Interrogating RFID transponders during rotation of palletized items, systems and methods

• US 7,336,167 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service of America (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Olsen, John A. III, Bradley, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/054,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/045 by rotating platforms supporting the articles

Abstract

The invention involves reading RFID transponders affixed to items by rotating the items as they are exposed to an RFID reader as may be incorporated in a normal processing, manufacturing or shipping process such as wrapping items in a protective membrane using a system that includes a commercially-available pallet wrapper adapted to be controlled by computer, and with an RFID transponder reading device mounted to the carriage device of the pallet wrapper. The computer interfaces with a programmable logic controller that controls the pallet wrapper and the RFID reader. The computer causes a predetermined number of wraps of the shipping membrane to be wrapped around a portion of items and the pallet to secure the items to the pallet. The RFID tags on the items on the pallet are read as the items rotate near the fixed RFID reader that is mounted to a carriage holding the shipping membrane.

Claims

1. A system for reading RFID transponders, said system is comprised of:

one or more items each having at least one RFID transponder associated therewith or affixed thereto;

one or more RFID readers capable of reading encoded information on each of the RFID transponders;

a rotational device capable of rotation, wherein said one or more items each having at least one RFID transponder associated therewith or affixed thereto are placed upon said rotational device and rotated while said one or more RFID readers remain at a fixed point and read information from said RFID transponders;

a pallet, wherein said one or more items are placed on said pallet and said pallet and said one or more items are placed on said rotational device for reading said RFID transponders while rotating; and

a pallet RFID transponder, wherein the pallet RFID transponder is affixed or associated with the pallet;

wherein the pallet RFID transponder is electronically linked to the RFID transponders associated with or affixed to each of the items and the number of items having RFID tags on the pallet can be determined, and

wherein said rotational device continues to rotate said items and read said RFID transponders until all the RFID transponders on the pallet have been read or until a predetermined time limit has passed.

2. A system for reading RFID transponders, said system is comprised of:

one or more items each having at least one RFID transponder associated therewith or affixed thereto;

one or more RFID readers capable of reading encoded information on each of the RFID transponders;

a rotational device capable of rotation, wherein said one or more items each having at least one RFID transponder associated therewith or affixed thereto are placed upon said rotational device and rotated while said one or more RFID readers remain at a fixed point and read information from said RFID transponders;

a pallet, wherein said one or more items are placed on said pallet and said pallet and said one or more items are placed on said rotational device for reading said RFID transponders while rotating; and

a pallet wrapper, wherein said pallet wrapper is comprised at least in part by said rotational device and a carriage device, wherein said carriage device is capable of moving substantially vertically relative to said one or more items and that holds a shipping membrane that is wrapped at least in part about said pallet and said one or more items as they are rotated on said rotating device, said carriage farther having attached thereto at least one of the RFID readers.

3. A system for reading RFID transponders, said system is comprised of:

one or more items each having at least one RFID transponder associated therewith or affixed thereto, wherein said one or more items are placed on a pallet;

one or more RFID readers capable of reading encoded information on each of the RFID transponders;

a pallet wrapper, wherein said pallet wrapper is comprised at least in part by a rotational device capable of rotating and a carriage device that is capable of moving at least substantially vertically relative to said one or more items and said carriage device holds a shipping membrane that is wrapped at least in part about said pallet and said items as they are rotated on said rotating device, said carriage further having attached thereto at least one of the RFID readers and said pallet with one or more items each having at least one RFID transponder associated therewith or affixed thereto are placed upon said rotational device and rotated while said one or more RFID readers read information from said RFID transponders.

4. The system of claim 3 farther comprising a pallet RFID transponder, wherein the pallet RFID transponder is affixed to or associated with the pallet.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the pallet RFID transponder is electronically linked to the RFID transponders associated with or affixed to each of the items and the number of items having RFID tags on the pallet can be determined.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said rotational device continues to rotate said items and read said RFID transponders until all the RFID transponders on the pallet have been read or until a predetermined time limit has passed.

7. An improved pallet-wrapping apparatus, said pallet

wrapping apparatus comprised of:

a rotational platform that is capable of rotation, wherein one or more items at least a portion of which are associated with RFID transponders, are placed on a pallet and said pallet with said items is placed on said rotational platform;

a programmable logic controller adapted to control said pallet wrapping apparatus;

a computer that interfaces with at least said programmable logic controller;

wherein said computer includes a display capable of displaying operating characteristics of said pallet wrapping apparatus and an input device for receiving operating instructions for said pallet wrapping apparatus;

a carriage device, wherein said carriage device is capable of moving substantially vertically relative to said one or more items and said carriage device holds a shipping membrane that is wrapped at least in part about said pallet and said items as they are rotated on said rotational platform, said carriage further having attached thereto at least one RFID reader and said pallet with said items with said RFID transponders associated therewith are placed upon said rotational platform and rotated while said at least one RFID reader reads information from said RFID transponders until all the RFID transponders on the pallet have been read or until a predetermined time limit has passed.

8. A method of reading RFID transponders, comprising:

providing one or more items having affixed RFID transponders;

providing at least one RFID reader; and

placing said one or more items on a rotational device and simultaneously rotating said items about an imaginary axis approximately through the midpoint of said one or more items and reading said affixed RFID transponders with said at least one RFID reader,

wherein said rotational device continues to rotate said one or more items and read said RFID transponders until all the RFID transponders affixed to the one or more items have been read or until a predetermined time limit has passed.

9. A method of reading RFID transponders, comprising:

providing one or more items having affixed RFID transponders;

providing at least one RFID reader; and

placing said one or more items on a rotational device and simultaneously rotating said items substantially about said at least one RFID reader and reading said affixed RFID transponders with said at least one RFID reader,

wherein said rotational device continues to rotate said one or more items and read said RFID transponders until all the RFID transponders affixed to the one or more items have been read or until a predetermined time limit has passed.

10. A method of reading RFID transponders, comprising:

providing one or more items having affixed RFID transponders;

providing at least one RFID reader; and

rotating said at least one RFID reader substantially about said items and reading said affixed RFID transponders with said at least one RFID reader,

wherein said at least one RFID reader continues to rotate substantially about said one or more items and read said RFID transponders until all the RFID transponders affixed to the one or more items have been read or until a predetermined time limit has passed.

11. A method of reading RFID transponders, comprising:

providing one or more items and affixing at least one RFID transponder to each of said one or more items;

placing said one or more items on a pallet;

providing at least one RFID reader;

placing said pallet with said one or more items on a rotational device and simultaneously rotating said items about an imaginary axis approximately through the midpoint of said one or more items and reading said affixed RFID transponders with said at least one RFID reader; and

rotating said pallet with said one or more items and reading said RFID transponders until all the RFID transponders affixed to the one or more items have been read or until a predetermined time limit has passed.

12. A method of reading RFID transponders, comprising:

providing one or more items and affixing at least one item RFID transponder to each of said one or more items;

placing said one or more items on a pallet, wherein said pallet has an affixed pallet RFID transponder;

electronically linking said one or more item RFID transponders to said pallet RFID transponder;

encoding said affixed pallet RFID transponder with at least a count of the items on said pallet having said affixed item RFID transponders;

providing at least one RFID reader;

placing said pallet with said one or more items on a rotational device;

reading said pallet RFID transponder to determine at least the count;

wrapping a shipping membrane around at least a portion of said pallet and said items while simultaneously reading and counting said item RFID transponders with said at least one RFID reader while said pallet and said items are rotated on said rotational device about an imaginary axis approximately through the midpoint of said one or more items and reading said affixed RFID transponders with said at least one RFID reader until the wrapping is complete and determining a pallet item count that is equal to the number of item RFID transponders that have been read by the at least one RFID reader; and

comparing the pallet item count to the count and signaling an alert or continuing reading the item RFID transponders if the number of item RFID transponders is not equal to the count.