Item-level visibility of nested and adjacent containers

• US 7,639,134 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Lambright, Stephen J., LaCorte, Blair B., Rajapakse, Ravindra U., Shannon, David L., Farrell, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/010,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/7.24, 340/7.25, 340/10.1, 340/5.92, 340/10.5
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

An identification device establishes a relative hierarchy of associated containers as logistical units, providing multi-layer visibility of nested and adjacent containers. The relative hierarchy comprises lower-layer containers and upper-layer containers relative to the identification device. An integrated reader device reads heterogeneous tag types. This allows disparate tag types simultaneously using a single device.

Claims

1. A method for collecting identification information from a plurality of identification devices associated with a plurality of containers, the method comprising:

transmitting from a reader device an interrogation signal to the plurality of identification devices associated with the plurality of containers, each of the plurality of identification devices configured to receive the interrogation signal from the reader device;

receiving at the reader device, from a first identification device of the plurality of identification devices to which the signal was transmitted, information including identification information about a second identification device of the plurality of identification devices to which the signal was transmitted, the information previously received at the first identification device from the second identification device, wherein the first identification device is one of at least two of the plurality of identification devices configured to independently communicate the identification information to the reader device; and

storing the received information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification device is associated with a first container, the second identification device is associated with a second container and the second container is adjacent to the first container.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received includes identification information about a third identification device associated with a third container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second identification device is associated with a second container, the second and third containers are adjacent to the first container.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first identification device is associated with a first container and the second identification device is associated with a second container, the first, second, and third containers are stacked, wherein the first container is on top of the second container, which is on top of the third container.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification device is associated with a first container, the second identification device is associated with a second container and the second container is remote from the first container.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification device is configured to receive identification information from another of the plurality of identification devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification device is associated with a first container, the second identification device is associated with a second container and the second container is enclosed within the first container.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification device is associated with a first container, the second identification device is associated with a second container and the information received includes identification information about a third container, wherein the first, second, and third containers are nested, wherein the first container encloses the second container, which encloses the third container.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification device is an active type device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second identification device is a passive type identification device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second identification device is an active type identification device.