Pallet with wireless transceiver for communicating pallet manifest, condition and location information

Abstract

The inventions involve material handling apparatus including pallets developed to operate in radio frequency rich environments. Apparatus are provided having at least one large compartment capable of enclosing at least one electronic device or a package populated with a plurality of devices. Articles with attached RFID item tags are loaded onto the apparatus. The apparatus includes an RFID reader/writer interrogator for communicating with the RFID item tags to maintain a pallet manifest. The apparatus includes RFID pallet tags that communicate with the device, the RFID item tags and RFID beacon tags positioned within distributed RFID networks. The RFID pallet tags include sensors to monitor pallet conditions to which a pallet management system is responsive. The apparatus includes wireless transceivers for communicating indicative information through LAN, WLAN and Cellular communications networks. The apparatus includes a power resource in order to facilitate long term autonomous operation.

1 . A pallet tracking system comprising:
 a cellular network;   a network host having means for communicating with said cellular network;   a pallet tracking device having a circuit board with a communications module for communicating with said network host through said cellular network, a reader/writer for communicating with an RF tag, and a power supply providing power to said communication module and said reader/writer, and;   said network host communicating with said pallet tracking device to read an RF tag using said reader/writer and to transmit information associated with the RF tag from said communications module to said network host.   
     
     
         2 . The pallet tracking system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said pallet tracking device comprises at least one of a RFID pallet tag and a LAN communications module for acquiring the information concerning a situation where it is placed, in which the information acquired and the RF tag information are transmitted to said network host by the cellular network.   
     
     
         3 . The pallet tracking system according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a charging section for charging a pallet user for access to said pallet tracking device.   
     
     
         4 . A pallet used for transporting an article, said pallet comprising:
 a base adapted to load an article thereon;   reader/writer means for conducting non-contact communications with an RFID tag put on the article; and   portable power supply means for supplying electric power to the reader/writer means,   wherein a transmission direction of said reader/writer means is directed inward above the base, so that a communication area of said reader/writer means is set to allow reliable communication only with the RFID tag of an article loaded on said base.   
     
     
         5 . The pallet as in  claim 4  wherein the communication distance of said reader/writer means is limited to such an extent that said reader/writer means would be able to communicate with an RFID tag within the loading range in which articles can be loaded above the base. 
     
     
         6 . The pallet as in  claim 4  comprising a fork insertion section for allowing a fork of a forklift to insert from a side, wherein said reader/writer means are disposed circumventing the fork insertion section. 
     
     
         7 . The pallet as in  claim 4  comprising an electromagnetic shield for blocking a radio frequency signal so as not to communicate with an RFID tag outside the area above the base. 
     
     
         8 . The pallet as in  claim 4  comprising wireless communications means for communicating with an external pallet management entity through a wireless network beyond the range of the reader/writer means and a control means for controlling execution of communications with the RFID tag in accordance with an execution command signal received from the pallet management entity and transmission of acquired information to said entity. 
     
     
         9 . The pallet as in  claim 8  wherein the wireless communications means is disposed inside the pallet. 
     
     
         10 . The pallet as in  claim 4  wherein the whole shape of the pallet is composed of plastic and the plastic forms a top surface for supporting a load thereon. 
     
     
         11 . The pallet as in  claim 4  wherein the whole shape of the pallet is formed to accommodate four side walls like a box container. 
     
     
         12 . The pallet of  claim 4  further comprising at least one of a RFID pallet tag, a reader/writer means further adapted to establish contact with RFID tags outside said loading range, and said wireless communications means for acquiring information concerning where the pallet is placed.