PORTABLE CONTAINER INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20100252626A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RFID Mexico SA de CV
• Original Assignee: RFID Mexico SA de CV
• Inventors: MATUS, Jose Adalberto Teran, ELIZONDO, Rafael Guillermo Ramos
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A portable container inventory control system uses RFID technology for automatically monitoring the talking and returning operations of items such as, but not limited to, tools, weapons, jewelry, surgical instruments, from one or more receptacles inside a portable container to maintain a status of each item as well as an operational record of each item. Furthermore, the system may register which item has been taken from or stored from which receptacle by which worker and when it was taken and returned, and compile the information of all storage locations in one database and system for administering, reporting and sending alarms in order to have total item control, accountability, item service control (maintenance, calibration, repairs, and/or replacement), and administration of usage for the items controlled by the system.

Claims

1. A container inventory control system for controlling inventory of items contained inside of portable containers, comprising:

a) a plurality of items;

b) item identification means permanently joined to each specific item;

c) user identification means for each user authorized to handle the items of a portable container;

d) at least a portable container, each container having;

one or more pads,

each pad having a plurality of receptacles, each configured for storing a specific one of the items;

plural reader/writer means, each receptacle having a different, corresponding reader/writer means assigned thereto, to identify item identification means to get the information of said item, there being a one-to-one relationship between each RFID means and corresponding receptacle, and

at least one hub in each pad, the at least one hub of each pad connecting each reader/writer means of each receptacle, each pad having memory means for storing transactions registered by each of the reader/writer means for controlling the reading, writing and verification of each of reader/writer means of the receptacle of a correspondent pad;

e) displaying means connected to each hub;

f) identification means in each portable container to identify the portable container; and

g) an external computer system having;

a screen for displaying information,

identification reading means, for reading the user identification means, to check if the user is authorized to handle a portable container and for identity the portable container;

input means for introducing information to said external computer system,

wireless data sending and receiving means for communication with the hubs of each pad of a portable container; and

a database including information about each portable container controlled by the system, information about each user allowed to take a portable container, privilege information of each user and the identification of items stored in each portable container allowed to be taken by each user, and system alerts for informing users when all of the portable containers are stored in corresponding storage positions or when a portable container has been taken by a user.

2. A container inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein the items contained inside of portable containers are selected from the group consisting of tools, weapons, jewelry, and surgical instruments.

3. A container inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein the user identification means are selected from fingerprint reading means, identification card reading means for each user, a computer system including identification reading means, input means and a database, having personalized identification information recorded such as user name and/or user identification data.

4. A container inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein the item identification means are selected from the group consisting of RFID tag for each specific item and electronic identification readers.

5. A container inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein reader/writer means comprising RFID reader/writers.

6. A container inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein the hub comprises:

a hub controller for;

controlling the communication with each reader/writer means trough a low level communication bus and controlling the reading, writing and verification operations of a plurality of RFID readers/writers connected thereof, processing sensor information on macro commands received from a master controller;

a function controller connected to the hub controller, including;

power conditioning circuits;

power source control circuits;

low level communication controller, for controlling the communication between the hub and each reader/writer means connected thereof by means of the low level communication bus;

output device controller;

input device controller;

memory means controller,

memory means connected to the function controller, for storing transactions registered by each of the readers/writers means connected to the hub, such as tool taking operations and for storing inventory information of each pad;

input device connected to the function controller for receiving input from other devices;

output device connected to the function controller for sending an output to other devices;

wireless data transmitter connected to the function controller, for sending and receiving information to other hubs corresponding to the same portable container and to a CPU or other external computer equipment for determining the status of the inventory of each pad and notify the respective absence of items; and

an energy source.

7. A method for controlling the inventory of items contained inside a portable container, comprising:

reading the identification of each item contained in each pad of each portable container by providing each item with an RFID tag permanently joined thereto and providing a dedicated RFID reader writer for each specific item, in a pad of the portable container;

recording the conditions of the items contained in a portable container, determining the presence or absence of one or more items, their conditions of operation, and the time and date in which the items were used;

reading and recording each user that is taking a portable container, checking if is authorized or not to take any portable container, the time and date in which the user took a specific portable container and the time and date, the presence of absence of one or more items and conditions of the items of the portable container, when the user returns the portable container;

so as to provide information about which user took a portable container, the time and date in which the user took the portable container and the time and date in which the user returned the portable container, the conditions of presence or absence of one or more items from the portable container and the conditions of operation of the items contained in the portable container.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of recording the conditions of the items contained in a portable container, is carried out by a hub in the portable container, to which is connected each reader/writers of the pad of the portable container.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of reading and recording each user including:

providing privilege information for a user identification from the database of the computer system;

identifying each portable container that the user is allowed to take;

validating if the portable container can be taken by the user by comparing the portable container identification with said privilege information;

requesting for inventory information to each hub in the portable container through the RFID reader/writers;

inquiring, through the hub, from the RFID reader/writer means, to validate that every item is on place and that the item in place is the right one;

validating, that the portable container has not an absence of any item and that no item require service such as maintenance, calibration repair, or replacement;

so that each hub obtains the inventory information and validation from the reader/writer means, comprising the identification of the tools currently stored in the respective pad and send said inventory information and validation together with the portable container identification to the computer system by means of their correspondent wireless data transmitter.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, comprising:

selecting, if the portable container is incomplete or contains items that are in need of service, requesting to identify which user returned an incomplete portable container, the time and date in which used and returned said incomplete portable container, and either;

returning the portable container or checking out the incomplete portable container and entering a command in the computer system by means of the keyboard of the computer system in order to register the portable container taking operation; and

recording the time and date of the taking operation and associating the portable container identification with the user identification that checked out the portable container.

8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13. A container inventory control system, comprising:

a portable container, said container including

a) a pad located in an interior of the container,

b) plural items removably storable in the pad,

c) plural receptacles located in the pad, each receptacle having a shape forming an opening in the pad matching an overall shape of a corresponding different one of the tools, each receptacle assigned for storing the corresponding tool,

d) an RFID identification permanently joined to each item,

e) plural RFID readers, a different reader assigned to each receptacle so that there is a one-to-one relationship between each RFID reader and corresponding receptacle, each reader positioned adjacent the assigned corresponding receptacle and configured for executing a reading operation of reading the RFID identification of the corresponding item when stored within the assigned receptacle,

f) a hub connected to each of the RFID readers, the hub comprising memory for storing transactions registered by each of the readers, the hub configured for controlling the reading operation of each reader, and

g) a machine-readable container identification of the container, the identification including data identifying the container;

user identifications, each user identification containing data indicating a different user authorized to handle the items and authorized to handle the container; and

a computer system wirelessly in communication with the container, the computer system including a) an identification reader for i) reading the data contained on user identifications and configured for determining from the read data whether the user is authorized to handle a portable container and ii) reading the data included in the container identification identifying the container, and b) a database including information about the container, information about each user authorized to handle the container, identification of the item assigned to each receptacle, and privilege information identifying each tool that each user is authorized to remove from the tool'"'"'s assigned receptacle.

14. The container inventory control system of claim 13, comprising:

plural of said portable container,

wherein said database further comprises information identifying each of said containers from the other containers, information identifying which containers each user is authorized to handle, and privilege information identifying each tool from each container that each user is authorized to remove from the tool'"'"'s assigned receptacle.