System and method to track articles at a point of origin and at a point of destination using RFID

• US 8,018,340 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/585,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/573.1, 340/825.3, 340/870.16, 342/44, 342/50, 235/492, 235/375, 235/382
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/758 using a signal generator powered by the interrogation signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04

Abstract

A system is provided, which may alternatively be implemented as a method. According to one embodiment, the system comprises an article to be tracked; a flexible radio frequency identification (RFID) device coupled to the article, the RFID device comprising a first thin flexible sheet having a first surface, a dipole antenna disposed on the first sheet, and a single integrated circuit (IC) having stored therein an identification code associated with the article. The system further comprises an article tracking system configured to receive the identification code from an interrogation system, wherein the interrogation system includes a first interrogator located at a point of origin of the article, a second interrogator located at a point of destination of the article, and a third interrogator located on a route between the point of origin and the point of destination, and wherein the first, second, and third interrogators are configured to communicate with the RFID device to determine the identification code.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an article to be tracked;

a flexible radio frequency identification (RFID) device coupled to the article, the RFID device comprising a first thin flexible sheet having a first surface, a dipole antenna disposed on the first sheet, and a single integrated circuit (IC) having stored therein an identification code associated with the article; and

an article tracking system configured to receive the identification code from an interrogation system, wherein the interrogation system includes a first interrogator located at a point of origin of the article and a second interrogator located at a point of destination of the article, and wherein the first and second interrogators are configured to communicate with the RFID device to determine the identification code.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sheet is less than approximately 5 mils thick.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the IC is disposed on the first sheet and wherein the article tracking system comprises at least the first interrogator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking system is configured to determine description information associated with the article.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the tracking system is configured to determine source information associated with the article.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the description information and the source information are stored in the IC.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is configured to communicate using at least one of an amplitude or phase shift keying modulation technique.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first, second, and third interrogators are configured to communicate with the RFID device using a spread spectrum signal that performs frequency hopping.

9. A system, comprising:

a first article;

a first RFID device affixed to the first article and comprising a first thin polymer sheet having a first surface, an antenna disposed on the surface, and a single integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the antenna; and

an article tracking system configured to provide access to location information associated with the article from an interrogation system, wherein the interrogation system comprises a first interrogator at an originating location of the article, a second interrogator at a final location of the article, and a third interrogator on a route between the originating location and the final location, and wherein the interrogation system is configured to communicate with the first RFID device to determine an identification code associated with the first article.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sheet is less than approximately 5 mils thick.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the antenna of the first device is a dipole antenna.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the tracking system is configured to associate the identification code with the first article and wherein the tracking system comprises the first, second, and third interrogators.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the interrogation system is configured to associate the identification code with the first article by encoding the identification code in the first device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the tracking system is configured to determine description information associated with the first article.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the description information is stored in the first device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the interrogation system is configured to provide power to the first device by RF charging.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the device further comprises a battery and wake up circuitry configured to awaken the IC from a sleep mode upon detecting a predetermined signal via the antenna.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the battery is less than approximately 30 mils thick.

19. A method of tracking articles, comprising:

providing an RFID device comprising a first thin flexible sheet having a first surface, an antenna disposed on the first sheet, and a single integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the antenna;

coupling the device to an article;

reading the device electronically at a shipment origin to determine at least a portion of identifying information associated with the article, the at least portion of the identifying information including an identification code;

shipping the article to a shipment destination; and

receiving the at least portion of identifying information when the device is electronically read at the shipment destination.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the identification code in the IC.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein reading the device includes interrogating the device using a spread spectrum RF signal in a range of 800 MHz to 8 GHz.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first sheet is less than approximately 5 mils thick.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein reading the device includes interrogating the device using a frequency hopping spread spectrum RF signal.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein reading the device comprises providing power to the device by RF charging.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the device comprises a battery, and reading the device comprises transmitting an RF signal and waking up the IC from a sleep mode in response to detecting the signal.

26. A method of tracking articles, comprising:

receiving a plurality of articles at a shipment destination, each of the articles having affixed thereto a respective RFID device comprising a respective thin sheet, a respective antenna disposed on the sheet, and a single respective integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the antenna;

transmitting to the articles an RF signal;

receiving, in response to the signal, data stored in a first IC of a first RFID device affixed to a first article of the plurality of articles;

providing access to a tracking system that receives the data from the first RFID device from a first interrogator at an original location of the article and from a second interrogator at a location along a route between the original location and the shipment destination; and

treating the first article based at least in part on the data received from the first RFID device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing power to the first device by RF charging, and wherein the RF signal in a range of 800 MHz to 8 GHz.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the sheet is less than approximately 5 mils thick.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising determining a source of the first article from the data, the data including an identification code.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising waking up the first IC from a sleep mode in response to the RF signal, wherein the first IC is coupled to a battery.