Methods and systems for verifying the position and status of hierarchically arranged objects

• US 7,646,292 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/442,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/506, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.32, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/5.2, 340/687, 340/691.1
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07381 with deactivation or otherwise incapacitation of at least a part of the circuit upon detected tampering
• 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: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A device for tracking an item or a box may include a conductive mesh configured to at least partially cover the item or the box, and a wireless tag coupled to the conductive mesh. The wireless tag may be configured to report a breaching of the conductive mesh or an opening of the box by issuing a first predetermined RF signal. The wireless tag may include a GPS device and the first predetermined signal may include GPS-derived geographical information.

Claims

1. A device for tracking an item or a box, the device comprising:

a conductive mesh configured to at least partially cover the item or the box, and

a wireless tag coupled to the conductive mesh, the wireless tag being configured to report a breaching of the conductive mesh or an opening of the box by issuing a first predetermined RF signal, the conductive mesh and the wireless tag being configured such that removal of the wireless tag from the conductive mesh disables the wireless tag.

2. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the wireless tag includes an RFID device.

3. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the wireless tag is configured to issue a second predetermined RF signal, the second predetermined signal indicating that the conductive mesh and wireless tag are intact.

4. The tracking device of claim 3, wherein the wireless tag is passive and configured to issue the first or second predetermined RF signals only when polled.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the wireless tag is configured to draw its power from a battery.

6. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the item is a box and wherein the conductive mesh is configured to at least partially encapsulate the box.

7. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the item is a document.

8. The tracking device of claim 7, wherein the document is currency.

9. The tracking device of claim 7, wherein the conductive mesh is embedded within the document.

10. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the wireless tag includes a GPS device and is configured to include GPS-derived geographical information in the first predetermined RF signal.

11. The tracking device of claim 3, wherein the first and second predetermined RF signals include a time stamp.

12. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the wireless tag is configured to be powered from a power source within the item.

13. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the conductive mesh is a single conductive strand and wherein the wireless tag is configured to report on an electrical property of the single conductive strand.

14. The tucking device of claim 1, wherein a serial number is associated with the wireless tag and wherein the first predetermined RF signal is decodable to retrieve the serial number therefrom.

15. A method of tracking an item, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a conductive mesh;

providing a wireless tag and coupling the wireless tag to the conductive mesh such that removal of the wireless tag from the conductive mesh disables the wireless tag, the wireless tag being configured to wirelessly report a state of the conductive mesh by selectively issuing a first or a second predetermined RF signal;

covering at least a portion of the item with the conductive mesh; and

periodically receiving the first or second predetermined RF signal from the wireless tag coupled to the conductive mesh.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the wireless tag including an RFID device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the wireless tag being configured to issue the first predetermined RF signal when the conductive mesh and the wireless tag are intact and to issue the second predetermined RF signal when the conductive mesh and/or the wireless tag are not intact.

18. The method of claim 15, further including a step of polling the wireless tag and wherein the receiving step is carried out responsive to the polling step.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the wireless tag being passive and configured to issue the first or second predetermined RF signals only when polled.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the wireless tag being configured to draw its power from a battery.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the item includes a box and wherein the covering step includes a step of at least partially encapsulating the box.

22. The method of claim of claim 15, wherein the covering step is carried out with the item including a document.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the covering step is carried out with the document being currency.

24. The method of claim 22, further including a step of embedding the conductive mesh within the document.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the wireless tag including a GPS device and the first and second predetermined RF signals including GPS-derived geographical information.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the first and second predetermined RF signals including a time stamp.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the wireless tag being configured to be powered from a power source within the item.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with the conductive mesh being a single conductive strand and wherein the wireless tag is configured to report on air electrical property of the single conductive strand.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing step is carried out with a serial number being associated with the wireless tag and wherein the first predetermined RF signal is decodable to retrieve the serial number therefrom.

30. A method of remotely determining if an item has been added to or removed from a container, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a conductive mesh to which is coupled a wireless tag, the wireless tag and the conductive mesh being configured such that removal of the wireless tag from the conductive mesh disables the wireless tag, the wireless tag being configured to wirelessly report a state of the conductive mesh by selectively issuing a first or a second predetermined RF signal;

sealing the container with the conductive mesh; and

periodically receiving the first or second predetermined RF signal from the wireless tag coupled to the conductive mesh, wherein receipt of the first predetermined RF signal indicating that no item has been added to or removed from the container and wherein receipt of the second predetermined RF signal indicating that an item may have been added to and/or removed from the container and wherein non-receipt of either the first or the second predetermined RF signals indicating that the wireless tag may have been disabled.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the providing step is carried out with the wireless tag including a GPS device and the first and second predetermined RF signals including GPS-derived geographical information.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising steps of

comparing the GPS-derived geographical information from consecutively received first and/or second predetermined RF signals with an expected itinerary of the container during shipment, and

determining whether and where the container deviated from its expected itinerary.