RFID asset management method and system for vehicles

• US 20070035397A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Sumcad, Anthony, Patenaude, Russell
• Granted Patent: US 7,420,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID

Abstract

A method for inventorying and monitoring an asset located in an vehicle asset management area The method involves an inventorying of a presence of an asset within an vehicle asset management area based on a detection of a RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area, and a monitoring of the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

inventorying a presence of an asset within an vehicle asset management area based on a detection of a RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area; and

monitoring the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventorying of the presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area includes:

scanning the vehicle asset management area for the first time; and

recording the asset in an inventory list in response to an initial detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the first time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the inventorying of the presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area includes:

scanning the vehicle asset management area for a second time; and

verifying RFID data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list in response to a detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the monitoring of the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset includes:

updating monitoring data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list to reflect the presence of the asset in the vehicle asset management area in response to a detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring of the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset includes:

updating monitoring data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list to reflect the a removal of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area in response to a failure to detect the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the monitoring of the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset further includes:

notifying at least one of a designated individual and a designated institution of the removal of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area in response to the removal of the of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area being unauthorized.

7. A computer readable medium, comprising:

computer readable code for inventorying a presence of an asset within an vehicle asset management area based on a detection of a RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area; and

computer readable code for monitoring the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein computer readable code for the inventorying the presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area includes:

computer readable code for scanning the vehicle asset management area for the first time; and

computer readable code for recording the asset in an inventory list in response to an initial detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the first time.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein computer readable code for the inventorying the presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area includes:

computer readable code for scanning the vehicle asset management area for a second time; and

computer readable code for verifying RFID data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list in response to a detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein computer readable code for the monitoring the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset includes:

computer readable code for updating monitoring data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list to reflect the presence of the asset in the vehicle asset management area in response to a detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein computer readable code for the monitoring the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset includes:

computer readable code for updating monitoring data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list to reflect the a removal of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area in response to a failure to detect the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein computer readable code for the monitoring the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset further includes:

computer readable code for notifying at least one of a designated individual and a designated institution of the removal of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area in response to the removal of the of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area being unauthorized.

13. A telematics system, comprising:

at least one RFID reader operable to communicate with a RFID tag associated with an asset located in an vehicle asset management area; and

a telematics unit operable to communicate with the RFID reader,

wherein the telematics unit is further operable to inventory a presence of the asset within an vehicle asset management area based on a detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area by the RFID reader, and

wherein the telematics unit is further operable to monitor an inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area by the RFID reader.

14. The telematics system of claim 13, wherein an inventorying of the presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area by the at least one RFID reader includes:

scanning the vehicle asset management area for the first time; and

recording the asset in an inventory list in response to an initial detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the first time.

15. The telematics system of claim 14, wherein an inventorying of the presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area the at least one RFID reader includes:

scanning the vehicle asset management area for a second time; and

verifying RFID data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list in response to a detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

16. The telematics system of claim 15, wherein a monitoring of the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the RFID tag associated with the asset includes:

updating monitoring data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list to reflect the presence of the asset in the vehicle asset management area in response to a detection of the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

17. The telematics system of claim 14, wherein a monitoring of the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based on the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area by the at least one RFID reader includes:

updating monitoring data of the asset as recorded in the inventory list to reflect the a removal of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area in response to a failure to detect the RFID tag during the scanning of the vehicle asset management area for the second time.

18. The telematics system of claim 17, wherein a monitoring of the inventoried presence of the asset within the vehicle asset management area based the detection of the RFID tag associated with the asset within the vehicle asset management area by the at least one RFID reader further includes:

notifying at least one of a designated individual and a designated institution of the removal of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area in response to the removal of the of the asset from within the vehicle asset management area being unauthorized.