UPS RFID Patents
The United Parcel Service has applied for (at least) two separate patents dealing explicitly with RFID. The first, application number 20070247282, deals with collecting telematic data by way of an active RFID tag within a fleet vehicle. Relevant data about the fleet vehicle and its current GPS position is recorded on an active RFID tag which can later be read by automotive maintenance personnel.
The second, coming out of UPS’ more profitable Supply Chain Solutions group, is application number 20080150694. The application summarizes RFID’s use quite succinctly (not surprising coming from the from the folks at Alston & Bird):
Item tracking and identification has advanced with the development of machine-readable indicia such as barcodes and machine-readable devices such as RFID transponders. RFID transponders are beginning to garner more favor as they are capable of providing more information than a barcode and as their costs decrease. Information about an item that may be included in an RFID transponder can include item identification information, stock-keeping information, ownership information, shipping information, etc. In manufacturing, warehousing and shipping environments, items may be associated with RFID transponders to track them as well as to provide information about the model or serial number, location, cost, shipper, recipient, recipient’s address, etc. In many instances, items that are tagged (i.e., associated) with an RFID transponder will have their RFID transponder interrogated numerous times as the item makes it way through the manufacturing, warehousing or shipping processes. Essentially, any process that uses automatic identification technologies requires a medium to store information that will subsequently be retrieved by various applications for processing. Such a medium is provided by RFID transponders. Transponders come in a variety of sizes and designs, and there are numerous types, each tailored to meet different application requirements.
