Inventory tracking and management apparatus with multi-function encoding unit

• US 5,962,834 A
• Filed: 03/17/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herbert L. Markman
• Original Assignee: Herbert L. Markman
• Inventors: Markman, Herbert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Application Number:
  US08/819,677
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/384, 235/383, 235/487, 235/492, 235/493
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 25/1428 at or around the stem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An inventory tracking and management apparatus especially for drycleaning inventory control includes a flexible substrate such as a packet or sheet which houses an RF encoding device for automatic capture of an identifying code, and an optical encoding pattern or series of alphanumeric characters on an exposed surface. The RF encoding element can be captive within a flexible fabric packet that can survive repeated processing, or sewn into a hem of a single thickness sheet, etc. The optical pattern or characters preferably includes barcode for automatic or semiautomatic data capture as well as human readable characters, in each case cross referenced to the identifying code from the RF element and to inventory control records in a database. The packet has one or more openings, preferably defined by a grommet or open centered snap, which receive a fastener for temporary attachment to a trackable unit of inventory including one or more items, e.g., garments. The fastener can include a pin or plastic anchor, or the grommet can allow the packet to be placed over a coat hanger hook to reside in repeatable position on the hanger neck.

Claims

1. A reusable inventory tracking and management apparatus, comprising:

a substrate which is resistant to conditions prevailing in a process, the substrate being removably attachable to a trackable unit of inventory having one or more items to be passed through a process and recovered;

means for temporarily attaching said substrate to said trackable unit during passing through the process, said means for attaching being removable following the process for re-use on a later trackable unit of inventory;

a responder encoding an electronic identification code for the substrate and for the trackable unit during passing through the process, said responder being attached permanently to the substrate;

a visual identification tag containing at least one form of optical identification code for identifying said piece of inventory, said visual identification tag being located on an exposed surface of said substrate;

first data input means operable to input the electronic identification code and second data input means operable to input the optical identification code; and

,

an inventory control computer database coupled to the first and second data input means, having means for cross referencing the electronic identification code and the optical identification code, whereby either of the electronic identification code and the optical identification code are useful for accessing the inventory control database for reference to a record associated with the trackable unit.

2. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate is structured to withstand repeated processing through one of a laundry and drycleaning operation.

3. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said responder comprises an RF responsive encoder and the optical identification code comprises at least one of a scannable barcode and a human readable code.

4. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a flexible sheet and said means for temporarily attaching said substrate to said trackable unit comprises a first aperture through the sheet, through which a hanging means protrudes.

5. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 4, wherein said first aperture is defined by a first grommet attached to said flexible sheet.

6. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 5, further comprising at least one second aperture in the substrate, through which a hanging means protrudes.

7. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 6, wherein said second aperture is formed by one of a second grommet and a snap attached to said substrate.

8. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 5, wherein said hanging means comprises a coat hanger for carrying at least part of the trackable unit and said grommet is dimensioned to fit on a neck of the coat hanger.

9. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 5, wherein said hanging means comprises a plastic strip having a first elongated end and a second elongated end respectively protruding through one of the substrate and at least one thickness of the trackable unit for attaching the substrate to the trackable unit.

10. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said responder comprises a glass-encapsulated RF receiver.

11. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said visual identification tag includes a bar code which is scannable to identify said trackable unit.

12. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said visual identification tag has a color code and an alphabetic code for identifying a group to which said piece of inventory belongs.

13. An inventory management and tracking apparatus for temporarily encoding trackable units received into an inventory managed using an inventory control database referencing codes uniquely identifying the trackable units, the trackable units to be passed through a process and returned, comprising:

a plurality of reusable encoding tags for identifying the trackable units during the process, each of the tags having means for temporary attachment to the trackable units, at least one electronic encoding device carrying an automatically capturable code by which the tags and their associated trackable units are distinguishable and are referenced to the inventory control database, and at least one optically detectable code providing an alternative means by which the trackable units are distinguished and referenced to the inventory control database;

data input means coupled to the inventory control database and having alternative means for input of the automatically capturable code and the optically detectable code; and

wherein the automatically capturable code and the optically detectable code are cross referenced in the inventory control database, whereby either of the electronic identification code and the optical identification code are useful for accessing the inventory control database for reference to a record associated with the traceable unit.

14. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic encoding device comprises an RF responder providing a distinct detectable response to RF irradiation, and the optically detectable code comprises at least one of a scannable barcode and a human readable printed number.

15. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optically detectable code further comprises at least one indicia for non-uniquely distinguishing groups of the trackable units according to lots.

16. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for temporary attachment comprises at least one grommet having an opening by which the tags are attachable temporarily to at least a portion of the trackable units.

17. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 16, wherein the grommet is dimensioned to receive one of a fastener and a coat hanger hook passing through the grommet.

18. The inventory management and tracking apparatus of claim 17, wherein the grommet is dimensioned to fit over a coat hanger hook and reside at a neck of the coat hanger.