Method and apparatus for control or monitoring of a container
First Claim
1. An system comprising:
- a carrier adapted to carry a plurality of items, each of the plurality of items having at least one radio frequency (RF) tag attached thereto; and
a control unit supported on said carrier, the control unit including an internal portion coupled to an interior portion of the carrier and an external portion coupled to an external portion of the carrier, the internal portion including at least one sensor and at least one reader responsive to wireless signals transmitted by the RF tags attached to the items carried by said carrier, and the external portion including a processor, a memory, and at least one sensor, the control unit maintaining a local inventory of items carried by said carrier.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus includes a carrier, and a system that is responsive to wireless signals transmitted by tags on items carried by the carrier for maintaining a local inventory of items carried by the carrier. A different apparatus involves a carrier having a container with an interior, a sensor for detecting a condition externally of the container that can be related to an environment within the container, and a system that handles information from the sensor in a manner facilitating an evaluation of the likelihood that a problem exists within the container. Another apparatus involves a carrier for a plurality of items, and a system that is responsive to wireless signals received from a remote location for determining a current location of the carrier and for evaluating whether the carrier is proceeding along an intended route.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An system comprising:
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a carrier adapted to carry a plurality of items, each of the plurality of items having at least one radio frequency (RF) tag attached thereto; and a control unit supported on said carrier, the control unit including an internal portion coupled to an interior portion of the carrier and an external portion coupled to an external portion of the carrier, the internal portion including at least one sensor and at least one reader responsive to wireless signals transmitted by the RF tags attached to the items carried by said carrier, and the external portion including a processor, a memory, and at least one sensor, the control unit maintaining a local inventory of items carried by said carrier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system comprising:
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a carrier having a container with an interior, and adapted to carry a plurality of items within said interior, each of the plurality of items having at least one radio frequency (RF) tag attached thereto; an external sensor disposed externally of said container for detecting a condition that can be related to an environment within said container or external to the container; and a control unit supported on said carrier, the control unit having an external portion on an external portion of the carrier and an internal portion in the interior of the container having a reader and at least one internal sensor, the control portion responsive to an output of said sensors, the control unit handling information from said sensors in a manner facilitating an evaluation of the likelihood that a problem exists within said container the control unit further be responsive to wireless signals transmitted by the RF tags and maintaining a local inventory of items carried by said carrier. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method comprising:
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providing a carrier; supporting on said carrier a plurality of items, each of the plurality of items having at least one radio frequency (RF) tag attached thereto; receiving, by a reader in a control unit supported on the carrier wireless signals transmitted by the RF tags attached to said items carried by said carrier; monitoring, by one or more sensors internal to the carrier, an environmental condition of an interior of the carrier; formulating, by a processor of the control unit, a local inventory of the items carried by the carier based on the received wireless signals transmitted by the RF tags attached to the items carried by the carrier; and maintaining, in a memory of the control unit, the local inventory on the carrier of items carried by said carrier. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method comprising:
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providing a carrier having a container with an interior, said container being adapted to carry a plurality of items within said interior; detecting with a sensor at a location external to said container a condition that can be related to an environment within said container or external to the container; handling information from said sensor in a manner facilitating an evaluation of the likelihood that a problem exists within said container; receiving, by a reader in a control unit on the carrier wireless signals transmitted by radio frequency (RF) tags attached to each of said items carried by said carrier; and formulating, by a processor of the control unit, a local inventory of the items carried by the carrier based on the received wireless signals transmitted by the RF tags attached to the items carried by the carrier; and maintaining a local inventory on the carrier of items carried by said carrier. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification