RTLS-enabled tag reclamation receptacle

• US 8,593,282 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Scarola, Todd Franklin, DeRose, Lynn Ann, Lizzi, John Michael Jr., Forman, Douglas Roy, Theurer, Charles Burton, Good, Brandon Stephen, Hann, Francis Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US12/977,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Techniques are provided for reducing the transmission of infrared (IR) signals outside of a reclamation receptacle. Techniques include using a reclamation receptacle having an IR transmitter configured to transmit IR signals when the reclamation receptacle is in a closed configuration and configured to cease transmission of the IR signals when the reclamation receptacle is in an open configuration. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag may be deposited in the reclamation receptacle. The RFID tag may receive the IR signals and generate a radio frequency (RF) signal in response to the IR signals, wherein the RF signal indicates that the RFID tag is in the reclamation receptacle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a reclamation receptacle comprising an infrared (IR) transmitter configured to transmit IR signals when the reclamation receptacle is in a closed configuration and configured to cease transmission of the IR signals when the reclamation receptacle is in an open configuration; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to fit in the reclamation receptacle, wherein the RFID tag is configured to receive the IR signals and generate a radio frequency (RF) signal in response to the IR signals, wherein the RF signal indicates that the RFID tag is in the reclamation receptacle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reclamation receptacle is configured to contain the IR signals within the reclamation receptacle and allow the transmission of RF signals out of the reclamation receptacle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the reclamation receptacle comprises one or more IR-opaque plastics.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reclamation receptacle comprises a bin portion removably coupled to a lid portion, wherein the reclamation receptacle is in the closed configuration when the bin portion is coupled to the lid portion and the reclamation receptacle is in the open configuration when the bin portion is removed from the lid portion.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the reclamation receptacle comprises a sensor configured to sense when the reclamation receptacle is in the closed configuration or the open configuration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the reclamation receptacle comprises a door in a bin portion of the reclamation receptacle, and wherein the RFID tag is configured to fit through the door into the bin portion of the reclamation receptacle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the door is magnetic and is biased to a closed position against the bin portion.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the door comprises an angled portion, and wherein the door is biased such that the angled portion is coupled to the bin portion.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising more than one reclamation receptacle, wherein each of the more than one reclamation receptacles is configured to transmit a unique IR signal within each reclamation receptacle.

10. The system of claim 9, comprising a plurality of RFID tags, wherein each RFID tag is configured to generate a unique RF signal based on the unique IR signal received by one of the more than one reclamation receptacles.

11. A reclamation receptacle comprising:

a bin configured to contain one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;

a lid removably coupled to the bin;

an infrared (IR) transmitter configured to activate when the bin is coupled to the lid and configured to deactivate when the bin is removed from the lid; and

a sensor configured to sense when the bin is coupled to the lid and sense when the bin is removed from the lid.

12. The reclamation receptacle of claim 11, wherein the bin and the lid both comprise materials which are IR-opaque and radio frequency (RF) transmissive.

13. The reclamation receptacle of claim 11, wherein the bin comprises a door configured to receive an RFID tag into the reclamation receptacle, wherein the door is configured to block IR signals from propagating out of the reclamation receptacle.

14. The reclamation receptacle of claim 13, wherein the bin comprises a door having an angular portion configured to block IR signals from propagating out of the reclamation receptacle when the door is open.

15. The reclamation receptacle of claim 11, wherein the lid is configured to be mountable to a flat surface.

16. The reclamation receptacle of claim 11, wherein the IR transmitter is configured to transmit an IR signal to one or more RFID tags in the reclamation receptacle.

17. The reclamation receptacle of claim 11, wherein the IR transmitter is configured to transmit an IR signal indicative of the reclamation receptacle.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag at a reclamation receptacle;

transmitting infrared (IR) signals from an IR transmitter within the reclamation receptacle to the received RFID tag;

generating a radio frequency (RF) signal by the RFID tag based on the received IR signals;

removing a bin of the reclamation receptacle from the remainder of the reclamation receptacle;

sensing the removal of the bin; and

deactivating the IR transmitter in response to the sensing of the removal of the bin.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising sensing the coupling of the bin to the remainder of the reclamation receptacle and activating the IR transmitter in response to the sensing of the coupling of the bin to the remainder of the reclamation receptacle.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising preventing IR signals from being transmitted out from the reclamation receptacle.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising allowing RF signals to be transmitted out from the reclamation receptacle.