Tracking of sample boxes using energy harvesting
Inventors
Coradetti, Thomas • Davidowitz, Hananel • Altman, Theodore
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10401082-B2
Publication Date
2019-09-03
Expiration Date
Abstract
In one embodiment, a freezer system has one or more shelves, each shelf has shelf electronics and can receive one or more racks, each rack has rack electronics and one or more cells for receiving one or more boxes of samples, each box has one or more RFID tags. Freezer electronics communicate with the outside world and with each set of shelf electronics. Each set of rack electronics communicates wirelessly with the corresponding set of shelf electronics and with the corresponding box RFID tags. Power for the rack electronics is derived from wireless signals from the shelf electronics. The freezer system can detect the presence of racks on shelves and boxes on racks to track the location and the orientation of each received box.
Core Innovation
A system for storing samples includes a cabinet having a plurality of container locations, where each container location is configured to receive a container configured to store one or more samples. Each container is configured with a container RFID tag, and each container location is configured with a different location RFID tag. System electronics supports reading each location RFID tag and each container RFID tag to identify the container location of each container stored in the cabinet.
The system electronics further supports determining whether the system electronics is operating improperly by using the system electronics to attempt to read a known location RFID tag having a known RFID number at a specific container location, and determining that the system electronics are not operating properly when an actually read RFID number does not match the known RFID number. The system architecture supports hierarchical electronics with cabinet electronics and multiple sets of shelf electronics and multiple sets of rack electronics, arranged so that shelf electronics wirelessly transmit power to and wirelessly communicate with rack electronics.
Rack electronics includes circuitry that processes power signals and control signals received at a rack antenna and RFID data signals from the container and location RFID tags, including splitting apart the power signals and the control signals from a signal received at the rack antenna and forwarding the RFID data signals to the rack antenna for transmission to the shelf antenna. Additional system state corresponding to multiplexer settings can be stored so that the corresponding set of rack electronics can recover from power cycling, and the system electronics can also determine rotational orientation of a container at a container location based on results of one or more reader antennae attempting to read the one or more container RFID tags.
Claims Coverage
The provided partial content includes five independent claims, covering an RFID-tagged sample storage cabinet with distinct location RFID tags and container RFID tags, hierarchical shelf/rack electronics for wireless power and data, and additional logic for operational validation, multiplexer-state recovery, rotational orientation determination, and detection of cross-location tag reads.
Distinct container RFID tags and different location RFID tags
A system for storing samples with a cabinet having a plurality of container locations, wherein each container is configured with a container RFID tag and each container location is configured with a different location RFID tag.
Operating improper detection using known location RFID tag number
System electronics configured to support reading each location RFID tag to determine whether the system electronics is operating properly by attempting to read a known location RFID tag having a known RFID number at a specific container location and determining improper operation when the actually read RFID number does not match the known RFID number.
Hierarchical cabinet, shelf, and rack electronics for wireless power and communication
System electronics comprising cabinet electronics and multiple sets of shelf electronics and multiple sets of rack electronics, where each shelf has a set of shelf electronics and each rack has a set of rack electronics, and each set of shelf electronics is configured to wirelessly transmit power to and wirelessly communicate with each corresponding set of rack electronics.
Single shelf antenna and single rack antenna with signal splitting and forwarding
For each rack, the set of shelf electronics comprises a single shelf antenna, each corresponding set of rack electronics comprises a single rack antenna, and the rack electronics includes circuitry configured to process power signals and control signals and to split apart the power and control signals from a signal received at the rack antenna while forwarding RFID data signals to the rack antenna for transmission to the shelf antenna.
Multiplexer-based selection of container locations and multiplexer state storage for power cycling recovery
Rack electronics includes one or more multiplexers configured to transmit and receive signals to and from selected container locations on the rack based on multiplexer settings, and circuitry for storing a system state corresponding to the multiplexer settings to enable the corresponding set of rack electronics to recover from power cycling.
Rotational orientation determination using antenna read results
The system electronics are configured to determine rotational orientation of a container at a container location, where the container comprises one or more container RFID tags, the container location comprises one or more reader antennae configured to read one of the one or more container RFID tags, and rotational orientation is determined based on results of the one or more reader antennae attempting to read the one or more container RFID tags.
Logical grouping of multiple container RFID tags to detect cross-location reads
The container comprises two or more container RFID tags, system electronics are configured to establish a logical grouping of the two or more container RFID tags for the container, and the system electronics use the logical grouping to determine when one of the reader antennae of the container location reads a container RFID tag of another container at another container location.
Across the independent claims, the system relies on reading distinct location RFID tags and container RFID tags in a cabinet, includes hierarchical shelf and rack electronics with wireless power and communication and RF signal splitting/forwarding, and further adds operational validation, multiplexer selection-state recovery, rotational orientation determination from antenna read results, and logical grouping of multiple container RFID tags to identify cross-location tag reads.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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