- Bloomberg TV Spotlights RFID Company Checkpoint Systems
- Troverlo, Actility Offer Trackers for Abeeway LoRaWAN Tags
- Neology Brings Litigation Against Confidex
- CCRM Fertility, TMRW Life Sciences Add Tracking Tech to IVF Labs
Aug 18, 2022Presented here are recent news announcements in the radio frequency identification and Internet of Things industries.
Bloomberg TV Spotlights RFID Company Checkpoint Systems
Checkpoint Systems was recently featured on the television series Bloomberg TV, to discuss how it utilizes technology to minimize risk and maximize profit in the everchanging retail sector. Checkpoint provides electronic article surveillance, product protection and apparel labeling solutions designed to help retailers reduce theft and improve operations. "We think their story will be meaningful, as well as educational to our viewers," said Kyle Freeman, the show's executive producer, in a prepared statement.
Bloomberg TV broadcast the episode on Aug. 13 and will do so again on Aug. 20, after which a video will be available on the network's website. The episode discussed how Checkpoint's RF and RFID technologies enable retailers to protect their merchandise and ensure products are available when consumers want to buy them. According to the company, shoppers increasingly expect the shopping experience to be faultless, both in physical and digital stores.
"We've been helping retailers solve their problems for over 50 years with intelligent retail technology solutions to protect profits, products and people," Checkpoint Systems added in the prepared statement. "The film will explain how our unique offering of software, hardware and labels benefits stores, as well as showcasing how our integrated service provision allows us to design, manufacture and install all of our own solutions."
Troverlo, Actility Offer Trackers Compatible with Abeeway LoRaWAN Tags
Troverlo, Actility and Abeeway have announced a collaboration to create a tracking device that can be read by Abeeway's LoRaWAN trackers. Troverlo's Host Powered Tag is now available at the ThingPark Market, an Internet of Things (IoT) business-to-business marketplace, powered by Actility. The integrated tag allows users to gain value from Actility gateways and Abeeway tags by tracking assets that may not have been feasible to monitor in the past. The solution is intended to increase the scale and value of existing LoRaWAN systems by providing data from dozens of nearby tags.
Troverlo's tags use a standard Wi-Fi chip to send out a beacon, similar to Wi-Fi access points, and can be picked up by any device looking for a Wi-Fi connection. They can work with Abeeway LoRaWAN trackers due to their built-in Wi-Fi sniffing capabilities, the companies explain. The tracker "sees" Troverlo tags and reports their location and sensor data via the connected LoRaWAN gateway and ThinkParkX Location Engine. The tags require only a standard off-the-shelf Wi-Fi chip and are available in several form factors, ranging from standalone battery-powered tags to embedded tags built into equipment and products.
The new tags are automatically tracked outside of LoRaWAN connectivity via Troverlo's Global Observation Network. If a tracked asset leaves a LoRaWAN area, the companies explain, it can still be tracked worldwide without additional connectivity required. The Global Observation Network consists of smartphones, Wi-Fi access points, telematic solutions and other connected devices. Troverlo claims the tags can be tracked for one-tenth the price of other connection methods, such as LTE.
According to Abeeway, the technology offers ranchers the ability to monitor livestock to identify abnormal behaviors or locations. Ranchers typically track groups of animals by placing a tracker on a single animal to reduce costs. With Troverlo's tags, the company says, they can now track each animal and use existing trackers to backhaul the data. The firm also provides logistics providers and their customers with visibility into vehicle movements throughout the supply chain, as the tags allow every pallet or product being shipped to be tracked while in transit from warehouse to truck to customer site.
Neology Brings Litigation Against Confidex
Neology, a provider of integrated solutions for RFID applications, has commenced litigation in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Diego against RFID manufacturer Confidex. Neology says it seeks "damages and injunctive relief based on claims for breach of contract, unfair competition and declaratory relief to prevent Confidex from making, offering to make, selling, distributing, offering to sell, having sold, using, having imported, or importing into the United States any RFID devices that are compatible or comply with the ISO-18000-6C protocol, which is an international standard governing the way RFID products communicate with one another in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) spectrum."
In 2013, Neology sued Confidex for patent infringement in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, claiming some of Confidex's RFID products compatible with the 6C protocol infringed some of its patents. Rather than litigate the infringement claims, the two companies entered into a settlement agreement that stipulated Confidex "not make, offer to make, have made, sell, distribute, offer to sell, have sold, use, have imported, and/or import into the United States, for any purpose, any RFID devices compatible or complying with the 6C protocol during the life of Neology's asserted patents."
Confidex also agreed not to permit third parties to do the same with its products, Neology reports. Neology claims Confidex has been distributing products to third parties, including competitor Kapsch TrafficCom, "for importation, offering to sell, sale, distribution, and use within the United States." Neology also maintains Confidex violated its obligations by applying for and obtaining certification for products from the OmniAir Consortium, a threshold requirement to bid and supply RFID devices compatible with the 6C protocol to tolling authorities and other U.S. governmental agencies.
CCRM Fertility, TMRW Life Sciences Add Tracking Tech to IVF Labs
CCRM Fertility, a provider of fertility treatment, research and science, has announced plans to expand its partnership with TMRW Life Sciences from its initial launch clinic in Colorado to all its in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratories throughout North America. By bringing digital tracking, automation and 24-7 remote monitoring to a system that has historically relied on manual, in-person work by embryologists, CCRM explains, TMRW's technology is expected to enable fertility clinical teams to identify and monitor patient specimens with better safety, efficiency and transparency.
According to the company, TMRW's management platform includes unique patient identifiers using automated robotics and RFID technology to reduce the risk of mix-ups or lost eggs and embryos. It provides immediate access to real-time data about frozen eggs and embryos, as well as daily health checks to discover issues before they become problematic. What's more, it enables the long-term security and traceability of eggs and embryos before, during and after IVF.
"As an early adopter of TMRW's technology in our Colorado lab, we know firsthand what a difference TMRW's platform will make to CCRM Fertility clinics and everyone we serve," said Jason Swain, who oversees CCRM Fertility's lab network, in a prepared statement. "The platform allows our embryologists to focus on the work that only they can do. TMRW provides peace of mind to our team and unequivocally raises the standard of care for our patients." Swain coordinated CCRM's research studies with TMRW.
"In a process as deeply personal as fertility treatment, patients increasingly strive for a deep understanding of what's happening every step of the way; they want to know their eggs and embryos are safe," added Tara Comonte, TMRW Life Sciences' CEO, in the prepared statement. "Our growing partnership with CCRM Fertility will provide patients greater visibility, connection and accuracy, and ensure they receive the world-class care they deserve."
Earlier this year, the Vios Fertility Institute leveraged a TMRW cryo-management robotic system with RFID technology to ensure automated and error-free specimen management at its Chicago and St. Louis clinics. The solution comprised an automated platform known as the CryoRobot, which identifies, tracks and manages the frozen eggs and embryos stored at each site (see Fertility Clinic Leverages HF RFID to Manage Specimens).
