System and method for electronic tracking of units associated with a batch
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for electronic tracking of units originating from a common source, comprising:
- physically associating a first transponder with a common source, the source comprising a plurality of units physically joined with one another, the first transponder sending a code which is electrically associated with common source;
splitting the common source to separate the source into two or more of the units;
physically associating a second transponder with one of the two or more units, the second transponder sending a code; and
electrically associating the code of the second transponder with an identifier of the common source in a database.
3 Assignments
Litigations
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Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method for electronic tracking of units originating from a common source which comprises a plurality of units physically joined with one another. A first transponder is physically associated with the common source, and the source is split to separate it into three or more of the units. A second transponder is physically associated with one of the three or more units, and the second transponder sends a code. The code of the second transponder is electrically associated with an identifier of the common source. In a particular aspect, the common source is an animal carcass.A batch comprises separate units of objects that are physically joined together. RFID tags are attached to each of the units and to the batch. The codes stored in the RFID tags are electrically associated with one another in a database.
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Citations
82 Claims
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1. A method for electronic tracking of units originating from a common source, comprising:
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physically associating a first transponder with a common source, the source comprising a plurality of units physically joined with one another, the first transponder sending a code which is electrically associated with common source;
splitting the common source to separate the source into two or more of the units;
physically associating a second transponder with one of the two or more units, the second transponder sending a code; and
electrically associating the code of the second transponder with an identifier of the common source in a database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 35)
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7. A method for electronic identification of meat units originating from a common animal carcass, comprising:
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physically associating a first transponder with an animal carcass, the first transponder sending a code which is electrically associated with an identifier of the animal carcass;
splitting the animal carcass into two or more units and physically associating a second transponder with one of the two or more units, the second transponder being joined to a meat spike, the physically associating the second transponder with said one of the units comprising inserting the meat spike into said one of the units, the second transponder sending a code; and
electrically associating the code of the second transponder with the identifier of the animal carcass. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method for electronic identification of meat units originating from a common animal carcass, comprising:
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providing an animal carcass on a conveyor and conveying the carcass through a meat processing plant, the animal carcass being no more than half of an animal body and initially having a first transponder physically associated therewith, the first transponder sending a code which is electrically associated with an identifier of the animal carcass;
first splitting the animal carcass into at least two first units, one or more of the first units being physically separated from the first transponder after the first splitting;
physically associating one or more second transponders with at least one of the first units which are physically separated from the first transponder after the first splitting, the second transponders sending codes; and
electrically associating the codes of the second transponders with the identifier of the animal carcass. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for electronic identification of an originating animal carcass for packaged meat units, comprising:
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providing a first animal carcass on a conveyor and conveying the first animal carcass through a meat processing plant, the first animal carcass initially having a first transponder physically associated therewith, the first transponder sending a code which is electrically associated with an identifier of the first animal carcass;
first splitting the first animal carcass into at least two first units, one or more of the first units being physically separated from the first transponder after the first splitting;
physically associating one or more second transponders with at least one of the first units which are physically separated from the first transponder after the first splitting, the second transponder sending codes;
electrically associating the codes of the second transponders with the identifier of the first animal carcass;
providing a second animal carcass on a conveyor and conveying the second animal carcass through the meat processing plant, the second animal carcass initially having a third transponder physically associated therewith, the third transponder sending a code which is electrically associated with an identifier of the second animal carcass;
second splitting the second animal carcass into at least two second units, one or more of the second units being physically separated from the third transponder after the second splitting;
physically associating one or more fourth transponders with at least one of the second units which are physically separated from the third transponder after the second splitting, the fourth transponders sending codes;
electrically associating the codes of the fourth transponders with the identifier of the second animal carcass;
packaging a collection of units comprising one or more packaged units selected from the group consisting of first units, second units and mixtures thereof;
removing transponders from the units of the collection before the packaging;
providing a package identifier associated with the package in a database; and
electrically associating an identifier of the packaged units with the identifiers of the first and second animal carcasses in the database, the identifiers of the first and animal carcasses being ascertained by interrogating the transponders physically associated with the units of the collection before the packaging. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. An identification assembly comprising:
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a housing having an outer periphery;
a transponder entirely contained within the housing; and
at least one spike removably secured to the housing. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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- 29. A metal identification assembly comprising a transponder removably attached to a meat spike.
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32. A meat identification assembly comprising a radio frequency identification device (RFID) attached to a meat spike, and wherein:
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the meat spike comprises;
a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a holder at an other of the opposing ends of the rod; and
the RFID is attached to a substrate configured to slide over the rod and be retained by the holder. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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36. An identification assembly comprising a transponder housed in an assembly having at least one spike extending therefrom, and wherein the housing comprises a pair of planar surfaces joined by a sidewall, and wherein the at least one spike extends from the sidewall, and wherein the at least one spike is configured for insertion into an object while maintaining substantially the same shape after insertion as before insertion, and wherein the at least one spike alone secures the identification assembly to the object;
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wherein the planar surfaces comprise circular outer peripheries, and wherein the sidewall extends around the circular outer peripheries. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A meat identification assembly comprising a transponder attached to a meat spike, the meat spike comprising:
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a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a holder at an other of the opposing ends of the rod; and
the transponder is attached to a substrate configured to slide over the rod and be retained by the holder.
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39. A meat identification assembly comprising a transponder attached to a meat spike, the meat spike comprising:
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a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a loop at an other of the opposing end of the rod; and
the transponder is attached to a substrate configured to be retained to the rod by the loop.
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40. A meat identification assembly comprising a radio frequency identification device (RFID) attached to a meat spike, the meat spike comprising:
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a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a holder at an other of the opposing ends of the rod; and
the RFID is attached to a substrate configured to slide over the rod and be retained by the holder.
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41. A meat identification assembly comprising a radio frequency identification device (RFID) attached to a meat spike, the meat spike comprising:
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a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a loop at an other of the opposing ends of the rod; and
the RFID is attached to a substrate configured to be retained to the rod by the loop.
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42. An identification assembly comprising a transponder housed in an assembly having at least one spike extending therefrom, and wherein the housing comprises a pair of planar surfaces joined by a sidewall, and wherein the at least one spike extends from the sidewall, and wherein the at least one spike is configured for insertion into an object while maintaining substantially the same shape after insertion as before insertion;
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wherein the planar surfaces comprise circular outer peripheries, and wherein the sidewall extends around the circular outer peripheries.
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43. A meat identification assembly comprising a transponder attached to a meat spike, the meat spike comprising:
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a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a holder at an other of the opposing ends of the rod; and
the transponder is attached to a substrate configured to slide over the rod and be retained by the holder.
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44. A meat identification assembly comprising a transponder attached to a meat spike, the meat spike comprising:
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a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a loop at an other of the opposing ends of the rod; and
the transponder is attached to a substrate configured to be retained to the rod by the loop.
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45. A meat identification assembly comprising a radio frequency identification device (RFID) attached to a meat spike, and wherein:
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the meat spike comprises;
a rod having a pair of opposing ends;
a point at one of the opposing ends of the rod; and
a loop at an other of the opposing ends of the rod; and
the RFID is attached to a substrate configured to be retained to the rod by the loop.
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46. A method for tracking items, comprising:
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receiving a batch comprising a plurality of separated units that have been physically joined together by packaging for shipment, wherein a first passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is physically associated with the batch and is configured to transmit a first code;
associating the first code with the batch in a database;
physically separating the plurality of separated units and redistributing the plurality of separated units, wherein each of the plurality of separated units is physically associated with each of a plurality of passive RFID tags, respectively, and each of the plurality of RFID tags is configured to transmit one of a plurality of codes, respectively; and
associating the plurality of codes with the batch in a database. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A system, comprising:
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a batch comprising a plurality of separated units that have been physically joined together by packaging for shipment;
a first passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag physically attached to and associated with the batch and configured to transmit a first code;
a plurality of passive RFID tags, each of the plurality of RFID tags physically attached to and associated with each of the plurality of separated units, respectively, each of the plurality of RFID tags configured to transmit one of a plurality of codes, respectively;
a database that associates both the first code and the plurality of codes with the batch; and
an interrogator configured to read the first code from the first RFID tag and to provide information related to the first code to the database. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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51. A method, comprising:
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receiving a batch comprising a plurality of separate units that have been physically joined together by packaging for shipment, wherein a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is physically associated with the batch and is configured to transmit a first code;
reading the first code from the first RFID tag;
providing access to a database in which the first code is associated with the batch;
physically separating the plurality of separate units and redistributing the plurality of separate units, wherein each of the plurality of separate units is physically associated with each of a plurality of RFID tags, respectively, and each of the plurality of RFID tags is configured to transmit one of a plurality of codes, respectively;
reading the plurality of codes from the plurality of RFID tags; and
providing access to a database in which the plurality of codes are associated with the batch. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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54. A method, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of separate units physically bound together by packaging material to form a batch, wherein a batch radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is physically associated with the batch and stores a batch code that is electrically associated with the batch;
reading the batch RFID tag to determine the batch code;
physically separating the plurality of separate units from the packaging material, wherein each respective separate unit of the batch has affixed thereto a respective unit RFID tag of a plurality of unit RFID tags, each respective unit RFID tag stores a respective unit code of a plurality of unit codes, and each respective unit code is electrically associated with the respective separate unit to which the respective unit RFID tag is affixed; and
reading the plurality of unit RFID tags to determine the plurality of unit codes, wherein each of the plurality of unit codes is electrically associated with the batch code. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method, comprising:
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physically packing together a plurality of separate units to form a packaged batch, wherein each of a plurality of first RFID tags is physically associated with a respective separate unit of the batch, and a second RFID tag is physically associated with the batch;
reading a plurality of first codes from the plurality of first RFID tags, wherein each of the plurality of first codes is electrically associated with a respective separate unit of the batch;
reading a second code from the second RFID tag; and
associating the plurality of first codes to the second code in a database. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A system, comprising:
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a batch comprising a plurality of separate units that have been physically packaged together;
a plurality of first radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, each of the plurality of first RFID tags physically attached to each of the plurality of separate units, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of first RFID tags is configured to transmit one of a plurality of first codes, respectively;
a second RFID tag physically attached to the batch and configured to transmit a second code;
an interrogator configured to read the second code from the second RFID tag; and
a computer configured to provide access to a database that associates the second code with the plurality of separate units. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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Specification