Article tracking method and system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for tracking an article, managing an article, or both, wherein an RFID tag is associated with the article, comprising:
- associating at least one RFID tag with an article, the RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory;
providing a plurality of stations at which an operation is performed, each station comprising an RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via an antenna defining a detection region proximate the station;
storing in a database associated with each station at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, and providing from the database information that is included in the transmitted information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database of the station includes information relating to one or more of an article, an operation performed at the station, and a condition;
whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the database of a particular station via the RFID tag reader thereof when the RFID tag is in the detection region of that particular station; and
communicating information stored in the database of the station to a remote processor,whereby information stored in the database of the station may be accessed remotely for obtaining information relating to the article.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are useful for tracking and/or managing an article at a plurality of stations. An RFID tag including a memory and an antenna is associated with each article to be tracked, or a container, or both. RFID tag readers at the stations communicate with the RFID tags and store information therefrom in a database. The databases may be accessed, e.g., from a remote and/or web-based processor, via communication means whereby the article being tracked or managed may be located and its history obtained.
175 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for tracking an article, managing an article, or both, wherein an RFID tag is associated with the article, comprising:
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associating at least one RFID tag with an article, the RFID tag including an electronic memory containing information relating to the article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory; providing a plurality of stations at which an operation is performed, each station comprising an RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via an antenna defining a detection region proximate the station; storing in a database associated with each station at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, and providing from the database information that is included in the transmitted information-bearing signals, wherein the information stored in the database of the station includes information relating to one or more of an article, an operation performed at the station, and a condition; whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of the RFID tag and the database of a particular station via the RFID tag reader thereof when the RFID tag is in the detection region of that particular station; and communicating information stored in the database of the station to a remote processor, whereby information stored in the database of the station may be accessed remotely for obtaining information relating to the article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for monitoring and tracking one or more articles, wherein an RFID tag is associated with each article, and wherein the one or more articles may include one or more products, comprising:
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one or more RFID tags, wherein each RFID tag is respectively associated with one of the one or more articles, each said RFID tag comprising; an electronic memory containing information relating to the one article and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in an RFID tag format, wherein the information-bearing signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory of said RFID tag or represent information produced from the electronic memory thereof, or represent both; one or more monitoring stations at which any one or more of the arrival, departure and presence of an RFID tag associated with an article is detected, each said monitoring station comprising; an RFID reader associated with said monitoring station for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via one or more antenna in a detection region proximate said monitoring station; and at least one processor associated with said monitoring station for storing in a database at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, and for providing information that is included in the transmitted information-bearing signals; wherein the information stored in the database of said monitoring station processor includes information relating said monitoring station and to RFID tags associated with articles present at said monitoring station and to RFID tags associated with articles previously present at said monitoring station; whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the monitoring station processor database of a particular monitoring station via the RFID tag reader thereof when the RFID tag is in the detection region of that particular monitoring station; one or more tracking stations at which the presence of an RFID tag associated with an article is detected, each said tracking station comprising; an RFID reader associated with said tracking station for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the RFID tag format via one or more antenna in a detection region proximate said tracking station; and at least one processor associated with said tracking station for storing in a database at least information contained in the received information-bearing signals, and for providing information that is included in the transmitted information-bearing signals; wherein the information stored in the database of said tracking station processor includes information relating to said tracking station and to the RFID tags associated with articles presently and previously proximate the detection region of said tracking station; whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of RFID tags and the tracking station processor database of a particular tracking station via the RFID tag reader thereof when the RFID tag is in the detection region of that particular tracking station; and communication means for communicating information stored in the database of said monitoring station processor or information stored in the database of said tracking station processor or both to a remote processor, whereby information stored in the database of the monitoring station processor, in the database of the tracking station processor, or both, may be accessed remotely by a remote processor for obtaining information relating to RFID tagged articles. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for monitoring and tracking one or more products in distribution, wherein an RFID tag is associated with each product, a container for the one or more products, or both, comprising:
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associating one or more RFID tags with each product, container for the one or more products, or both, each RFID tag comprising a memory and an antenna for transmitting information from the RFID tag memory in an RFID tag format and/or receiving information for the RFID tag memory in the RFID tag format, storing in the memory of each RFID tag information relating to the product, the container, or both, with which it is associated; providing one or more tracking stations on a distribution path along which the one or more products move in distribution, each tracking station comprising an RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information in the RFID tag format via one or more antenna in a detection region proximate the tracking station; storing information relating to any one or more of the arrival, departure and presence of the RFID tag associated with the product, container, or both, in the database of the tracking station when the RFID tag is in the detection region of that tracking station, whereby the database of each tracking station includes information relating to RFID tags present at that tracking station and to RFID tags previously present at that tracking station and whereby the databases of the tracking stations include information relating to distribution of the product, container, or both; providing one or more dispensing stations at dispensing points of the distribution path along which the one or more products move in distribution, each dispensing station comprising an RFID reader for transmitting and/or receiving information in the RFID tag format via one or more antenna in a detection region proximate the dispensing station; storing information relating to dispensing the product, container, or both, associated with the RFID tag in the database of the dispensing station when the RFID tag is in the detection region of that tracking station; and accessing the databases of the one or more tracking stations, the databases of the one or more dispensing stations, or both, for monitoring and tracking the product, container, or both. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification