System for tracking items

• US 7,183,921 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Bonnell, Clayton, Patel, Himesh A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam
• Application Number:
  US10/953,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20050140511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.5, 343/720, 343764-767, 343/866, 343/841, 235/385, 235/435
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

An item tracking system for tracking an item within a structure having at least one aperture through which the item is passed is provided. The item tracking system comprises a radio frequency tag attached to the item, a reader operably connected to a reader antenna, a processor operably connected to the reader, and a vertically suspended movable support for the reader antenna. The tag has item information stored therein and the reader is capable of reading the item information from the tag. The processor receives and stores the item information from the reader and the movable support is suspended from a location adjacent the top of the aperture. The support and reader antenna can move around the item to permit the item to pass through the aperture and the reader reads the item information from the tag when the item passes through the aperture using the reader antenna.

Claims

1. An item tracking system for tracking an item within a structure having an aperture defined by a bottom surface through which said item is passed, the item tracking system comprising:

a radio frequency tag attached to the item, wherein the tag has item information stored therein;

a reader operably connected to a reader antenna configured to read the item information from the tag;

a processor operably connected to the reader for receiving and storing the item information from the reader; and

a suspended movable support, supporting and suspending the reader antenna from a location adjacent a portion of the aperture,

wherein;

the support and reader antenna are movable around the item to permit the item to pass through the aperture,

the reader reads the item information from the tag when the item passes through the aperture using the reader antenna, and

a portion of the movable support contacts electrical ground at the bottom surface and is capable of dissipating static electricity to the electrical ground.

2. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the movable support includes a wire for dissipating static electricity.

3. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the movable support comprises a flexible plastic material.

4. The item tracking system of claim 3, wherein the flexible plastic material includes PVC.

5. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the movable support comprises an elongated foam cylinder.

6. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the reader antenna is positioned near an end portion of the movable support.

7. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the reader antenna is positioned about 18 inches from an end portion of the movable support.

8. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the tag is a Radio Frequency Identification tag.

9. The item tracking system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary reader antenna configured to read the item information from the tag, wherein the secondary reader antenna is attached to the movable support, wherein the reader reads the item information from the tag when the item passes through the aperture using the secondary reader antenna, and whereby the secondary reader antenna is redundant to the reader antenna.

10. The item tracking system of claim 9, wherein the secondary reader antenna is positioned vertically above the reader antenna in the movable support.

11. The item tracking system of claim 9, wherein the secondary reader antenna is positioned horizontally across from the reader antenna in the movable support.

12. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the reader antenna is imbedded in the movable support.

13. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the reader antenna is attached to the movable support with an adhesive.

14. The item tracking system of claim 1, wherein the movable support is translucent.

15. The item tracking system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second radio frequency tag attached to a second item, wherein the second tag stores second item information;

a second entry reader antenna configured to read the second item information from the second tag; and

a second vertically suspended movable support for holding the second antenna, the second support for the second antenna being suspended from a location adjacent the top of a second aperture, wherein the second vertically suspended movable support and the second antenna can move around the item to permit the item to pass through the second aperture,

wherein the reader is operably connected to the second antenna for reading the second item information,

wherein the processor receives and stores from the reader the second item information, and

wherein the reader reads the second item information from the second tag when the second item passes through the second aperture using the second antenna.

16. The item tracking system of claim 1, further comprising a second reader operably connected to the processor.