Pallet with pallet RFID reader/writer for conducting on-demand pallet inventory

Abstract

A material handling apparatus has a communications device associated therewith. The device includes a reader/writer for communicating with RF tags located on products supported upon the apparatus and with RF tags located within distribution networks. A further aspect of the present invention provides a RF tag attached to the apparatus and the device. In still another aspect of the present invention, a wireless local area network communications device is incorporated with the read/writer.

1 . A container manifest tracking system comprising:
 a radio frequency identification (RFID) contents reader affixed to a container in which a plurality of RFID tagged items are disposed, said contents reader having an effective range sufficient to reach all said tagged items, and being configured to periodically collect identification information from all of said tagged items,   a manifest database affixed to said container, accessible by said contents reader and storing said periodically collected information,   a timer affixed to said container and accessible by said contents reader to said periodic collection, and   an active RFID tag emulator affixed to said container configured to respond to an external reader activation code by receiving said periodically collected information stored in said manifest database and transmitting said identification information to said external reader.   
     
     
         2 . An automated method comprising:
 affixing a radio frequency identification (RFID) contents reader to a container in which a plurality of RFID tagged items are disposed, said contents reader having an effective range sufficient to reach all said tagged items,   periodically collecting identification information by said contents reader from all of said tagged items,   storing said periodically collected information by said contents reader in a manifest database also affixed to said container; and   emulating an active RFID tag emulator affixed to said container responsive to an external reader activation code by receiving said periodically collected information stored in said manifest database and transmitting said identification information to said external reader.   
     
     
         3 . A container manifest tracking system comprising:
 a radio frequency identification (RFID) contents reader affixed to a container in which a plurality of RFID tagged items are disposed, said contents reader configured to collect and store identification information from all of the said tagged items, and   an active RFID tag emulator affixed to said container configured to respond to an external reader activation code by receiving said collected information from said affixed RFID contents reader, and by transmitting said identification information to said external reader.   
     
     
         4 . The system as set forth in  claim 3  further comprising:
 a manifest database affixed to said container, accessible by said contents reader, and storing said periodically collected information; and 
 a contents discriminator configured to apply one or more logical rules to information received from said tagged items to reduce false additions of items to said manifest database. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system as set forth in  claim 3  further comprising:
 a manifest database affixed to said container, accessible by said contents reader, and storing said periodically collected information, and 
 a contents discriminator configured to apply one or more logical rules to information received from said tagged items to reduce false removal of items from said manifest database. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system as set forth in  claim 3  further comprising:
 a manifest database affixed to said container, accessible by said contents reader, and storing said periodically collected information; and 
 a manifest event log configured to receive and store indications of changes to said manifest database from said contents reader. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system as set forth in  claim 3  further comprising a hierarchical data structure stored in one or more computer readable media comprising:
 a set of item identifiers associated with a set of items stored in said container, each of said item identifiers being maintained by an RFID tag associated with one and only one item and reportable only to said contents tracker, 
 a manifest database associated with said container and modifiable only by said contents tracker and reportable only to an external reader, and 
 an external container inventory stored in a manner physically disassociated with said container, and maintained by an external reader. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system as set forth in  claim 3  wherein:
 a first communication protocol between said contents tracker and said tagged items is distinguishable from a second communication protocol between said contents tracker and said external reader. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system set forth in  claim 8  wherein said first protocol is a low-frequency RFID protocol, and wherein said second protocol is a high-frequency RFID protocol. 
     
     
         10 . An automatic method comprising:
 affixing a radio frequency identification (RFID) contents reader to a container in which a plurality of RFID tagged items are disposed,   affixing an RFID emulator to said container,   collecting by said RFID contents reader identification information from said tagged items disposed in said container,   receiving said collected identification information by said RFID tag emulator from said RFID contents reader, and   responsive to an external reader activation code, emulating an RFID tag by said RFID tag emulator by transmitting said collected identification information to said external reader.   
     
     
         11 . The method as set forth in  claim 10  further comprising:
 storing said collected identification in a manifest database associated with said RFID contents reader, and 
 discriminating using one or more logical rules to reduce false additions of items to said manifest database. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 10  further comprising:
 storing said collected identification in a manifest database associated with said RFID contents reader, and 
 discriminating using one or more logical rules to reduce false removal of items from said manifest database. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method as set forth in  claim 10  further comprising:
 storing said collected identification in a manifest database associated with said RFID contents reader, and 
 storing indications of changes to said manifest database in a manifest event log. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method as set forth in  claim 10  further comprising producing a hierarchical data structure stored in one or more computer readable media by:
 associating a set of item identifiers with a set of items stored in said container, each of said item identifiers being maintained by an RFID tag associated with one and only one item and reportable only to said contents tracker, 
 associating a manifest database with said container in a manner which is modifiable only by said contents tracker and reportable only to an external reader, and 
 storing an external container inventory in a manner physically disassociated with said container, and maintained by an external reader. 
 
     
     
         15 . An article of manufacture comprising:
 a radio frequency identification (RFID) contents reader affixed to a container in which a plurality of RFID tagged items are disposed,   an RFID emulator affixed to said container,   a computer readable medium suitable for encoding software, and disposed to be accessed by said RFID contents reader and by said RFID emulator, and   one or more software programs encoded in said medium configured to performing the steps of:   collecting by said RFID contents reader identification information from said tagged items disposed in said container,   receiving said collected identification information by said RFID tag emulator from said RFID contents reader, and   responsive to an external reader activation code, emulating an RFID tag by said RFID tag emulator by transmitting said collected identification information to said external reader.   
     
     
         16 . The article as set forth in  claim 15  further comprising software program encoded by said computer readable medium configured to discriminate using one or more logical rules to reduce false additions of items to a manifest database. 
     
     
         17 . The article as set forth in  claim 15  further comprising:
 software program encoded by said computer readable medium configured to discriminate using one or more logical rules to reduce false removal of items from a manifest database. 
 
     
     
         18 . The article as set forth in  claim 15  further comprising:
 software program encoded by said computer readable medium configured to store indications of changes in a computer readable manifest event log. 
 
     
     
         19 . The article as set forth in  claim 15  further comprising software program encoded by said computer readable medium configured to produce a hierarchical data structure stored in one or more computer readable media by:
 associating a set of item identifiers with a set of items stored in said container, each of said item identifiers being maintained by an RFID tag associated with one and only one item and reportable only to said contents tracker, 
 associating a manifest database with said container in a manner which is modifiable only by said contents, tracker and reportable only to an external reader, and 
 storing an external container inventory in a manner physically disassociated with said container, and maintained by an external reader. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method to improve polling accuracy in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, the method comprising:
 creating a current set of inventory information for a shipping container, wherein the current set is based on data of RFID tags attached to a plurality of items in the shipping container; wherein further the current set is generated via an interrogation by a first tag reader of the plurality subsequent to the plurality being placed in the shipping container, wherein further the first tag reader is either inside or attached to the shipping container,   storing, by the first tag reader, the current set in a container tag, wherein the container tag comprises an RFID tag inside or attached to the shipping container, and   receiving, by a second tag reader, data of at least some of the current set from the container tag, wherein the second tag reader is located external to the shipping container.   
     
     
         21 . A radio frequency identification (RFID) polling apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 A first tag reader configured to be placed in a shipping container, wherein the shipping container is arranged to contain a first plurality of items, wherein further the first tag reader is configured to interrogate the shipping container and generate data of a current inventory based on transmissions of an interrogation of RFID tags attached to the first plurality of items subsequent to the first plurality of items being placed in the shipping container, wherein further the first tag reader is configured to update the data of the current inventory based on periodic interrogations; and   a container tag configured to be placed in or on the shipping container, wherein the container tag is configured to store the data of the current inventory and transmit at least a portion of the data of the current inventory to a second tag reader located outside the shipping container.