Equipment management system

• US 20030130912A1
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Prova Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Prova Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Tommy Lee Jr., Doser, David Earl Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/038,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

The invention is a system and method of managing equipment. The system incorporates a tagging device to attach identification tags to each piece of equipment. A scanning device is used to read the identification tags and relay this information to an equipment server. An input device is used to input information to the equipment server. The equipment server runs the equipment management program. The system flags a potential asset assigned to an asset creating individual. Equipment is designated an asset after use in an asset creating event.

Claims

1. A method of equipment management and identifying assets for a sports team comprising the steps of:

a) receiving equipment;

d) affixing a barcode to said equipment;

c) identifying said equipment by scanning said barcode with a scanning device;

d) classifying said equipment by equipment group;

e) turning a group flag on for a potential asset group;

f) issuing said equipment;

g) assigning said equipment to an individual profile;

h) turning an individual flag on for an asset-creating individual profile

i) recording the return of said equipment after an asset-creating event;

j) recording the usage, in said asset-creating event, of said equipment;

k) turning an event flag on for equipment used in said asset-creating event;

l) determining if said equipment is now an asset by checking for a group flag, an individual flag and an event flag;

m) deactivating said asset.

2. A method of equipment management and identifying assets for a sports team comprising the steps of:

a) receiving equipment;

b) affixing a barcode to said equipment;

c) identifying said equipment by scanning said barcode with the scanning device;

d) classifying said equipment into a plurality of equipment groups wherein at least one of said equipment groups is a potential asset group;

e) turning the asset flag on for said potential asset group;

f) issuing said equipment;

g) assigning said equipment to an individual profile;

h) turning the flag off for equipment assigned to a non-asset-creating individual profile;

i) recording the return of said equipment after an asset-creating event;

j) recording the usage of said equipment in said asset-creating event;

k) determining if said equipment is now an asset by checking for an asset flag turned on and use in an asset-creating event; and

l) deactivating said asset.

3. An improved method of managing equipment using an equipment management system capable of detecting a portable unique identifier attached to a piece of equipment and maintaining a database of individuals and the equipment issued to the individuals, the system further capable of classifying equipment into equipment groups and individuals into asset creating individuals and non-asset creating individuals the improved method comprising the steps of:

in the equipment management system,

a) flagging a piece of equipment assigned to an asset-creating individual;

b) documenting the occurrence of an asset-creating event; and

c) designating said piece of equipment an asset.

4. An improved method of managing equipment using an equipment management system, according to claim 3, further comprising:

d) making information on the occurrence of the asset-creating event as set forth in step b) retrievable through the Internet.

5. An improved method of managing equipment using an equipment management system, according to claim 4, wherein the step of making information on the occurrence of the asset-creating event retrievable through the Internet comprises:

e) obtaining the unique identification of the equipment; and

f) matching the unique identification of the equipment with provenance information associated with the unique identification through the Internet.