OBJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100295665A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Stanley Works Israel, Ltd. (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Stanley Works Israel, Ltd. (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: LANDAU, Eitan, Goren, Ori, Katz, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2454 Checking of authorisation of a person accessing tagged items in an EAS system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article

Abstract

An object management system that includes at least one object identification device to be secured to an associated object. The object identification devices provide radio frequency signals containing object identification codes. The system includes at least one user identification device providing a radio frequency signal containing a user identification code and a control unit having a reader for receiving and reading the signals provided by the user identification devices and the object identification devices. One aspect provides a remote unit that communicates directly with the control unit to receive information associated with a condition of the object management system at a location remote from the control unit. The remote unit is further configured to be carried by a user and configured to communicate information and/or an alert to the user, wherein the information and/or the alert is associated with the condition of the object management system.

Claims

1. An object management system comprising:

at least one object identification device constructed to be secured to an associated object, the at least one object identification device providing a radio frequency signal containing an object identification code;

at least one user identification device providing a radio frequency signal containing a user identification code;

a control unit comprising a reader, the reader configured to receive and read the radio frequency signal provided by the at least one user identification device and the at least one object identification device; and

a remote unit that communicates directly with the control unit and configured to receive information associated with a condition of the object management system from the control unit at a location remote from the control unit, the remote unit further configured to be carried by a user and configured to communicate information and/or an alert to the user, wherein the information and/or the alert is associated with the condition of the object management system.

2. The object management system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit comprises an audible alarm configured to communicate the alert to the user.

3. The object management system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit comprises a visual display configured to display the information associated with the condition of the object management system.

4. The object management system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit comprises a vibrating alarm configured to communicate the alert to the user.

5. The object management system of claim 1, wherein the information received by the control unit is stored in a memory in the control unit.

6. The object management system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to send the information associated with the condition of the object management system to a remote computing device.

7. The object management system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit is a portable indicator unit.

8. The object management system of claim 7, wherein the portable indicator unit is a beeper.

9. The object management system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit is a remote control unit.

10. An object management system comprising:

a control unit comprising a reader that is configured to receive and read radio frequency signals;

at least one user identification device configured to transmit signals containing a user identification code to the control unit, the user identification code being associated with a user;

at least one object identification device constructed to be secured to an associated object, the at least one object identification device configured to transmit signals to the control unit, the object identification device comprising;

a transmitter configured to transmit signals containing an object identification code,

at least one actuator configured to be actuated to signal the transmitter to transmit the signal,

wherein the control unit is configured to associate the at least one object identification device and the associated object with the at least one user identification device, and wherein the at least one actuator of the at least one object identification device is further configured to be actuated to signal the control unit to associate the at least one object identification device and the associated object with the at least one user identification device and the associated user.

11. The object management system of claim 10, wherein the at least one object identification device is configured to transmit the signals automatically at a predetermined interval.

12. The object management system of claim 10, wherein information associated with the associations among the at least one objective device, the associated object, the at least one user identification device, and the associated user is stored in a memory.

13. The object management system of claim 12, wherein the memory comprises a database in the control unit.

14. The object management system of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to determine if a period of time that has passed since a last transmission of signal received from the at least one object identification device is greater than a predetermined threshold.

15. The object management system of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to generate an alarm indication if it is determined that the period of time is greater than the predetermined threshold.

16. The object management system of claim 10, wherein the control unit further comprises a user interface.

17. The object management system of claim 16, wherein the user interface is configured to enable a user to retrieve information associated with the associations among the at least one objective device, the associated object, the at least one user identification device, and the associated user from the control unit.

18. The object management system of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to send information associated with the associations among the at least one objective device, the associated object, the at least one user identification device, and the associated user to a remote computing device.

19. The object management system of claim 10, wherein for each of the at least one object identification device, all of the at least one actuator must be actuated simultaneously to signal the control unit to associate the object identification device and the associated object with the at least one user identification device and the associated user.

20. The object management system of claim 10, wherein the control unit comprises an alarm, and wherein the control unit is configured to activate the alarm when at least one of the at least one object identification device and the associated object are not associated with the at least one user identification device and the associated user control unit and the control unit fails to receive the signals from at least one of the at least one object identification device for a predetermined time period.

21. An object identification device configured to transmit a radio frequency signal containing an object identification code, the object identification device constructed to be secured to an associated object, the object identification device comprising:

a housing having an interior space;

a transmitter within the housing configured to transmit radio frequency signals containing an object identification code;

a closed loop connector comprising an electrically conductive material and operatively connected to the housing and moveable between i) an unsecured position wherein the at least one object identification device can be released from the associated object and ii) a secured position wherein the housing and the connector form a closed loop to be attached to the associated object, the connector being adjustable to adjust a size of the closed loop formed by at least a portion of the connector,

wherein the electrically conductive material of the connector is configured such that severing the connector or disconnecting the connector from the housing causes the RFID transmitter to cease transmission of radio frequency signals from the object identification device.

22. The object identification device of claim 21, wherein the connector comprises a first portion constructed and arranged to be fixed within the housing.

23. The object identification device of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a signal indicating the severance of the connector or the disconnection of the connector from the housing.

24. The object identification device of claim 21, wherein the connector comprises a first portion and a second portion, each of the first portion and the second portion being removably connected to the housing to form the closed loop.

25. The object identification device of claim 21, wherein the connector comprises a second portion constructed and arranged to be movable into and out of the housing such that the size of the closed loop formed by the portion of the connector is adjustable.

26. The object identification device of claim 21, wherein the housing comprises electrical contacts configured to connect to the electrically conductive material.

27. The object identification device of claim 21, wherein the connector comprises teeth provided on a surface thereof.

28. The object identification device of claim 27, wherein the housing comprises a teeth engaging structure constructed and arranged to engage with the teeth of the connector to prevent the connector from being moved to the unsecured position.

29. The object identification device of claim 21, wherein the housing is constructed and arranged to receive a screw that is constructed and arranged to engage at least a portion of the connector to prevent the connector from being moved to the unsecured position.

31. The object management system of claim 23, further comprising a container, and wherein the area is within the container.

30. An object management system comprising:

an alarm configured to indicate an occurrence of a hostile event;

a control unit configured to activate the alarm to indicate the occurrence of the hostile event, the control unit comprising a reader that is configured to receive and read radio frequency signals;

at least one object identification device constructed to be secured to an associated object and configured to send the radio frequency signals containing an object identification code to the control unit; and

at least one user identification device associated with a user and configured to send the radio frequency signals containing a user identification code to the control unit,

wherein the at least one user identification device is configured to interact with the control unit to enable removal of the at least one object identification device and associated object from an area without the activation of the alarm by the control unit, the control unit being configured to associate the at least one user identification device with the at least one object identification device and the associated object removed from the area,

and wherein at least one of the at least one user identification devices is a master user identification device configured to interact with the control unit such that information associated with the at least one object identification device and information associated with at least one of the user identification devices can be entered into the control unit.

32. The object management system of claim 30, wherein the master user identification device is further configured to interact with the control unit such that the at least one object identification device and the at least one user identification device can be activated to be operable with the control unit.

33. The object management system of claim 30, wherein the information associated with the at least one of the identification devices comprises identification information of the associated user.

34. The object management system of claim 30, wherein the information associated with the at least one object identification device comprises identification information of the associated object.

35. The object management system of claim 30, wherein the control unit comprises a user interface, and the master user identification device is further configured interact with the control unit such that the alarm can be deactivated via the user interface.

36. The object management system of claim 30, wherein the information associated with the at least one object identification device and the information associated with at least one of the user identification devices is stored in a memory in the control unit.