System and method for automatically logging artcle use and an article adapted for such

• US 20030076220A1
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Herbert Mcivor Holdings Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Herbert Mcivor Holdings Pty Limited
• Inventors: McIvor, Shane, Herbert, David Russell
• Granted Patent: US 6,867,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: A22B 3/10 Slaughtering tools; Slaughtering knives
• CPC Class Codes: A22B 5/00 Accessories for use during or after slaughtering
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0006 Cutting or shaping meat
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/04 Heat A61L2/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 11/008 comprising electronic or electrical features, e.g. illuminating means, computing devices or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system and method for automatically logging data to a particular use of an article, in particular the use of a boning or carving knife (37) in a meat works. The knife (37) having identifying means (39) incorporated therein to identify a unique code for the particular knife (37). A reader (33) is provided at a reading station to automatically read the unique code of a knife (37) passed adjacent the reader (33). Data logging means is associated with the reader (33) to log the unique code and the time at which the unique code was read by the reader (33). The data logging means (35) is associated with one or more readers (33) and reading stations located in an area (11) where the knife (37) is to be used. The area (1) has reading stations associated with one or more treatment or storage locations for the knife (37) at which a reader (33) is disposed in a manner so that any passage of a knife (37) from or to the treatment or storage location requires the article to be passed adjacent to the reader (33) to enable the unique code of the knife (37) to be automatically read by the reader (33). One of the treatment or storage locations includes a steriliser (21) for sanitising the knife (37) at prescribed intervals. An alarm and reminder alarm may also be associated with the system to alert an operator of the knife (37) when it is due for sanitising or if it hasn'"'"'t been sanitised properly. The application of the system to gloves and other articles is also described.

Claims

1. A system for automatically logging data pertaining to a particular use of an article, comprising:

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an article having identifying means incorporated therein to identify a unique code for said article;

a reader of said identifying means disposed at a reading station to automatically read said unique code in response to the article being passed adjacent said reader;

data logging means associated with said reader to log said unique code and the time at which said unique code was read by the reader;

said data logging means being associated with one or more readers and reading stations located in an area where the article is to be used;

said area having reading stations associated with one or more treatment or storage locations for the article; and

a said reader being disposed at each treatment or storage location in a manner so that any passage of a said article from or to a said treatment or storage location requires the article to be passed adjacent a said reader at said reading station to enable said unique code in respect thereof to be automatically read by said reader;

wherein one of said treatment or storage locations includes a sanitising means for sanitising said article at prescribed intervals and said reader is prompted to read and log said unique code and said time in connection with articles passing to and from said sanitising means for sanitising thereof;

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said area has reading stations associated with one or more prescribed or controlled accessways thereto and therefrom, and a reader is disposed at each accessway, such that any passage of a said article from or to the area will require the article to be passed adjacent a reader at a said reading station so that said unique code in respect thereof will be automatically read by said reader.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the identifying means comprises transponder means including wireless communication means to communicate with a said reader, memory means to store said unique code and powering means to power said transponder means all incorporated within said article, said transponder means being triggered in response to receipt of an electromagnetic field applied thereto and transmitting the unique code by said wireless communication means to be read by said reader.

4. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said reader also comprises wireless communication means, storage means and an electromagnetic field generating means, said electromagnetic field generating means permeating a region adjacent to said reader with an electromagnetic field and said wireless communication means of both said transponder means of an article within said region and said reader communicating with each other, so that said reader may receive the unique code transmitted by said transponder means, read and store the same in said storage means.

5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system includes timing means associated with said reader or data logging means to generate the real time and allow it to be stored at the instant when a said reader reads a transmitted unique code.

6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the system includes temperature sensing means associated with said reader or data logging means and said sanitising means to sense the sanitising temperature during a prescribed period when an article is disposed within said sanitising means.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said reader can store a plurality of unique codes or temperatures, and real times of reading thereof in said storage means thereof and download this data to said data logging means at prescribed times.

8. A system as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein said reader is associated with an alarm means to trigger an alarm if an article is passed through a particular accessway.

9. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said reader is associated with a reminder alarm means to trigger a reminder alarm if an article is not sanitised at said prescribed interval(s).

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said reminder alarm means triggers a reminder alarm if the sanitisation temperature sensed during a prescribed period does not obtain a threshold maximum level.

11. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sanitising means is a steriliser.

12. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said article is a knife.

13. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein said article is a glove.

14. A method for automatically logging a particular use of an article, comprising the steps of:

identifying a unique code associated with an article from the article;

automatically reading the identified unique code at a reading station in response to the article being passed adjacent a reader at the reading station;

logging the unique code and the time at which the unique code was read;

locating reading stations at one or more treatment or storage locations for the article within an area, with readers disposed at each treatment or storage location, and automatically reading the unique code of any article passing from or to said treatment or storage location;

sanitising said article at prescribed intervals at the treatment or storage location and logging the unique code and the time of said articles being sanitised.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 including locating reading stations at one or more prescribed or controlled accessways to or from an area with readers disposed at each accessway, and automatically reading the unique code of any article passing through said accessway.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the unique code is identified by applying an electromagnetic field to a region through which the article passes, and the article transmitting the unique code wirelessly in response to receipt of the electromagnetic field for reading by a reader.

17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the unique code is read by a reader receiving the transmitted unique code, and storing the same in a storage means.

18. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 17, including storing the real time in the storage means at the time of reading the unique code.

19. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 18, including storing a plurality of unique codes of different articles together with the real times of reading the same and downloading this data to a remote main store at prescribed times to log the same.

20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19, including issuing an alarm if an article is passed through a particular accessway.

21. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the sanitising is a sterilisation process.

22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein the article is a knife.

23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the article is a glove.

24. A system for automatically logging data pertaining to a particular use of an article and monitoring the use of that article in response to the data so logged having regard to prescribed conditions substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings where appropriate.

25. A method for automatically logging a particular use of an article substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings where appropriate.