Method and system for tracking goods

• US 7,552,091 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TTM Technologies North America, LLC (TTM Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Endicott Interconnect Technologies Incorporated, Maines Paper & Food Service Incorporated
• Inventors: Chan, Benson, Markovich, Voya, Lin, How, Maines, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coppola, Jacob C
• Application Number:
  US10/860,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 79
• US Class Current: 705/50
• 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 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and system for tracking goods, etc., food products, which involves identifying the received goods at a specified location and thereafter assigning an encoded readable code to each of the goods which can be only accessed by authorized personnel responsible for handling the goods on through to and including shipment, e.g., to customers. A host computer includes a database for encoding received identification data and thereafter encoding same to provide the readable codes. The method and system also allows the customer/recipient to access the codes to discern whether he/she has received the correct goods he purchased.

Claims

1. A method of tracking goods, the method comprising:

receiving goods at a specified location;

pinning a radio frequency device to each of the goods to thereby secure each radio frequency device to each of the goods;

identifying each of the goods in accordance with a characteristic thereof at the specified location and thereafter providing the characteristic for each of the identified goods to a host database;

encoding each said characteristic of the goods and producing a distinct encoded readable code for each of the goods, the encoding being within the radio frequency device secured to each of the goods;

after the encoding is performed, storing each of the goods on a chosen storage shelf of a plurality of storage shelves at the specified location, the chosen storage shelf having location information;

attaching a readable identification code to each one of the plurality of storage shelves;

reading by a portable computer each of the radio frequency devices, the portable computer worn by a human being, and the portable computer having voice command capabilities and a low power radio frequency reader;

for each of the goods being stored, updating the radio frequency tags with biometric information of the human being and with the location information of the chosen storage shelf;

transmitting the distinct encoded readable code and the readable identification code to the host database for updating the host database;

after the transmitting is performed, determining the location of the goods by a human order filler according to information provided by the host database;

sending biometric data of the human order filler to the host database for indicating that the human order filler has handled the goods;

transporting the goods to a shipping location, the transporting performed by the human order filler;

after the goods are received at the shipping location, sending biometric data of a human receiver to the host database for indicating that the human receiver has handled the goods, the human receiver located at the shipping location;

moving the goods to selected recipients at selected locations distant from the specified location, the goods having the distinct encoded readable codes within each of the radio frequency devices secured thereto; and

providing each of the selected recipients with its own radio frequency reading apparatus such that the selected recipients can access the host database upon receipt of the goods to assure proper receipt of the goods, the goods having the distinct encoded readable codes within respective ones of the radio frequency devices.