Electronic data distribution system

Abstract

An apparatus has a communications device associated therewith. In another aspect of the present invention, a pallet is made from thermoformed polymeric sheets with an attached communications device. A further aspect of the present invention provides a radio frequency identification device attached to an apparatus. In still another aspect of the present invention, a communications device is incorporated into one or more sheets of a pallet or other container prior to forming. Methods of making and using a thermoformed pallet and container, having a communications device, are also provided.

1 . A system that provides electronic product data to a component of an industrial control system comprising:
 a component that stores electronic product data obtained from a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag in a structured format, the RFID tag is affixed to a product; and   an interface that provides the electronic product data to an industrial controller, the interface utilizes a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) interface to read and write at least one of an input, an output, a tag, a state, and a status parameter to the industrial controller.   
     
     
         2 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  in which:
 said interface utilizes industrial protocols to exchange the electronic data with an application external to the industrial controller, and   said application external to the industrial controller is associated with at least one of an Enterprise System (ERP), a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), or a Machine Control System (MC).   
     
     
         3 . A system that manages the exchange of electronic product data with an industrial controller comprising:
 a RFID interface that receives electronic product data;   a processing component that parses the electronic product data and groups related electronic product data; and   an interface component that provides the electronic product data to an industrial controller, the interface component utilizes a PLC interface to read and write at least one of an input, an output, a tag, a state, and a status parameter to the industrial controller.   
     
     
         4 . A system as set forth in  claim 3  in which:
 said RFID interface utilizes a wire or wireless connection to receive the electronic product data.   
     
     
         5 . A method for conveying electronic product data to components in an industrial control system comprising:
 receiving a subscription from an entity within an industrial control system for electronic product data;   obtaining the electronic product data from an RFID product tag through an RFID reader;   formatting the electronic data in a structured form; and   conveying the formatted electronic product data to the subscribing entity, the conveying utilizes a PLC interface to read and write at least one of an input, an output, a tag, a state, and a status parameter to the industrial controller.   
     
     
         6 . A method as set forth in  claim 5  which includes:
 formatting the electronic product data in at least one of an Electronic Product Code, a logical reader identifier, a timestamp, a flag indicating an RFID tag is with a coverage area, a product type, a date of manufacture, a lot number, an associated case, an associated pallet, or an associated container level.   
     
     
         7 . A method as set forth in  claim 5  which includes:
 utilizing an RFID interface that receives the electronic product data from one of an RFID reader, a server, or an RFID tag.   
     
     
         8 . A method for distributing electronic product data to an industrial control system comprising:
 receiving electronic product data from one of an RFID reader and a server;   filtering the electronic data to mitigate duplicate data; processing the accepted electronic product data to a format in accordance with the industrial control system;   storing the formatted electronic product data; and   conveying the stored electronic product data to a component of the industrial control system component, the conveying utilizes a PLC interface to read and write at least one of an input, an output, a tag, a state, and a status parameter to the industrial controller.   
     
     
         9 . A method as set forth in  claim 8  which includes:
 conveying the stored electronic product data to a component that includes an industrial controller.   
     
     
         10 . A method as set forth in  claim 8  which includes:
 conveying electronic product data to an industrial control system that is at least one of an Enterprise System (ERP), a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), or a Machine Control System (MC).   
     
     
         11 . A method as set forth in  claim 8  which includes:
 conveying the stored electronic product data to a component that receives a subscription or request from the industrial control system component.   
     
     
         12 . A method as set forth in  claim 11  which includes:
 conveying the stored electronic product data to a component that receives a subscription for electronic product data associated with RFID tags that enter a coverage area of the RFID reader.   
     
     
         13 . A method as set forth in  claim 8  which includes:
 writing industrial control system component information to an RFID tag affixed to a product.   
     
     
         14 . A method as set forth in  claim 8  which includes:
 employing at least one of statistics, probabilities, inferences, and classifiers to facilitate electronic product data collection, filtering, formatting, storage, or distribution to the industrial control system component.   
     
     
         15 . A system that facilitates electronic data distribution to an industrial component comprising:
 means for obtaining electronic data from one or more RFID readers or one or more RFID servers;   means for storing the electronic data in a structured format; and   means for conveying the stored one or more data to the industrial component, the conveying utilizes a PLC interface to read and write at least one of an input, an output, a tag, a state, and a status parameter to the industrial controller.