RFID tag embedded within a molded connector and a tracking system therefor

• US 9,697,451 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monroe Engineering LLC
• Original Assignee: Integro, LLC
• Inventors: Bogart, John
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUIN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US15/149,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6691 with built-in signalling means H01R13/717 takes precedence

Abstract

An electrical asset for distributing power for use with a Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) tracking system and middleware. The electrical asset includes at least one electrical component defining an external surface and at least one radially extending portion or axially extending portion. An RFID transponder is overmolded with the at least one electrical component and embedded within the at least one radially extending portion or axially extending portion and below the exterior surface of the at least one electrical component. The transponder is configured to transmit a first signal to a transmitting and receiving device and receive a second signal from the transmitting and receiving device.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (“

RFID”

) tracking system for electrical power distribution assets, the system comprising;

a plurality of electrical assets, each of the plurality of electrical assets including at least one electrical component defining an external surface and at least one radially extending portion or axially extending portion;

an RFID transponder overmolded with the at least one electrical component and embedded within the at least one radially extending portion or axially extending portion and below the exterior surface of the at least one electrical component, the RFID transponder configured to transmit a first signal to a transmitting and receiving device and receive a second signal from the transmitting and receiving device;

a portable adaptive reader having a processor and customizable interface enabled with an application configured for transmitting and receiving data to and from the RFID transponder; and

a computing device having a server with middleware installed and running thereon and thereby receiving data from the reader, populating an exportable master database, and transferring the data in a useable format from the exportable master database to an external interface.

2. The RFID tracking system of claim 1, wherein the useable format is one of SQL, Excel and Portable Data Format (“

pdf”

).

3. The RFID tracking system of claim 2, wherein the external interface is an end-user'"'"'s asset management database and the data transmitted thereto is compatible with the end-user'"'"'s asset management server operating system.

4. The RFID tracking system of claim 3, wherein the end-user'"'"'s asset management server operating system includes enterprise resource planning (“

ERP”

) software.

5. The RFID tracking system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical component being one of a power connector, a mountable connector, a power outlet, a power plug, a power cord grip, a junction box, an outlet box, a lighting streamer, a molding socket, a permanently molded male connector and a permanently molded female connector.