Product dispensing controlled by RFID tags

• US 7,009,519 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Kimball, James F., Leonard, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bugg, George A.
• Application Number:
  US10/718,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 340/505, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 235375-384
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0002 incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0038 Inner container disposed in an outer shell or outer casing
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0054 Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1057 Triggers, i.e. actuation means consisting of a single lever having one end rotating or pivoting around an axis or a hinge fixedly attached to the container, and another end directly actuated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/081 responsive to the weight of a reservoir or container for liquid or other fluent material; responsive to level or volume of liquid or other fluent material in a reservoir or container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/242 Mounting arrangements for electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

RFID tags attached to a product contain information regarding the product and communicate this information to a reader. This information can include the age of the product, the amount of product left and preparation or care instructions for the product. To record the age of a product, a timer is initiated in the RFID tag. Thereafter, the elapsed time on the timer can be read and displayed by the reader. For other products, the RFID tag can have contacts monitoring the level of remaining product. Once the contacts sense that the amount of product is low, this information can be transmitted and communicated by the reader. Preparation and care instructions are prerecorded on the tag. Instructions can also be communicated between a product and a base, such as a heater.

Claims

1. A volatile dispensing system, comprising:

at least one container having a volatile,

a holder retaining said at least one container, and

an RFID tag on said at least one container and a reader on said holder controlling dispensing of said volatile into the immediate environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said volatile is a air freshener.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said volatile is a fragrance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one container is a plurality of containers, each container having an RFID tag, and further comprising a controller, said controller controlling which one of said plurality of containers is dispensed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said holder is a heater, and said RFID tag controls dispensing by initiating heating of said at least one container.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said RFID tag controls dispensing by communicating heating instructions to said heater.

7. A volatile dispensing system, comprising:

at least one container having a volatile,

a holder releasably retaining said at least one container, and

an RFID tag on said at least one container controlling dispensing of said volatile into the immediate environment.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said RFID tag stores the usage history of said at least one container.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said holder is a heater and said RFID tag stores heating regimen information for said at least one container.