STORAGE CONTAINER INCLUDING MULTI-LAYER INSULATION COMPOSITE MATERIAL HAVING BANDGAP MATERIAL

• US 20130265145A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bowers, Jeffrey A., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K.Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Nugent, Thomas J. Jr., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,413,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3823 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3834 the external tray being formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3846 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3874 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/06 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1376 Foam or porous material containing

Abstract

In one embodiment, a storage container includes a container structure defining at least one storage chamber. The container structure includes multi-layer insulation (MLI) composite material having at least one thermally-reflective layer. The at least one thermally-reflective layer includes bandgap material that is transmissive to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method, comprising:

transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals from at least one first device associated with at least one storage chamber defined by a container structure and through the container structure, wherein the container structure includes multi-layer insulation composite material having bandgap material that is transmissive to the one or more radio-frequency signals.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals from at least one first device associated with at least one storage chamber defined by a container structure and through the container structure includes transmitting the one or more radio-frequency signals from the at least one first device to at least one second device positioned external to the container structure.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals from at least one first device associated with at least one storage chamber defined by a container structure and through the container structure includes transmitting the one or more radio-frequency signals having information about the at least one storage chamber encoded therein.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals from at least one first device associated with at least one storage chamber defined by a container structure and through the container structure includes transmitting the one or more radio-frequency signals having an identity of an object positioned in the at least one storage chamber encoded therein.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals from at least one first device associated with at least one storage chamber defined by a container structure and through the container structure includes transmitting the one or more radio-frequency signals having temperature-history information about the at least one storage chamber encoded therein.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals from at least one first device associated with at least one storage chamber defined by a container structure and through the container structure includes transmitting the one or more radio-frequency signals responsive to the at least one first device receiving a request from at least one second device positioned external to the container structure.

43. A method, comprising:

transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure, wherein the container structure includes multi-layer insulation composite material having bandgap material that is transmissive to the one or more radio-frequency signals.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes transmitting the one or more radio-frequency signals from the at least one first device to at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes transmitting a request encoded in the one or more radio-frequency signals from the at least one first device to at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes transmitting one or more instructions encoded in the one or more radio-frequency signals from the at least one first device to at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes transmitting information encoded in the one or more radio-frequency signals from the at least one first device to at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes directing an at least one second device to alter a temperature of the at least one storage chamber.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein directing the at least one first device to alter a temperature of the at least one storage chamber includes lowering the temperature of the at least one storage chamber.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein directing the at least one first device to alter a temperature of the at least one storage chamber includes increasing the temperature of the at least one storage chamber.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes transmitting the one or more radio-frequency signals from the at least one first device to at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber responsive to the at least one first device receiving information from the at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes directing the one or more radio-frequency signals at a radio-frequency window of the container structure.

53. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure, wherein the container structure includes multi-layer insulation composite material having bandgap material that is transmissive to the one or more radio-frequency signals.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals using at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device positioned external to the container structure includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals that direct at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber to alter a temperature of the at least one storage chamber.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals that direct at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber to alter a temperature of the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals that direct the at least one second device to increase the temperature.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals that direct at least one second device associated with the at least one storage chamber to alter a temperature of the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals that direct the at least one second device to decrease the temperature.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the at least one storage chamber includes receiving a request from the at least one first device.

59. The method of claim 53, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the at least one storage chamber includes receiving one or more instructions from the at least one first device.

60. The method of claim 53, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber from at least one first device positioned external to the at least one storage chamber includes receiving information from the at least one first device.

61. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device associated with the at least one storage chamber, wherein the container structure includes multi-layer insulation composite material having bandgap material that is transmissive to the one or more radio-frequency signals.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device associated with the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals using at least one second device positioned external to the container structure.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device associated with the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals that encode information associated with the at least one storage chamber.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device associated with the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals having an identity of an object positioned in the at least one storage chamber encoded therein.

65. The method of claim 61, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device associated with the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals having temperature information about the at least one storage chamber encoded therein.

66. The method of claim 61, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device associated with the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals having temperature-history information about the at least one storage chamber encoded therein.

67. The method of claim 61, wherein receiving one or more radio-frequency signals transmitted through a container structure defining at least one storage chamber and from at least one first device associated with the at least one storage chamber includes receiving the one or more radio-frequency signals with at least one second device positioned external to the container structure responsive to transmitting a request from the at least one second device.

68-71. -71. (canceled)