Mobile object tracking system
First Claim
1. An object tracking system for tracking a collection of objects where a plurality of the objects are periodically removed as a group from, and later returned as a group to, the collection of objects, said object tracking system comprising:
- a storage unit at a central location for receiving and storing the collection of objects;
a central controller coupled to said storage unit at the central location for tracking the removal and replacement of the collection of objects in said storage unit;
at least one portable carrier removably positionable in said storage unit, said carrier being carryable to a remote location when removed from said storage unit;
a plurality of object holders on said carrier for holding the plurality of objects to be removed as a group from the collection of objects in said storage unit;
means for tracking and saving a record of the removal of objects from and the replacement of objects in said carrier during the time when said carrier is removed from said storage unit; and
means for transferring the record to the central controller upon return of said carrier to said storage unit, the central controller updating a usage log to reflect the record of removal and replacement of objects from said carrier during the time when said carrier was removed from said storage unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile object tracking system is provided for tracking the removal and use of specific objects within a group checked out from storage between the time the objects are checked out and the replacement of the objects in the storage. The system includes a system controller and a storage unit that receive and store a series of object carriers therein. Each object carrier includes a series of object holders in which id tags for the group of objects checked out of the storage are received. The object carrier monitors the time each object is removed from the object carrier, which information is thereafter communicated to the system controller.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An object tracking system for tracking a collection of objects where a plurality of the objects are periodically removed as a group from, and later returned as a group to, the collection of objects, said object tracking system comprising:
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a storage unit at a central location for receiving and storing the collection of objects;
a central controller coupled to said storage unit at the central location for tracking the removal and replacement of the collection of objects in said storage unit;
at least one portable carrier removably positionable in said storage unit, said carrier being carryable to a remote location when removed from said storage unit;
a plurality of object holders on said carrier for holding the plurality of objects to be removed as a group from the collection of objects in said storage unit;
means for tracking and saving a record of the removal of objects from and the replacement of objects in said carrier during the time when said carrier is removed from said storage unit; and
means for transferring the record to the central controller upon return of said carrier to said storage unit, the central controller updating a usage log to reflect the record of removal and replacement of objects from said carrier during the time when said carrier was removed from said storage unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of tracking the use of a collection of objects at a central location where a plurality of the objects are periodically removed as a group from the collection of objects at the central location and carried to a remote location and later returned as a group to the collection of objects at the central location, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) at the central location, maintaining a master log of the presence and absence of objects within the collection of objects;
(b) maintaining a remote log of the use of objects within the removed group of objects during the time that the group of objects are removed from the central location; and
(c) updating the master log to reflect the use information contained in the remote log when the group of objects are returned to the central location. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A key tracking and control system for tracking the use of keys where a group of keys are periodically removed for remote use from a larger collection of keys at a central location and later returned to the collection of keys, said system comprising:
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a readable identification code associated with each of the keys of the collection of keys;
a computer controller at the central location for detecting the identification codes of keys located at the central location to monitor at least the presence and absence of keys at the central location and for maintaining a master log of at least the remote usage of keys in a group of keys removed from the central location;
at least one portable carrier removably stowable at the central location;
a plurality of key holders on said portable carrier for holding a group of keys to be removed for remote use from the central location;
means for maintaining a remote log of the use of keys within a removed group of keys during the time that the group is removed from the larger collection of keys at the central location; and
means for updating the master log of remote usage of keys maintained by the computer controller to incorporate the information reflected in the remote log upon return of said portable carrier and its group of keys to the larger collection of keys at the central location. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification