Media holder having communication capabilities

• US 7,009,494 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Tredwell, Timothy J., Kerr, Roger S., Mohapatra, Sarat K., Narayan, Badhri, Donaldson, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANGACHON, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US10/718,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20050110613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.42, 340/10.5, 340/10.6, 340/573.4, 340/5.61, 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 340/5.72, 235/492, 235/375, 235/462.25, 707/104.1, 600/300, 607/60, 607/32
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A holder for holding at least one image bearing medium, with each at least one image bearing medium having a radio frequency transponder associated therewith, the holder having a holding body to receive and hold at least one image bearing medium an antenna and a radio frequency communication circuit operable to sense a first electromagnetic signal transmitted by the remote reader, generate a second electromagnetic signal in the holding body with the second electromagnetic signal adapted to cause the radio frequency transponders associated with said at least one medium held by the holding body to respond with electromagnetic signals that can be used to identify the mediums within the holding body, wherein the radio frequency communication circuit further transmits electromagnetic signals that can be used to identify the mediums within the holding body to the remote reader.

Claims

1. A holder for holding at least one medium bearing medical information, with the at least one medium having a radio frequency transponder associated therewith, the holder comprising:

a holding body to receive and hold the at least one medium bearing medical information;

an antenna; and

a radio frequency communication circuit connected to the antenna operable to sense a first electromagnetic field transmitted remotely by a radio frequency read write device, generate a near-distance second electromagnetic field in the holding body with the second electromagnetic field adapted to cause at least one radio frequency transponder associated with the at least one medium held by the holding body to respond with at least one near-distance third electromagnetic field that can be used to identify at least one medium bearing medical information within the holding body, wherein the radio frequency communication circuit further transmits a fourth electromagnetic field that can be used to identify at least one medium bearing medical information within the holding body to the remote radio frequency read write device.

2. The holder of claim 1 wherein the radio frequency communication circuit is powered remotely by said first electromagnetic field.

3. The holder of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication circuit is powered by a power source within said holding body.

4. The holder of claim 1 having the capability of communicating over a distance of more than five feet.

5. The holder of claim 1 having an antenna formed as part of the holding body.

6. The holder of claim 1, having the antenna and radio frequency communication circuit formed as part of a communication medium that is removable from the holder body.

7. The holder of claim 1, further comprising a memory adapted to receive and store log data indicating mediums held by the holding body.

8. The holder of claim 7, wherein radio frequency communication circuit maintains the log data of the mediums held by the holding body in the memory.

9. The holder of claim 7, wherein the remotely located radio frequency read/write device maintains log data of at least one medium held by the holding body in the memory.

10. The holder of claim 7, wherein the memory is adapted to receive data indicating at least one viewer who has accessed at least one medium held within the holder.

11. The holder of claim 7, wherein the radio frequency communication circuit compares information identifying at least one medium within the holding body against a stored listing of at least one medium.

12. A medium management system, comprising:

at least one medium bearing medical information, with each at least one medium having an associated radio frequency transponder;

a holder for holding at least one medium, the holder having a holding body to receive and hold at least one medium, an antenna coupled to a radio frequency communication circuit operable to sense a first electromagnetic field transmitted by a remote radio frequency read write device, generate a near-distance second electromagnetic field in the holding body with the second electromagnetic field adapted to cause the radio frequency transponders associated with at least one medium held by the holding body to respond with near-distance electromagnetic fields that can be used to identify at least one medium within the holding body, wherein the radio frequency communication circuit further transmits electromagnetic fields that can be used to identify at least one medium bearing medical information within the holding body to the remote radio frequency read write device.

13. The medium management system of claim 12, wherein said remote radio frequency read/write device is positioned at an access point to an enclosed area and wherein the remote radio frequency read write device generates a first electromagnetic field to detect holder identification data for holders entering the enclosed area and to identify at least one mediums in the detected holders.

14. The medium management system of claim 13, wherein the remote radio frequency read write device stores holder identification data and data that identifies the at least one medium entering the enclosed area in such detected holders.

15. The medium management system of claim 13, wherein the remote radio frequency read/write device generates a first electromagnetic field to detect holder identification data for holders exiting the enclosed area and to identify at least one medium in the detected holders.

16. The medium management system of claim 15, wherein the remote radio frequency read write device generates an alarm when a holder is detected leaving the enclosed area that does not contain the same set of at least one mediums that the holder held upon entering the enclosed area.

17. The medium management system of claim 15, wherein a carrier of the holder has an radio frequency transponder and the remote radio frequency read write device stores information in a memory that identifies the carrier of each holder.

18. The medium management system of claim 15 wherein the medium management system comprises at least one display device for facilitating reading of information recorded in the radio frequency transponder associate with each of at least one medium, wherein said remote radio frequency read write device associates each at least one medium with a holder and disables said display devices unless at least one medium associated with the holder is within a controlled access area.

19. The medium management system of claim 12, wherein the radio frequency transponders are capable of communicating over a distance of less than one meter and wherein the radio frequency communication circuit can communicate with the remote radio frequency read write device over a distance of more than one meter.

20. The communication circuit of claim 12 wherein the near-distance is between 0.1 cm and 50 cm.