System for facilitating communication of information and related methods

• US 9,797,651 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluid Management Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fluid Management Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Mukherjee, Somnath
• Primary Examiner(s): Crenshaw, Henry
• Application Number:
  US14/085,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 62 80, 62126, 62127, 700 22, 700 55, 700278
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices

Abstract

A system for facilitating communication of information between an information source positioned inside a refrigerated environment and a position outside the refrigerated environment comprising a transmitter for transmitting a signal including the information, a planar antenna fixed to a gasket for resonating the transmitted signal, the gasket providing a seal between the refrigerated compartment and a door providing access to the refrigerated compartment, and a receiver for receiving the signal including the information. The information could include information concerning at least one container positioned in a refrigerated environment. The system may utilize a Wi-Fi device, a Bluetooth® device, RFID device, or other devices for transmitting the information.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating communication of information between an information source positioned inside a refrigerated environment and a position outside the refrigerated environment comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a signal including the information;

a planar antenna fixed to a gasket for resonating the transmitted signal, said gasket providing a seal between the refrigerated compartment and a door providing access to the refrigerated compartment; and

a receiver for receiving the signal including the information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is positioned inside the refrigerated environment and the receiver is positioned outside of the refrigerated environment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said planar antenna is a resonant antenna including an aperture which resonates at at least one frequency.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said aperture generates stronger signal currents thereby improving the communication of information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said planar antenna is a resonant antenna including at least two apertures, each of said at least two apertures resonating at at least one frequency.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said at least two apertures focus the transmitted signal thereby improving the communication of information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter is a transceiver and said receiver is a transceiver.

8. A method of facilitating communication of information between a position inside a refrigerated environment and a position outside the refrigerated environment comprising:

transmitting a signal including the information;

resonating the transmitted signal using a planar antenna fixed to a gasket, said gasket providing a seal between the refrigerated compartment and a door providing access to the refrigerated compartment; and

receiving the signal including the information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of transmitting occurs inside the refrigerated environment and the step of receiving occurs outside of the refrigerated environment.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said planar antenna includes an aperture which resonates at at least one frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said aperture generates stronger signal currents thereby improving the communication of information.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said planar antenna includes at least two apertures, each of said at least two apertures resonating at at least one frequency.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least two apertures focus the signal thereby improving the communication of information.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of sensing an amount of content in at least one container when the at least one container is positioned within the refrigerated environment;

and

wherein the transmitted information includes at least the amount of content in the at least one container.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of sensing an amount of content in the at least one container includes the step of detecting a content-air interface within the at least one container.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of sensing an amount of content in the at least one container is performed non-invasively.

15. A system for providing information concerning at least one container positioned in a refrigerated environment comprising:

a non-invasive content sensing system for determining an amount of content in the at least one container when the at least one container is positioned within a refrigerated compartment;

a transmitter positioned inside of the refrigerated compartment for transmitting the information including at least the amount of content in the at least one container;

a planar antenna fixed to a gasket for resonating the information including at least the amount of content in the at least one container, said gasket providing a seal between the refrigerated compartment and a door providing access to the refrigerated compartment; and

a receiver positioned outside of the refrigerated compartment for receiving the information including at least the amount of content in the at least one container;

wherein said non-invasive content sensing system includes a platform supporting the at least one container, at least one holder associated with said at least one container supported by said platform, a source for generating a radio frequency signal, circuitry in communication with said at least one holder for transmitting the radio frequency signal through said at least one holder into the at least one container and receiving a portion of the radio frequency signal reflected at a content-air interface in the at least one container, and circuitry for processing the reflected radio frequency signal and determining the amount of content in the at least one container.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said non-invasive content sensing system includes a tray supporting the at least one container, a source for generating a radio frequency signal, at least one launcher associated with said at least one container supported by said tray for launching the radio frequency signal, circuitry in communication with said at least one launcher for transmitting the radio frequency signal into the at least one container and receiving a portion of the radio frequency signal reflected at a content-air interface in the at least one container, and circuitry for processing the received reflected radio frequency signal and determining the amount of content in the at least one container.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the information transmitted further includes at least one of name of medication, expiration date, national drug code number, lot number, name of manufacturer, temperature inside the refrigerated environment, and humidity inside the refrigerated environment.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said planar antenna is a resonant antenna including an aperture which resonates at at least one frequency.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said aperture generates stronger signal currents thereby improving the communication of information.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said planar antenna is a resonant antenna including at least two apertures, each of said at least two apertures resonating at at least one frequency.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said at least two apertures focus the signal thereby improving the communication of information.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said transmitter is a transceiver and said receiver is a transceiver.