Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-28
2002-11-19
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S572400, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S005920
Reexamination Certificate
active
06483434
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a container tracking system as disclosed in the German patent application DE 199 50 532.2 filed on Oct. 20, 1999. This disclosure is fully incorporated by reference.
The prior patent application is inter alia directed to an information system comprising at least one information center and a plurality of reusable transportation means, wherein a computer is included in said information center which interrogates at least the locations and some mechanical parameters of said transportation means and which stores that information.
Tracking systems of different kinds based on transponders or electronic tags or radio tags or RFID (radio frequency identification) mounted on containers or carriers of some kind are known, e.g. from the documents DE 43 13 049, EP 412 020, WO96/13015, EP 905 057, EP 507 773, EP 292 236, DE-GM 92 12 243, EP 025 510, WO97/38661, EP 458 722, EP 443 897, EP 411 012, DE 43 34 668 and DE 196 19 851.
The reusable transportation means is for instance a container or a palette. The container or palette comprises a transponder which receives and stores information on a location of said transportation means and in addition information on a mechanical state of readiness of the transportation means and on the condition of a transported merchandise and on a profile of usability of the transportation means.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the instant invention is to further extend the trackability of such reusable containers having transponders.
The solution to this object is given in the patent claims
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. Claim
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calls for a container tracking system comprising a trackable container or carrier and a computer tracking system. The trackable container or carrier includes a housing body and a transponder disposed in the housing body, the transponder having a memory and being configured for transmitting and receiving data to and from the memory. The computer tracking system which supplements the container tracking system comprises a plurality of read write units, each unit being configured for transmitting and receiving data to and from the memory of the transponder. The data which are exchanged between the computer tracking system and the memory of the transponder concern at least a location of the container corresponding to a location of each read write unit, and a processing unit disposed at a distance remote from the container and being configured for receiving the data from at least one of said read write units and the transponder, the processing unit thereby permitting a monitoring of the data. The container tracking system comprises three electronic levels:
a transponder having a memory disposed in the housing body of the trackable container,
a plurality of read/write units disposed relatively close to the track of the container transponder, and
a central processing unit disposed remote from the track of the container transponder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The central processing unit may be configured for interrogating the container transponders, when they are located in the trajectory between two read/write units.
This remote processing unit may be coupled to the Internet and/or to a GPS link so that the data of the container transponder may be online accessible.
The transponder may include a sensors, which is coupled to the memory therein. Thus, the container tracking system is apted for sensing a variable which is pertinent to a container and/or a contents of the container. The sensor is adapted to generate a sensed value for the variable and to transmit the sensed value to the memory of the transponder, the memorized data thereby including the sensed value. The container tracking system is thereby permitted to monitor the data of the sensed variable, for instance a temperature, a humidity level, a luminosity or a radiation variable within the container.
The transponder on the lowest level of the container tracking system may further include a timer coupled to the memory. The timer may record the time between two events to generate a value corresponding to the time elapsed and to transmit the sensed value to the memory. The data may thereby include a time value corresponding to the time elapsed between two events. The start time may be induced by the passing a read write unit and the stop time may be induced by the passing of another read write unit. The two events may also correspond to an indirect starting and/or stopping of the timer when a respective read write unit obtains a command from the central processing unit.
Tracking data like origin, destination, departure from the origin and arrival time at the destination may be memorized in the transponder. It is possible to store a use profile over the life time of a container within the memory of the respective built-in transponder.
The invention is explained in more detail by referring to the incorporated application DE 199 50 532.2 and to some prior art and to the
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The invention applies to a reusable transportation means, as for instance a receptacle or a container or a packing or a pallet or a trolley car. Such a kind of transportation means may comprise a transponder (also called: electronic tag), which can receive, store and provide for inquiry information about the location of the transportation means.
A method and a device for commissioning semi-automatically different commodities is known from the German patent specification DE 19526131; it is this kind of a device from which the invention starts. According to DE 19526131, commodities provided for in shelves, are transported by a cargo carrier on a conveyer belt. In the beginning, a commissioning order is edited by the customer computer; this order is transmitted via a transponder teletype writer onto an encodable transponder which is provided on the cargo carrier; thereby, control operations acting upon the conveyer belt are triggered. At a given control station, a movable computer for handling commissions and run by staff members exchanges information with said transponder.
The invention is confronted with the problem of designing the known, reusable transportation means including the transponder in such a manner that it becomes fit for considerably longer routes of transportation and for considerably varying profiles of exploitation. In this context, the trackability must be extended.
The problem is solved by a reusable transportation means in which the transponder is arranged in accordance with an information system, wherein a plurality of such transponders installed in transportation means are inquired by a computer located in an information center.
The reusable transportation means may be configured in the form of a folding chest, in which the transponder may be installed in an invisible and hidden manner.
The invention is explained in more detail on the basis of a preferred of embodiment of a folding chest fitted with a transponder.
Fresh products play an outstanding role in the commerce of foodstuffs. Freshness and quality are the most important shopping criteria for the consumer.
An altered environmental consciousness, which finds expression not only in the products themselves but also in the packaging systems, adds to this criterion. Official regulations regarding the disposal of packaging materials have to be respected, too.
The totality of these requirements is turned into a multiway-packing system which is eco-friendly and economical. The quality of merchandise is ensured during transport, for example in the case of fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat products, sausages, poultry, cheese or fish. Damage in transit is minimized; the cost in logistics is decreased; one-way packages involving respective costs and risks in terms of disposal are avoided.
A “green” chest for fruit and vegetables has, for instance, the basic dimensions of 60 cm×40 cm. Yet, the basic format may also have 40 cm×30 cm. In using a crate unfolder, 850 folding chests can be put open per hour, so that they can accommodate fruit, vegetables, etc. At the end of the
IFCO System Europe GmbH
Pham Toan
Silverberg Sam
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