An Inventory Stocking and Locating System Utilizing Tags and GPS providing Summarization by Hierarchical Code

• US 20070124077A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Hedlund
• Original Assignee: Robert Hedlund
• Inventors: Hedlund, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/164,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Objects (SKUs) are tagged with standard data, including an identifier. The tag is readable by a device such as a scanner or radio receiver. As these objects are inventoried, the tags are read by fixed or hand-held readers that are equipped to append GPS coordinates (4D data) to the tag data. These objects may also be summarized by identifier. This information is subsequently transferred to a client node computer where it is further summarized into a hierarchical scheme such as commodity code. Each object is coded to indicate its usage (in reserve, available, private, hidden, etc.). A database index composed of commodity code, quantity and a usage code is built and published to a network on a defined schedule. A second database of stocking entity names and 4D locations is also established, published and updated by the site administrator as needed. Commodities are networked through a global system of increasing levels of summation. The base (root) level represents the most general commodity code and the greatest level of summation. A means is provided for physically locating the objects within a site. A means is provided to source commodities globally using the network and to determine the location of the nearest stocking entity.

Claims

1. A method for recording the location of an object, comprising the steps of:

reading an identification tag associated with the object,

recording identification information from the identification tag,

recording spatial coordinates of the object together with the time of recording.

2. The method of claim 1, resulting in an alpha-numeric string encoding the location information, time and the identification information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of sending the information to a computer information system.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the location information as stored in a database will further consist of:

a hierarchical commodity code, a volatility indicator, a privacy code, and the aggregate count of objects of each given commodity code at this stocking entity location.

5. The method of claim 2, in which the spatial coordinates are selected from a list which may include GPS co-ordinates, latitude/longitude/elevation, aisle/row/shelf/bin, unit/address/city/state, section/row/seat or slot, hall or building/floor/room, map/grid point, military grid point, or district/ward/precinct.

6. A method for physically locating an object, comprising the steps of:

searching a computer database suspected of containing an entry corresponding to said object,

displaying the object information of the computer database entry,

using the object information to physically locate the object.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the computer database entry encodes one or more elements in the group consisting of information such as:

object name, object code number, object spatial location, time of recording, object quantity, commodity code, security level, color, size, style, height, weight, length, depth, thread pitch, diameter, material, tempering time, chemical formula, volume, packing coefficient, finish, cost, price, date of manufacture, date of acquisition, shelf life, volatility, packaging, serial number, batch number, contract number, associated tooling, state.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the object information is transferred to a portable unit capable of directing an operator to the physical location of the object based on the object information from the database.

9. A geo locating information tag reading device comprising:

a geo location means,

a tag reading means,

a memory module,

a power supply, and

a communication means;

in which the device is used to record the location of an object.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a keyboard interface.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising a visual display.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising software algorithms to lead an operator towards a target.

13. A method for information gathering, storage and retrieval by a master network computer, in which the master computer will maintain and publish the index of stored data from its client node(s), and will summarize the objects of the client node(s) by appropriate level of commodity code.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising routing the queries through a external network to the node that best fills the query specification.

15. A method for identifying a stocking entity location, in which each master node will maintain a standard file having at least a record indicating an entity name, the geo-location data for the stocking entity, and identity information sufficient for users to contact the stocking entity.

16. A method for a hierarchical system of indexes, in which each level is an aggregate of all its subordinate levels, provides for re-aggregation into broader classes by hierarchical code, and provides that the final or root node of said system would be the most general code.

17. A method for information retrieval for use with a system, comprising queries selected from the group consisting of:

quantity by location, object code, commodity code, node data and stocking entity data.