Recording of location event information in RFID tags

• US 7,484,662 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensitech Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sensitech Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Wile, Timothy J., Schmidtberg, Rupert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/112,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20050236479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/380, 235/383, 235/382, 235/462.13, 235/462.46, 235/472
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to novel systems and methods for transmitting location event information to and/or from an electronic device, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, from and/or to one or more location ID stations. Among other things, a method is disclosed that involves wirelessly receiving at least one signal at an electronic device associated with a package as the package is transported from a source location to a destination location in a manufacturing process, supply chain, and/or distribution network, the at least one signal including location event information that is sufficient to specify a location of the package at a time the at least one signal is received. The method further involves, based upon the at least one signal, storing data representative of the location event information in memory of the electronic device so that the location of the package identified by the at least one signal can be subsequently ascertained by retrieving and analyzing the data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising steps of:

(a) wirelessly receiving at least one signal at an electronic device associated with a package as the package is transported from a source location to a destination location in a manufacturing process, supply chain, and/or distribution network, the at least one signal including location event information that is sufficient to specify a location of the package at a time the at least one signal is received; and

(b) based upon the at least one signal, storing data representative of the location event information in memory of the electronic device so that the location of the package identified by the at least one signal can be subsequently ascertained by retrieving and analyzing the data;

wherein the step (b) comprises storing data in the memory of the electronic device sufficient to indicate an amount of time the package spent at the specified location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

(c) transporting the package from the source location to the destination location.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising a step of:

(d) repeating the steps (a) and (b) during the performance of the step (c).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of storing in the memory of the electronic device data concerning at least one physical or environmental condition to which the package is subjected, wherein the data is accumulated as the package is transported from the source location to the destination location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one physical or environmental condition comprises a temperature condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) further comprises storing data in the memory of the electronic device that is sufficient to specify the current geographic location of the package at the time the at least one signal was received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) further comprises storing data in the memory of the electronic device that is sufficient to specify the identity of a mobile apparatus that was holding the package at the time the at least one signal was received.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) further comprises storing data in the memory of the electronic device that is sufficient to specify the date on which the at least one signal was received.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) further comprises storing data in the memory of the electronic device that is sufficient to specify the time of day at which the at least one signal was received.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein data stored in step (b) is used for performing a statistical process analysis.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein data stored in step (b) is used to confirm the integrity of the package or its contents.

13. An apparatus for use in a system comprising a plurality of location identification (ID) stations disposed at various locations between a source location and a destination location, each of the plurality of location ID stations being configured and arranged to wirelessly transmit at least one signal including location event information that is sufficient to specify a location of that location ID station, the apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with a package, the RFID tag comprising a sensor adapted to monitor at least one physical or environmental condition to which the package is subjected, wherein the RFID tag is configured to wirelessly receive the at least one signal from each of the plurality of location ID stations and to store received location event information in memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the RFID tag is further configured to store received location event information in a portion of the memory allocated for storing location event information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory further comprises a portion allocated for storing an electronic product code (EPC).

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory further comprises a portion allocated for storing manifest information.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory further comprises a portion allocated for storing sensor data.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the RFID tag comprises means for receiving the at least one signal from the plurality of location ID stations and means for storing the received location event information in the memory.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the location event information included in at least some of the signals is sufficient to specify the identities of mobile apparatuses with which those location ID stations are associated.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the location event information in included at least some of the signals is sufficient to specify the date on which each such signal was transmitted.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the location event information included in at least some of the signals is sufficient to specify the time of day at which each such signal was transmitted.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, in combination with the plurality of location ID stations.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic device comprises a real-time clock.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sensor is physically coupled to the memory.

26. An apparatus for use in a system comprising a plurality of location identification (ID) stations disposed at various locations between a source location and a destination location, each of the plurality of location ID stations being configured and arranged to wirelessly transmit at least one signal including location event information that is sufficient to specify a location of that location ID station, the apparatus comprising:

an electronic device comprising at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a sensor adapted to monitor at least one physical or environmental condition of a package with which the sensor is associated, wherein the electronic device is configured to wirelessly receive the at least one signal from each of the plurality of location ID stations and to store received location event information in memory;

wherein the electronic device is configured to store received location event information in the memory only if a predetermined number of consecutive entries in the memory specifying the same current geographic location has not been exceeded.

27. An apparatus for use in a system comprising a plurality of location identification (ID) stations disposed at various locations between a source location and a destination location, each of the plurality of location ID stations being configured and arranged to wirelessly transmit at least one signal including location event information that is sufficient to specify a location of that location ID station, the apparatus comprising:

an electronic device comprising at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a sensor adapted to monitor at least one physical or environmental condition of a package with which the sensor is associated, wherein the electronic device is configured to wirelessly receive the at least one signal from each of the plurality of location ID stations and to store received location event information in memory, wherein the location event information included in received signals is sufficient to indicate an amount of time the package spent at each location.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the electronic device comprises the RFID tag.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the electronic device comprises the sensor.

30. A system, comprising:

an electronic device to be associated with a package when the package is transported from a source location to a destination location in a manufacturing process, supply chain, and/or distribution network;

means for wirelessly transmitting at least one signal to the electronic device that includes location event information sufficient to specify a location of the package at the time the at least one signal is transmitted; and

means for receiving the at least one signal with the electronic device and, in response to receiving the at least one signal, storing information indicating the location of the package together with time information.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one signal comprises data sufficient to specify the current geographic location of the package at the time the at least one signal is transmitted.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one signal comprises data sufficient to specify the identity of a mobile apparatus that is holding the package at the time the at least one signal is transmitted.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one signal comprises data sufficient to specify the date on which the at least one signal is transmitted.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one signal comprises data sufficient to specify the time of day at which the at least one signal is transmitted.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the electronic device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

36. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for accumulating and storing in a memory of the electronic device data concerning at least one physical or environmental condition to which the package is subjected.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one physical or environmental condition comprises a temperature condition.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one signal comprises data sufficient to indicate an amount of time the package spent at the specified location.

39. The system of claim 30, wherein the electronic device comprises a real-time clock.

40. A method, comprising steps of:

(a) wirelessly receiving at least one signal at an electronic device associated with a package as the package is transported from a source location to a destination location, the at least one signal comprising information sufficient to specify a location of the package at a time the at least one signal is received;

(b) based upon the at least one signal, storing data representative of the location in a memory of the electronic device;

(c) storing data representing a time at which the at least one signal was received in the memory of the electronic device;

(d) after performing the step (c), periodically storing markers that indicate whether the package is within a vicinity of a location identification (ID) station in the memory of the electronic device; and

(e) determining a duration during which the package was within the vicinity of the location based at least in part on the stored data representing the time at which the at least one signal was received and the subsequently stored markers.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the duration determined in step (e) is approximate.