PHYSICAL AUDIT SYSTEM WITH RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090072973A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology Armaments Bureau MND (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: WANG, SHING-JIN, LEE, MING-TOWN, SUEN, TAIN-WEN
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a physical audit system with radio frequency identification (RFID) and a method thereof, which perform physical audit by means of RFID. First, a plurality of electronic tags is set in a physical system and all the physical units included in the physical system, respectively. The plurality of electronic tags records physical configuration data related to the physical system and the physical units, respectively. A radio-frequency writer unit writes the physical configuration data of a newer version according to the physical system and the physical units. Then, a radio-frequency reader unit reads the physical configuration data of the plurality of electronic tags, and transmits the physical configuration data to an integrated data processing device for analyzing and comparing the physical configuration data. It is judged if the physical configuration is identical to comparison data in the integrated data processing device.

Claims

1. A physical audit system with radio frequency identification (RFID), comprising:

a plurality of electronic tags, set in a physical system and all the physical units included in the physical system, respectively, and the plurality of electronic tags recording physical configuration data related to the physical system and to the physical units, respectively;

a radio-frequency writer unit, writing the physical configuration data of a newer version according to the physical system and the physical units;

a radio-frequency reader unit, identifying the plurality of electronic tags, and reading and transmitting the physical configuration data; and

an integrated data processing device, receiving the physical configuration data transmitted by the radio-frequency reader unit for auditing the physical configuration data, and transmitting the physical configuration data of the newer version to the radio-frequency writer unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated data processing device stores comparison data, and judges if the physical configuration data is identical to the comparison data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical configuration data includes function information, article information, activity-based information in a life cycle, engineering change, deviation, or waiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is laid out on the circuit boards of the physical system and the physical units.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a memory of the electronic tag is laid out on the circuit boards of the physical system and the physical units, and the capacity of the memory is increased according to the demand of data amount.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag further includes a sensor adapted in the electronic tag for sensing the temperature change of the physical system or the physical units, and recording the operation temperature data thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag further includes a radio-frequency antenna adapted in the electronic tag for transmitting the physical configuration data to the radio-frequency reader unit or the radio-frequency writer unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency writer unit and radio-frequency reader unit further include a radio-frequency antenna, writing or reading the physical configuration data to the electronic tag.

9. The system of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the radio-frequency antenna is a multiplexing cable.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the multiplexing cable is a single antenna or flexible dual antennas.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission mode between the radio-frequency reader unit and the integrated data processing device and the transmission mode between the radio-frequency writer unit and the integrated data processing device include a system connection mode and an offline mode.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmission interface of the offline mode is a TCP/IP transmission interface or a Bluetooth transmission interface.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmission interface of the system connection mode is an RS-232 transmission interface.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is an active electronic tag.

15. A physical audit method with radio frequency identification (RFID), performing physical audit by means of RFID, and comprising steps of:

setting a plurality of electronic tags in a physical system and all the physical units included in the physical system, the plurality of electronic tags recording physical configuration data related to the physical system and to the physical units, respectively;

recording or reading the physical configuration data to or from the plurality of electronic tags according to the physical system and the physical units, respectively; and

auditing the physical configuration data.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising a step of reading and filtering the physical system and said one more physical units included in the physical system in a sensing distance and within a workstation region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the physical configuration data includes function information, article information, activity-based information in a life cycle, engineering change, deviation, or waiver.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein in the step of reading the physical configuration data, an operation application software is used to read the physical configuration data including system message channel, functional test, system interface test, identification method of the electronic tags, and status.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein in the step of auditing the physical configuration data, according to comparison data, it is judged if the physical configuration is identical to comparison data.

20. The method of claim 15, and further comprising a step of transmitting the audited physical configuration data to a client.

21. The method of claim 15, and further comprising a step of sensing the temperature change of the physical system or the physical units, and recording the operation temperature data thereof.