System and method for tracking inventory

• US 7,151,979 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TotalTrax, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Andersen, Scott Paul, Kirkham, Richard Ferris
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/305,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20040102869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/214, 700/225, 340/825.06, 340/988, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 701/23, 701/24, 701/26, 701/201, 701/213, 701/209, 701/210
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 18/28 Wound package of webs
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/61 Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/13 Data carrier, e.g. chip, transponder, magnetic strip
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/50 Use of particular electromagnetic waves, e.g. light, radiowaves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/182 Identification means
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/184 Roll clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

An RFID enabled paper roll includes a tubular core, a paper stock wound around the core, and a radio frequency integrated circuit electrically coupled to an antenna and positioned on the core. A system for reading a radio frequency integrated circuit positioned on an item of inventory in a warehouse comprises a material handling device and an RFID reader coupled to the material handling device. The material handling device has at least member for use in transporting an item of inventory. The reader is configured to read the radio frequency integrated circuit associated with the item of inventory when the item is in proximity to the material handling device.

Claims

1. A system for reading an RFIC associated with an item of inventory in a warehouse comprising:

at least one material handling device having at least one member for use in transporting an item of inventory, said item of inventory having an RFIC associated therewith;

at least one RFID reader coupled to the at least one material handling device for reading the RFIC associated with the item of inventory when the item of inventory is in proximity to the at least one material handling device;

a computer processor in communication with the at least one RFID reader for receiving information from the RFID reader and transmitting information to the RFID reader;

a position locating system for determining the position of the item of inventory in the warehouse, said position locating system for transmitting information to the at least one RFID reader and the computer processor, the position locating system comprising a plurality of RFID transmitters and at least one RFID receiver, the at least one RFID receiver is positioned on the at least one material handling device and the plurality of RFID transmitters are positioned at spaced locations throughout the warehouse, the computer processor includes programming for receiving and processing the signals transmitted by the plurality of RFID transmitters and received by the at least one RFID receiver and the programming is for calculating a position of the at least one RFID receiver on the at least one material handling device in the warehouse, the computer processor further includes a first computer processor positioned on the at least one material handling device and a second computer processor positioned in the warehouse, with the first computer processor including the programming for determining the position of the at least one RFID receiver on the at least one material handling device within the warehouse based upon the received and processed signals; and

a location measurement device mounted on the at least one material handling device for determining the position of the at least one material handling device based upon the movement of the device, the first computer processor receives signals from the location measurement device, the position locating system, the at least one RFID reader, and the RFIC and the second computer processor includes programming for determining the position of the item of inventory and includes a database for storage of the position of the item of inventory, wherein the location measurement device determines the angle of the at least one RFID receiver relative to each of the plurality of RFID transmitters and the programming in the first computer processor is for calculating the position of the at least one RFID receiver and includes triangulation calculations that are in part dependent on the angle of the at least one RFID receiver relative to each of the plurality of RFID transmitters; and

further comprising programming for correcting errors in the calculation.