RFID system for monitoring food hygiene

• US 7,271,719 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chang, Wei, Ku, Chun-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US11/115,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20060214788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.16, 340/539.13, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/505, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/521, 340/10.1, 340/531
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention discloses a RFID system for monitoring food hygiene, comprising: a first accommodating space; an object-under-monitor with a RFID tag attached thereon, being disposed in the first accommodating space; an environmental sensor, disposed in the first accommodating space; a processor, electrically connected to the environmental sensor; a first RFID accessing device, disposed in the first accommodating space while electrically connected to the processor; a second accommodating space; a displaying device, disposed in the second accommodating space; and a second RFID accessing device, disposed in the second accommodating space while electrically connected to the displaying device.

Claims

1. A RFID system for monitoring food hygiene, comprising:

a first accommodating space;

an object-under-monitor with a RFID tag attached thereon, being disposed in the first accommodating space, the RFID tag is recycled by selectively deleting information stored therein;

an environmental sensor, disposed in the first accommodating space;

a processor, electrically connected to the environmental sensor;

a first RFID accessing device, disposed in the first accommodating space while electrically connected to the processor;

a second accommodating space;

a displaying device, disposed in the second accommodating space; and

a second RFID accessing device, disposed in the second accommodating space while electrically connected to the displaying device,

wherein the environmental sensor is integrally formed with the RFID tag.

2. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the object-under-monitor is a food product.

3. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the connection between the first RFID accessing device and the processor is achieved by a means selected from the group consisting of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

4. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag.

5. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein information detected by the environmental sensor include at least one subject selected from the group consisting of temperature and moisture.

6. The RFID system of claim 1, further comprises a clipping holder for the RFID tag to attach thereto, being used for accommodating the object-under-monitor.

7. The RFID system of claim 1, further comprises an alarm device, electrically connected to the second RFID accessing device.

8. RFID food hygiene control method, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a first accommodating space, an object-under-monitor with a RFID tag attached thereon being disposed in the first accommodating space, an environmental sensor disposed in the first accommodating space, a processor electrically connected to the environmental sensor, a first RFID accessing device disposed in the first accommodating space while electrically connected to the processor, a second accommodating space, a displaying device disposed in the second accommodating space, and a second RFID accessing device disposed in the second accommodating space while electrically connected to the displaying device, the environmental sensor is integrally formed with the RFID tag;

(b) enabling the environmental sensor to detect specific information of the first accommodating space;

(c) transmitting the detected information from the environmental sensor to the processor;

(d) using the first RFID accessing device enabled by the processor to write the detected information into the RFID tag;

(e) moving the object-under-monitor from the first accommodating space to the second accommodating space;

(f) using the second RFID accessing device to read the information resided in the RFID tag;

(g) displaying the information by the displaying device, and

(h) deleting the information stored in the RFID tag.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the object-under-monitor is a food product.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the connection between the first RFID accessing device and the processor is achieved by a means selected from the group consisting of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the specific information detected by the environmental sensor includes at least one subject selected from the group consisting of temperature and moisture.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

(d1) using the first RFID accessing device enabled by the processor to write the positioning of the first accommodating space and the exact time of the RFID tag being interrogated by the first RFID accessing device after the detected information being written into the RFID tag.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein a clipping holder is further provided for the RFID tag to attach thereto, being used for accommodating the object-under-monitor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

(i) detaching the clipping holder from the object-under-monitor.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

(f1) providing an alarm device, being electrically connected to the second RFID accessing device;

(f2) enabling the alarm device to issue an alerting signal.