Equipment management system

• US 20050240496A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prova Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Prova Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Tommy Lee Jr., Doser, David Earl Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,453 B2
• 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

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A method for database query formulation and access comprising the steps of;

reading identification data from an identification tag that uniquely identifies the identification tag;

querying a database to determine whether the identification data is stored in the database;

storing classification data that identifies an item associated with the identification tag with the identification data if the identification data is not stored in a database;

receiving a state identifier indicating a state of the item associated with the identification tag if the identification data is stored in the database;

determining whether the state identifier is an allowed state identifier;

rejecting the state identifier if the state identifier is not an allowed state identifier; and

storing the state identifier with the identification data if the state identifier is an allowed state identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining whether the state identifier is the allowed state identifier comprises:

querying the database to receive state data associated with the identification data; and

determining whether the state identifier is in a predetermined set of allowable state identifiers if there is no state data associated with the identification data.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein determining whether the state identifier is the allowed state identifier comprises:

querying the database to receive state data associated with the identification data; and

determining whether the state identifier is in a predetermined set of allowable state identifiers based on the state data associated with the identification data.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein storing the state identifier with the identification data if the state identifier is an allowed state identifier comprises setting a flag in the database associated with the state identifier.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein receiving the state identifier indicating the state of the item associated with the identification tag if the identification data is stored in the database comprises the state identifier identifying the physical state of the item or a current state of the item relative to a prior state of the item.

11. A method for database query formulation and access comprising the steps of;

reading identification data from an identification tag that uniquely identifies the identification tag;

affixing the identification tag to an item;

storing in the database the identification data and classification data that identifies the item;

receiving a first state identifier indicating a state of the item associated with the identification data;

storing in the database the first state identifier with the identification data;

receiving a second state identifier and the identification data;

querying the database to determine the first state identifier associated with the identification data;

determining whether the second state identifier is an allowed state identifier based on the first state identifier;

rejecting the second state identifier if the second state identifier is not an allowed state identifier based on the first state identifier; and

storing in the database the second state identifier with the first state identifier and the identification data if the second state identifier is an allowed state identifier.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein storing the second state identifier further comprises recording the usage of the item.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a third state identifier and the identification data;

querying the database to determine the first state identifier and the second state identifier associated with the identification data;

determining whether the third state identifier is an allowed state identifier based on the first state identifier and the second state identifier;

rejecting the third state identifier if the third state identifier is not an allowed state identifier based on the first state identifier and the second state identifier;

storing the third state identifier with the first state identifier, the second state identifier and the identification data if the third state identifier is an allowed state identifier; and

querying the database to retrieve the recorded usage of the item if the third state identifier is an allowed state identifier.

14. A system for database query formulation and access comprising;

an identification tag reader reading identification data from an identification tag that uniquely identifies the identification tag;

a database query system querying a database to determine whether the identification data is stored in the database;

a database input system storing classification data that identifies an item associated with the identification tag with the identification data if the identification data is not stored in a database;

a checkout system receiving a state identifier indicating a state of the item associated with the identification tag if the identification data is stored in the database;

an asset creation system determining whether the state identifier is an allowed state identifier;

an equipment reorder system rejecting the state identifier if the state identifier is not an allowed state identifier; and

the asset creation system storing the state identifier with the identification data if the state identifier is an allowed state identifier.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the asset creation system queries an individual profile database to determine whether an individual is an asset creating individual.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the asset creation system determines whether the item is being used in a game.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the asset creation system records a use of the item with the state identifier and the identification data if the state identifier is an allowed state identifier.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the equipment reorder system generates an order for a replacement of the item if the state identifier is an allowed state identifier.