Material handling apparatus with a cellular communications device

• US 7,948,371 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nextreme LLC
• Original Assignee: Nextreme LLC
• Inventors: Muirhead, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/704,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/825.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/24308 comprising electronic elements or detection means, e.g. chips, RFIDs or barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/11 comprising two or more partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. honeycomb-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/15 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/157 Coating linked inserts, e.g. chains
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/02 Combined thermoforming and manufacture of the preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/12 of articles having inserts or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/46 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/543 joining more than two hollow-preforms to form said hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/545 one hollow-preform being placed inside the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7254 honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2017/00 Carriers for sound or information
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7126 large, e.g. for bulk storage
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7172 Fuel tanks, jerry cans
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7178 Pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0018 and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 : Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 : Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00139 : Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 : made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 : made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 : made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 : contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00407 : on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00412 : on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00437 : on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00442 : on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00557 : without separate auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 : chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0094 : nestable
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 : Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 : characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 : arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 : the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 : the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The invention involves a material handling apparatus tracking system that uses cellular communications to send and receive information between the apparatus and a network. The cellular communication devices operate in radio frequency rich environments and contain additional communications capabilities. The apparatus compartments capable of enclosing electronic devices populated with a plurality of components to provide track and trace functionality and various levels of granularity. Sensors and actuators are used in connection with the material handling apparatus.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for articles having attached RFID transponders transported and stored on a mobile plastic material handling apparatus comprising:

a molded plastic body having a surface for carrying the articles and a support structure spaced apart horizontally from the surface,

said molded plastic body including a chamber having sufficient size to carry at least one wireless device,

a cover to close the compartment and to activate the wireless device contained in the compartment,

said wireless device including a circuit board comprising modules having an IC chipset module with a microprocessor and memory space for executing programs involving interpreting instructions and processing data associated with operations and communications of the device,

a cellular communications module for transmitting and receiving air interface radio frequency signals over a cellular network, the network being operated by a host,

at least one sensor module responsive to at least one of a dynamic environmental condition, an RF signal and a geo-location determination related to the material handling apparatus,

at least one reader/writer interrogator for communicating with a RFID transponder affixed to an article supported upon said surface, for monitoring the addition and removal of said article from said surface, and

a power supply for activating said device when said cover closes the compartment to activate the wireless device contained in the compartment.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 which includes:

said reader/writer interrogator being responsive to dynamic condition information from the RFID transponder attached to said article,

said reader/writer interrogator integrated with the IC chipset on the circuit board, and

said IC chipset being operable to receive condition information about the articles from the reader/writer interrogator and causing said cellular communications module to transmit data based upon the rules stored in a memory of the RFID transponder with said data being indicative of the dynamic condition regarding the article.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 which includes:

said sensor module being responsive to RF signals using an RFID transponder that is operable to communicate with adjacent RFID transponders located along the distribution path of the apparatus and an IEEE 802 Standard sensor that is operable to communicate within a local area network within which the apparatus is located,

said sensor module being integrated with the IC chipset on the circuit board, and

said IC chipset receiving sensor module data and causing said cellular communications module to transmit data indicative of the material handling apparatus over the cellular network operated by a host.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 which includes:

said reader/writer interrogator being responsive to dynamic condition information communicated by the article RFID transponders,

said reader/writer interrogator being integrated with the IC chipset on the circuit board, and

Said IC chipset receiving RFID transponder data and causing said cellular communications module to transmit data indicative of the conditions of the articles with attached RFID transponders over the cellular network operated by the host.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 which includes:

said cellular network host selling used band width for communicating condition information about the articles and the apparatus, and the operator of the apparatus selling the network access time for monitoring said articles to a third party.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1 which includes:

a power supply having a monitored battery for supplying power to the modules and components of the circuit board and at least one of a mechanical, electrical and a solar power generation apparatus for generating power for storage in said monitored battery.

7. A position, tracking and monitoring system comprising:

a mobile material handling apparatus having a device for communicative coupling within first and second wireless networks, said first network being an RFID network, and said second network being a national digital cellular network operated by a cellular network host,

said device including a RFID module having a first antenna arrangement that communicates with RFID article transponders carried on the apparatus to monitor the articles and RFID location transponders positioned along the distribution path of the apparatus to track the location of the apparatus, and

said device including a cellular telephone module having a second antenna arrangement for communicating within the national cellular network with the host using cellular signal measurement techniques to determine the position, track the movement and monitor the condition of the device, and by operative association therewith, the apparatus and its unit load.

8. A system as set forth in claim 7 which includes:

an internet portal for accessing positioning, tracking and monitoring data of the device and the associated apparatus and load.

9. A system as set forth in claim 7 which includes:

said device including a least one sensor module having a third antenna arrangement,

said sensor module being responsive to at least one dynamic environmental condition indicative of the apparatus, and

said sensor module being responsive to RF signals within a communications range indicative of at least one of an RFID reader/writer, an RFID transponder and a IEEE 801-n Standard wireless device.

10. A system as set forth in claim 9 which includes:

the cellular network operably communicating a query to said apparatus device to instruct at least one of said sensor module and said reader/writer interrogator to execute a sensing operation, and

the device, responsive to said sensing operation, communicating a query reply indicative of the requested sensing operation over the cellular network.

11. A system as set forth in claim 7 which includes:

said material handling apparatus being an object, food and material transportation and storage structure that is selected from a group consisting of a pallet, a container, a carrier, a tank, a tray, a dunnage platform, an IBC, a RPC and a ULD.