Radio frequency identification bag tracking and recycling system, and bag counting rack associated therewith

• US 7,248,164 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph T. Regard
• Original Assignee: Joseph T. Regard
• Inventors: Regard, Joseph T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/053,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.3, 340/568.1, 340/568.5, 340/568.7, 340/568.8, 340/572.1, 340/572.4
• US Class Current: 340/568.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An RFID-based system for tracking, managing, dispensing and recycling bags, particularly retail and grocery-type bags such as t-shirt bags and the like. The preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a system wherein there is employed at a T-Shirt bag fabrication facility an RFID tag dispensing system for affixing an RFID tag to the thermoplastic film utilized in forming a T-shirt bag, which bag is formed into a stack. The RFID tag is associated with the bag at the time of manufacture, and information pertaining to said bag is saved in a central computer, which is subsequently used in shipping and management of the bag(s). A sensor bag rack is provided for supporting the bag pack during dispensing and use of the bags at the checkout counter, which supports the bag during loading and is configured to relay data on said bag as it is removed from the rack for placement in the customers cart, or otherwise provided to the customer. An alternative system contemplates a sensor which counts the bags at they are removed from the rack and compiles the number of bags per customer per transaction, which is used to calculate the deposit to be charged the customer for the bags used. Data on the number of bags used in bagging of the customers goods is thereby provided, which maybe used to calculate a deposit for each bag, which is charged to the customer. The customer may also be associated with each bag for compiling subsequent data on recycling of said bags. Lastly, the present invention contemplates a recycling bin which incorporates an RFID scanner to scan a collection of bags simultaneously as they are returned by the user, utilizing the data to calculate a refund due the customer.

Claims

1. A system for tracking thermoplastic bags at a retail establishment having a check out area, comprising:

a plurality of bags removeably affixed to one another in uniform registration to form a bag stack, each of said bags having an transponder;

a bag rack formed to engage and support said bag stack;

a sensor having a range situated in the vicinity of said bag rack;

whereby, upon opening and filling a bag from said bag stack and removing said bag from said bag stack and said bag rack, said transponder on said bag is positioned within the scanning range of said sensor, so as to allow said sensor to detect said transponder and thereby discern data on said bag.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said bag is a t-shirt grocery bag.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said bag rack further comprises a base having a vertical support emanating therefrom, said vertical support formed to support said stack of bags in substantially vertical orientation, and wherein said sensor is situated in the vicinity of said bag rack.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of said bags forming said bag stack has a lower region, said transponder comprises an RFID tag, said RFID tag situated in said lower region of each of said bags forming said bag stack.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein there is further provided a computer formed to receive data from said sensor so as to count each bag as it is removed from said rack.

6. A system for tracking bags, comprising:

a filled bag stuffed with a plurality of like bags, each said bag having an RFID tag associated therewith having deposit data associated with a retail transaction therein;

a bin having a receiving area having an RFID sensor associated therewith;

said bin further comprising an interface to communicate information from said RFID sensor;

whereby, upon said filled bag being placed in said receiving area of said bin, said RFID sensor is formed to simultaneously scans said receiving area to discern RFID data on all said bags, and wherein said interface is formed to communicate deposit data associated with said RFID data to a computer so as to facilitate a credit associated with a retail transaction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said bin is a recycling bin.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein there is provided a plurality of bags having RFID tags individually situated therein, and wherein, upon said plurality of bags being placed together in said receiving area of said bin, said RFID sensor scans said receiving area to discern RFID data on each of said bags.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said bags comprise thermoplastic grocery bags.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said thermoplastic grocery bags comprise t-shirt bags.

11. The method of utilizing t-shirt grocery bags, comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of RFID tags, each having distinct RFID data;

b. applying each said RFID tag to a web of film in uniformly spaced fashion;

c. forming a t-shirt bag from said web of film such that a single RFID tag is associated with said bag;

d. repeating step “

c”

to provide a plurality of said T-shirt bags, each having an RFID tag associated therewith;

e. stacking said plurality of T-shirt bags in uniform registration to form a stack;

f. removeably adhering said T-shirt bags in said stack together to form a bag pack;

g. sequentially separating a bag from said unitary bag pack, providing a dispensed bag;

h. scanning said RFID tag on said dispensed bag as it is separated from said bag pack providing RFID data;

i. repeating steps “

g” and

“

h”

until all of said bags are dispensed from said bag pack; and

j. utilizing said RFID data on each dispensed bag to track bag usage.

12. The method of tracking a bag, comprising the steps of:

a. forming a bag having an RFID tag associated therewith, said RFID tag having RFID data;

b. repeating step “

a”

to form a plurality of bags;

c. stacking said plurality of bags in substantially uniform registration to form a stack;

d. removeably adhering said stack to form a baa pack;

e. removing a bag from said bag pack;

f. scanning said bag during a transaction wherein said bag has product placed therein, and utilizing said RFID data to calculate a deposit amount charged as a component of said transaction;

g. scanning said bag after use, and utilizing said RFID data to calculate a credit based upon the deposit amount charged.

13. The method of recycling a grocery bag, comprising the steps of:

a) forming a stack of bags, each bag having an RFID tag having RFID data;

b) placing said stack of bags upon a bag rack;

c) opening one of said bags upon said rack, and placing product therein, providing a filled bag;

d) removing said filled bag from said rack;

e) scanning said filled bag as it is removed from said rack, providing RFID data on said bag;

f) utilizing said RFID data to calculate a deposit on said bag, which deposit is charged to a customer;

g) providing said bag to said customer;

h) utilizing said bag to convey said product;

I) emptying said bag of said product, providing a used bag;

j) utilizing an RFID scanner to scan said used bag, providing RFID data on said bag;

k) utilizing said RFID data to calculate a credit based upon said deposit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in step “

j”

there is further provided the steps of;

I. providing a recycling bin having a receiving area having an RFID scanner associated therewith;

ii. placing said bag into said receiving area of said recycling bin;

iii. utilizing said RFID scanner to scan said receiving area, receiving RFID data on said bag situated within said receiving area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said recycling bin has a lid covering said receiving area, and wherein there is further provided the steps of:

ia. providing a switch associated with said lid, said switch associated with said RFID scanner, said switch configured to initiate scanning of said receiving area by said RFID area for a predetermined period of time upon said lid closing upon said receiving area;

ib. lifting said lid, depositing said bag into said receiving area;

ic. closing said lid, utilizing said switch to initiate scanning of said RFID area.

16. The method of tracking a deposit on a grocery bag, comprising the steps of:

a) forming a stack of bags, each bag having an RFID tag having RFID data;

b) placing said stack of bags upon a bag rack;

c) opening one of said bags upon said rack, and placing product therein, providing a filed bag;

d) removing said filled bag from said rack;

e) scanning said filled bag as it is removed from said rack, providing RFID data on said bag;

f) utilizing said RFID data to calculate a deposit on said bag, which deposit is charged to a customer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein after step “

f”

there is further provided the additional step “

g”

of utilizing said RFID data to count said bag.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein there is further provided after step “

g”

the additional step “

h”

of repeating steps c–

g until said transaction is completed, so as to provide a full count of the bags utilized to complete said transaction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein in step “

h”

there is further provided the step “

h1”

of communicating said full count of bags to calculate a deposit amount for said bags, which deposit amount is added to the amount paid in said retail transaction, providing a communicated count.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein in step “

h”

there is further provided the step “

h1”

of utilizing said communicated count to calculate the amount of bags utilized by the operator in completing said transaction.

21. A system for tracking bag usage, comprising:

a plurality of bags removeably affixed to one another in uniform registration to form a bag stack, each of said bags having a transponder;

a bag rack formed to removeably engage and suspend said stack of bags in a substantially vertical orientation, said back rack having a base;

a sensor associated with the base of said bag rack;

whereby, upon suspending said stack of bags on said bag rack then removing a bag from said stack of bags, said sensor is formed to disseminate data from said transponder on said bag.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each said bag forming said bag stack is at-shirt grocery bag and said transponder is an RFID tag.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said base of said bag rack has a vertical support emanating therefrom, said vertical support formed to support said stack of bags in a substantially vertical orientation, and wherein said sensor is situated in the base of said bag rack.

24. The method of determining the amount of grocery bags utilized in a retail transaction, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a bag stack comprising a plurality of bags removably affixed to one another in uniform registration, each of said bags forming said stack having a transponder,

b) providing a bag rack comprising a base and a vertical support, said base having associated therewith a sensor;

c) mounting said bag stack upon said bag rack such that said bag stack is supported in substantially vertical orientation by said rack;

d) opening a bag from said bag stack upon said rack, and placing product therein, providing a filled bag;

e) removing said filled bag from said rack;

while

f) utilizing said sensor to detect said transponder associated with said filled bag, so as to provide sensor detection;

g) communicating said sensor detection to a computer, said computer utilizing said sensor detection to count said bag, so as to provide a bag count;

h) repeating steps b–

g until said retail transaction is complete, providing a final bag count; and

i) associating said final bag count within said transaction.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein in step “

b”

said sensor further comprises a pressure switch.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein in step “

b”

said sensor further comprises a proximity switch.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein in steps “

a” and

“

f”

said transponder comprises an RFID apparatus, and wherein in step “

b”

said sensor comprises an RFID sensor, and wherein in step “

f”

said RFID sensor detects said RFID apparatus.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein each said bag forming said stack in step “

a”

has a bottom, wherein in step “

b”

said RFID apparatus is situated in the vicinity of the bottom of each said bag forming said stack and said filled bag of step “

d”

has a bottom, and in step “

e”

said bottom of said filled bag is dragged over the sensor, so as to allow the sensor to detect said bag.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein in step “

b”

said sensor is situated on said base of said rack, each bag forming said stack has a bottom, and said filled bag of step “

d”

has a bottom, and in step “

e”

said bottom of said filled bag is dragged over the sensor, so as to allow the sensor to detect said bag.

30. The method of facilitating recycling of a grocery bag, comprising the steps of:

a. forming a stack of bags, wherein each said bag has an RFID tag having RFID data;

b. placing said stack of bags upon a bag rack;

c. filling a bag from said stack of bags, providing a product filled bag;

d. scanning said product filled bag as it is removed from said bag rack, providing said RFID data;

e. utilizing said scan data to calculate a deposit;

f. utilizing said filled bag, providing a used bag;

g. scanning said used bag, providing said RFID data;

h. utilizing said RFID data to provide a credit based upon said deposit.