Mobile RFID asset tracker
AssigneeEngineered Products of Ohio, LLC
InventorsBrian Blank, Christopher Scott Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-contained, mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracker and hardware assembly and method of use thereof. The mobile RFID asset tracker includes a frame mounted on locking swivel casters which provide a mobile base for mounting of an RFID antenna, RFID reader and other electrical equipment thereon. An electronics control box, which is adjustably mounted on the frame, houses the RFID reader, a custom Printed Circuit Board (PCB) control module, cellular and WIFI modems, and a power source. The electronics control box is operatively engaged via Input/Output (IO) ports and cabling to an external indicator assembly and to the external adjustably mounted RFID antenna.
Claims26
A self-contained mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracker comprising:
- a frame configured for movement across a surface;
- an electronics control box mounted on the frame;
- an RFID reader housed within the electronics control box, said RFID reader being adapted to interrogate an RFID tag on an item;
- an RFID antenna mounted on the frame outside of the electronics control box, said RFID antenna being coupled with the RFID reader;
- and
- a power source housed within the electronics control box, said power source being operatively engaged with the RFID reader and the RFID antenna;
- and
- wherein said RFID reader is configured to interrogate RFID tagged items that come into a field of view of the RFID antenna.
A self-contained mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracker comprising:
- a frame configured for movement across a surface;
- an electronics control box mounted on the frame;
- an RFID reader housed within the electronics control box, said RFID reader being adapted to interrogate an RFID tag on an item;
- an RFID antenna mounted on the frame outside of the electronics control box, said RFID antenna being coupled with the RFID reader;
- wherein said RFID reader is configured to interrogate RFID tagged items that come into a field of view of the RFID antenna;
- and
- a communications device housed within the electronics control box, said communications device being coupled with the RFID reader and being adapted to communicate with a remote central processing unit.
A self-contained mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracker comprising:
- a frame configured for movement across a surface;
- an electronics control box mounted on the frame;
- an RFID reader housed within the electronics control box, said RFID reader being adapted to interrogate an RFID tag on an item;
- an RFID antenna mounted on the frame outside of the electronics control box, said RFID antenna being coupled with the RFID reader;
- wherein said RFID reader is configured to interrogate RFID tagged items that come into a field of view of the RFID antenna;
- and
- a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) control module housed within the electronics control box and operatively engaged with the RFID reader and with the RFID antenna, wherein programming is provided in the PCB control module and is configured to control operation of the RFID reader and the RFID antenna.
A self-contained mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracker comprising:
- a frame configured for movement across a surface;
- an electronics control box mounted on the frame;
- an RFID reader housed within the electronics control box, said RFID reader being adapted to interrogate an RFID tag on an item;
- an RFID antenna mounted on the frame outside of the electronics control box, said RFID antenna being coupled with the RFID reader, wherein said RFID reader is configured to interrogate RFID tagged items that come into a field of view of the RFID antenna;
- and
- an RFID writer that is provided as an integral part of the RFID reader or is separate from the RFID reader and is housed within the electronics control box.
A self-contained mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracker comprising:
- a frame configured for movement across a surface;
- an electronics control box mounted on the frame;
- an RFID reader housed within the electronics control box, said RFID reader being adapted to interrogate an RFID tag on an item;
- an RFID antenna mounted on the frame outside of the electronics control box, said RFID antenna being coupled with the RFID reader, wherein said RFID reader is configured to interrogate RFID tagged items that come into a field of view of the RFID antenna;
- and
- a plurality of casters or wheels provided on the frame, said plurality of casters or wheels enabling rolling movement of the frame across the surface.
A method of reading a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on an article comprising:
- moving a mobile RFID asset tracker into a vicinity of the article that includes the RFID tag;
- sending a query signal from an RFID reader housed within an electronics control box of the mobile RFID asset tracker to an RFID antenna mounted on a frame of the mobile RFID asset tracker a distance from the electronics control box;
- sending the query signal from the RFID antenna to the RFID tag on the article;
- reading data encoded on the RFID tag with the RFID reader;
- coupling the RFID reader and the RFID antenna with a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) control module housed within the electronics control box;
- and
- saving the read data into a memory of the PCB control module.
A method of reading a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on an article comprising:
- moving a mobile RFID asset tracker into a vicinity of the article that includes the RFID tag;
- sending a query signal from an RFID reader housed within an electronics control box of the mobile RFID asset tracker to an RFID antenna mounted on a frame of the mobile RFID asset tracker a distance from the electronics control box;
- sending the query signal from the RFID antenna to the RFID tag on the article;
- reading data encoded on the RFID tag with the RFID reader;
- and
- generating an indicator with an indicator assembly provided on the tracker when the RFID reader reads the RFID tag on the article.
A method of reading a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on an article comprising:
- moving a mobile RFID asset tracker into a vicinity of the article that includes the RFID tag, wherein moving of the mobile RFID asset tracker includes rolling the mobile RFID asset tracker across a floor of a facility on casters or wheels by a single human operator pushing or pulling the mobile RFID asset tracker by hand;
- sending a query signal from an RFID reader housed within an electronics control box of the mobile RFID asset tracker to an RFID antenna mounted on a frame of the mobile RFID asset tracker a distance from the electronics control box;
- sending the query signal from the RFID antenna to the RFID tag on the article;
- reading data encoded on the RFID tag with the RFID reader.
A method of reading a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on an article comprising:
- moving a mobile RFID asset tracker into a vicinity of the article that includes the RFID tag;
- sending a query signal from an RFID reader housed within an electronics control box of the mobile RFID asset tracker to an RFID antenna mounted on a frame of the mobile RFID asset tracker a distance from the electronics control box;
- sending the query signal from the RFID antenna to the RFID tag on the article;
- reading data encoded on the RFID tag with the RFID reader;
- and
- wherein the RFID reader includes or is coupled with an RFID writer and the method further comprises writing data to the RFID tag.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.