Flexible pouch with smart tags

• US 8,228,197 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pouch Pac Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pouch Pac Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Murray, R. Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/558,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20100117819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 340/517, 340/10.1, 3405721-5729
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 3/00 Rigid or semi-rigid containers having bodies or peripheral walls of curved or partially-curved cross-section made by winding or bending paper without folding along defined lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5805 for tearing a side strip parallel and next to the edge, e.g. by means of a line of weakness

Abstract

The present invention discloses a smart pouch that has a flexible pouch with a plurality of smart tags attached thereto. The plurality of smart tags can include one or more of the following: a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a chipless RFID tag, a time sensitive tag, a time-temperature sensitive tag, a package-has-been-opened tag, a cooking instructions tag, and the like. A signal provided by the plurality of smart tags to a reader can provide a plurality of information to the reader and the information can be related to the flexible pouch and any content, product, etc., that may be contained therewithin. In addition, at least one of the plurality of smart tags can be located within an air pocket.

Claims

1. A smart pouch comprising:

a flexible pouch; and

a plurality of smart tags attached to said flexible pouch;

said plurality of smart tags selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a chipless RFID tag, a time sensitive tag, a time-temperature sensitive tag, a package-has-been-opened tag, a cooking instructions tag and combinations thereof;

wherein a signal provided by said plurality of smart tags to a reader provides a plurality of information related to said flexible pouch to said reader;

said plurality of smart tags having information related to and selected from the group consisting of a product sealed within said flexible pouch, a date said flexible pouch was manufactured, a date a product was sealed within said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said flexible pouch, an expiration date of a product sealed within said flexible pouch, a cooking instruction for a product sealed within said flexible pouch, a package-has-been-opened signal and combinations thereof.

2. The smart pouch of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of smart tags is located within an air pocket.

3. The smart pouch of claim 1, further comprising a product sealed within said flexible pouch.

4. The smart pouch of claim 3, wherein said plurality of information is selected from at least two of the group consisting of an identification of said product sealed within said flexible pouch, a date said flexible pouch was manufactured, a date said product was placed within said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said product sealed within said flexible pouch, a cooking instruction for said product sealed within said flexible pouch and a package-has-been-opened signal.

5. The smart pouch of claim 4, further comprising a microwave oven with a reader operative to read a signal from said plurality of smart tags;

wherein one of said plurality of smart tags has said cooking instruction for said product;

said microwave oven operative to cook said product per said cooking instruction for said product read by said reader.

6. The smart pouch of claim 5, wherein one of said smart tags is a time-temperature sensitive tag operative to signal said reader when said product has been at a predetermined elevated temperature for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The smart pouch of claim 5, wherein one of said smart tags is a time-temperature sensitive tag operative to change color when said product has been at a predetermined elevated temperature for a predetermined amount of time.

8. The smart pouch of claim 1, wherein said plurality of information related to said flexible pouch contains a temperature of said flexible pouch.

9. A smart pouch comprising:

a flexible pouch;

a product sealed within said flexible pouch; and

a plurality of smart tags attached to said flexible pouch;

said plurality of smart tags selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a chipless RFID tag, a time sensitive tag, a time-temperature sensitive tag, a package-has-been-opened tag, a cooking instructions tag and combinations thereof;

wherein a signal provided by said plurality of smart tags to a reader provides a plurality of information related to said flexible pouch to said reader, said plurality of information selected from at least two of the group consisting of an identification of said product sealed within said flexible pouch, a date said flexible pouch was manufactured, a date said product was placed within said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said product sealed within said flexible pouch, a cooking instruction for said product sealed within said flexible pouch and a package-has-been-opened signal.

10. The smart pouch of claim 9, wherein at least one of said plurality of smart tags is located within an air pocket.

11. The smart pouch of claim 9, wherein said plurality of information related to said flexible pouch contains a temperature of said flexible pouch.

12. A smart pouch comprising:

a flexible pouch;

a product sealed within said flexible pouch; and

a plurality of smart tags attached to said flexible pouch; and

a microwave oven with a reader operative to read a signal from said plurality of smart tags;

wherein one of said plurality of smart tags has a cooking instruction for said product;

said microwave oven operative to cook said product per said cooking instruction for said product read by a reader.

13. The smart pouch of claim 12, wherein said plurality of smart tags is selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a chipless RFID tag, a time sensitive tag, a time-temperature sensitive tag, a package-has-been-opened tag, a cooking instructions tag and combinations thereof.

14. The smart pouch of claim 13, wherein a signal provided by said plurality of smart tags to said reader provides a plurality of information related to said flexible pouch to said reader, said plurality of information selected the group consisting of an identification of said product sealed within said flexible pouch, a date said flexible pouch was manufactured, a date said product was placed within said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said product sealed within said flexible pouch and a package-has-been-opened signal.

15. The smart pouch of claim 14, wherein said plurality of information is selected from at least two of the group consisting of an identification of said product sealed within said flexible pouch, a date said flexible pouch was manufactured, a date said product was placed within said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said flexible pouch, an expiration date of said product sealed within said flexible pouch and a package-has-been-opened signal.