Apparatus and method for monitoring and communicating data associated with a product

• US 9,946,904 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infratab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Infratab, Inc.
• Inventors: Burchell, Jonathan, Myers, Therese E., Kaye, Stanton, Pope, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US13/771,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 10/00 Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A condition monitoring system includes a radio frequency transponder module including an RFID chip having a first memory, and an antenna; at least one sensor module that monitors data related to the condition of a product and includes a second memory for storing the monitored data; and a communication interface that couples the at least one sensor module to the RFID chip of the radio frequency transponder module so that the sensor module is operative to communicate with the RFID chip by way of the communication interface and the RFID chip first memory is operative to store data related to the product.

Claims

1. A condition monitoring system comprising:

a. a radio frequency transponder module including a RFID chip having a first memory, and an antenna;

b. at least one sensor module that monitors data related to the condition of a product and includes a second memory for storing the monitored data;

c. a two-way communication interface that couples said second memory in the at least one sensor module to said first memory in the RFID chip of the radio frequency transponder module, wherein the second memory in said at least one sensor module is operative to communicate with the RFID chip by way of the two-way communication interface, and the RFID chip first memory is operative to store sensor status periodically sent to the first memory by said second memory, said second memory is operative to receive commands from the RFID chip first memory; and

d. a condition control module comprising an RF reader operative to communicate with the radio frequency transponder module to control the data sent to or received from the RFID chip first memory under software control, wherein said first memory includes one or more memory addresses that are operative to receive data from the RF reader, wherein said data from the RF reader is then routed to said second memory by way of the two-way communication interface.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transponder module and the sensor module are formed on separate substrates and are communicatively coupled by way of the communication interface.

3. A system as in claim 1, where the radio frequency module and the sensor module comprise a single chip.

4. A system as in claim 1, comprising an indicator display, wherein the condition control module sends a where-are-you location request to the RFID chip first memory for the sensor module to activate said indicator display.

5. A system as in claim 1, comprising a condition control module wherein the condition control module sends a command to the RFID chip first memory to selectively lock or unlock data in the first or second memory of the condition monitoring system.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein one or more additional sensors are communicatively coupled with said radio frequency transponder module permitting the same or a different RFID reader, or both, to retrieve sensor data measured by the one or more additional sensors.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein the RFID reader comprises a mobile device including a mobile operating system for running the condition control module.

8. A system as in claim 1, comprising a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the sensor and applying said measurement data to data representing one or more predefined temperature dependent shelf-life trends to determine a current freshness status.

9. A system as in claim 1, comprising a freshness determining module for further receiving humidity-dependent or other-sensor dependent measurement data, applying said measurement data to one or more predefined shelf life trends and updating the freshness status data.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein a freshness determining module comprises an Arrhenius spoilage curve.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein a freshness determining module provides summary freshness information, or an alert when the freshness status data differs by a predetermined amount, or when a product is determined to be approaching an expected end of its shelf life or both.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein a freshness determining module calculates freshness status data from an initial one-hundred percent freshness status.

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein a freshness determining module calculates freshness status wherein the end of life of the perishable is the Use-By date.

14. A system as in claim 1, wherein a freshness determining module calculates alerts based upon key times in the life of a perishable.

15. A system as in claim 1, wherein a freshness determining module calculates temperature alerts over or under a specific threshold temperature.

16. A system as in claim 1, comprising a freshness determining module, wherein the freshness determining module calculates mean kinetic temperature.

17. A system as in claim 1, wherein a custody log is maintained comprising freshness status by custody period.

18. A system as in claim 1, wherein a history log is maintained by time and temperature.

19. A system as in claim 1, wherein a history log is maintained for each one percent of shelf life used.

20. A system as in claim 1, comprising at least one table for storing temperature calibration data.

21. A condition monitoring system, as in claim 1, and at least one second condition monitoring system wherein said second condition monitoring system is operative to receive data about the condition of a product from the first condition monitoring system.

22. A system as in claim 21, wherein the first condition monitoring system comprises a radio frequency transponder module and at least one sensor module operative to communicate freshness data and the at least one second condition monitoring system comprises a condition monitoring system, a radio frequency transponder, a sensor with display, a barcode or a printed label.

23. A system as in claim 21, wherein the first condition monitoring system comprises a freshness determining module for calculating freshness status data from an initial one-hundred percent freshness status.

24. A system as in claim 21, wherein the first condition monitoring system comprises a freshness determining module for calculating freshness status alerts over or under predetermined temperature thresholds.

25. A system as in claim 21, wherein the at least one second condition monitoring system is communicatively coupled to the first condition monitoring system.

26. A system as in claim 21, wherein the at least one second condition monitoring system is physically separate from the first condition monitoring system.

27. A system as in claim 21, comprising a condition control module, said condition control module comprising an RF reader operative to send data from the first condition monitoring system to the second condition monitoring system.

28. A system as in claim 21, wherein a condition control module prints freshness status data from the first condition monitoring system to a printed label.

29. A system as in claim 21, wherein the first and second condition monitoring systems are formed on a common substrate in spaced-apart positions and are communicatively coupled.

30. A system as in claim 21, wherein the at least one second condition monitoring system has a different radio frequency from the first condition monitoring system.

31. A system as in claim 21, comprising a communications interface, wherein the sensor of the first condition monitoring system sends data to RFID chip first memory of the first and at least one second condition monitoring system by way of the communication interface.

37. A system as in claim 1, wherein the condition control module sends a command to the radio frequency transponder module for setting up battery assistance to enhance a radio frequency signal of the transponder module.

32. A condition monitoring system comprising:

a radio frequency transponder module including a RFID chip having a first memory and an antenna;

at least one sensor that monitors data related to the condition of a product and includes a second memory for storing monitored data; and

a two-way communication interface for coupling the second memory of the at least one sensor module to the RFID chip first memory, wherein the second memory of the sensor module is operative to communicate with the first memory of the RFID chip by way of the two way communications interface to send data about the product to said first memory and receive commands from said first memory of the RFID chip and to store data about the product, and further wherein one or more memory addresses in said first memory are operative, by way of the two way communications interface, to store sensor status periodically sent to said first memory from said second memory, and further wherein said second memory is operative to receive data from said first memory for storage in one or more memory addresses in said second memory.

33. The condition monitoring system of claim 32, wherein the condition monitoring system is attached to a planar surface.

34. The condition monitoring system of claim 32, comprising a first temperature-independent clock and a second temperature-dependent clock for sensing time and temperature.

35. The condition monitoring system of claim 32, comprising at least one table for storing calibrated temperature data.

36. A system as in claim 32, comprising a condition control module, said condition control module comprising an RF reader operative to communicate with the radio frequency transponder module to control the data sent to or received from the RFID chip first memory under software control.

38. A system as in claim 32, comprising a freshness determining module for receiving time- and temperature-dependent measurement data from the sensor and applying said measurement data to data representing one or more predefined temperature dependent shelf life trends to determine a current freshness status.

39. A system as in claim 32, wherein a freshness determining module provides summary freshness information or an alert when the freshness status data differs by a predetermined amount, or when a product is determined to be approaching an expected end of its shelf life or both.

40. A system as in claim 32, wherein a freshness determining module calculates freshness status data from an initial one-hundred percent freshness status.

41. A system as in claim 32, wherein a freshness determining module calculates temperature alerts over or under a specific threshold temperature.

42. A system as in claim 32, comprising a freshness determining module, wherein the freshness determining module calculates mean kinetic temperature.