Mobile portal for RFID applications

• US 7,786,844 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehrman, Kenneth S., Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Vernal U
• Application Number:
  US11/276,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/3.51, 340/505, 340/825.28, 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/568.1, 340/572.4, 700/236, 700/225, 700/214, 700/213, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03

Abstract

A mobile portal for RFID applications includes an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in the environment. A communicator is coupled to the RFID reader to receive the read identifications and then communicate the received read identifications over the wireless interface, through one of the gateways, to the central data processing system. Each mobile portal may be actuated for RFID read operations in response to information sensed concerning operation of the mobile asset/vehicle. Additionally, the central data processing system may issue instructions concerning mobile asset/vehicle operation, with those instructions communicated over the wireless interface to the mobile portal. Responsive to implementation of those instructions, the mobile portal actuates the RFID reader and compares the read identifications to identifications of certain RFID tagged items to be manipulated which were identified in the received instruction.

Claims

1. A method of detecting RFID tagged items being moved by a mobile asset/vehicle, the method comprising:

actuating an RFID reader coupled to the mobile asset/vehicle to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items a first time at a first location after loading of the mobile asset/vehicle and storing a first set of read RFID tagged items, the first set of read RFID tagged items including RFID tagged items loaded onto the mobile asset/vehicle and RFID tagged items not loaded on the mobile asset/vehicle;

actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items a second time at a second location before the next unloading of the mobile asset/vehicle and storing a second set of read RFID tagged items, the second set of read RFID tagged items including RFID tagged items loaded onto the mobile asset/vehicle and RFID tagged items not loaded on the mobile asset/vehicle, the second location being different from the first location and a reading range of the RFID reader at the second location not overlapping with a reading range of the reader at the first location;

comparing the first set of read RFID tagged items to the second set of RFID tagged items to identify RFID tagged items listed in both the first set and the second set; and

identifying the RFID tagged items listed in both the first set and the second set as the only items being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of actuating an RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items is triggered based on operational data of the mobile asset/vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the operational data is representative of vehicle motion data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the operational data is representative of a vehicle lift condition.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the operational data is representative of a vehicle location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of actuating an RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items it triggered when the mobile asset/vehicle transitions from a stationary state to a moving state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of actuating an RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items it triggered when a sensor associated with the mobile asset/vehicle senses that a load is present on the mobile asset/vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

actuating the RFID reader one or more additional times to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items and storing one or more additional sets of readings of RFID tagged items;

wherein comparing the first set of read RFID tagged items to the second set of RFID tagged items to identify RFID tagged items listed in both the first set and the second set further comprises comparing the first set, the second set, and the one or more additional sets of read RFID tagged items to identify RFID tagged items listed in each of the sets; and

wherein identifying the RFID tagged items listed in both the first set and the second further comprises identifying the RFID tagged items listed in each of the sets as being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

actuating the RFID reader one or more additional times to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items and storing one or more additional sets of readings of RFID tagged items;

comparing items listed in both the first set and the second set with items listed in the one or more additional sets to identify RFID tagged items listed in each of the sets;

identifying the RFID tagged items listed in each of the sets as being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle.

10. A system for tracking RFID tagged items, the system comprising:

a plurality of mobile RFID portals for attachment to a plurality of mobile asset/vehicles, each mobile RFID portal including an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items, a data storage device for storing read identifications, and a communicator for transmitting read identifications over a wireless interface;

a central data processing system coupled to the wireless interface to receive the read identifications communicated from the communicators in the plurality of mobile RFID portals;

wherein the central data processing system maintains records of the location of a plurality of RFID tagged items present in a predetermined geographic area; and

wherein the central data processing system receives data from each of the plurality of mobile RFID portals representative of the RFID tagged items moved by the mobile asset/vehicle associated with the respective mobile RFID portal;

wherein one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals reads the identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items loaded and not loaded on the mobile asset/vehicle a first time at a first location after loading of the mobile asset/vehicle when a first predetermined mobile asset/vehicle operational data is identified;

wherein the one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals reads the identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items loaded and not loaded on the mobile asset/vehicle a second time at a second location before the next unloading of the mobile asset/vehicle when a second predetermined mobile asset/vehicle operational data is identified, the second location being spaced apart from first location such that a first reading range of the mobile RFID portal at the first location does not overlap a second reading range of the mobile RFID portal at the second location; and

wherein RFID tagged items being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle are identified by comparing the RFID tagged items that were read both the first time and the second time.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined mobile asset/vehicle operational data identified represents vehicle motion data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined mobile asset/vehicle operational data identified represents a vehicle lift condition.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals reads the identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items a second time a predetermined time interval after the first time.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals reads the identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items a second time when a load is released.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile portal determines that a load is released based on vehicle operational data.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the communicator of the one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals transmits location data when the load is released.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile portal stores location data when the load is released.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the central data processing system stores data representative of the RFID tagged items that were read at both the first time and the second time and the location data.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the central data processing system stores the location data as representative of a current location of the RFID tagged items that were read both the first time and the second time.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more of the plurality of mobile RFID portals reads the identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items one or more additional times, and the RFID tagged items that were read both the first time and the second time are compared to RFID tagged items read one or more additional times to verify that the RFID tagged items transported by the mobile asset/vehicle have been correctly identified.