Mobile portal for RFID luggage handling applications

• US 7,656,273 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Ehrman, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Vernal U
• Application Number:
  US11/986,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/568.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.1, 700/236, 700/225, 700/214, 700/213, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A mobile portal for RFID applications includes an RFID reader for reading identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items and a communicator for communicating with a central computer. The communicator is coupled to the RFID reader to receive the read identifications and then communicate the received read identifications over a wireless interface to a central data processing system. Each mobile portal may be actuated for RFID read operations in response to information sensed concerning operation of the mobile asset/vehicle. Additionally, the central data processing system may issue instructions concerning mobile asset/vehicle operation, with those instructions communicated over the wireless interface to the mobile portal. Responsive to implementation of those instructions, the mobile portal actuates the RFID reader and compares the read identifications to a list of RFID tags that were expected to be read.

Claims

1. A mobile RFID portal comprising:

an RFID reader mountable to a luggage handling machine;

a communicator associated with the RFID reader programmed to;

actuate the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items when the machine loads luggage;

actuate the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items when the machine unloads luggage;

initiate a comparison of the read identifications of the proximately located RFID tagged items to a predetermined list of RFID tagged items; and

change the operational status of the machine based upon the result of the comparison; and

a plurality of sensors adapted to detect operational data of the luggage handling machine and transmit the data to the communicator, the communicator programmed to actuate the RFID reader in response to parameters detected in the operational data.

2. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, the sensors adapted to detect machine motion, belt operation, belt direction, load presence, load weight, machine speed, machine direction, vehicle location, and vehicle type.

3. A mobile RFID portal comprising:

an RFID reader mountable to a plurality of different luggage handling machines; and

a communicator associated with the RFID reader programmed to;

actuate the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items upon the detection of movement of a conveyor belt when the RFID reader is initialized to operate with a belt loader for loading and unloading luggage;

actuate the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items upon detection of luggage being loaded onto the work machine when the RFID reader is initialized to operate with a tug for transporting luggage;

initiate a comparison of the read identifications of the proximately located RFID tagged items to a predetermined list of RFID tagged items; and

change the operational status of the machine based upon the result of the comparison.