WO2011157578A1

WO2011157578A1 - Method for identifying and/or tracking the delivery of objects combined into consignments

Info

Publication number: WO2011157578A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/059250
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marcel Schirmer
Original assignee: Deutsche Post Ag
Priority date: 2010-06-17
Filing date: 2011-06-06
Publication date: 2011-12-22
Also published as: DE202010017808U1; DE102010030253A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for identifying and/or tracking the delivery of objects combined into consignments in a logistical system comprising the following steps; a) allocation of at least one RFID transponder having a unique identification code to each of the objects; b) combination of at least two objects into a consignment; c) provision of a first RFID reader and reading of all the RFID transponders combined in a consignment in order to ascertain the identification codes thereof; d) generation of a data record for each object, comprising at least the identification code of said object and the identification code of at least one further object in the consignment to which the object belongs, and storage of the data record in a database; e) provision of the database for further elements of the logistical system; f) transfer of the consignment to a further element of the logistical system; g) provision of a second RFID reader and reading of at least one RFID transponder in the consignment in order to ascertain the identification code stored thereon, not all the RFID transponders in the consignment being read; h) comparison of the identification code read using the second RFID reader with the data records in the database and identification of the object from the identification code which has been read; i) ascertainment of at least one further object in the consignment from the database. The invention also relates to a logistical system for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Description

Method of identification and / or delivery tracking of consignments

summarized objects

Description:

The present invention relates to a method for identification and / or

Delivery tracking of items combined into consignments in one

Logistics system. The invention further relates to a logistics system for carrying out this method.

The detection, identification and tracking of individual objects during transport in a logistics system are known from the prior art. For this purpose, various methods are used to electronically detect or identify the objects during transport. Thus, US 2004/0249652 A1 describes such a method and a device for monitoring the transport and delivery of articles, in particular postal items. Each item to be transported is provided with two "bar codes" which uniquely identify the item During transport, the item passes through several processing stations in which the bar patterns of the item are scanned, respectively The scanning station is scanned and, together with an identification of the processing station, transmitted to a central monitoring station with database ("electronic shipping office" with "integrated data system") This requirement is not always immediately given the mass throughput of differently shaped packages, and each package has to be scanned individually, which takes a lot of time in the US 2003 / 005 0874 A1 proposes to track the location at which an item to be transported is currently located. For this purpose, the item is provided with an electronic ticket, eg in the form of a bar pattern or an RFID tag Upon delivery of the item, the accompanying note will be read and the actual place and time of delivery will be stored. DE 100 43 752 A1 discloses a method and a system for the organization of

Logistics operations described. The packages moved in the logistics system are equipped with repeatedly writable RFID transponders, so that the on the

Transponders contained information can be constantly updated to

For example, logistic processes, in particular individual transport processes, to confirm and to acknowledge.

DE 10 2006 053 671 A1 discloses a method for processing mailpieces within a mail transport and postal distribution system, the latter comprising at least a first mail distribution center, a second mail distribution center and an electronic parcel compartment system in the area of the second mail distribution center. In the method, data located on the mail item in the first mail distribution center is acquired by a reading device. The data collected is at least information that uniquely identifies the item of mail and information about the recipient of the item. These acquired data are transmitted to a first data processing unit in the area of the first mail distribution center and processed there. Based on a database associated with the data processing unit

Redirecting orders of the determined recipient considered. The data of

Mail can be stored in an RFID transponder.

In the latter method, each package is equipped with an RFID transponder, but it is not clear which individual objects are in the package. Although, according to these methods, the bundling of a large number of objects into larger shipments is fundamentally possible, each individual object must subsequently be identified by means of its RFID transponder, which is a time-consuming work step. Among other things, this is due to the fact that powerful RFID readers are not present on all links in a logistics chain, for example on a transport vehicle. For this reason, the practical benefit of using RFID technology compared to the previous one

delimited markings over bar patterns.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for operating a logistics system in which a number of objects can be combined into larger units and whose identification at any location in the logistics chain is possible with little effort. In addition, the process should provide the opportunity under To allow little effort also within the Logisiikkette a Urnsortierung the individual objects to other programs or the further summary of several programs. This object is achieved by a method for identification and / or

Delivery tracking of items combined into consignments in one

Logistics system comprising the steps:

a) assignment of at least one RFiD transponder with a unique identity code to each of the objects;

b) combining at least two objects into one broadcast;

c) providing a first RFiD reader and reading out all the RFID transponders combined in one shipment to determine their identity codes;

d) generating a record for each object, including at least its

Identity code and the identity code of at least one further object of the program to which the object belongs and storing the data record in a database;

e) providing the database for other members of the logistics system;

f) handing over the shipment to another link in the logistics system,

g) providing a second RFID reader and reading at least one RFID transponder in the mailpiece to determine the identity code stored thereon, wherein not all the RFID transponders of the mailing are read out;

h) comparing the identity code read with the second RFID reader with the data records of the database and identifying the object using the

read identity codes;

i) determination of at least one further object of the transmission from the database.

The present invention is based on the finding that the problems mentioned in the introduction can be solved in that all objects to be transported in a logistics chain are provided with an individual RFID tag. Since it is known which object carries which RFID tag, each of these objects can be uniquely identified on the basis of this. An RFID tag is understood to mean an RFID transponder which is provided with an individual identification code, or identity code for short.

These objects provided with RFID transponders can then be packaged in any manner into larger items, for example in boxes, and then passed through a first RFID reader which is capable of carrying a large number of RFID transponders in one step, in particular to read out all the time. To For this purpose, stationary readers are preferably used according to the invention, in particular RFiD tunnel readers.

Since each object can be immediately identified on the basis of its individual identity code, this step electronically determines which objects are actually located in a specific carton. The assignment object - identity code - consignment is then stored as a record in a database, so that it is possible, for example, based on an object or its identity code to determine other objects are together with this object in a delivery. In this case, at least one further object from the shipment can be determined.

If such a consignment is sent with a large number of objects, it is sufficient to identify a single object of this consignment in order to determine at least one further object of the consignment, or even the entire contents of the consignment, using the abovementioned database. For this purpose, a second RFID reader can be used, which can be technically much less expensive than the first RFID reader. For this purpose, for example, an RFID handheld reader in question, with the only a few RFiD - transponder can be read in a scan. Since it is only important to identify any object from the shipment, the reading can be done by the closed packaging of the shipment, so that the shipment does not even have to be opened. If, for example, a particular object is searched in the program, it can be checked in this way whether it is in this program without it having to be found immediately. This eliminates the need to open and empty the shipment to find the object you are looking for. The scanning of the consignment with a second RFID reader can be repeated as often as desired and at different positions within the logistics chain.

The term logistics chain and the logistics system is understood in the present invention in the broadest sense possible. A logistics chain encompasses all stations that pass through a shipment or an object from the sender to the last recipient, that is, different warehouses, transshipment points, means of transport and so on. In addition to the aforementioned components, the term "logistics system" additionally includes the devices that are required for processing the items or objects, such as computers, networks, measurement and control points, and so forth. In particular, the term logistics system includes systems that include the necessary means and facilities to facilitate the transportation of items from a point of departure to perform a delivery point on a transport path within a transport system. Furthermore, the devices according to the invention are part of the

Logistics system.

The point of departure is, for example, a storage location or place of delivery of, for example, an item to be sold or sold.

However, the unambiguous assignment of an RFID transponder with an individual identity code to an object not only makes it easy to identify within the logistics chain. On the contrary, it is possible to check the origin of the object by means of the identcode, in particular whether it is original. In this respect, the method according to the invention also simultaneously improves the protection against product piracy.

The information compiled in the database or parts thereof can be made available to customers, for example. For this purpose, automatically generated messages with the corresponding information, for example, when the shipment is recorded in the first RFID reader can be sent. Also, in further reviews with second RFID readers, further automatically generated messages may be sent, including, for example, information about the current location of the shipment.

Conversely, information can also be provided by the customer. For this purpose, for each object its exact name and / or its article number and its identity codes can be transmitted. This information can then also be fed into the database used in the method according to the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the data record for each object may include the identity codes of all other objects of the program to which the object belongs. In this way, the entire content of a program can be determined at a later time. For this reason, it is further preferred that in step i) all other objects of the transmission are determined from the database. This is particularly advantageous because hereby a consignment check both when sending and when receiving the shipment with very little effort is possible. At the same time, this method provides a reliable check of the completeness of a shipment. In addition to its identity code, as well as the identity code of at least one further object of the program to which the object belongs, each data record can contain an additional object Information about the object and / or the consignment include, in particular destination country, destination, place and time information for the production, packaging, name of the object, article number, time of creation of the data set and / or information on previous detections and / or detection points. If this information is available on request in the logistics system, this data can be displayed at any point in the logistics chain by simply querying with a second, for example mobile, RFID reader.

In a further development of the method according to the invention, the first RFID reader is a stationary reading device, in particular an RFID tunnel reading device, the readout of all the RFID transponders combined in one transmission taking place in one step, preferably simultaneously.

The RFID tunnel readers, which are also particularly preferably used according to the invention, which are also referred to as "RFiD tunnel readers", are reading devices equipped with RFID technology which are capable of realizing the entire contents of a program in real time For example, to capture a box without this must be opened for this. An RFID tunnel reading device consists of the RFID reader itself, as well as other optional components that, for example, simplify handling or connect to other components of the RFID reader

Facilitate logistics system. For this purpose, the RFID reader can be connected by LAN cable to a local network or equipped with antennas for wireless data transmission of the collected information in a wireless network. The data transmission can take place via all methods known for this purpose, for example WLAN or Bluetooth. In this way, the records can be transferred to a computer system in real time, where the records are stored in the database.

The first RFID reader may be provided with a light barrier for powering on. The device then expediently turns on at a predeterminable time

Non-use in a sleep mode and is put back into the read mode when the photocell is triggered. At the same time the reading process can be started by the light barrier.

The first RFID reader is expediently coupled to a manual or electrical conveyor belt, so that the device can be used in operational processes, in particular in warehouses, and can achieve a high throughput. Furthermore, first RFID reading devices used according to the invention can be equipped with a traffic light with which the operating state of the device is displayed. A more accurate display of the operating state and also the results of the triggering of the programs can alternatively or additionally take place via a monitor, which is connected to the first RFID reader.

Since the electromagnetic radiation emitted by such RFID reading devices can in some cases spread very strongly into the room, metal ion reduction for shielding and focusing the electromagnetic radiation inside the tunnel may be appropriate at appropriate places.

For controlling the first RFID reader, it may be provided with software, preferably an RFID edgeware (or also called a local RFID middelware component).

For data storage or data buffering, the first RFID readers used according to the invention may have a memory and be programmed with appropriate software, preferably a central RFID middleware for data storage.

In a further development of the method according to the invention, the second RFID reading device is a mobile reading device, in particular an RFID hand-held reading device. Such devices are known in principle. These are currently available! via its own power supply, a display, the actual RFID reader, a data memory for storing the scanned data

Information, as well as via an interface for data transmission. The interface for data transmission may be physical, i. a cable connection such as USB, FireWire or the like or, which is preferred, a radio transmission interface. In principle, all transmission options come into consideration, such as WLAN or Bluetooth, to name but two examples.

With such a mobile reader shipments can be examined at any point within the logistics chain. Since the performance of such mobile readers is very limited, usually when scanning a program with a plurality of RFID transponders provided with individual objects any of the objects is detected. These

Information, that is, the identity code of the arbitrarily detected object, become then, optionally after previous caching and / or verification, fed via the interface into the computer system. By accessing the database stored in the server, the remaining objects of the program to which the scanned object belongs can be determined. This result, determined in the server, is then transmitted back to the mobile reader via the network, which displays the result on its display.

Preferably, in the method according to the invention with the second RFID reader, exactly one or very few RFID transponders are read out per transmission. As a result, the effort is kept as low as possible. Since each identity code is assigned only once, it is sufficient to identify a single object based on its identity code, so that with the help of the information stored in the database all other objects belonging to the program can be identified. In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the program for reading out the RFID transponders is not opened.

The inventive method is particularly useful for use in the

Clothing industry or for the transport of clothing. For this reason, according to a preferred embodiment, the object is a garment.

The assignment of the RFID transponder to the object can be done, for example, by fixing on or in the object. If the object is a piece of clothing, the assignment of the RFID transponder can be effected in particular by sewing into the garment.

Preferably, each shipment comprises 2 to 500 objects, more preferably 15 to 300 objects, especially 20 to 200 objects. In particular, each shipment comprises at least 30, more preferably at least 50 objects. According to a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the consignment is a box, a box, a pallet and / or a container. Accordingly, it is within the scope of the present invention to package a plurality of objects in cartons, to subsequently assemble them onto pallets and to transport them into a container, the latter likewise being a consignment within the meaning of the present invention. It is sufficient to identify an object from a container, by resorting to the Database to authorize all other objects in the container. This procedure can be extended as desired, for example to a whole truck or shipload.

The grouping into consignments and their division can also take place at a location of the logistics chain in the context of the method according to the invention. Thus, at a transhipment point, a container with a series of cartons can be accepted, each carton containing a large number of objects. These boxes are reloaded on unloading the container on pallets, which allow a bundled transport within the Umschlagplatzes. For forwarding, the boxes can then be picked up from the pallets and grouped together again into larger groups, which then leave the transshipment point as consignments.

For this purpose, the additional information which object is placed in soft cardboard on which pallet in which container is expediently stored in the database. According to a further embodiment of the present invention is therefore stored in the record of each object on which pallet or in soft container it is summarized.

Although all types of transponders can be used within the scope of the present invention, passive RFID transponders are advantageously used as RFID transponders. These are considerably less expensive, which is an important aspect given that each of the objects is provided with its own RFID transponder. Another object of the present invention relates to a logistics system for

Identification and / or delivery tracking of items combined in consignments, in particular for carrying out the inventive method, comprising at least a first and at least a second RFID reader, a computer system with at least one server and a network, via which the first and second RFID reader connected to the server, wherein the first RFID reader so

is configured hereby that a plurality of RFID transponders can be detected at the same time and their identification codes can be read out and wherein the server has means for storing data records and combining these data records in a database in which the objects to be transported in a shipment have their unique identity code as well as the identity code of at least one further object of the shipment can be deposited. In an advantageous further development of the logic system according to the invention, the first RFID reader is designed such that it can detect at least 30, preferably at least 50 RFID transponders at the same time and read out their identcodes. More preferably, first RFID readers can simultaneously detect up to 200, preferably up to 300, particularly preferably up to 500, RFID transponders and read out their identcodes.

According to a preferred embodiment of the logistics system according to the invention, the first RFID reader comprises the following components:

- RFID tunnel reader,

desiredfails a traffic light to indicate the operating status,

desiredfatls a monitor,

desiredfails an electromagnetic shield,

If desired, a barcode scanner for recording a consignment or carton barcode.

an RFID edgeware for controlling the RFID tunnel reader,

an RFID middleware for data storage, preferably centrally on a server, in particular in a data center and

desiredfails a conveyor belt for forwarding the broadcasts.

The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 discussed in more detail. 1 shows the procedure at the goods receipt,

2 the information processing at the goods receipt,

Fig. 3 shows the procedure for goods issue and

4 the information processing at the goods issue,

Procedure Goods Receipt:

The procedure as well as the information processing at goods receipt are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 shown schematically. At the goods receipt, a carton with a large number of objects, in this case garments, is pushed through an RFID tunnel reader, whereby a light barrier with the aid of an RFID tag coupled thereto Middleware component (RFID edgeware) the RFID reader is switched on. Each of the garments has an RFID tag provided with a unique identity code. Using a tag log and a reader-specific reader protocol or the standardized low-levei reader protocol, the ID codes of the RFID transponders of all objects in the box are read out and transmitted as reading events first to the reader and then to the RFID edgeware. If the carton has an RFID tag, this tag is also transferred to the RFID edgeware. If the carton has a barcode label, the label can be scanned and also transferred to the middleware. The RFID edgeware validates, consolidates and filters the reading events. Subsequently, the events are converted into Application Level Events (ALE) and sent to the central RFID middware component. The ALE manager of the central RFID middleware component validates the message and converts it into a standardized EPC Object Event (EPC-OE) event type. This event is stored via a standard interface (EPIS Capture interface) in a repository (EPC Information Services (EPCIS)). If this process has been carried out successfully, the central RFID middleware and the RFID edgeware give the signal to display a signal at a traffic light of the tunnel reader. Procedure goods issue:

The procedure and the information processing at the goods issue are shown schematically in Figs. 3 and 4. By means of a mobile RFID reader, an "RFID handheld", any number of cartons can be detected during the outgoing goods After each read by the RFID handheld, the detected RFID transponders or the ident code deposited thereon are transmitted to the RFID edgeware. The RFID edgware converts the acquisition into an ALE message and sends it to the central RFID component The ALE manager of the central RFID middleware component validates the message and converts it into a standardized event type EPC Object Event (EPC-OE) The EPCIS uses the standardized EPCIS Query Interfaces to search for the product information relating to the cartons collected during the goods receipt, the number of carton identifications found is then sent via the central and local RFID middleware component to the EPCIS Handheld and displayed on the handheld screen.

Claims

claims:

1. Method of identification and / or delivery tracking in consignments

summarized objects in a logistics system comprising the steps:

b) combining at least two objects into one broadcast;

d) generating a record for each object, including at least its

Identity code and the identcode of at least one other object of the broadcast to which the object belongs and storing the record in a database;

e) providing the database for other members of the logistics system or and for the customer systems;

f) handing over the shipment to another link in the logistics system or and for the customer systems;

g) providing a second RFID reader and reading at least one RFID transponder in the mailpiece to determine the identity code stored thereon, wherein not all the RFID transponders of the mailing have to be read out; h) comparing the identity code read with the second RFID reader with the data records of the database and identifying the object based on the

read identity codes;

2. The method according to claim 1,

characterized,

that the data record for each object comprises the identity codes of all other objects of the program to which the object belongs.

3. The method according to claim 2,

characterized,

that in step i) old remaining objects of the transmission are determined from the database.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that each record comprises further information on the object and / or the consignment, in particular destination country, destination, location and time information for the production, packaging, name of the object, article number, Zettpunkt the creation of the record and / or information on previous

Observations and / or detection points.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

the first RFiD reading device is a stationary reading device, in particular an RFID tunnel reading device, wherein the readout of in one transmission

combined RFID transponders in one step, preferably at the same time takes place.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

the second RFID reader is a mobile reader, in particular an RFID handheld reader.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that the object is a garment.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

the assignment of the RFID transponder is effected by fastening on or in the object, in particular by sewing into the garment.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that one or a few RFID transponders per program are read out with the second RFI D reader.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized, Each shipment contains 2 to 500 objects.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

each shipment comprises at least 30, in particular at least 50 objects.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

the shipment is a box, carton, pallet and / or container.

13. The method according to claim 12,

characterized,

that in the data record of each object is deposited, on which pallet or in which container it is summarized.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that the program for reading the RFID transponder is not opened.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that RFID transponders use passive RFID transponders.

16. Logistic system for identification and / or tracking of objects grouped in consignments, in particular for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 15, comprising at least a first and at least a second RFID reader, a computer system with at least one server and a network, via which the first and second RFID reader are connected to the server, wherein the first RFID reader is designed so that hereby a plurality of RFID transponders simultaneously detected and their

Identcodes can be read and wherein the server has means for storing records and for summarizing these records in a database in which for each in a shipment to be transported objects whose unique identity code and the identity of at least one other object of the shipment can be stored.

17. Logistic system according to claim 16,

characterized,

the first RFID reader can detect at least 30, preferably at least 50, RFID transponders in real time and read out their identcodes.

18. Logistic system according to claim 16 or 17,

characterized,

the first RFID reader comprises the following components:

- RFID tunnel reader,

if desired, a traffic light for displaying the operating state,

if desired, a monitor,

if desired, an electromagnetic shield,

if desired, a barcode scanner for detecting a

Shipping barcodes,

a (local) RFID edgeware for controlling the RFID tunnel reader,

- a (central) RFID middleware for data storage as well

- If desired, a conveyor belt for forwarding the broadcasts.