Mobile portal for RFID luggage handling applications

{
  "publication_number": "US2008068171A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Mobile portal for RFID luggage handling applications",
  "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 mobile asset/vehicle; and a communicator associated with the RFID reader for: actuating the RFID reader to read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items; and initiating a comparison of the read identifications of the proximately located RFID tagged items to a predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "2. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communication is further adapted for receiving the predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "3. The mobile RFID portal of claim 2, further comprising: a data storage device associated with the communicator for receiving and storing read identifications of proximately located RFID tagged items.",
    "4. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the mobile asset/vehicle is a belt-loader.",
    "5. The mobile RFID portal of claim 4, wherein the RFID reader comprises one or more RFID reader antennas.",
    "6. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of RFID tagged items is representative of one or more items on a cargo manifest.",
    "7. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of RFID tagged items is representative of one or more baggage items destined for a particular air flight.",
    "8. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, further comprising: a central data processor for transmitting the predetermined list of RFID tagged items to the communicator.",
    "9. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, further comprising: a display coupled to the communicator for providing a visual indicator to an operator.",
    "10. The mobile RFID portal of claim 9, wherein the display provides a visual indicator to an operator when the communicator identifies an RFID tagged item that is on the predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "11. The mobile RFID portal of claim 9, wherein the display provides a visual indicator to an operator when the communicator identifies an RFID tagged item that is not on the predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "12. The mobile RFID portal of claim 11, wherein the display displays a list of RFID tags that were read by the RFID reader that were not on the predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "13. The mobile RFID portal of claim 9, wherein the display displays a list of RFID tags that were expected to be read but were not read.",
    "14. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, further comprising a user interface for providing login capability to an operator.",
    "15. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, further comprising a user interface for providing data representative of a flight number.",
    "16. The mobile RFID portal of claim 15, the communicator accesses the predetermined list of RFID tagged items based on the flight number input by the user.",
    "17. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator associates an operator that has logged in with tags read by the RFID reader.",
    "18. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator associates the tagged items read with a location at which they were read.",
    "19. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator associates the tagged items read with a time at which they were read.",
    "20. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator associates the tagged items read with operational characteristics of the mobile asset/vehicle at the time at which the tagged items were read.",
    "21. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is actuated to read proximately located RFID tagged items without human intervention.",
    "22. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator actuates the RFID reader based on operational data associated with the mobile asset/vehicle.",
    "23. The mobile RFID portal of claim 22, wherein the operational data is representative of vehicle motion data.",
    "24. The mobile RFID portal of claim 22, wherein the operational data is representative of a belt movement condition.",
    "25. The mobile RFID portal of claim 22, wherein the operational data is representative of a vehicle location.",
    "26. The mobile RFID portal of claim 22, further comprising a barcode reader.",
    "27. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator transmits read identifications to a central computer via a wireless interface.",
    "28. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader transmits read identifications to the communicator via a wireless interface.",
    "29. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader transmits read identifications to the communicator via a wired interface.",
    "30. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator is further operable to control operation of the mobile asset/vehicle if the communicator identifies an RFID tagged item that is not on the predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "31. The mobile RFID portal of claim 30, wherein the communicator controls operation of the mobile asset/vehicle by stopping movement of a belt associated with the mobile asset/vehicle.",
    "32. The mobile RFID portal of claim 30, wherein the communicator controls operation of the mobile asset/vehicle by limiting movement of the mobile asset/vehicle.",
    "33. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the mobile asset/vehicle is a cargo container.",
    "34. The mobile RFID portal of claim 33, wherein the RFID reader reads identifications of items passing into the cargo container.",
    "35. The mobile RFID portal of claim 33, wherein the communicator transmits data representative of the read identifications when the cargo container is closed.",
    "36. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator is further adapted to support bi-directional communications.",
    "37. The mobile RFID portal of claim 36, wherein the communicator is further adapted to support two-way paging.",
    "38. The mobile RFID portal of claim 36, wherein the communicator is adapted to receive a request to initiate an RFID scan.",
    "39. The mobile RFID portal of claim 36, wherein the communicator is adapted to receive instructions for an operator to perform a task.",
    "40. The mobile RFID portal of claim 39, wherein the operator is selected based on the location of the operator.",
    "41. The mobile RFID portal of claim 39, wherein the operator is selected based on the operator's proximity to one or more RFID tagged items to be manipulated.",
    "42. The mobile RFID portal of claim 39, wherein the operator receives information about a baggage item that was identified in an incorrect location and receives information about where the baggage should be transported.",
    "43. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the communicator is further adapted for comparing the read identifications of the proximately located RFID tagged items to the predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "44. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein initiating a comparison of the read identifications of the proximately located RFID tagged items to a predetermined list of RFID tagged items comprises transmitting a request to a central computer.",
    "45. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein initiating a comparison of the read identifications of the proximately located RFID tagged items to a predetermined list of RFID tagged items comprises comparing the read identifications of the proximately located RFID tagged items to the predetermined list of RFID tagged items.",
    "46. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of RFID tagged items is created as RFID tagged items are received for handling.",
    "47. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the mobile asset/vehicle is a fork-lift.",
    "48. The mobile RFID portal of claim 47, wherein the predetermined list of RFID tagged items identifies RFID tagged items associated with a pallet.",
    "49. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of RFID tagged items is generated as RFID tagged items are offloaded from an airplane.",
    "50. The mobile RFID portal of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of RFID tagged items is generated by adding items to the predetermined list when they are read by a second RFID reader."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Technical Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to the field of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems.\n\n2. Description of Related Art\n\nConventional RFID technology is focused on techniques for scanning items (such as pallets, baggage, products, and the like) using either passive or active wireless interrogation at distances of between approximately 2-10 feet. Such a wireless interrogation process serves to replace the need of prior art bar code scanning systems that manually scan each individual item, with a more efficient process that allows for a one-time remote scan of all included items. RFID-based scanning thus reduces the labor associated with manually manipulating items in order to access a bar code label.\n\nA typical RFID system installation places wireless interrogators at fixed locations known as “portals.” As tagged items pass through (or just in proximity to) these fixed portals (for example, as carried by a person, vehicle or machine), the associated RFID tag for the item is wirelessly interrogated to obtain item identification information. This identification information is then associated with information relating to the identity and/or position of the fixed portal that made the read. The collected information is then reported to a central data processing system where the information can be viewed and stored for purposes of later query and manipulation.\n\nThe successful deployment of such RFID systems has heightened industry's awareness of the potential for a truly fully automated data tracking and monitoring system.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06Q 10/08"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G08B 13/14",
    "H04Q 5/22"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "ID Systems Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Kenneth Ehrman",
    "Michael Ehrman",
    "Jeffrey Jagid"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2007-11-26",
  "publication_date": "2008-03-20",
  "priority_date": "2005-03-01",
  "application_number": "US-98678007-A",
  "family_id": "36941742",
  "cited_by_count": 51,
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