Method and apparatus for tracking transported items using RFID tags

A method and apparatus for tracking transported items using RFID tags are provided. A tote for transporting RFID tagged items includes a body capable of enclosing one or more RFID tagged items. RF reflective and/or absorbent material is positioned to inhibit RF signals from reaching the enclosed RFID tagged items from outside the body. A portion of a wall of the tote or a sleeve for insertion into the tote can be free of reflective and/or absorbent material to allow RF signals to be sent into, and exit, the tote. The RF reflective and/or absorbent material can be provided with or without texture.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

It is often desirable to track the transport of items between locations, such as the point of manufacture and the point of sale or use. In particular, the secure transport of pharmaceutical products between production facilities, distribution centers, and/or pharmacies is important. The use of RFID tags in close proximity to each other can introduce additional costs and/or errors into the process of tracking a multiplicity of separately RFID tagged items. Also, it can be difficult to read all the RFID tags placed individually on a large number of items placed in close proximity to each other. Further, it is often desirable to prevent others from reading the RFID tags of tagged items being transported.

There is a need for a method and system for using RFID tags to accurately identify items being transported between various locations, such that RFID tags can be read and distinguished for a plurality of RFID tagged items proximate each other. There is also a need to prevent the reading by others of RFID tagged items being transported in certain situations.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method and apparatus for tracking transported items using RFID tags. Embodiments of the invention pertain to a tote, and/or a sleeve for use with a tote, for storing and/or transporting items tagged with RFID tags. In an embodiment, a tote for shipment of items that are tagged with RFID tags, such as pharmaceutical products, can be utilized. Embodiments of the subject invention provide a secure way of transporting pharmaceutical products, or other items, between distribution centers and pharmacies using RFID tags and RFID readers. Using material that is at least partially reflective and/or at least partially absorbent to RF signals on one or more of the six walls of the tote, it is possible to increase the readability of RFID tags inside the tote. A portion of the six walls of the tote can be free of reflective and/or absorbent material to allow RF signals to be sent into, and exit, the tote. Specific embodiments incorporate RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material positioned relative to a first portion of a tote such that an incoming RF signal does not pass through the first portion of the tote causing an RF outgoing signal, from an RFID inside the tote, to pass through the first portion of the tote for detection. In this way, an RF incoming signal can pass through the second portion of the tote to cause an RF outgoing signal from the RFID inside the tote to pass through the second portion of the tote for detection.

The RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material can be partially RF reflective and/or partially RF absorbent or can be fully RF reflective and/or fully RF absorbent, as needed for each application. In a specific embodiment, reflective and/or absorbent materials are positioned on the sides and the top of the closed tote. The materials can be provided with or without texture. The bottom, or a portion of the bottom, is left sufficiently free of RF reflective material and/or RF absorbent material, where sufficiently free of RF reflective material and/or RF absorbent material can be free of such material or can include only so much of such material that an outgoing RFID signal can be produced and can still pass through that portion of the body from inside the body to the outside of the body. In this way, RF signals pass through the bottom, or portion of the bottom, without reflective material so as to allow the reading of RFID tags in the tote. Advantages provided by embodiments of the invention include improving readability of RFID tags in a tote and offering a secured system during shipping since it is difficult, if not impossible, to read the contents of a package from certain positions relative to the tote. In a specific embodiment, the shape of the totes is designed, and the reflective and/or absorbent materials are distributed on the totes such that RF signals cannot directly enter a tote that is stacked on top of another tote. In an embodiment utilizing active and/or semi-active RF tags, which have a power supply to signal emissions, inside the tote, the reflective and/or absorbent materials can serve as a shield to avoid transmission of the signal outside of a tote that is stacked on top of another tote having the same design. Active and/or semi-active RF tags can emit continuously or in accordance with some other time pattern.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE

Embodiments of the present invention relate a method and apparatus for tracking transported items using RFID tags. In an embodiment, a tote for shipment of items, such as pharmaceutical products, that are tagged with RFID tags can be utilized. Embodiments of the subject invention provide a secure way of transporting pharmaceutical products between distribution centers and pharmacies using RFID tags and RFID readers. Using materials that are reflective and/or absorbent to RF signals on one or more of the six walls of the tote, it is possible to increase the readability of RFID tags inside the tote. A portion of the six walls of the tote can be sufficiently free of reflective and/or absorbent material to allow RF signals to be sent into, and exit, the tote. In a specific embodiment, at least partially reflective and/or at least partially absorbent material is positioned on the sides and the top of the closed tote. The bottom, or a portion of the bottom, is left sufficiently free of reflective and/or RF absorbent material, such that RF signals can pass through the bottom, or portion of the bottom, sufficiently free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material to allow the reading of RFID tags in the tote. The at least partially RF reflective and/or at least partially absorbent material can be provided on the sides of the tote with or without texture. The texture can take the form of any pattern, such as a grid, so long as where RF signals can pass or not is controlled.

In additional embodiments, at least a portion of the top of the closed tote is left sufficiently free of reflective and/or absorbent material, or at least a portion of one of the sides of the tote is left sufficiently free of RF reflective and/or absorbent material such that RF signals can pass through the portion of the top or side sufficiently free of reflective and/or absorbent material to allow the reading of RFID tags in the tote. Advantages provided by embodiments of the invention include improving readability of RFID tags in a tote and offering a secured system during shipping since it is difficult, if not impossible, to read the contents of a package from certain positions relative to the tote. In a specific embodiment, the shape of the totes is designed, and the reflective and/or absorbent materials are distributed on the totes such that RF signals cannot directly enter a tote that is stacked on top of another tote. For embodiments providing a side surface portion sufficiently free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials, stacking totes next to each other can accomplish a similar security from RF signals.

In an embodiment utilizing active and/or semi-active RF tags, which have a power supply to signal emissions, inside the tote, the reflective and/or absorbent materials can serve as a shield to avoid transmission of the signal outside of a tote that is stacked on top of another tote having the same design. Active and/or semi-active RF tags can emit continuously or in accordance with some other time pattern.

Referring toFIG. 1, in one implementation of a tote for shipment of items, the interior side walls1of the tote can be coated with RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials. The bottom2of the tote is left sufficiently free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material. In addition, the cover flaps3of this implementation of the tote can also be coated with the RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials.

Referring toFIG. 2, the tote4having cover flaps can be free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials. In such an embodiment, a sleeve5that is coated with the RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials on all sides but the bottom can be used.

Referring toFIG. 3, in another implementation of a tote for shipment of items, the bottom6of a tote is again left sufficiently free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material. The tote can have a lid7with RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material on its interior surface (not shown). The interior side walls8of the tote can be coated with RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials.

Referring toFIG. 4, the tote11having a lid9can be sufficiently free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials. In such an embodiment, a sleeve10that is coated with the RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials on all sides but the bottom can be used.

AlthoughFIGS. 1-4show RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials provided without texture, such coated RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials can be provided with texture in certain embodiments. For example, as shown inFIG. 5, the RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials can be provided with texture. According to the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, the walls12of a tote can be coated with RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material with a grid texture.

Embodiments of the invention, as shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, provide a tote and a secure way of transporting pharmaceutical products between distribution centers and pharmacies using RFID tags and tag readers. The tote incorporates RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material on the sides and top flaps or lid. This tote can alleviate the problem of readability of the RFID tags of each product in the tote. Using a material reflective and/or absorbent to RF signals on the four walls and the top flaps or lid, the readability of RFID tags located on product inside of the tote is increased significantly. The area without reflective and/or absorbent material, i.e., the bottom in the embodiments shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 34, and 5, is used to send the RF signals inside the tote.

Referring to the use of the tote shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, at any point during distribution of the tagged items in the tote, it is possible to read the RFID tags in the tote by using a RF antenna/reader through the bottom area, which does not have reflective and/or absorbent material. Locating the area without reflective and/or absorbent material at the bottom can allow reading the RFID tags from the bottom without interfering with the packing process, (i.e., loading the tote and allows the tote content to be read on a conveyor belt with an antenna/RFID tag reader placed under the conveyor belt. Further, when the tote is stacked on a pallet or a truck it is difficult, if not impossible, to read the RFID tags in the tote with any RF devices. When the tote is received at the pharmacy, it is possible to verify the content of the tote by placing the tote flat on the counter over an RFID tag reader before opening. In a specific embodiment, a tote can have an open top and RF reflective and/or RF absorbent material on the bottom and sides such that RFID tags can be read from the top. Preferably, the totes with open tops can stack on each other without damaging the RFID tagged items inside the lower tote.

Using reflective and/or absorbent materials to enhance the readability of RFID tags within a tote is inexpensive and very effective. The use of the reflective and/or absorbent material can also offer a secured system during shipping since the angle and position for reading the content when the totes are stacked on top of each other can be controlled. Although the embodiments shown inFIGS. 2 and 4have a removable sleeve (5,10) for providing the RF reflective material, other embodiments can incorporate the RF reflective and/or absorbent material in other ways. Examples of the other ways to incorporate the RF reflective and/or absorbent material include: embedding the RF reflective and/or absorbent material in the body of the tote, coating the appropriate portions of the inside layer of the tote with RF reflective and/or absorbent material, coating the appropriate portions of the outside surface of the tote with RF reflective and/or absorbent material, and utilizing an outer sleeve having RF reflective and/or absorbent material in which the tote can be placed. Referring toFIG. 6, a tote11having a lid9free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials, a sleeve13having RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials on all sides but the bottom, and a sleeve cover14having RF reflective and/or absorbent materials can be used, such that the tote11with cover9can be positioned in the sleeve13with cover14. In an alternative embodiment, referring toFIG. 6, the tote4ofFIG. 2having cover flaps free of RF reflective and/or RF absorbent materials, rather than tote11ofFIG. 6, can be positioned in the sleeve13with cover14. By using a sleeve with RF reflective and/or absorbent material inside or outside of the tote, the sleeve can be used with existing totes, can be removed when desired, and can be interchanged with other sleeves.

An embodiment of the invention relates to a method and system for transporting RFID tagged items incorporating one or more totes as described in the subject application and a means for reading the RFID tags of the items when placed in the one or more totes. A specific embodiment utilizes a plurality of totes, an RFID tag reader and RFID tags placed on items to be stored and/or transported. The means for reading the RFID tags can utilize an RFID reader located under the tote when the tote is on, for example, a conveyer belt or counter, or located to read the RFID tag as the tote is being transported, through the portion of the free of RF reflective and/or absorbent material.