Elapsed time clock for part call tag-based replenishment system

• US 6,502,005 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2000
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wherenet Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Walter S., Bacon, Thomas M., Wrubel, Mark A., Hang, Huong M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US09/503,167
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 700/96, 700/99, 700/106, 700/115, 700/116, 700/214, 700/215, 700/216, 700/225, 700/231, 700/241, 700/242, 705/28, 342/450, 342/463, 342/465
• US Class Current: 700/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An elapsed time clock is incorporated into a part call tag for requesting replenishment of components used by workstations of a manufacturing facility. One or more transmission readers spatially distributed around the manufacturing facility detect a part call signal transmitted from the part call tag. A reader output processing subsystem processes part call signals detected by at least one of the tag transmission readers to recover information contained in the part call signal. A management processor associates the recovered information with a respective workstation, and what component is to be replenished. The elapsed time clock is reset when the part call tag is operated to transmit a part call signal, and thereby serves as a call tag ‘stop watch’—informing workstation personnel of the length of time that has elapsed since the last part call transmission from that tag.

Claims

1. For use with a system for producing an item from a plurality of different components, which are retrieved from storage and delivered to workstations for use in production of said item in response to a parts call operation that includes the steps of providing a part call tag in association with a respective workstation, said part call tag including a wireless transmitter device, applying to said part call tag a stimulus that causes said wireless transmitter device to transmit a part call signal encoded with information representative of an identification of said wireless transmitter device, detecting said part call signal at at least one transmission reader, processing said part call signal as detected at said at least one transmission reader to identify said wireless transmitter device, and accessing a database containing information that associates said wireless transmitter device with a component employed by said respective workstation, based upon said information representative of the identification of said wireless transmitter device to determine what component is to be replenished at said respective workstation, a method of providing an indication of the length of time that has elapsed since the last part call from said part call tag comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an elapsed time clock in association with said part call tag; and

(b) resetting said elapsed time clock, in response to applying said stimulus to said part call tag that causes said wireless transmitter device to transmit said part call signal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises incorporating said elapsed time clock into said part call tag, and employing a common input device to apply said stimulus and to reset said elapsed time clock.

3. For use with a manufacturing facility for producing an item from a plurality of different components, which are retrieved from storage and delivered to workstations for use thereby in production of said item, a system for controlling replenishment of components employed by the workstations, the system comprising:

at or in proximity of each of the workstations, at least one part call tag containing a wireless transmitter device, which is operative, in response to a stimulus applied thereto associated with the need for replenishment of a respective component used by a workstation, to controllably transmit a part call signal encoded with information representative of said part call tag;

at least one transmission reader being operative to detect said part call signal;

a processing subsystem, which is operative to process said part call signal as detected by said at least one transmission reader so as to identify said part call tag;

a database containing information that associates said at least one part call tag with respective ones of the plurality of different components and workstations associated therewith, and being operative, in response to said information representative of said at least one part call tag identified by said processing subsystem, to indicate what component is to be replenished at said each workstation; and

at least one elapsed time clock respectively associated with said at least one part call tag and being adapted to be reset in response to said stimulus that causes the wireless transmitter device of said at least one part call tag to transmit said part call signal.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said elapsed time clock is incorporated into said part call tag, and wherein said part call tag has a common input device to apply said stimulus and to reset said elapsed time clock.

5. A part call tag for use with a system for controlling replenishment of components used by workstations of a manufacturing facility to produce an item, replenished components being retrieved from storage and delivered to said workstations, said system including at least one transmission reader operative to detect a part call signal, a reader output processing subsystem, which is operative to recover information contained in said part call signal, and a database containing information that associates information contained in said part call signal with a respective one of said components and workstations associated therewith, so as to indicate what component is to be replenished at a workstation, said part call tag comprising:

a wireless transmitter, which is operative, in response to a stimulus applied to the part call tag associated with a request for replenishment of a component used by the workstation, to controllably transmit said part call signal encoded with an identification of said part call tag; and

an elapsed time clock that is adapted to be reset in response to said stimulus that causes the wireless transmitter device to transmit said part call signal.

6. A part call tag according to claim 5, wherein said elapsed time clock is incorporated into said part call tag, and wherein said part call tag has a common input device to apply said stimulus and to reset said elapsed time clock.