Patent · US Expired

Electronic inventory system for stacked containers

US5565858A · kind A · utility

471Cited by
21References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 14, 1994
Grant dateOct 15, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 14, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K19/07796
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A device which locates a container from a group of containers utilizing an electronic tag, the electronic tag is capable of being positioned in close proximity to one of the containers. The electronic tag includes at least one long range transceiver portion and at least one short range transceiver portion. Each long range transceiver portion is capable of communicating with either a short range transceiver portion associated with another electronic tag, or an interrogator unit. Each short range transceiver portion is capable of communicating with a long range transceiver portion of another electronic tag. The device assists in locating a container, relative to other containers, when the containers are stored in a stacked or nested configuration. A global positioning system (GPS) can be utilized to locate the position of the containers on the Earth's surface.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.