Object storage and location tracking system with remotely stored and accessible data

• US 6,882,282 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Handytrac Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Handytrac Systems LLC
• Inventors: Lie-Nielsen, John, Szenti, Tibor
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US10/638,081
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/568.1, 340/568.2, 340/568.7, 235/375, 235/381, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

A system and method of tracking the location of stored objects, such as keys, that maintains object-tracking data in a remote data storage that is accessible via the Internet. A storage container selectively provides access to one or more uniquely identifiable objects stored within, such as keys, through an access control that gathers the tracking data generated from the removal and return of each object. The access control further includes an output for selective transmission of the object-tracking data over a network to a remote data store that stores and provides access to the stored object-tracking data to other computer devices on the Internet. The data store can provide the object tracking data to other computer devices, visually summarize the data in a report to a user, and can alter data stored at the access control.

Claims

1. A location tracking system for objects, comprising:

at least one storage container having a selectively accessible interior thereof, the container selectively providing access to one or more uniquely identifiable objects stored therewithin;

an access control proximate to the storage container, the access control at least gathering the tracking data generated from the removal and return of each object that is stored in the storage container, the access control further including an output for selective transmission of the object-tracking data over a network;

a data store located remotely to the access control and accessible thereto through the network, and the data store further accessible to other computer devices through the network; and

wherein the access control selectively transmits gathered object-tracking data across the network to the data store and the data store selectively stores and provides access to the object-tracking data across the network to the other computer devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a key.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is identifiable through having an attached object data store.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the access control further tracks the location of each object within the storage container.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store is a server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store is a plurality of computers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store selectively stores the object-tracking data and provides reports comprised of the stored object-tracking data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the output of the access control is a modem.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the output of the access control is a LAN connection.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the access control further gathers data regarding the person removing or returning an object at the storage container and stores this data within the transmitted tracking data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store selectively transmits data to the access control to update any tracking data stored at the access control.

12. A location tracking system for objects, comprising:

a storage means for selectively providing access to one or more uniquely identifiable objects stored therewithin;

an access control means for at least tracking the data generated from the removal and return of each object that is stored in the storage means, the access control means proximate to the storage container and further including an output means for selective transmitting the object-tracking data over a network;

a data storage means for storing object-tracking data, the data storage means located remotely to the access control means and accessible thereto through the network, and the data storage means further accessible to other computer devices through the network; and

wherein the access control means selectively transmits gathered object-tracking data across the network to the data storage means and the data storage means selectively stores and provides access to the object-tracking data across the network to the other computer devices.

13. A method for remotely storing object-tracking data across a computer network, the object-tracking data occurring from the interaction with one or more uniquely identifiable objects held within a storage container and selectively removed therefrom, the method comprising the steps of:

generating object-tracking data from the interaction with each object, the generation occurring at an access control proximate to the storage container;

transmitting the object-tracking data from the access control to a data store across a network, the data store further accessible to other computer devices through the network;

storing the transmitted object-tracking data at the data store; and

selectively providing access to other computers on the network to the object-tracking data at the data store.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the object-tracking data includes data about the removal and return of an object at the storage container.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

removing an object from one of the plurality of object holders; and

inputting into an access control the identifying data of that removed object.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the steps of method track a key.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of attaching a data store to each object to thereby identify the object.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of scanning the data store to obtain the data for the object, and including that data within the object-tracking data.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of printing a report comprised of the object-tracking data at the access control.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting the object-tracking data from the access control is transmitting the object-tracking data from a modem on the access control.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting the object-tracking data from the access control is transmitting the object-tracking data from a LAN interconnection on the access control.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of storing the gathered object-tracking data at the access control, and then selectively transmitting the stored object-tracking data from the access control to the data store.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of altering the stored object-tracking data at the access control through altering object-tracking data at the data store.

24. A method for remotely storing object-tracking data across a computer network, comprising the steps of:

a step for interacting with one or more uniquely identifiable objects within at least one storage container;

a step for generating object-tracking data from the interaction step with each object;

a step for transmitting the generated object-tracking data to a data store across a network;

a step for storing the transmitted object-tracking data at the data store; and

a step for selectively providing access to other computers on the network to the object-tracking data stored at the data store.

25. A storage container that tracks the location of objects stored therewithin and removed therefrom, comprising:

a securable container having a selectively accessible interior thereof, the container selectively providing access to one or more uniquely identifiable objects stored within the interior;

an access control proximate to the container, the access control at least gathering the tracking data generated from the removal and return of each object that is stored in the storage container, and the access control further including a output for selective transmission of the object-tracking data over a network; and

wherein the access control selectively transmits gathered object-tracking data across the network to one or more other computer devices.

26. A computer device for storing object-tracking data for objects stored in one or more storage containers having a selectively accessible interior thereof and selectively providing access to one or more uniquely identifiable objects stored therewithin, the computer device in selective communication with other computer devices across a network and receiving object-tracking data from one or more access controls, each access control proximate to a storage container and gathering the tracking data generated from the removal and return of each object that is stored in that storage container, and the access control selectively transmitting the object-tracking data to the computer device, and the computer device further storing and providing access of the stored object-tracking data to other computer devices.