Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Kevin T. O'Dougherty · Bryan Baillie ·
Assignee(s)	Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Dorsey & Whitney LLP ·
Primary Examiner	Seung Ho Lee ·
Application Number	US11644380
Filing date	12/22/2006
Issue date	05/13/2008
Prior Publication Data	US20070102507 - 05/10/2007
Predicted expiration date	12/01/2023
U.S. Classifications	235/376  · 235/375  ·
International Classifications	G06F700  ·
Kind Code	B2
Related U.S. Application Data	CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/725,218, filed on Dec. 1, 2003, and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,781 on Dec. 26, 2006, for “Manufacturing System with Intrinsically Safe Electric Information Storage” by Kevin T. O'Dougherty and Bryan Baillie.

Patent Family

Abstract

The present invention is a manufacturing system including a hazard zone and a non-hazard zone. The system includes a storage device, located in the hazard zone, for electrically storing information. The system further includes a communication device, also located in the hazard zone, for storing information to and reading information from the storage device. In the non-hazard zone, a controller is in electrical communication with the communication device. The controller controls the system based on information read from the storage device by the communication device. To limit electrical energy passing to the communication device, an intrinsic safety barrier located in the non-hazard zone is connected between the communication device and the controller device.

Independent Claims | See all claims (31)

1. 1. A filling system for use in a location with a hazard zone and a non-hazard zone, the system comprising: communication means, located in the hazard zone, for storing information to and reading information from storage means, located in the hazard zone, for electrically storing information; controller means, located in the non-hazard zone and in electrical communication with the communication means, for controlling the system based on information read from the storage means by the communication means; and an intrinsic safety barrier located in the non-hazard zone and connected between the communication means and the controller means to limit electrical energy passing to the communication means.
2. 7. A system for handling liquid in a container disposed in a hazard zone, the system comprising: a cap adapted to be coupled to the container and having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag mounted thereon; a radio frequency (RF) antenna which is capable of storing information to and reading information from the RFID tag; a controller coupled with the RF antenna to control processing of the liquid from the container based on information read from the RFID tag by the RF antenna; and an intrinsic safety barrier connected between the RF antenna and the controller.
3. 17. An intrinsically safe data retrieval system comprising: a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag containing information to be retrieved, the RFID located in a hazard zone; a radio frequency (RF) antenna electromagnetically coupled to the RFID tag, the RF antenna located in the hazard zone; a communication device adapted for communicating with the RF antenna, the communication device located outside the hazard zone; and an intrinsic safety barrier located outside the hazard zone and connected between the RF antenna and the communication device.
4. 21. A manufacturing system including a hazard zone and a non-hazard zone, the system comprising: a communication device, located in the hazard zone, for storing information to and reading information from an electrical storage device located in the hazard zone; a controller, located in the non-hazard zone and in electrical communication with the communication device, for controlling the system based on information read from the storage device by the communication device; and an intrinsic safety barrier located in the non-hazard zone and connected between the communication device and the controller to limit electrical energy passing to the communication device.