System and method for utilizing RF tags to collect data concerning post-consumer resources

• US 7,032,820 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Donna K., Kreiner, Barrett M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Franklin, Jamara A.
• Application Number:
  US10/338,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20040129781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385, 705/28, 705/22, 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 209/702, 209/703
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Data concerning post-consumption items is collected from RF tags. RF tags applied to goods and materials that have been consumed or used and/or discarded or stored for recycling are read by a reader. The reader collects data from the tag and stores the data and/or transmits the collected data to a computing device such as a building management or host computer. A computing device associated with the reader may also retrieve data associated with the RF tag from one or more datastores of information concerning the post-consumption item. Additional processing may be performed to determine the composition and other attributes of the item or material. Based upon the data retrieved from the RF tag, and optionally, data in the datastore(s), and/or processing occurring within the associated computing device, characteristics including the composition and nature of the post-consumption items, location of the items and other characteristics and associated information are determined. The data may be collected, sorted, processed, and provided for sale.

Claims

1. A system for collecting data associated with an RF-tagged post-consumption item comprising:

at least one RF tag reader, the at least one RF tag reader retrieving data from the RF-tagged post-consumption item and updating data to the RF-tagged post-consumption item;

at least one computing device that receives the data from the at least one RF tag reader, the computing device processing data from the RF-tagged post-consumption item and storing the processed data in at least one database;

wherein the processed data is used to schedule a retrieval of the RF-tagged post-consumption item upon making a determination that a receptacle containing the RF-tagged post-consumption item is filled, said determination being made based on at least one of weight and volume information retrieved from the RF tag associated with the RF-tagged post-consumption item.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF-tagged post-consumption item is a container.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tagged post-consumption item is tagged with an RF tag, wherein the RF tag is active, passive or semi-passive.

4. The system of claim 3, where the RF tag is a read/write RF tag.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is a building management computer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is coupled to the reader.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is communicatively coupled to a network of computing devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the network is a wireless network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF tag reader retrieves data from the RF-tagged post-consumption item when the RF-tagged post-consumption item is received at a processing facility.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one RF tag reader updates the RF-tagged post-consumption item with the present location of the RF-tagged post-consumption item.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the updated data to the RF-tagged post-consumption data comprises an indication of at least one of a hazardous material, a biodegradable material, a recall item, a location, an identity, a date, a weight, a volume, and a shelf life.

12. A method of acquiring data concerning an RF-tagged post-consumption item comprising:

retrieving data comprising at least one of a plurality of data elements from an RF tag associated with an RF-tagged post-consumption item;

processing the at least one data element retrieved from the RF-tag;

storing the processed at least one data element data in at least one datastore;

making the processed at least one data element available for purchase;

determining that a receptacle containing the RF-tagged post-consumption item is filled based on at least one of weight and volume information retrieved from the RF tag associated with the RF-tagged post-consumption item; and

scheduling a retrieval of the RF-tagged post-consumption item based on determining that the receptacle is filled, the processed at least one data element and a market price of the RF-tagged post-consumption item.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one datastore is a database.

14. The method of claim 12, the at least one datastore is a first datastore and wherein the retrieved information is matched, combined with or incorporated into a second datastore.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second datastore comprises data comprising at least one data element associated with the RF-tagged post-consumption item not stored on the RF tag.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating marketing data based on the at least one datastore.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one data element retrieved from the RF tag comprises a recyclable indicator, a hazardous material indicator, a biodegradable indicator, a recall indicator, a serial number, a production lot number, a location field, a data field, a weight, a volume, a composition field, a subcomponent field a reader identification number, a reader owner field, a retrieval company field, or a shelf life field.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising writing data comprising at least one written data element to the RF tag.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one written data element written to the P tag comprises a recyclable indicator, a hazardous material indicator, a biodegradable indicator, a recall indicator, a serial number, a production lot number, a location field, a data field, a weight, a volume, a composition field, a subcomponent field, a reader identification number, a reader owner field, a retrieval company field, or a shelf life field.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting at least one data element to a computing device connected to a network of computing devices.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein in response to retrieving a data element from the RF tag, a recall notification is sent.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein in response to retrieving a data element from the RF tag, a storage receptacle is placed in a retrieval zone.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein processing comprises sorting, merging, filtering, combining, or summarizing at least one data element.

24. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating marketing data based on the at least one data element from the RF tag.