Time-and-temperature sensitive material tracking

• US 6,829,520 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 12/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Green, Craig B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/454,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 700/224, 700/225, 700/241, 700/236, 700/244, 700/242, 340/825.69, 340/825.06, 340/825.35, 340/673, 235/381, 235/383, 235/385
• US Class Current: 700/225
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time
• 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 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system and method for tracking sensitive materials in a manufacturing system. The system includes a radio frequency identification component and a reporting system. The radio frequency identification component includes frequency identification labels that are attached to container units of sensitive material. Each frequency identification label includes expiration date information about the material within the container unit that the label is attached to. The radio frequency identification component also includes one, or more antenna for reading the information from the radio-frequency identification labels oh each container. The reporting system receives at least a portion of the information reads from the radio-frequency identification labels from the radio frequency identification system and generates at least one report based on the received information.

Claims

1. A system for tracking sensitive materials, the system comprising:

a radio frequency identification system comprising;

one or more frequency identification labels attached to one or more container units of sensitive material, wherein each frequency identification label includes at least one of information about the material or identification information corresponding to the material within the corresponding container unit; and

one or more antenna for reading the radio-frequency identification labels on each container; and

a reporting system for receiving at least a portion of the information read from the one or more radio-frequency identification labels from the radio frequency identification system, for generating at least one report based on the received information,

wherein one of the generated reports includes information about the status of sensitive materials, and the reporting system sends the generated report with the status of sensitive materials to a materials tracking agency.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each frequency identification label includes expiration date information of the sensitive material within the container.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reporting system generates an alert if the expiration date information indicates that the associated material is within a predefined threshold value.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the reporting system further generates disposal instructions for expired materials based on the received information and sends the generated disposal instructions to personnel for removing the expired materials.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a purchasing system for receiving at least a portion of the information read from by the antenna land performing automatic purchasing and tracking of materials based on the received information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the purchasing system automatically sends a request to a supplier for more material based on the received information.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for housing the container units of sensitive material, wherein the antenna is mounted near an opening of the storage unit.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for housing the container units of sensitive material, wherein the antenna is mounted to an interior wall of the storage unit.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for housing the container units of sensitive material, wherein the antenna is mounted to an interior base of the storage unit.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for housing the container units of sensitive material, wherein the antenna is mounted to a shelf of the storage unit.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for housing the container units of sensitive material, wherein the reporting system determines at least one of an amount of time the container unit of sensitive material is located within the storage unit or an amount of time the container unit of sensitive material is located outside of the storage unit and generates an alert if the determined amount of time is outside of a predefined threshold value.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for housing the container units of sensitive material, wherein the reporting system determines if the container unit of sensitive material is stored improperly and generates an alert if the container unit is determined to be improperly stored.

13. A method for tracking sensitive materials, the method comprising:

attaching a radio-frequency identification label to a container unit of sensitive material, wherein the frequency identification label includes at least one of information about the material or identification information corresponding to the material within the corresponding container unit;

wirelessly reading the radio-frequency identification label on the container at a storage unit;

generating at least one report based on the read information, one of the at least one generated reports includes information about the status of sensitive materials; and

sending the generated report with the status of sensitive materials to a materials tracking agency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each radio-frequency identification label includes expiration date information of the sensitive material within the container.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating an alert if the expiration date information indicates that the associated material is within a predefined threshold value.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a disposal instruction for a material having an expired date based on the received information and sending the generated disposal instruction to personnel for removal of the expired material.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing automatic purchasing and tracking of materials based on the read information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein performing automatic purchasing includes automatically sending a request to a supplier for more material based on the read information.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining at least one of an amount of time the container unit of sensitive material is located within the storage unit or an amount of time the container unit of sensitive material is located outside of the, storage unit and generates an alert if the determined amount of time is outside of a predefined threshold value.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining if the container unit of sensitive material is stored improperly and generating an alert if the container unit is determined to be improperly stored.