The present invention relates generally to radio frequency identification (RFID) systems.
In recent years, radio frequency identification (RFID) systems have been employed in an ever increasing range of applications. For example, RFID systems have been used in supply chain management applications to identify and track merchandise throughout manufacture, warehouse storage, transportation, distribution, and retail sale. RFID systems have also been used in security applications to identify and track personnel for controlling access to restricted areas of buildings and plant facilities, thereby prohibiting access to such areas by individuals without the required authorization. Accordingly, RFID systems have been increasingly employed in diverse applications to facilitate the identification and tracking of merchandise, personnel, and other items and/or individuals that need to be reliably monitored and/or controlled within a particular environment.
A conventional RFID system typically includes at least one RFID transponder or tag, at least one RFID reader, and at least one controller or host computer. For example, in a manufacturing environment, RFID tags can be attached to selected items of manufacture or equipment, and at least one RFID reader can be deployed in the environment to interrogate the tags as the tagged items pass predefined points on the manufacturing floor. In a typical mode of operation, the reader transmits a radio frequency (RF) signal in the direction of a tag, which responds to the transmitted RF signal with another RF signal containing information identifying the item to which the tag is attached, and possibly other data acquired during the manufacture of the item. The tag may also include at least one integrated transducer or environmental sensor for providing data such as the temperature or humidity level of the ambient environment. The reader receives the information and data transmitted by the tag, and provides the tag data to the host computer for subsequent processing. In this typical operating mode, the reader can be configured as a peripheral connected to a serial port of the host computer.
More recently, RFID readers have been developed that are capable of being connected via a communications network to enterprise computer resources running one or more RFID-enabled client software applications. Such readers have been deployed in complex systems including many readers (e.g., greater than 10) connected via one or more communications networks to a number of host computers, which may be part of an enterprise network server. Such host computers can run client applications for processing tag data to control access to building and plant facilities, the movement of personnel and property, the operation of lighting/heating/ventilation/—air conditioning facilities, and/or other diverse functions.
Whether implemented as computer peripherals or networked devices, conventional RFID readers generally collect data from RFID tags much like optical barcode readers collect data from barcode labels. However, whereas an optical barcode reader typically requires a direct line of sight to a barcode label to read the data imprinted on the label, the RF signals employed by the typical RFID reader can penetrate through and/or diffract around objects obstructing an RFID tag from the RF field of view of the reader, thereby allowing the reader to access data from a tag that, for example, might be buried beneath one or more boxes of merchandise. In addition, unlike the optical barcode reader, the conventional RFID reader can operate on and distinguish between multiple RFID tags within the field of the reader.
In the conventional RFID system, each RFID tag typically includes a small antenna operatively connected to a microchip. For example, in the UHF band, the tag antenna can be just several inches long and can be implemented with conductive ink or etched in thin metal foil on a substrate of the microchip. Further, each tag can be an active tag powered by a durable power source such as an internal battery, or a passive tag powered by inductive coupling, receiving induced power from RF signals transmitted by an RFID reader. For example, an RFID reader may transmit a continuous unmodulated RF signal (i.e., a continuous wave, CW) or carrier signal for a predetermined minimum period of time to power a passive tag. The volume of space within which a reader can deliver adequate power to a passive tag is known as the power coupling zone of the reader. The internal battery of active tags may be employed to power integrated environmental sensors, and to maintain data and state information dynamically in an embedded memory of the tag. Because passive tags do not have a durable power source, they do not include active semiconductor circuitry and must therefore maintain data and state information statically within its embedded memory. In addition, passive tags have an essentially unlimited life span, while the life span of active tags is typically limited by the lifetime of the internal battery, which in some implementations may be replaceable.
In one aspect, systems and methods are disclosed to track first and second nodes equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers by registering a first node and a second node with a registration server; assigning the first and second nodes to first and second home servers respectively, wherein the first node is authorized to communicate with the first home server and the second node is authorized to communicate with the second home server; and for each query requested by each node, sending the query to the registration server to be broadcasted to the home servers.
In a second aspect, a system to track first and second wireless nodes includes a network; first and second home servers coupled to the network and communicating with the first and second wireless nodes, respectively, wherein the first node is authorized to communicate with the first home server and the second node is authorized to communicate with the second home server; a registration server coupled to the network and adapted to assign the first node to the first home server and the second node to the second home server; and an enterprise computer coupled to the network to query the nodes.
Implementations of the above two aspects may include one or more of the following. The system allows data to be communicated between the first and second nodes by sending data from the first node to the first home server, sending data from the first to the second home server, and sending data from the second home server to the second node. The system authenticates each node. The authenticating can include submitting an identification and a password. The nodes can include a static node, a terminal node, or a mobile node. The system communicates node data over multiple, disparate, and intermittently connected wireless networks. The system can determine a physical location or an environmental status of a node. The system can include monitoring of assets such as a vehicle, a container, an equipment, or inventory. The system performs a bi-directional transmission of requests from, and replies to, applications containing commands, and status and location data. The system can performs authorization forward chaining. The system can communicate only node location and date information to preserve privacy, or the system can communicate identity of the asset as well.
In another aspect, a system is disclosed for tracking and monitoring the location and/or status of assets that are in transit, including attributes of their surrounding environment. To track an asset in the context of the present invention is to verify its past, present, and projected future locations anywhere on the planet. To monitor an asset is to verify its status relative to a known location or locations, such as a defined geographic boundary. For the purposes of this description, status may refer to the presence of absence of an asset, state of an asset (e.g., on, off), or attributes or environment in which the asset resides (e.g., temperature, pressure, moisture, speed, direction, radiation, chemicals). An asset may be an item, group of items (hierarchy), container (box, palette, etc.), vehicle (truck, rail car, etc.), or equipment (tools, machines, etc.).
In yet another aspect, a system provides automatic tracking and monitoring of assets regardless of location and without continuous wireless network coverage. The system elements described herein include, but are not limited to, a Web Service for programmatic access to the system, a system manager function for single point of access to myriad interconnected fixed and mobile RFID nodes, a multi-channel wireless platform for guaranteed communications, a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of fixed mobile or handheld mobile RFID transceivers, and a plurality of assets equipped with RFID tags and/or environmental sensors.
In one embodiment, the system provides an asset tracking and monitoring system having: a) an RFID reader equipped with local area wireless communications (e.g., BlueTooth or WiFi) in a fixed position inside a vehicle or shipping container; and b) a mobile or fixed handheld computer equipped with local area and wide area wireless communications software and hardware; a plurality of assets equipped with RFID tags capable of EPC data storage and/or environmental sensing (e.g., temperature, humidity, CO2); d) a server computer with connections to wireless networks; and e) server software and hardware that manages the flow of data between mobile assets and backend enterprise systems.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides an asset loading/unloading system. The system is composed of: a) an RFID reader equipped with local area wireless communications (e.g., Bluetooth or WiFi) in a fixed position near the doors of a vehicle, shipping container, or loading dock; and b) a mobile or fixed handheld computer equipped with local area and wide area wireless communications software and hardware; a plurality of assets equipped with RFID tags capable of EPC data storage and/or environmental sensing (e.g., temperature, humidity, CO2); d) a server computer with connections to wireless networks; and e) server software and hardware that manages the flow of data between mobile assets and backend enterprise systems.
Advantages of the system may include one or more of the following. The system reduces or eliminates problems associated with lack of visibility into supply chains such as inefficient production planning, poor customer service, and lost, misplaced, and misdirected items. It also reduces the substantial cost of locating assets across multiple modes of transportation, intermediate storage, and permanent storage. The system provides methods, procedures, and enhancements that yield the maximum amount of detail and accuracy, and reliability on asset location and status. The system supports identifying and tracking tagged merchandise, personnel, and other items and/or individuals within an RFID environment with increased reliability.
The system has a System Manager 10 which communicates with one or more enterprise systems 30. The System Manager 10 includes a Message Queuing System 12 that provides messaging/transactional services to enable Enterprise Systems and Mobile Systems to be connected over any type of wireless network. It also guarantees message delivery on a once-and-only-once basis and contains persistent data storage in the event the Mobile becomes disconnected from the Mobile System. The Wireless Platform includes both servers-based components and mobile device-based components. The System Manager 10 also includes an RFID System Adapter 14 that serves at the point of integration between the Mobile RFID System and Enterprise Systems 30. The Manager Queuing System 12 and the RFID System Adapter 14 store information in a database 16.
In one embodiment, the System Manager 10 is server-based system software that runs on a variety of industry server platforms. It stores and executes business rule as defined by system administrators through a Management Console 20. In one embodiment, the Management Console is Browser-based application software that enables system administrators to enter and update a variety of parameters that the System Manager 10 uses to control the Mobile RFID System. The Management Console 20 includes Business Rules that allows a system administrator to enter business rules through a series of screens to be executed by the System Manager 10. The Management Console 20 also allows a system administrator to enter automated asset reporting parameters to be executed by the System Manager. The Console 20 also allows a system administrator to enter automated alert parameters to be executed by the System Manager. The Console 20 also allows the enterprise systems 30 to query the status of assets.
In another embodiment, a Web Service provides a primary interface to the Mobile RFID System. The Web Service allows Enterprise Systems 30 to send commands and requests and in return receive status information back. It allows Enterprise Applications to set configurations of alerts conditions, reporting rules, and to query the status of specific assets and environments. Configuration settings are stored in Configuration Tables. Examples of operations done through the Web Service include:
A Mobile RFID System Client 40 is a system running on a variety of industry standard handheld device platforms. An application 42 runs on the Mobile RFID System Client 40 to support inventory or asset management applications, for example. The application communicates with a Mobile Application API 44 which supports a range of functions including, but not limited to:
The Client 40 works in conjunction with a Messaging Client 46 to provide applications with programmatic access to local onboard or local area wireless RFID devices, and to remote servers and enterprise systems over a variety of wireless network types. An RFID Manager 47 serves as the central access point in the Mobile Device to provide asset visibility and monitoring services to applications through the API 44, uses connection services provided by the Wireless Platform to communicate with Enterprise Systems 30, and an interface to the RFID Manager 47. A module accessible through the Mobile RFID Manager 47 monitors and controls read and write functions in an attached RFID Field. Action may be driven by local Mobile Applications 42, remote Enterprise Systems 30, or settings in Configuration Tables.
A Message Client 46 runs on the mobile/handheld device to provide messaging and or transactional communications over any type of wireless network to the Message Queuing System 12. It provides message delivery on a once-and-only-once basis and contains persistent data storage in the event the Mobile becomes disconnected from the server side of the Message Queuing System 12. The Messaging Client 46 communicates with a wireless WAN or LAN 50, which in turn communicates over the Internet 60 with the Mobile RFID System 10. The communication can occur over a virtual private network (VPN) and a firewall to provide secure communication.
The RFID hardware 48 communicates with RF tags or sensors. The RF tag receives signals from and transmits signals to RFID/RFDC hardware 48 over a communications path. The RF tag is preferably passive but may be active, if desired. When the RF tag receives an interrogation signal, the RF tag may or may not send a response signal. RFID hardware 48 may be able to interrogate an individual, some, or all RF tags or sensors. The RF tags or sensors may contain memory such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), or the like which stores information. For example, the RF tag may contain a preamble message code that may contain a code specific to RF tags, and/or the asset or location associated with RF tags. The RFID hardware 48 may be able to address specific RF tags by using codes in the interrogation signal. RFID hardware 48 may also be able to modify the content of the memory of a specific RF tag. Such memory modification may be particularly useful when a particular RF tag is initially associated with an asset. This may be done, for example, by allowing an asset code to be entered and stored in the RF tag. The RF tags or sensors may also be individually addressable based on the frequency of the interrogation signal or by any other suitable method (e.g., unique addresses). Alternatively, RF tags or sensor may send response signals that are specific to a particular RF tag, sensor and/or the asset or location associated with the RF tag or sensor. The response signals from separate RF tags or sensors may be distinguishable by their frequency, a time delay, unique identifier, or by any other suitable method.
In process 500, assets are loaded into vehicle or container equipped with the Mobile RFID System. Asset information is automatically scanned using the Mobile Device equipped with RFID. A validation algorithm is applied to each scanned asset to ensure business rules are met (e.g., proper match between assets and intended destination; proper number of assets in the lot). Asset data is stored and associated with a pre-existing record containing ownership, current location, geo-coded destination, geo-fence(s), and any applicable business rules.
In one implementation, Business Rules for Mobile Group(s) (sets, or ‘lots’ of assets) are entered into the Mobile RFID System through a Management Console and stored in the Mobile RFID System Manager. The Mobile Device contacts the Server and requests Business Rules, which are loaded into the Mobile Device. Business Rules include, but are not limited to frequency of reporting, exception handling, and data to be reported. The Business Rules are automatically executed on the Mobile Device to report asset status and location to the Mobile RFID System Manager. In the event that the Mobile Device is temporarily outside of wireless network coverage, the data destined for the Mobile RFID System Manager is queued in the Messaging Client component of the Mobile RFID System Client until network coverage resumes. The Mobile RFID System Manager stores the data in a database that is accessible through the Mobile RFID System Web Service.
In one implementation, a query is received by the Mobile RFID System through the Mobile RFID System Web Service. The Mobile RFID System Manager checks the Business Rules for the asset(s) and performs the appropriate query on the local database and, if necessary, the Mobile RFID System Client nearest to the asset(s). If the requested data is available locally, a response is sent to the Enterprise System. If a request is made to a remote Mobile Device, the device is contacted and responds with the requested data. The Business Rules are automatically executed on the Mobile Device to report asset status and location to the Mobile RFID System Manager. In the event that the Mobile Device is temporarily outside of wireless network coverage, the data destined for the Mobile RFID System Manager is queued in the Messaging Client component of the Mobile RFID System Client until network coverage resumes.
The system consists of items that move from node to node. Supporting this is a set of servers that track the items and nodes. As noted in
Security is an important aspect of this system because of the nature of supply chains. Various partners in intersecting supply chains might have adversarial relationships and do not want information shared with opposing partners. For instance, two suppliers A and B might use the same carrier (e.g., UPS logistics) to take care of their shipping needs. They do not want each other to view where their items are in the shipping process as this information might provide invaluable competitive information (e.g., destinations, quantities). It is therefore important to protect the privacy of the information. The two aspects of security addressed in this system are authentication and authorization. Authentication is enforced between the servers and nodes. A node has to log into its assigned server each time it connects. This can be done using the usual methods of authentication, for example an account ID and password. Data encryption can be implemented using standard techniques such as public-key encryption and X509 digital certificates, for example. Because the system is automatically tracks the location of items, it cannot require a user to manually authorize every transaction. Instead, the system makes an implicit assumption that the origin static/terminal node is authorized to query the location of an item that is sent to a destination static/terminal node, since obviously it had to know where the item was going. For example, if an item was sent from node A to B and then to C, node A is authorized to query the location of that item between A and B (including all the mobile nodes used in between the nodes). Node B is then authorized to query for the item when it travels between B and C. Therefore, node A can query node C and any subsequent node. This is called authorization forward chaining and can be done automatically. A node can override this by breaking the chain at its location although this is not recommended as the visibility of an item's location is curtailed at that node. To overcome objections for sharing the information, the system defaults the information to only the location coordinates (latitude, longitude) of the item and the arrival date and timestamp. It does not give away the identity of the node, which might be considered confidential, for instance if a third-party logistics (3PL) provider does not want its customers to know which carriers it uses to transport the items.
Turning now to the figures,
All nodes (mobile, static, terminal) are registered in the same manner. A node can be unregistered by connecting to the registration server and sending a request to terminate its account. Once this is done, it cannot connect to its home server anymore. In order to reestablish itself in the system, the node must register again as a new node.
The records created on the nodes and servers are similar. For this reason, nodes that do not have a large data storage capacity can delegate the responsibility for storing the information about each item on its home server by adding the additional fields. This will increase the number of transactions because the home server will now receive positional updates for the item, which used to get stored only on the node.
This system continuously tracks the locations of all items by sending a ping from the origin node to the mobile node. Since most shipments consist of many items, sometimes numbering in the thousands or even millions, it is inefficient to monitor every single item's location. When an item is loaded onto a mobile node, it is assigned a shipment ID, which is a unique ID that is automatically generated by the origin node. The system first checks for other shipments on the same mobile node on the same date and within a similar window of time. If so, it assumes that the item is on the same shipment and assigns it the same previously generated shipment ID. A static node constantly checks item location by running through its set of active shipment ID's and pings the mobile node to check for an item's location. A mobile node returns with its current location and whether the item is still there as well as the current location coordinates. If not, it will return the destination nodes' ID. A ping should query for random item ID's on the mobile node to ensure the integrity of the shipment because items might be removed off the mobile node. If a mobile node is out of coverage, multiple pings might be queued up on the static node and sent when the mobile node is back in coverage. Multiple pings are discarded and only one response is sent back. This offers an optimal method for tracking all the items without unnecessary queries.
Exception Management is built into the system in the following cases:
The static node forwards an item retains that item's record until it has been positively acknowledged by the destination node. This is similar to a transaction semantic that requires an acknowledgement before committing that transaction. In the case where any of the exceptions listed above occurs, then the item record remains open. By continuously monitoring the location of an item, the system will know if there is a problem and can therefore trigger an exception management action, such as sending an alert to the administrator at the originating node to investigate the discrepancy.
An alert can be sent if the destination node did not report an item's expected arrival. If an item is loaded off a mobile node into a static node, then the static node should create a record for the item and update the server, which will inform the origin node. Since the origin node is constantly pinging the mobile node, if the mobile node indicates that the item has been offloaded but the destination node has not reported its arrival, then an alert should be sent to the origin and destination nodes informing them of the discrepancy. The origin node then sends a query to the server which will broadcast it to all static nodes. If any node has received the item, then the records on the origin and destination nodes are reconciled automatically. If not, then the origin node will list the item as missing. Note that because the system does not know the destination node of an item a priori, it cannot query the destination node with regards to the location of that item. It can only wait until the pings to the item have failed after several successive attempts.
Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention. The following claims are intended to encompass all such modifications.
This application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/669,763 filed Apr. 8, 2005 and Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/671,284 filed Apr. 13, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60669763 | Apr 2005 | US | |
60671284 | Apr 2005 | US |