Method for retrieving a shut state and/or a location of a closable container

• US 9,922,215 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMARTRAC Investment B.V. (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SMARTRAC Investment B.V. (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Huhtasalo, Lauri Johannes, Wittkowski, Joerg Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US15/537,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 235451, 235439, 235449, 235492, 235375
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0254 with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps and securing them by means of a tongue integral with one of the flaps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4233 Cards, coupons, labels or the like formed separately from the container or lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6602 formed by folding one or more extensions hinged to the upper edge of a tubular container body
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07794 the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for retrieving a shut state and/or a location of a closable container as well as closable containers, wherein a transition between an open position and a closed position is achieved by a relative movement at least of a first container part with respect to a second container part, wherein the container has at least one RFID chip having a connected near field antenna and a far field antenna and the RFID chip having the connected near field antenna is arranged at the first or at the second container part and the far field antenna is arranged at the other one of the first and second container part, respectively, and the near field antenna, which is connected to the RFID chip, is arranged, as compared to the far field antenna, such that, in the closed position of the container, a noncontact electromagnetic coupling takes place between the near field antenna and the far field antenna. In the context of the method, due to the interaction of a sending unit and a receiving unit, a response signal can by generated by means of the RFID chip and can be transmitted, the range of said response signal depending on the shut position of the container.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving a shut position and/or a location of at least one closable container, said method comprising the steps:

a) sending a signal via a first sending unit;

b) receiving the signal with a near field antenna of the container, said antenna being connected to an RFID chip;

c) generating a response signal by way of the RFID chip and transmitting the response signal, wherein, in the closed position of the container, a noncontact electromagnetic coupling exists between the near field antenna which is connected to the RFID chip, and which is arranged at the first or at the second container part, and a far field antenna being arranged at the other one of the first and second container part, respectively, and

wherein the response signal is transmitted with a first range for communicating with a receiving unit and wherein, in the open position of the container, a response signal having a second range is transmitted for communicating with a receiving unit;

d) monitoring if response signals are received by at least one receiving unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the response signals having been generated by the RFID chip are generated as characteristic response signals of a respective container or of at least one respective container type.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the method steps a) -d) are repeated periodically, a temporal change in the response signals being detected by data processing installation at least being connected to a receiving unit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the data processing installation evaluates the temporal change in the response signals and makes a prognosis regarding the location and/or regarding the shut position of the at least one container for a current and/or a future point in time, based on the evaluation.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the location and/or the shut position of the at least one container are/is output via an output unit of the data processing installation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the signals are sent and the response signals are received with the aid of at least one combined sending and receiving unit.