Tracking and electronic signaling system
First Claim
1. An computerized asset inventory and tracking system comprising a central computer with memory, a plurality of remote computer workstations in electronic communication with the central computer, at least one workstation located at each of a plurality of parts inventory stations, including shipping and receiving stations, a plurality of database tables accessible in common by one or more of said workstations, said tables including a table of parts inventory in which an inventory of parts is recorded and a tracking table in which a shipment of parts between parts inventory stations is recorded through said workstations by recording arrival at and departure from said shipment from respective workstations, whereby said shipment of parts is tracked from one inventory station to another inventory station, including temporary shipment stops at workstations intermediate a workstation at an origination parts inventory station and a workstation at a destination parts inventory station, a plurality of software modules selectively residing in the workstations and operating on the tables whereby said tables are maintained and queried in locating and tracking parts.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A global supply chain solution database software package manages inventory levels and tracks internal shipment of parts and products between areas. It may automatically order or reorder inventory from suppliers and ship products to customers. Integrated inventory, tracking, transportation, automated ordering, receiving, sales, shipping, and contract software modules residing on several workstations through the manufacturing process are tied together for accuracy through a central server computer. Time flow analysis and management reporting is provided at every step of the process in standard and custom formats. A secure Internet inventory interface provides visibility from the manufacturer, who may transfer responsibility for controlling its inventory and for providing “just in time”delivery to the supplier. Either the manufacturer or the supplier may control inventory.
80 Citations
43 Claims
-
1. An computerized asset inventory and tracking system comprising
a central computer with memory, a plurality of remote computer workstations in electronic communication with the central computer, at least one workstation located at each of a plurality of parts inventory stations, including shipping and receiving stations, a plurality of database tables accessible in common by one or more of said workstations, said tables including a table of parts inventory in which an inventory of parts is recorded and a tracking table in which a shipment of parts between parts inventory stations is recorded through said workstations by recording arrival at and departure from said shipment from respective workstations, whereby said shipment of parts is tracked from one inventory station to another inventory station, including temporary shipment stops at workstations intermediate a workstation at an origination parts inventory station and a workstation at a destination parts inventory station, a plurality of software modules selectively residing in the workstations and operating on the tables whereby said tables are maintained and queried in locating and tracking parts.
-
26. An asset inventory and tracking system comprising a plurality of shared tables residing on a central computer and a plurality of software modules residing on a plurality of computer workstations in electronic communication with the central computer mutually accessing and operating on said tables, said tables comprising
an address table including names and physical locations of workstations, a tracking table including data included on a tracking tag, comprising an indexing tracking identification number, a container number, a workstation origination address, and a workstation destination address, an inventory table including inventory data for inventory stored at respective workstations, a container parts table including part numbers in a container identified in said tracking table,
-
32. An asset inventory and tracking system comprising a plurality of shared tables residing on a central computer and a plurality of software modules residing on a plurality of computer workstations in electronic communication with the central computer mutually accessing and operating on said tables, wherein said tables comprise
an address table including names and physical locations of workstations, a tracking table including data included on a tracking tag, comprising an indexing tracking identification number, a container number, a workstation origination address, and a workstation destination address, an inventory table including inventory data for inventory stored at respective workstations, a container parts table including part numbers in a container identified in said tracking table, an order table including orders placed by an entity storing said inventory and orders placed by an entity supplying parts to maintain said inventory, a sales table including data of sales made to customers, a customer contracts table including data of purchases of parts from said inventory, an invoice table including data for billing a sale or order, a supplier inventory table including data of parts for which a supplier is responsible in maintaining said inventory, a response table residing on an external server, or central computer, adapted to facilitate transfer of data between a parts supplier and a manufacturer receiving said parts into said inventory, and wherein said modules comprise a tracking module means comprising computer instructions for tracking movement of containers and parts, recording tracking data in tracking, container, and intermediate locations tables, an inventory module means comprising computer instructions for monitoring parts inventory at a workstation, recording data in inventory tables, a shipping module means comprising computer instructions for automatically initiating shipment of parts in response to an order, accessing required information in sales, tracking, customer contracts and invoice tables, a container module means comprising computer instructions for tracking locations of containers, recording data in said container parts table. an order module means comprising computer instructions for automatically generating orders created from inventory shortages automatically detected in inventory tables, a sales module means comprising computer instructions for managing supplier sales data using data recorded in various tables by contracts, invoice and inventory modules, a contracts module means comprising computer instructions for managing parts, prices, schedules consistent with data entered in tables by order and invoice modules. a supplier module means comprising computer instructions for linking a first computerized inventory system of a supplier and a computerized inventory system of a customer, including a first, or supplier, plurality of shared inventory and tracking tables and a first, or supplier, plurality of inventory and tracking software modules mutually accessing and operating on said first tables, a second, or customer, plurality of shared inventory and tracking tables and a second, or customer, plurality of inventory and tracking software modules mutually accessing and operating on said second tables, an interface module providing a communication interface between said customer tables and software modules and said supplier tables and modules wherein said interface module regularly queries said customer tables and said supplier tables. wherein said modules access selected tables according to FIG. 20. an asset inventory and tracking system linking a first computerized inventory system of a supplier and a computerized inventory system of a customer, comprising a first, or supplier, plurality of shared inventory and tracking tables and a first, or supplier, plurality of inventory and tracking software modules mutually accessing and operating on said first tables, a second, or customer, plurality of shared inventory and tracking tables and a second, or customer, plurality of inventory and tracking software modules mutually accessing and operating on said second tables, an interface module providing a communication interface between said customer tables and software modules and said supplier tables and modules wherein said interface module regularly queries said customer tables and said supplier tables.
-
35. An asset inventory and tracking method having a central computer with memory, a plurality of remote computer workstations in electronic communication with the central computer, a plurality of database tables accessible in common by one or more of said workstations, said tables including a table of parts inventory, and a tracking table, comprising the steps of
recording inventory of parts in a database parts inventory table accessible from a portion of said computer workstations, recording shipment of parts from an origination workstation to a destination workstation in said tracking table, debiting said parts from inventory of said origination workstation, recorded in said table of parts inventory, crediting said parts to inventory of said destination workstation, recording arrival and departure of said shipment of parts at all intermediate workstations through which said shipment passes, if any, in a database intermediate locations table therein tracking shipment of said parts between said origination workstation and said destination workstation by querying said intermediate locations database table.
-
40. An asset inventory and tracking software system adapted for programming and implementation on a central computer with memory and a plurality of remote computer workstations in electronic communication with the central computer, at least one workstation located at each of a plurality of parts inventory stations, including shipping and receiving stations, comprising
a plurality of database tables accessible in common by one or more of said workstations, said tables including a table of parts inventory in which an inventory of parts is recorded and a tracking table in which a shipment of parts between parts inventory stations is recorded through said workstations by recording arrival at and departure from said shipment from respective workstations, whereby said shipment of parts is tracked from one inventory station to another inventory station, including temporary shipment stops at workstations intermediate a workstation at an origination parts inventory station and a workstation at a destination parts inventory station, a plurality of software modules selectively residing in the workstations and operating on the tables whereby said tables are maintained and queried in locating and tracking parts including a tracking module that tracks shipment of parts and containers in which parts may be shipped, said tracking module maintaining said tracking table.
Specification