in the container;

a receiving antenna located on the base and configured to receive data signals produced within the container in response to the activating RF field;

a reader unit located on the base configured to receive the data signals from the receiving antenna, and process the data signals; and

a communications unit located on the base configured to receive the processed data signals from the reader unit and communicate the processed data signals to a remote location.

2. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 further comprising a Faraday cage formed substantially completely around the items in the container;

wherein at least the probe antenna and the receiving antenna are located within the Faraday cage.

3. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 wherein the probe antenna is configured to automatically retune itself to establish the robust activating RF field within the container to accommodate more or fewer items in the container.

4. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 wherein the container has a resonant frequency and the predetermined frequency range of the probe antenna does not include the resonant frequency

5. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 further comprising a switch between the reader and the probe antenna and the receiving antenna with the reader configured to switch each antenna on or off for purposes of activating the container and receiving data from the container.

6. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 wherein the size of the base is selected so that the base will be compatible to fit with the size of a preexisting container, whereby the module system is used to retrofit the preexisting container.

7. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 wherein the size of the base is selected so that the base will be compatible to fit with the size of a container being constructed, whereby the module system is used to form an integrated part of the container being constructed.

8. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 wherein the antennae are located on top of respective mesa structures that are formed on the base.

9. The RF-enabling module system of claim 1 further comprising multiple probe antennae and multiple receiving antennae, and wherein the reader is centrally located on the base between the multiple antennae.

10. The RF-enabling module system of claim 9 comprising four receiving antennae, two probe antennae, two switches, and the reader comprises an RFID reader circuit board mounted to the base, the probe antennae, the switches, and the reader being mounted to an RFID reader circuit board with the reader circuit board is centrally located between the antennae.

11. An RFID-enabling module system for establishing an RF field within a container having a predetermined size in which items are placed, the RFID-enabling module system comprising:

a base having a mounting fixture configured to mount the base in a selected location in relation to a container in which items are placed, each item having an RFID tag with a unique data identification, the container having a container size and the base having a base size selected to be compatible with the container size so that the base and components thereof may interact with tagged items placed within the container;

a tunable probe antenna located on the base and configured to establish a robust activating RF field within the container within a predetermined frequency range that does not include a resonant frequency of the container, the robust RF field selected to activate the RFID tags of the items placed in the container;

a receiving antenna located on the base and configured to receive RFID data signals produced within the container in response to the activating RF field;

an RFID reader unit located on the base configured to receive the RFID data signals from the receiving antenna, and process the data signals; and

a communications unit located on the base configured to receive the processed data signals from the reader unit and communicate the processed data signals to a remote location;

a Faraday cage formed substantially completely around the tagged items in the container;

wherein at least the probe antenna and the receiving antenna are located within the Faraday cage;

a data base located at the remote location, the data base containing information pertaining to the tagged items that is correlated with the data identifications of the tags respectively attached to the items; and

a remote processor located at the remote location configured receive the processed data signals, compare them to the data base, and provide information relating to the tagged items based on the comparison.

12. The RFID-enabling module system of claim 11 wherein the information relating to the tagged items based on the comparison includes at least one of:

inventory level compared against minimum/maximum levels for reordering;

counterfeit prevention;

ePedigree/serialization capability;

lot control;

medication error prevention;

NDC control; and

expiration control.

13. The RFID-enabling module system of claim 11 wherein the reader is configured to automatically establish the RF field automatically in the container according to a schedule.

14. The RFID-enabling module system of claim 11 wherein the probe antenna is configured to automatically retune itself to establish the robust activating RF field within the container to accommodate more or fewer items in the container.

15. A method for RFID-enabling a container to establish an RF field within the container, the container having a predetermined size in which RFID tagged items are placed, the method comprising:

mounting a base in a selected location in relation to a container in which RFID tagged items are placed, the container having a container size and the base having a base size selected to be compatible with the container size so that the base and components thereof may interact with the RFID tags on the items placed within the container;

exciting a tunable probe antenna mounted to the base to establish a robust RFID activating RF field within the container within a predetermined frequency range regardless of a resonant frequency of the container, the robust RF field covering all RFID tagged items placed in the container;

receiving unique RFID identification data signals from RFID tags on items in the container after they have been activated by the RF field;

reading and processing the RFID data signals from the activated items in the container; and

communicating the processed RFID data signals to a remote location.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising forming a Faraday cage substantially completely around the RFID tagged items in the container;

and

mounting at least the probe antenna and the receiving antenna within the Faraday cage.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of exciting includes the step of exciting the tunable probe antenna with a frequency range that does not include a resonant frequency of the container.

17. The method of 15 comprising automatically retuning the probe antenna to establish the robust RFID activating RF field within the container to accommodate more or fewer RFID tagged items in the container.