RF-interrogatable processing system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for processing articles, comprising the steps of:
- (a) defining an article assortment inclusive of articles having different descriptions;
(b) distributing said articles into an enclosure; and
(c) providing the enclosure with an RF-interrogatable unit includingi) a unit memory for storing indications of the descriptions of articles contained in the enclosure;
ii) a detector for detecting an incoming message;
iii) a message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said unit memory into an outgoing message;
iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said unit memory and for controlling said message assembler; and
v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for storing articles having different descriptions in an enclosure and providing the enclosure with an RF-interrogatable unit having stored indications of the descriptions of the stored articles. The unit The system further contemplates interrogating the enclosure'"'"'s RF-interrogatable unit to determine the enclosure content.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A method for processing articles, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) defining an article assortment inclusive of articles having different descriptions; (b) distributing said articles into an enclosure; and (c) providing the enclosure with an RF-interrogatable unit including i) a unit memory for storing indications of the descriptions of articles contained in the enclosure; ii) a detector for detecting an incoming message; iii) a message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said unit memory into an outgoing message; iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said unit memory and for controlling said message assembler; and v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A method for processing articles, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) defining an article assortment inclusive of articles having different descriptions; (b) distributing said articles into an enclosure; (c) providing the enclosure with an RF-interrogatable unit including i) a unit memory for storing indications of the descriptions of articles contained in the enclosure; ii) a detector for detecting an incoming message; iii) a message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said memory into an outgoing message; iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said unit memory and for controlling said message assembler; and v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message; and (d) RF-interrogating the enclosure RF-interrogatable unit to determine enclosure article contents. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
-
-
7. A method for processing articles, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) defining an article assortment inclusive of articles having different descriptions; (b) distributing said articles into different enclosures; (c) providing each enclosure with an RF-interrogatable unit including i) a unit memory for storing indications of the descriptions of articles contained in the enclosure; ii) a detector for detecting an incoming message; iii) a message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said memory into an outgoing message; iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said unit memory and for controlling said message assembler; and v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message; and (d) RF-interrogating the enclosure RF-interrogatable units to determine enclosure article contents in any one or more of said enclosures. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A system for processing an article assortment inclusive of articles having different descriptions, comprising:
-
(a) an enclosure containing a grouping of said articles; and (b) an RF-interrogatable unit with said enclosure, said unit including i) a unit memory for storing indications of the descriptions of articles contained in the enclosure; ii) a detector for detecting an incoming message; iii) a message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said unit memory into an outgoing message; iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said unit memory and for controlling said message assembler; and v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A system for processing an article assortment inclusive of articles having different descriptions, comprising:
-
(a) an enclosure containing a grouping of said articles; (b) an RF-interrogatable unit with said enclosure, said unit including i) a unit memory for storing indications of the descriptions of articles contained in the enclosure; ii) a detector for detecting an incoming message; iii) a message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said unit memory into an outgoing message; iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said unit memory and for controlling said message assembler; and v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message; (c) an enclosure RF-interrogator for RF interrogating the enclosure RF-interrogatable unit to determine enclosure article contents. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. A system for processing an article assortment inclusive of articles having different descriptions, comprising:
-
(a) a plurality of enclosures, each containing a grouping of said articles; (b) an RF-interrogatable unit with each said enclosures, said unit including i) a unit memory for storing indications of the descriptions of articles contained in the enclosure; ii) a detector for detecting an incoming message; iii) a message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said unit memory into an outgoing message; iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said unit memory and for controlling said message assembler; and v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message; and (c) an enclosure RF-interrogator for RF-interrogating the enclosure RF-interrogatable units to determine article contents of one or more of said enclosures. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. In combination:
-
(a) a plurality of articles; (b) a plurality of enclosures each containing a portion of said plurality of said articles; (c) an RF interrogatable tag with each article, said tag including i) a tag memory for storing RF interrogatable information indicative of the article; ii) a tag detector for detecting an incoming message; iii) a tag message assembler for assembling a set of data retrieved from said tag memory into an outgoing tag message; iv) a controller operatively connected to said detector for controlling retrieval of a designated data from said tag memory and for controlling said message assembler; and v) an RF transmitter for transmitting the assembled message; and (d) a tag RF interrogator for interrogating said tags in said enclosures and for storing the information indicative of said articles. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
-
Specification