Method and apparatus for tracking one or more plants and/or plant based products and/or tracking the sale of products derived from the same, utilizing RFID technology

• US 9,959,438 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrc, LLC
• Original Assignee: Franwell, Inc.
• Inventors: Dagdelen Uysal, Dilek, Wells, Jeffrey Lane
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US14/764,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20160307013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

This invention is for tracking at least one plant. A method of this invention comprises: putting at least one seed or at least one stem in a corresponding at least one pot; positioning a corresponding at least one RFID tag with respect to the seed or stem in a manner, wherein the RFID tag comprises a strap; packaging a harvested material into a packaged product and attaching the RFID tag from the potted plant, or a product RFID tag that is associated with the plurality of tags to the packaged product; confirming a request for authorization by a RFID buy card; and after confirming ID information, transferring at least one product.

Claims

1. An RFID tag assembly, comprising:

a strap,

wherein the strap comprises;

a strap body having a strap body proximal end and a strap body distal end;

a first strap connecting portion attached to the strap body proximate to the strap body distal end; and

a second strap connecting portion attached to the strap body proximate to the strap body proximal end,

wherein the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are configured such that when the first strap connecting portion is connected to the second strap connecting portion in a locked position, the first strap connecting portion and second strap connecting portion are in locked connection such that the strap body distal end is in locked connection with the strap body proximal end; and

an RFID label,

wherein the RFID label comprises;

an RFID label body having an RFID label body proximal end and an RFID label body distal end;

an RFID circuit,

wherein the RFID circuit is attached to the RFID label body;

an RFID antenna,

wherein the RFID antenna is connected to the RFID circuit,

wherein the RFID antenna is attached to the RFID label body, and

wherein the RFID label and the strap are configured to;

(i) interconnect in a first configuration, such that when the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are in locked connection, the RFID label does not separate from the strap and an orientation of the RFID label is dependent on an orientation of the strap, and

(ii) interconnect in a second configuration, such that when the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are in locked connection the RFID label does not separate from the strap and the orientation of the RFID label is adjustable independently from the orientation of the strap,

wherein the RFID label body has a first opening and a second opening,

wherein the first opening and the second opening allow the strap body distal end to pass through,

wherein, when the RFID label and the strap are interconnected in the first configuration, the strap body distal end extends through the first opening and through the second opening, such that the RFID label does not rotate about an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the strap body,

wherein, when the RFID label and the strap are interconnected in the second configuration, the strap body distal end extends through the first opening and does not extend through the second opening,

wherein the strap body has a rigidness or stiffness, such that when the RFID label and the strap are interconnected in the first configuration or the second configuration, and the strap body distal end is inserted into soil, the tag assembly can stand so as to prevent the label body from touching the soil.

2. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein when the first strap connecting portion is not connected to the second strap connecting portion, the strap body is in an equilibrium strap position,

wherein the RFID label and the strap are configured to interconnect in the first configuration, such that when the first strap connecting portion is not connected to the second strap connecting portion in the locked position and the strap body is in the equilibrium strap position, the orientation of the RFID label is dependent on the orientation of the strap.

3. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are configured such that when the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are in locked connection the first strap connecting portion is releasable from the second strap connecting portion.

4. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 3,

wherein the first strap connecting portion and second strap connecting portion are configured such that when the first strap connecting portion and second strap connecting portion are in locked connection the first strap connecting portion is releasable from the second strap connecting portion via a tool.

5. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 3,

wherein the first strap connecting portion comprises a release mechanism,

wherein the first strap connecting portion and second strap connecting portion are configured such that when the first strap connecting portion and second strap connecting portion are in locked connection the first strap connecting portion is releasable from the second strap connecting portion via engagement of the release mechanism.

6. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 3,

wherein the RFID tag assembly can be reused after being released.

7. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first strap connecting portion is a strap insertion portion and the second strap connecting portion is a strap receiving portion,

wherein the strap insertion portion is connected with the strap receiving portion in the locked position when the strap insertion portion is inserted into the strap receiving portion until reaching the locked position.

8. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first strap connecting portion is a strap receiving portion and the second strap connecting portion is a strap insertion portion,

wherein the strap receiving portion is connected with the strap insertion portion in the locked position when the strap receiving portion is inserted into the strap insertion portion until reaching the locked position.

9. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are configured such that when the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are in locked connection a portion of the strap must be removed to unlock the strap.

10. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 9,

wherein the first strap connecting portion or the second strap connecting portion comprise a plurality of knots,

wherein the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are configured such that when the first strap connecting portion and the second strap connecting portion are in locked connection at least one knot of the plurality of knots must be removed to unlock the strap.

11. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first opening is proximate the RFID label body proximal end, and the second opening is proximate the RFID label body distal end.

12. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first opening is proximate the RFID label body proximal end, and the second opening is proximate the RFID label body proximal end.

13. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first cross-sectional shape is circular.

14. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein, when the RFID label and the strap are interconnected in the second configuration, the strap body distal end extends through the first opening and does not extend through the second opening, such that the RFID label can rotate about an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the strap body.

15. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the first opening has a first cross-sectional shape, such that, when the RFID label and the strap are interconnected in the second configuration, a portion of the strap body that the first opening is in contact with has a strap body cross-sectional shape such that the RFID label tends to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the strap body into an orientation that is substantially vertical, due to a gravitational force on the RFID label.

16. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the strap is configured to interconnect with a second strap that is identical to the strap, such that:

the first strap connecting portion is connectable to an additional second strap connecting portion of the second strap, and

an additional first strap connecting portion of the second strap is connectable to the second strap connecting portion,

wherein, when the first strap connecting portion is connected to the additional second strap connecting portion of the second strap in the locked position,

the first strap connecting portion and the additional second strap connecting portion of the second strap are in locked connection such that the strap body distal end is in locked connection with an additional strap body proximal end of the second strap, and

the additional first strap connecting portion of the second strap and the second strap connecting portion are in locked connection such that the additional strap body distal end of the second strap is in locked connection with the additional strap body proximal end of the second strap.

17. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the strap body comprises a notch,

wherein when the RFID label and the strap are interconnected in the first configuration, or interconnected in the second configuration, and the strap body is oriented vertically with the strap body distal end down, either:

the first opening is above the notch and the first opening rests on the notch, so as to prevent the RFID label from lowering with respect to the strap;

or

the second opening is above the notch and the second opening rests on the notch, so as to prevent the RFID label from lowering with respect to the strap.

18. The RFID tag assembly according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID label is configured to be labeled and/or encoded via an RFID printer.