RFID cabinet

• US 7,348,884 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Inventors: Higham, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai
• Application Number:
  US11/187,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 340/568.1, 340/5.92, 340/5.54, 340/5.73, 700/221, 700/229, 700/237
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip

Abstract

An RFID for cabinet for monitoring items having an RFID tag includes a cabinet having at least one locking front door. An RFID detector is used for monitoring each item placed within the cabinet and is located within the interior of the cabinet. A computer is coupled to the RFID cabinet and controls opening and closing of the front door and is configured to receive an input that identifies the user. In this way, the computer is configured to periodically record data read from the RFID tags by the RFID detector.

Claims

1. An RFID cabinet for monitoring items having an RFID tag, the cabinet comprising:

a cabinet comprising a back, a first side, a second side, a top, a bottom and at least one locking front door;

an RFID detector for monitoring each item contained within the cabinet and for identifying data embedded on an RFID tag located on at least some of the items placed within the cabinet, the RFID detector located within the interior of the RFID cabinet; and

a computer coupled to the RFID cabinet, wherein the computer controls opening and closing of the locking front door, wherein the computer is configured to receive an input that identifies a user, and wherein the computer is configured to periodically record data read from all of the RFID tags in the cabinet by the RFID detector.

2. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein cabinet is manufactured of a material that confines an RFID field produced by the RFID detector within the interior of the RFID cabinet.

3. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein the first side, the second side and the locking front door are manufactured of a transparent material.

4. The RFID cabinet of claim 3, wherein the transparent material is screened with a conductive material such that the RFID field is contained within the cabinet, but a user is permitted to see through the transparent material into the cabinet.

5. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein the sides comprise a wire mesh.

6. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein the sides comprise a combination of a transparent plastic and a wire mesh.

7. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein the RFID detector scans each item contained within the cabinet in a time period, such that the RFID cabinet may determine if an item is removed from the interior of the RFID cabinet.

8. The RFID cabinet of claim 7, wherein time period is less than two seconds.

9. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein coupling the computer to the RFID cabinet is through an interface chosen from a group comprising Ethernet, wireless, optical infrared, serial cable, or USB cable.

10. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein the input that identifies a user is chosen from a group comprising a user ID and password, an RFID badge, a bar code, voice recognition, a mag card, or biometrics.

11. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein the RFID detector is coupled to an Ethernet network, either directly or through the computer, wherein a material manager can connect to the reader or a database in the computer and get an up-to-the-second inventory of each items placed within the cabinet.

12. The RFID cabinet of claim 11, wherein the cabinet is remote from the computer, and wherein an inventory control module software enables the RFID detecting device to scan items in the remote cabinet and to alert the material manager if any items are critically low or stocked out.

13. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein a means for accessing the RFID cabinet comprises an RFID badge, wherein the locking front door of the RFID cabinet opens in response to the RFID badge coming into a close proximity of the RFID cabinet.

14. The RFID cabinet of claim 1, wherein the cabinet is made of a material that provides a shield sufficient to allow a strong enough field within the cabinet such that all items can be read using the RFID detector.

15. A method for removing items having an RFID tag from an RFID cabinet, the method comprising:

providing a cabinet having an RFID detector for monitoring each item contained within the cabinet and for identifying data embedded on an RFID tag located on each item contained within the cabinet, the RFID detector located within the interior of the RFID cabinet and a computer coupled to the RFID cabinet, wherein the computer controls opening and closing of the locking front door;

reading an input that identifies a user;

receiving the input that identifies a user at the computer;

unlocking the door to the RFID cabinet if the user is allowed access; and

at least periodically scanning all the items in the RFID cabinet to determine if any items have been removed by the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising disabling the RFID detector when the door to the RFID cabinet is open.

17. A method for scanning items having an RFID tag in an RFID cabinet, the method comprising:

providing a cabinet having an RFID detector for monitoring each item contained within the cabinet and for identifying data embedded on an RFID tag located on each item contained within the cabinet, the RFID detector located within the interior of the RFID cabinet and a computer coupled to the RFID cabinet, wherein the computer controls opening and closing of the locking front door, and wherein the computer is configured to receive an input that identifies a user allows access to the RFID cabinet;

reading the RFID tag associated with an item using an RFID field from the RFID detector; and

recording the resulting information in a database located within the memory of the computer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer comprises a memory, the method further comprising sounding an alert if certain conditions programmed within the memory of the computer are satisfied.

19. A storage system, comprising:

a cabinet for containing a plurality of items of inventory, at least some of the items of inventory comprising RFID tags, each RFID tag comprising data used to identify the item on which it is located;

an RFID reader contained within the cabinet;

a computer coupled to the cabinet, the computer configured to periodically

     1) cause the RFID reader to read the data from all of the RFID tags in the cabinet and report the data to the computer, and

     2) record the data from all of the RFID tags.

20. The storage system of claim 19, wherein the periodic reading and recording of the data from the RFID tags comprises a repeated electronic full cycle count of the items of inventory comprising RFID tags in the cabinet.

21. The storage system of claim 19, wherein the computer is further configured to detect that an item has been removed from the cabinet by comparing the data obtained during one reading with the data obtained during a previous reading.

22. The storage system of claim 19, further comprising a lockable door, the locking and unlocking of the door under control of the computer, and wherein the computer is further configured to:

receive an input identifying a user of the cabinet;

unlock the door only when the identified user is allowed access to the cabinet; and

attribute the removal of any item from the cabinet to the user.