Inventory management system for admixtures and additives for concrete, grout and mortar

• US 20020154017A1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Construction Research & Technology GmbH (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: MBT Holding AG
• Inventors: Farner, William Terry
• Application Number:
  US10/108,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154017A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/612
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/00 Controlling the operation of apparatus for producing mixtures of clay or cement with other substances; Supplying or proportioning the ingredients for mixing clay or cement with other substances; Discharging the mixture B28C5/42 takes precedence; feeding material in general B65G; proportioning in general G01F, G01G; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 9/00 General arrangement or layout of plant B28C7/0061, B28C7/0481 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/158 Expression markers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method of managing inventory of admixture and additive material for concrete, grout and mortar in storage containers at remote locations is provided. A level indicator inventories the storage containers. The level or volume of material in the storage container is determined and transmitted to a database via a wireless system. The database can be queried to determine if material needs to be shipped to the storage container. If needed, an order is generated to ship material to the storage container.

Claims

1. A method of managing inventory of admixture and additive material for concrete, grout and mortar remotely, comprising:

a. inventorying a first at least one storage container of material at a remote site to provide a material volume present comprising;

i) measuring a level of material in the first at least one storage container with an electronic level indicator to provide a signal representative of the container level;

ii) transmitting the signal representative of the container level from the electronic level indicator to a first processor;

wherein said measuring is performed at one of a preset time and on demand;

performing one of step b or step c;

b. i) processing the signal representative of the container level to determine the material volume present in the first at least one storage container; and

ii) transmitting data representing the material volume present in the first at least one storage container from the first processor to a second processor via one of cellemetry and satellite;

or

c. i) transmitting the signal representative of the container level in the first at least one storage container from the first processor to a second processor via one of cellemetry and satellite; and

ii) processing the signal representative of the container level to determine the material volume present in the first at least one storage container; and

d. storing data representing the material volume present, a predetermined reorder level, and a predetermined critical level in a database associated with the second processor.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising querying the database to determine if material needs to be shipped to the first at least one storage container based on the material volume present.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising generating an order to ship material to the first at least one storage container, and transmitting the order to ship material automatically or after authorization.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating the order to ship material occurs if the material volume present is at or below one of the predetermined reorder level and the predetermined critical level.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising delivering the material to the first at least one storage container.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the signal representative of the container level in the first at least one storage container into the material volume present comprises one of referencing the container level from a look-up table that correlates container level to material volume present, and calculating the material volume present from an algorithm based on the container level and container dimensions.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing data representing the container level of the at least one storage container for subsequent transmission to the second processor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic level indicator is one of a ultrasonic transducer and a pressure transducer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing in the second processor further comprises transferring the data representing the material volume present in the at least one storage container from the second processor to a database in a computer on a site on a global computer network, wherein the site is electronically accessible by authorized individuals.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising accessing the site on the global computer network to retrieve the data representing the material volume present in the at least one storage container.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein access is validated by the IP address of the querying computer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the accessing is protected by at least one of passwording and encryption.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the passwording limits access to the data representing the material volume present in the at least one storage container based on the authorized individual'"'"'s level of access authority.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising electronically connecting a remote computer to the site on the global computer network, checking for authorization and security clearance level to allow the remote computer access to the database, and updating the remote computer with new or appended files containing inventory information since the remote computer was last connected to the site on the global computer network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the checking is validated by the IP address of the remote computer.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating an order to ship material to the at least one storage container.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing the database to retrieve the data representing the material volume present in the at least one storage container via at least one of:

a voice interface through a telephonic connection, a virtual private network, an intranet, a private computer network, and a personal computer through a dedicated modem.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the accessing is protected by passwording to limit access to the data representing the material volume present in the at least one storage container.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the passwording limits access to the data representing the material volume present in the at least one storage container based on the authorized individual'"'"'s level of access authority.

20. The method of claim 3 including selecting a manufacturing or distribution site for shipping the order of material to the at least one storage container if the material volume content of the at least one distribution storage container associated with said site is sufficient.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a. inventorying at least one distribution storage container of material to provide a distribution storage container material volume content comprising;

i) measuring a level of material in the at least one distribution storage container with an electronic level indicator to provide a signal representative of the distribution storage container level;

ii) transmitting the signal representative of the distribution storage container level from the electronic level indicator to a third processor;

wherein said measuring is performed at one of a preset time and on demand;

performing one of step b or step c;

b. i) processing the signal representative of the distribution storage container level to determine the material volume content of the at least one distribution storage container; and

ii) transmitting data representing the material volume content of the first at least one distribution storage container from the third processor to the second processor via one of cellemetry and satellite;

or

c. i) transmitting the signal representative of the distribution storage container level from the third processor to the second processor via one of cellemety and satellite; and

ii) processing the signal representative of the distribution storage container level to determine the material volume content of the distribution storage container; and

d. storing the distribution storage container material volume content in the database associated with the second processor.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising querying the database to determine the material volume content of the at least one distribution storage container.

23. The method of claim 5, wherein delivering the material involves an amount of material shipped that is in excess of the amount of material that can be accommodated by the first at least one storage container, further comprising querying the database to identify a second at least one storage container at another location able to accommodate at least a portion of the excess material for shipping the excess material thereto.

24. The method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting information representative of the amount of material delivered to a billing processor.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the transmitting is performed electronically, optionally via one of cellemetry and satellite.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising transmitting an invoice to the customer.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the invoice is in one of an electronic format and paper format.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising processing a payment from the customer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the payment is an electronic funds transfer.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the database indicates at least one of:

a. time and date of when the at least one storage container was inventoried;

b. the identity of which at least one storage container is at the predetermined reorder level, the predetermined critical level, or an emergency level;

c. a history of the material volume present in the at least one storage container over time;

d. a usage of a given material in a given geographic region; and

e. a selection of distribution storage container sites having a material volume content sufficient to ship material to the at least one storage container.