Installation for treating products and corresponding data acquisition component

• US 7,031,803 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jouan
• Original Assignee: Jouan
• Inventors: Metais, Dominique, Reveau, Raphaël, Eneau, Jean-Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US10/647,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 700/115, 700/225, 700/219, 700/228, 700/244, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 235/439, 235/462.25, 235/462.46
• US Class Current: 700/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers
• 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

Abstract

An installation (1) for the treatment of products comprises:

• • containers (2) for products to be treated and equipped with elements (14) for emitting radiofrequency waves,
  • at least one workstation (5–7) for carrying out a product treatment operation, the workstation being equipped with elements (25–27) for emitting radiofrequency waves, and
  • a system for managing information relating to the products, the system comprising a database (70), an information processing unit (62) and at least one component (10) which may be adapted to the body or garment of an operator, the component comprising:
    • at least one antenna (50) for receiving the radiofrequency waves, and
    • elements (52, 54, 56) for transmitting, to the information processing unit (62), identification information received from the elements (14, 25–27) for emitting radiofrequency waves.

Claims

1. An installation for the treatment of products, comprising:

containers for products to be treated and equipped with means for emitting radiofrequency waves to supply product identification information,

at least one workstation for carrying out a product treatment operation, the workstation being equipped with means for emitting radiofrequency waves to supply workstation identification information, and

a system for managing information relating to the products, the system comprising a database, an information processing unit and at least one component itself comprising;

at least one antenna for receiving the radiofrequency waves emitted by the emitting means of the containers for products and the emitting means of the workstation to allow the component to receive the product identification information and the workstation identification information, and

means for transmitting the received product identification information and the workstation identification information, received from the means for emitting radiofrequency waves, to the information processing unit so that the information processing unit combines the product and workstation identification information and stores the combined product and workstation identification information in the database,

wherein the component adapted to be fitted on the body or a garment of an operator.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means comprise a transmitter and the information management system further comprises a corresponding receiver which is connected to the information processing unit.

3. An installation according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are a radiofrequency wave transmitter and receiver respectively.

4. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the wave frequency emitted by the emitting means of the containers and the workstations is different from that of the waves emitted by the transmitter of the component.

5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means comprise a wired connection connecting the component to the information processing unit.

6. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the workstation comprises a device for opening the workstation, and the means for emitting radio frequency waves from the workstation are disposed on or in the vicinity of the opening device.

7. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the workstation comprises a plurality of sites for accommodating the containers and in that each site comprises means for emitting radiofrequency waves to supply site identification information via the component to the information processing unit.

8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the information processing unit is adapted to supply signals refuting or confirming that the component is placed in the vicinity of a site in which a container is disposed.

9. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the information processing unit is adapted to supply signals refuting or confirming that the component is placed in the vicinity of a site in which a container is to be disposed.

10. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the component is a glove.

11. An installation according to claim 10, wherein the receiving antenna of the glove is accommodated in a finger or the palm of the glove.

12. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the means for emitting radiofrequency waves have an emitting power lower than 10 mW.

13. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the means for emitting radiofrequency waves are passive.

14. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the workstation comprises means for acquiring at least one parameter relating to implementation of the processing operation and a device for transmitting this parameter to the information processing unit in order to associate it with the information for identifying the products treated in the workstation.

15. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the workstation is an incubator.

16. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the workstation is an oven.

17. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the workstation is a refrigerator.