Item tracking system and arrangement

• US 8,648,699 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Aspects
• Original Assignee: Mobile Aspects
• Inventors: Iasella, Gino N., Sriharto, Timur P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): OTT, FREDERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/838,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 340/570
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers

Abstract

An item tracking system including at least one signal emitting element directly or indirectly attached to a portion of at least one item, wherein at least a portion of the at least one signal emitting element extends from the at least one item. The system further includes a container, including: (i) a support surface configured to at least partially support the at least one item and having at least one opening extending therethrough, which is configured to at least partially receive at least a portion of the signal emitting element therethrough; and (ii) at least one signal receiving member configured for communication with the portion of the at least one signal emitting member extending through the at least one opening. An item tracking container and method of tracking are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An item tracking system, comprising:

a plurality of signal emitting elements directly or indirectly attached to a portion of each of a plurality of items having different shapes or sizes, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of signal emitting elements extends from an associated item of the plurality of items; and

a container, comprising;

(i) a support surface configured to at least partially support the plurality of items and having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, which are configured to at least partially receive at least a portion of each of the plurality of signal emitting elements therethrough; and

(ii) at least one signal receiving member configured for wireless communication with the portion of each of the at least one signal emitting elements extending through the plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings are staggered and at least one spacer is positioned between adjacent openings, thereby enhancing the accuracy of a reading process of the at least one signal receiving member.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal receiving member is positioned at least partially below at least a portion of the support surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one item of the plurality of items is at least one of the following:

a flimsy item, a thin item, an item including at least one metallic component or portion, an item in a package, or any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication between the at least one signal receiving member and each of the plurality of signal emitting elements is based upon radio frequency waves.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each signal emitting element of the plurality of signal receiving emitting elements comprises:

an attaching portion for direct or indirect attachment to at least one item; and

a signal emitting portion configured for transmitting data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the attaching portion is at least one of:

attachable to the at least one item, integrated with the at least one item, permanently attachable to the at least one item, removably attachable to the at least one item, attachable to packaging associated with the at least one item, integrated with packaging associated with the at least one item, permanently attachable to packaging associated with the at least one item, removably attachable to packaging associated with the at least one item, or any combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is at least one of the following:

a shelf, a drawer, a support structure, a containment unit, or any combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each signal emitting element of the plurality of signal emitting elements is a radio frequency identification tag, and the at least one signal receiving member is at least one antenna.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the support surface comprises a plurality of openings in the form of slots, each slot defined by at least one sidewall.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the at least one sidewall is at least one of the following:

square-shaped, rectangle-shaped, rounded, circular-shaped, or any combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a local controller in communication with the at least one signal receiving member and configured to control at least one function of the at least one signal receiving member.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the local controller is further configured to control at least one function of the container.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a central controller configured to communicate with and control at least one of the following:

a local controller, at least one function of the container, at least one function of the at least one signal receiving member, at least one function of at least one signal emitting element of the plurality of signal emitting elements, or any combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of openings arranged in a plurality of areas within the container.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one signal receiving member is configured to obtain data emitted from at least one signal emitting element of the plurality of signal emitting elements associated with at least one specific area of the plurality of areas within the container.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising an sensing arrangement configured to sense the presence of the at least one signal emitting element extending through an opening.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one spacer extending from a surface of the support surface and positioned between adjacent openings.

18. An item tracking container, comprising:

a support surface configured to at least partially support a plurality of items having different shapes and sizes, the support surface comprising a plurality of openings extending therethrough, the plurality of openings configured to at least partially receive therethrough at least a portion of each of a plurality of signal emitting elements directly or indirectly attached to a portion of at least one item of the plurality of items; and

at least one signal receiving member configured for wireless communication with the portion of each of the plurality of signal emitting elements extending through the plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings are staggered and at least one spacer is positioned between adjacent openings, thereby enhancing the accuracy of a reading process of the at least one signal receiving member.

19. The container of claim 18, wherein the at least one item is at least one of the following:

a flimsy item, a thin item, an item including at least one metallic component or portion, an item in a package, or any combination thereof.

20. A method of tracking a plurality of items having different shapes and sizes, each item of the plurality of items having at least one signal emitting element attached to at least a portion thereof, the method comprising:

positioning at least a portion of each of a plurality of signal emitting elements through at least one opening of a plurality of openings extending through a support surface configured to at least partially support the plurality of items having different shapes and sizes thereon; and

wirelessly communicating, by at least one signal receiving member, with the at least a portion of each of the plurality of signal emitting elements extending through the at least one opening, wherein the plurality of openings are staggered and at least one spacer is positioned between adjacent openings, thereby enhancing the accuracy of a reading process of the at least one signal receiving member.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one item of the plurality of items is at least one of the following:

a flimsy item, a thin item, an item including at least one metallic component or portion, an item in a package, or any combination thereof.

22. An item tracking system, comprising:

a plurality of signal emitting elements directly or indirectly attached to a portion of each of a plurality of items having different shapes or sizes, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of signal emitting elements extends from an associated item of the plurality of items; and

a container, comprising;

(i) a support surface configured to at least partially support the plurality of items and having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, the plurality of openings comprising at least two horizontal lanes, each horizontal lane of the at least two horizontal lanes comprising a subset of openings of the plurality of openings, wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is configured to at least partially receive at least a portion of each of the plurality of signal emitting elements therethrough, and wherein the plurality of openings are staggered;

(ii) at least one signal receiving member configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one signal emitting member in at least one horizontal lane of the at least two horizontal lanes based at least partially on a detected presence of the at least one signal emitting element extending through at least one opening of the subset of openings of the at least one horizontal lane; and

(iii) at least one spacer positioned between adjacent openings, thereby enhancing the accuracy of a reading process of the at least one signal receiving member.

23. The item tracking system of claim 22, further comprising at least one sensing arrangement configured to detect the presence of the at least one signal emitting element extending through the at least one opening of the subset of openings, wherein the at least one horizontal lane is interrogated only if the at least one signal emitting element is detected in the at least one horizontal lane.