Article tracking system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for tracking articles, managing articles, or both, wherein RFID tags are associated with the articles, comprising:
- associating at least one RFID tag with an article, the RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory;
associating at least one bar code with the article, the bar code containing information relating to the article that is stored in the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the electronic memory of the RFID tag containing the information that is encoded in the bar code;
providing a first station comprising a first RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a first antenna defining a detection region proximate the first station;
providing a second station comprising a second RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a plurality of antennas defining a detection region proximate the second station, wherein antennas of the plurality of antennas of the second station are sequenced in time at a rate sufficient for receiving information-bearing signals transmitted by an RFID tag within the time that the RFID tag is within the detection region thereof irrespective of the orientation of the RFID tag;
communicating information contained in the received information-bearing signals from RFID tags in the detection regions of the first and second RFID readers to a processor,whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the processor via the RFID tag readers of the first and second stations when the RFID tags are in the detection regions thereof; and
storing in a database associated with the processor at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database includes information relating to the articles,wherein the information relating to the article stored in the RFID tag is erasable and the RFID tag is re-encodable,whereby information stored in the database may be accessed for obtaining information relating to the articles and the RFID tags may be reprogrammed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are useful for tracking and/or managing an article at one or more stations. An RFID tag including a memory and an antenna is associated with reach article, and an RFID tag reader at the station has plural antennas for communicating with RFID tags and reading information therefrom. The read information is communicated to a processor and stored in a database. The information stored in the database may be utilized for tracking and/or managing the article, whereby the article being tracked and/or managed may be located and its history obtained, for use in various environments.
134 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for tracking articles, managing articles, or both, wherein RFID tags are associated with the articles, comprising:
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associating at least one RFID tag with an article, the RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory; associating at least one bar code with the article, the bar code containing information relating to the article that is stored in the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the electronic memory of the RFID tag containing the information that is encoded in the bar code; providing a first station comprising a first RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a first antenna defining a detection region proximate the first station; providing a second station comprising a second RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a plurality of antennas defining a detection region proximate the second station, wherein antennas of the plurality of antennas of the second station are sequenced in time at a rate sufficient for receiving information-bearing signals transmitted by an RFID tag within the time that the RFID tag is within the detection region thereof irrespective of the orientation of the RFID tag; communicating information contained in the received information-bearing signals from RFID tags in the detection regions of the first and second RFID readers to a processor, whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the processor via the RFID tag readers of the first and second stations when the RFID tags are in the detection regions thereof; and storing in a database associated with the processor at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database includes information relating to the articles, wherein the information relating to the article stored in the RFID tag is erasable and the RFID tag is re-encodable, whereby information stored in the database may be accessed for obtaining information relating to the articles and the RFID tags may be reprogrammed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for tracking articles, managing articles, or both, wherein RFID tags are associated with the articles, comprising:
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associating at least one RFID tag with an article, the RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory; associating at least one bar code with the article, the bar code containing information relating to the article that is stored in the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the electronic memory of the RFID tag containing the information that is encoded in the bar code; providing a first station comprising a first RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a plurality of antennas defining a detection region proximate the first station, wherein antennas of the plurality of antennas of the first station are sequenced in time at a rate sufficient for receiving information-bearing signals transmitted by an RFID tag within the time that the RFID tag is within the detection region thereof irrespective of the orientation of the RFID tag; communicating information contained in the received information-bearing signals from RFID tags in the detection regions of the first RFID reader to a processor, whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the processor via the RFID tag readers of the first station when the RFID tags are in the detection regions thereof; and storing in a database associated with the processor at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database includes information relating to the articles, wherein the information relating to the article stored in the RFID tag is erasable and the RFID tag is re-encodable, whereby information stored in the database may be accessed for obtaining information relating to the articles and the RFID tags may be reprogrammed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for tracking articles, managing articles, or both, wherein RFID tags are associated with the articles, comprising:
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associating at least one RFID tag with an article, the RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory, wherein the articles are of a sort that degrade, expire and/or spoil with passage of time; associating at least one bar code with the article, the bar code containing information relating to the article that is stored in the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the electronic memory of the RFID tag containing the information that is encoded in the bar code; providing a first station comprising a first RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a plurality of antennas defining detection regions proximate the first station, wherein antennas of the plurality of antennas are sequenced in time at a rate sufficient for receiving information-bearing signals transmitted by an RFID tag within the time that the RFID tag is within the detection region thereof irrespective of the orientation of the RFID tag; communicating information contained in the received information-bearing signals from RFID tags in the detection regions of the first RFID reader to a processor, whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the processor via the RFID tag readers of the first station when the RFID tags are in the detection regions thereof; storing in a database associated with the processor at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database includes information relating to the articles; and processing information from the data base for utilizing articles in an order relating to degradation, expiration and/or spoilage of the articles, wherein the information relating to the article stored in the RFID tag is erasable and the RFID tag is re-encodable, whereby information stored in the database may be accessed for dispensing articles on a first-in first-out or other basis to reduce spoilage and the RFID tags may be reprogrammed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for tracking articles, managing articles, or both, wherein RFID tags are associated with the articles, comprising:
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associating at least one RFID tag with an article, the RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory; associating at least one bar code with the article, the bar code containing information relating to the article that is stored in the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the electronic memory of the RFID tag containing the information that is encoded in the bar code; providing a first station comprising a first RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a plurality of antennas defining detection regions proximate the first station, wherein ones of the plurality of antennas are located proximate a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, a processing facility, a display, a display rack, a shelf, a storage area, a storage bin, an entrance, an exit, an access way, a transport operation, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a train, a truck, a container, a storage container, a transport container, a crate, a package, a pallet, a wholesale operation, a check out, a dispensing location, a retail operation, a store, a display facility, or any combination of the foregoing. wherein antennas of the plurality of antennas are sequenced in time at a rate sufficient for receiving information-bearing signals transmitted by an RFID tag within the time that the RFID tag is within the detection region thereof irrespective of the orientation of the RFID tag; communicating information contained in the received information-bearing signals from RFID tags in the detection regions of the first RFID reader to a processor, whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the processor via the RFID tag readers of the first station when the RFID tags are in the detection regions thereof; storing in a database associated with the processor at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database includes information relating to the articles; and processing information from the data base for utilizing articles in an order relating to degradation, expiration and/or spoilage of the articles, wherein the information relating to the article stored in the RFID tag is erasable and the RFID tag is re-encodable, whereby information stored in the database may be accessed for dispensing articles on a first-in first-out or other basis to reduce spoilage and the RFID tags may be reprogrammed. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for tracking articles, managing articles, or both, wherein RFID tags are associated with the articles, comprising:
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at least one RFID tag associated with an article, said RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory; wherein the information relating to the article stored in the RFID tag is erasable and the RFID tag is re-encodable; at least one bar code associated with the article, the bar code containing information relating to the article that is stored in the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the electronic memory of the RFID tag containing the information that is encoded in the bar code; a first station comprising a first RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via a plurality of antennas defining detection regions proximate said first station, wherein ones of said plurality of antennas are located proximate a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, a processing facility, a display, a display rack, a shelf, a storage area, a storage bin, an entrance, an exit, an access way, a transport operation, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a train, a truck, a container, a storage container, a transport container, a crate, a package, a pallet, a wholesale operation, a check out, a dispensing location, a retail operation, a store, a display facility, or any combination of the foregoing. wherein antennas of the plurality of antennas are sequenced in time at a rate sufficient for receiving information-bearing signals transmitted by an RFID tag within the time that the RFID tag is within the detection region thereof irrespective of the orientation of the RFID tag; a processor including a database; means for communicating information contained in the received information-bearing signals from RFID tags in the detection regions of said first RFID reader to the database of said processor, whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the processor via the RFID tag readers of the first station when the RFID tags are in the detection regions thereof; said processor storing in the database thereof at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database of said processor includes information relating to the articles; and said processor processing information from the data base thereof for utilizing articles in an order relating to degradation, expiration and/or spoilage of the articles, whereby information stored in the database may be accessed for dispensing articles on a first-in first-out or other basis to reduce spoilage and the RFID tags may be reprogrammed. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification