System and method for tracking shipment of items utilizing RFID-tags

• US 7,416,134 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• 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: McDonald, Glenn E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M
• Application Number:
  US11/284,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/451, 235/375, 235/380, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00024 Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0004 Determining the location of mailpieces outside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A system and method of tracking a plurality of items during transfer from a source location to a destination. One embodiment is a method comprising associating information identifying the plurality of items with a radio frequency (RF) tag that identifies a carrier unit. The method further comprises storing the associated information in at least one of the RF tag and a computer memory. The method further comprises communicating with the RE tag to identify the location of the carrier unit. The method further comprises identifying the location of at least one of the plurality of items based at least in part on the location of the carrier unit. Another embodiment is a system configured to perform an embodiment of the method.

Claims

1. A method of tracking at least one item during transfer from a first location to a second location, the method comprising:

receiving, via a wireless signal, a carrier identifier of a tag located on a carrier;

receiving an item identifier of at least one item to be transported with the carrier, the item identifier and an indicia of a destination being located on the at least one item,

wherein the indicia of the destination is related to a destination of the carrier;

storing information associating the item identifier with the carrier identifier in a memory;

communicating with the tag to identify the location of the carrier; and

identifying the location of the item based at least in part on the location of the carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing said information in a memory comprises storing said associated information in a memory of the wireless identifier tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing said information in a memory comprises storing said information in a memory of a handheld electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing said information in a memory comprises storing said information in a computer memory.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the location of at least one of the plurality of items to an electronic device over a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of items comprises a container.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the container comprises a tray.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining utilization of the carrier based at least in part on the information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing information comprises matching the carrier to each of the plurality of items.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the item identifier comprises receiving the item identifier from a wireless identifier tag of the item, and wherein the step of storing information comprises storing the item identifier in a database that relates the item with the carrier.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving the item identifier comprises sending an interrogation signal to the wireless identifier tag of the item and receiving the item identifier from the wireless identifier tag.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing information comprises storing the item identifier in a memory associated with the carrier identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading the items onto the carrier based on the indicia of the destination.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing information comprises storing in the tag at least one of:

the weight of the item, the total weight of the at least one item, the volume of the item, the total volume of the at least one item, a mail class, an expiration date, and a destination.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing information comprises associating an expiration date with the at least one item and the method further comprising comparing the expiration date associated with the at least one item to predetermined criteria.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing information comprises associating information specific to the at least one item and the method further comprising comparing the information to predetermined criteria.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the item identifier comprises at least one of a barcode, an RFID, or human readable text.

18. A system for tracking a plurality of items during transfer from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

a carrier configured to transport the plurality of items, wherein each of the items has an identifier and indicia of a destination and wherein the indicia of the destination is related to a destination of the carrier;

an RF tag coupled to the carrier, wherein the RF tag is configured to identify the carrier; and

a processing station in communication with the RF tag, wherein the processing station is configured to;

receive a carrier identifier of the carrier from the RF tag;

receive an item identifier for each of the plurality of items to be loaded onto the carrier;

store data that relates the carrier identifier with the item identifier of each of the plurality of items;

identify the location of the carrier based on a signal received from the RF tag; and

identify the location of at least one of the plurality of items based at least in part on the location of the carrier.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing station comprises at least one of a processor, a computer, a server, a receiver, a transmitter, a network interface, and a storage medium.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the RF tag comprises an active RF tag.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the RF tag comprises an active RF tag and a passive RF tag.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing station is configured to match each of the plurality of items to the carrier.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing station is configured to store said carrier identifier in a database that relates the identifier with the plurality of items.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing station is configured to receive the identifier from each of a plurality of RF tags of each of the items, each of the plurality of RF tags providing the identifier of each of the plurality of items and wherein the processing station is further configured to store information identifiers of each of the plurality of RF tags in a database that relates the plurality of RF tags with the carrier.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a reader configured to send an interrogation signal to each of the plurality of RF tags and receive the identifier from each of the plurality of RF tags, wherein the reader is further configured to communicate the identifier to the processing station.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the RF tag is embedded in the carrier.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the RF tag is embedded in the item.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing station is configured to store the identifiers of the plurality of items into a memory associated with the RF tag that identifies the carrier.

29. The system of claim 18, further comprising a mover configured to load the items onto the carrier.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the RF tag is configured to store at least one of:

the weight of at least one of the plurality of items, the total weight of the plurality of items, the volume of at least one of the plurality of items, the total volume of the plurality of items, a mail class, an expiration date, and a second location.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing station is configured to compare an expiration date with at least one of the plurality of items.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the processing station is configured to compare the expiration date associated with the at least one of the plurality of items to predetermined criteria.

33. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing station is configure to identify the location of the carrier based at least in part on identifying the location of the RF tag.

34. The system of claim 18, wherein the RF tag comprises an RF identification (RFID) tag.

35. The system of claim 18, wherein the identifier of each item comprises at least one of a barcode, an RFID, or human readable text.

36. A method of tracking utilization, the method comprising:

receiving data associating a plurality of items with an RFID tag of at least one carrier unit;

determining a utilization level of the at least one carrier unit,

providing data indicative of the space available in each of the carriers units;

determining data indicative of the efficiency of utilizing the plurality of carrier units.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

associating said at least one carrier with a transport unit;

determining a utilization level of the transport unit based, at least in part, on the utilization level of said at least one unit.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving the data comprises receiving at least one volume measurement from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein each of the plurality of carrier units comprises a tray.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the transport unit comprises a truck.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein determining data indicative of the efficiency comprises determining a volume utilization rate or percentage of the plurality of items.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein determining the utilization level comprises determining an occupancy level.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein determining the occupancy level comprises determining a volume occupancy percentage.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein determining the occupancy level comprises determining a weight occupancy percentage.

45. A system for tracking at least one item during transfer of said at least one item from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

means for receiving an item identifier of at least one item;

means located on the item for indicating a destination of the item;

means for transporting the item, wherein the indicia of the destination of the item is related to a destination of the means for transporting;

means for receiving a carrier identifier of the means for transporting via an RF signal;

means for storing the item identifier of the at least one item;

means for processing data associating the carrier identifier with the item identifier of the at least one item, wherein the storing means is further configured to store the data associating the carrier identifier with the item identifier;

means for locating the means for transporting; and

means for locating the item based at least in part on the location of the means for transporting.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for processing data comprises at least one of a processor, a computer, a server, a receiver, a transmitter, a network interface, and a storage medium.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for identifying the at least one item comprises at least one of an RF tag, a barcode, and human readable text.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for transporting comprises an active RF tag.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for identifying the means for transporting comprises an active RF tag and a passive RF tag.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein means for processing comprises means for matching the at least one item to the transporting means.

51. The system of claim 45, wherein said means for receiving an identifier from the means for identifying the transporting means comprises means for sending an interrogation signal to the means for identifying and receiving the identifier from the means for identifying, and wherein said system further comprises means for communicating the identifier to the processing means.

52. The system of claim 45, further comprising means for loading the item onto the means for transporting in accordance with the indicia of the destination.