Smart documents and process for tracking same

• US 20040119605A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schaper, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 7,023,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

A tracking system includes at least one tracking tag, one or more tag trackers, a processor, a first memory, and a second memory. The processor causes the tag trackers to determine a location of the item to be tracked as item location information. The system maintains item location information and a database of associations between the at least one tracking tag and its respective item to be tracked. At least one tag tracker is associated with an item container and is configured to communicate tag information to the tracking system. A method for locating an item tagged with a tracking tag includes querying at least one tag tracker of an item container of a tracking system for a location of the tagged item and displaying the location of the tagged item on a display.

Claims

1. A tracking system, the system comprising:

at least one tracking tag, the at least one tracking tag being associated with a respective at least one item to be tracked;

one or more tag trackers, the tag trackers being networked together;

a processor configured to cause the tag trackers to determine a location of the at least one item to be tracked as item location information;

a first memory to maintain item location information as determined by the processor; and

a second memory to maintain a database of associations between the at least one tracking tag and its respective at least one item to be tracked,

wherein at least one tag tracker is associated with an item container and is configured to communicate tag information to the tracking system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the item to be tracked comprises a document.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the item to be tracked comprises a folder.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the item to be tracked comprises a storage medium.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking tag comprises a RFID tag.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag tracker is disposed in or on a portal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the portal comprises a doorway.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the portal comprises an arch.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the tag tracker is disposed in or on a surface.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag tracker is disposed in a container.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the container comprises a file cabinet.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the container comprises a drawer.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the container comprises a desk.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the container comprises a folder.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor determines the location of the item to be tracked upon entry into a container.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor determines the location of the item to be tracked upon removal from a container.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag tracker comprises a wireless device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the location of the item to be tracked at a predetermined interval.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined interval comprises once an hour.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined interval comprises once a day.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the location of the item to be tracked at a user'"'"'s request.

22. A method of tracking items in a tracking system, the method comprising:

associating an item container with a tag tracker;

tagging at least one item to be tracked with a tag;

associating the tagged item with the item container;

tracking the tagged item with the tag tracker associated with the item container; and

transmitting tag information from the tag tracker associated with the item container to a first memory via a communication system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the tag comprises an RFID tag.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the tagged item comprises a document.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the tagged item comprises a folder.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the tagged item comprises a storage medium.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises reading the tag with a tag reader.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises interrogating the tag with a tag interrogator.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises scanning the tag with a tag scanner.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises reading the tag with a wireless device.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises determining the location of the tagged item to be tracked at a predetermined interval.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the predetermined interval comprises once an hour.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the predetermined interval comprises once a day.

34. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises determining the location of the tagged item at a user'"'"'s request.

35. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises determining the location of the tagged item upon placement into a container.

36. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the tagged item comprises determining the location of the tagged item upon removal from a container.

37. A system for locating an item, the system comprising:

a tracking system for tracking an item, the tracking system including at least one tracking tag associated with a respective at least one item to be tracked, one or more tag trackers networked together, a processor configured to cause the tag trackers to determine a location of the at least one item to be tracked as item location information, and a memory, wherein at least one tag tracker is associated with an item container and is configured to communicate tag information to the tracking system;

an interface to access location information determined by the tracking system; and

a means for displaying accessed location information.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the interface comprises a processor configured to search the first memory for location information for the tagged item.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the interface comprises a processor configured to track the tagged item and obtain location information for the tagged item.

40. A method for locating an item tagged with a tracking tag, the method comprising:

providing at least one tag tracker of an item container of a tracking system for a location of the tagged item; and

displaying the location of the tagged item on a display.

41. An item container capable of holding at least one item to be tracked, the item to be tracked having a tag, the item container comprising:

a tag tracker, the tag tracker configured to communicate tag information associated with the tag to a tracking system via a communications system.

42. The item container of claim 41, wherein the tag of the item to be tracked is an RFID tag.

43. The item container of claim 41, wherein the communications system comprises a wireless communications system.

44. A process reacting to a workflow, comprising:

tracking an item in the workflow, the item being tagged with a RFID tag;

communicating tag information from the RFID tag to a tracking system; and

notifying a user of a predetermined event relating to the tagged item in the workflow.