SYSTEM AND METHOD TO MANAGE MOVEMENT OF ASSETS
First Claim
1. A system to manage movement of at least one asset, the system comprising:
- at least one tracking element operable to generate a signal representative of a location of the at least one asset; and
a controller in communication with the at least one tracking element, the controller including a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including a plurality of program instructions to instruct the processor in execution of the steps of;
receiving the signal representative of the location of the at least one asset having a unique identifier,identifying one of a plurality of status indicators for the at least one asset dependent on the signal representative of the location of the of the at least one asset,comparing a change in one of the plurality of status indicators of the at least one asset relative to at least one predetermined rule, andgenerating a display illustrative of a valid or an invalid change in the one of the status indicator in response to an output of the comparing step,wherein the plurality of status indicators include a USE state, a DIRTY state, a CLEANING state, an INVENTORY state, and a SERVICE state, wherein the USE state represents the at least one asset being utilized by a subject, wherein the DIRTY state represents the at least one asset being stored temporarily before being taken to one of a location of the CLEANING state or the SERVICE state, wherein the CLEANING state represents the at least one asset either waiting to be or in the process of being cleaned, wherein the INVENTORY state represents the at least one asset previously moved from the CLEANING state is now in storage until deployed for use in accordance with the USE state, and wherein the SERVICE state represents the at least one asset requiring repair or to be discarded, and wherein the at least one predetermined rule includes a rule of invalid movement of the at least one asset from the DIRTY state to one of the USE state and the INVENTORY state without passing through the CLEANING state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of a system to manage movement of at least one asset is provided. The system includes at least one tracking element operable to generate a signal representative of a location of the asset, and a controller in communication with the tracking element. The controller includes computer readable program instructions representative of the steps of receiving the signal representative of the location of the asset having a unique identifier; identifying a status indicator for the asset having the unique identifier; comparing a change in the location of the asset in view of the status indicator relative to a predetermined location change rule of an invalid movement of the at least one asset from one state to another without passing through a CLEANING state; and generating a signal representative of the invalid change in the location in response to an output of the comparing step for illustration on a display.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system to manage movement of at least one asset, the system comprising:
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at least one tracking element operable to generate a signal representative of a location of the at least one asset; and a controller in communication with the at least one tracking element, the controller including a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including a plurality of program instructions to instruct the processor in execution of the steps of; receiving the signal representative of the location of the at least one asset having a unique identifier, identifying one of a plurality of status indicators for the at least one asset dependent on the signal representative of the location of the of the at least one asset, comparing a change in one of the plurality of status indicators of the at least one asset relative to at least one predetermined rule, and generating a display illustrative of a valid or an invalid change in the one of the status indicator in response to an output of the comparing step, wherein the plurality of status indicators include a USE state, a DIRTY state, a CLEANING state, an INVENTORY state, and a SERVICE state, wherein the USE state represents the at least one asset being utilized by a subject, wherein the DIRTY state represents the at least one asset being stored temporarily before being taken to one of a location of the CLEANING state or the SERVICE state, wherein the CLEANING state represents the at least one asset either waiting to be or in the process of being cleaned, wherein the INVENTORY state represents the at least one asset previously moved from the CLEANING state is now in storage until deployed for use in accordance with the USE state, and wherein the SERVICE state represents the at least one asset requiring repair or to be discarded, and wherein the at least one predetermined rule includes a rule of invalid movement of the at least one asset from the DIRTY state to one of the USE state and the INVENTORY state without passing through the CLEANING state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of managing movement of at least one asset between a plurality of locations, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the signal representative of the location of the at least one asset having a unique identifier; identifying one of a plurality of status indicators for the at least one asset dependent on the signal representative of the location of the of the at least one asset, the plurality of status indicators including a USE state, a DIRTY state, a CLEANING state, an INVENTORY state, and a SERVICE state, where the USE state represents the at least one asset being utilized by a subject, wherein the DIRTY state represents the at least one asset being stored temporarily before being taken to one of a location of the CLEANING state or the SERVICE state, wherein the CLEANING state represents the at least one asset either waiting to be or in the process of being cleaned, wherein the INVENTORY state represents the at least one asset previously moved from the CLEANING state is now in storage until deployed for use in accordance with the USE state, and wherein the SERVICE state represents the at least one asset requiring repair or to be discarded, comparing a change in one of the plurality of status indicators of the at least one asset relative to at least one predetermined rule, the at least one predetermined rule including a rule of invalid movement of the at least one asset from the DIRTY state to one of the USE state and the INVENTORY state without passing through the CLEANING state; and generating a display illustrative of a valid or an invalid change in the one of the status indicator in response to an output of the comparing step. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of modules of computer-readable program instructions for execution by a computer, the plurality of modules of computer readable program instructions comprising:
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a first module to receive a signal representative of a location of the at least one asset having a unique identifier; a second module to identify a status indicator for the at least one asset having the unique identifier, the status indicator representative of a type of utilization of the at least one asset correlated to a location of the at least one asset; a third module to compare a change in the location of the at least one asset in view of the status indicator relative to a predetermined location change rule, the predetermined rule including a rule of an invalid movement of the at least one asset from the DIRTY state to one of the USE state and the INVENTORY state without passing through the CLEANING state; and a fourth module to generate a signal representative of the invalid change in response to an output of the comparing step for illustration on a display.
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Specification