Inventory control and identification method

• US 20040099735A1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yoram Neumark
• Original Assignee: Yoram Neumark
• Inventors: Neumark, Yoram
• Granted Patent: US 6,959,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An inventory control and identification apparatus uses a storage space with a plurality of inventory items. Identification labels are positioned in physical correspondence with the inventory items. Each of the identification labels provides a transceiver. A coordinate communications network of further transceivers is set in a fixed position relative to the storage space and is enabled for wireless communication with the identification labels. A data processor is enabled for wireless communication with the coordinate network and the identification labels so as to receive data from the labels and the network. Inventory items have RF ID tags. Interrogation by the labels enables the tags to emit codes identifying the presence and location of the inventory to the labels. Triangulation of signals transmitted by the labels enables location of the labels in three-space.

Claims

1. An inventory control and identification apparatus comprising:

plural storage spaces, each of the plural storage spaces engaging at least one inventory item;

a storage space identification label positioned adjacent to each of the storage spaces;

each said storage space identification label providing a means for label tranceiving;

plural means for network tranceiving established as an ultra-wide band coordinate communication network in a fixed position relative to the storage spaces;

the label tranceiving means, the network tranceiving means and a means for data processing established for mutual wave energy communication therebetween;

each said inventory item providing a radio frequency identification tag enabled for emitting a wireless identity transmission upon exposure to a wireless radio frequency interrogation transmission.

2. An inventory control and identification method comprising the steps of:

engaging a radio frequency identification tag with each one of a plurality of inventory items stored in plural storage spaces;

positioning a storage space identification label adjacent to each of the storage spaces;

providing each of the storage space identification labels with a means for label tranceiving;

placing an ultra-wide band coordinate communication network near the storage spaces;

establishing mutual communication between the storage space identification labels, the coordinate communication network and a data processing means;

emitting radio frequency interrogation transmissions from the storage space identification labels;

receiving, at the storage space identification labels, a wireless identity transmission from each one of the radio frequency identification tags positioned on each one of the plurality of inventory items;

determining inventory quantities and locations from the wireless identity transmissions;

triangulate locations of the storage space identification labels using the coordinate communication network; and

updating inventory quantity and location in a database of the data processing means.