MOBILE PORTAL FOR RFID APPLICATIONS

• US 20060208890A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Ehrman, Kenneth S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03

Abstract

A mobile portal for RFID applications includes an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items in the environment. A communicator is coupled to the RFID reader to receive the read identifications and then communicate the received read identifications over the wireless interface, through one of the gateways, to the central data processing system. Each mobile portal may be actuated for RFID read operations in response to information sensed concerning operation of the mobile asset/vehicle. Additionally, the central data processing system may issue instructions concerning mobile asset/vehicle operation, with those instructions communicated over the wireless interface to the mobile portal. Responsive to implementation of those instructions, the mobile portal actuates the RFID reader and compares the read identifications to identifications of certain RFID tagged items to be manipulated which were identified in the received instruction.

Claims

1. A mobile RFID portal comprising:

an RFID reader mountable to a mobile asset/vehicle; and

a communicator associated with the RFID reader for actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items when predetermined mobile asset/vehicle operational data is identified.

2. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, further comprising:

a data storage device associated with the communicator for receiving and storing read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items.

3. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the operational data is representative of vehicle motion data.

4. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the operational data is representative of a vehicle lift condition.

5. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the operational data is representative of a vehicle location.

6. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator actuates the RFID reader when the mobile asset/vehicle transitions from a stationary state to a moving state.

7. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator actuates the RFID reader when a sensor associated with the mobile asset/vehicle senses that a load is present on the mobile asset/vehicle.

8. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator transmits read identifications to a central computer via a wireless interface.

9. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator identifies RFID tagged items being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle by comparing a first list of RFID tagged items read by the RFID reader at a first time to a second list of RFID tagged items read by the RFID reader at a second time and identifying those items identified at both the first and second time as being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle.

10. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator identifies RFID tagged items being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle by comparing a first list of RFID tagged items read by the RFID reader at a first time to a plurality of additional lists of RFID tagged items read by the RFID reader at a plurality of additional times and identifying those items identified at the first time and the plurality of additional times as being transported by the mobile asset/vehicle.

11. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator receives a list of expected tags to be read.

12. The mobile RFID portal of claim 11, wherein the communicator compares the identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items to the list of expected tags to be read to determine whether a correct set of tagged items is being transported.

13. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, further comprising a display for providing visual indicators to an operator of the mobile RFID portal.

14. The mobile RFID portal of claim 13, wherein the display displays a list of item tags that were read by the RFID reader that were not supposed to be read.

15. The mobile RFID portal of claim 13, wherein the display displays a list of item tags that were expected to be read but were not read.

16. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, further comprising a user interface for providing login capability to an operator.

17. The mobile RFID portal of claim 16, wherein the communicator associates an operator that has logged in with tags read by the RFID reader.

18. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator associates the tagged items read with a location at which they were read.

19. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator associates the tagged items read with a time at which they were read.

20. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator associates the tagged items read with operational characteristics of the mobile asset/vehicle at the time at which the tagged items were read.

21. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the mobile RFID portal eliminates the need for a fixed dock door portal for reading RFID tags.

22. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator:

transmits a list of RFID tagged items read by the RFID reader at a first time to a central processor;

hones the list of RFID tagged items by successively actuating the RFID read to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items and removing any RFID tagged items from the list if the particular RFID tagged items was not read during any of the successive reads; and

transmitting the honed list of RFID tagged items to the central processor.

23. The mobile RFID portal of claim 22, wherein the honed list of RFID tagged items is transmitted when the mobile asset/vehicle reaches a destination.

24. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is actuated to read proximately located RFID tagged items without human intervention.