SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AN INVENTORY WITHIN AN ASSET

• US 20090079565A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Theurer, Charles Burton, Brusilovsky, Roman, Calver, Andrew John, Mackenzie, Patricia Denise, Chean, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A technique is provided for tracking and/or monitoring an inventory within one or more assets. The technique includes activating a plurality of antennas on each of the one or more assets in turn for a specified period of time, and receiving a response from an RFID tag attached to the inventory through the plurality of antennas located on an asset having the inventory along with a positional information of the asset having the inventory.

Claims

1. A method of determining location of an inventory within an asset, the method comprising:

activating a plurality of antennas in turn for a specified period of time;

receiving a response from an RFID tag attached to the inventory through the plurality of antennas; and

analyzing the response to determine the location of the inventory within the asset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the RFID tag to the inventory.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending activation signal to each of the plurality of antennas through an RFID reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas are placed at a plurality of locations within the asset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of antennas are evenly placed within the asset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas generate radio frequency signals upon being activated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the response comprises receiving unique identification of the RFID tag upon being activated by radiofrequency signal transmitted by the plurality of antennas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the response comprises comparing for each of the plurality of antennas one or more of the number of times the RFID tag is successfully read within the specified period of time by each of the plurality of antennas, or the strength of the response signal from the RFID tag received by each of the plurality of antennas.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a visual display of the inventory within the asset.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the response is performed by a processor located on the asset.

11. A method of tracking an inventory within one or more assets, the method comprising:

activating a plurality of antennas on each of the one or more assets in turn for a specified period of time; and

receiving a response from an RFID tag attached to the inventory through the plurality of antennas located on an asset having the inventory along with a positional information of the asset having the inventory.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending an activation signal to each of the plurality of antennas located on each of the one or more asset through one or more RFID readers.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising analyzing the response to determine the location of the inventory within the asset having the inventory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the response comprises comparing for each of the plurality of antennas one or more of the number of times the RFID tag is successfully read within the specified period of time by each of the plurality of antennas, or the strength of the response signal from the RFID tag received by each of the plurality of antennas located on the asset having the inventory.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the response is performed by a processor located on the asset.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the positional information of the asset having the inventory comprises utilizing a TV signal, a GPS signal, a GSM signal, or a wireless network signal for determining the positional information.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising analyzing a load capacity of each of the one or more assets based upon the presence of one or more inventories within the one or more assets.

27. The system of claim 17, further comprising a position sensing device coupled to each of the one or more assets for receiving and relaying positional information of the respective asset.

18. A method of tracking an inventory within one or more assets, the method comprising:

sending a request to one or more RFID readers to locate the inventory within the one or more assets, each of the one or more RFID readers configured to communicate with a plurality of antennas located on each of the one or more assets respectively;

activating the plurality of antennas on each of the one or more assets in turn for a specified period of time via an activation signal generated by the one or more RFID readers;

receiving a response from an RFID tag attached to the inventory through the plurality of antennas located on an asset having the inventory via the RFID reader along with a position information of the asset having the inventory; and

analyzing the response to determine location of the inventory within the asset having the inventory by comparing for each of the plurality of antennas one or more of the number of times the RFID tag is successfully read within the specified period of time by each of the plurality of antennas, or the strength of the response signal from the RFID tag received by each of the plurality of antennas located on the asset having the inventory.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein analyzing the response is performed by a processor located on the asset

20. A system for tracking an inventory within one or more assets, the system comprising:

one or more RFID readers configured to activate a plurality of antennas located on the corresponding one or more assets in turn for a specified period of time, the plurality of antennas configured to receive a response from an RFID tag attached to the inventory and relay the response to the corresponding RFID reader upon being activated.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a processor in communication with the one or more RFID readers and configured to initiate the one or more RFID readers.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the response to determine the location of the inventory within the asset having the inventory.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the response by comparing for each of the plurality of antennas one or more of the number of times the RFID tag is successfully read within the specified period of time by each of the plurality of antennas, or the strength of the response signal from the RFID tag received by each of the plurality of antennas located on the asset having the inventory.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is located within a central monitoring station.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the central monitoring station is further configured to provide a visual display of the inventory within the asset having the inventory.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is located within one of the one or more assets.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the position sensing device comprises at least one of a GPS-based position sensing device, a TV-based position sensing device, a wireless access point network-based position sensing device, a GSM network-based position sensing device, or a combination thereof.