Item tracking system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An item tracking system for using in working areas including a plurality of storage areas for storing a plurality of items which are taken and returned by a plurality of workers, said item tracking system comprising:
- one or more electronic worker identification tags, each assigned to a respective worker, each electronic worker identification tags having personalized identification information about the worker;
one or more electronic item identification tags, each electronic item identification tags permanently integrated to a respective item in such way removing the electronic item identification tag from the item destroys the electronic item identification tag, each electronic item identification tag having information about the item and about item'"'"'s assigned storage area;
one electronic worker identification tags reader for each storage area;
one or more of electronic item identification tags readers for each storage area;
a control system connected to each electronic worker identification tags reader and to each electronic item identification tags reader, the control system having;
memory means containing information related to;
transaction information about taking and returning item operations, the transaction information comprising;
information about items that have been taken from the items'"'"' respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date;
information about further items that have been taken and returned to the further items'"'"' respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date;
wherein the electronic worker identification tags reader reads the personalized identification information from the electronic worker identification tag of a first worker when the electronic worker identification tag of the first worker is in the reading range thereof and sends the read worker information to the control system;
wherein the electronic item identification tags reader senses when an item is being taken from the item'"'"'s respective storage area by a worker and reads the information recorded in the electronic item identification tags, sends the read item information to the control system to register the taking transaction in the memory means by the system recording in data storage which item has been taken from which storage area by which worker and when;
wherein one of the electronic item identification tags readers of the respective storage area senses when an item is been returned to the respective storage area and reads the information recorded in the tool'"'"'s electronic item identification tag, sends the information to the control system which register the storing transaction in the memory means by the system recording in data storage which item that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to the respective storage area and when; and
wherein the electronic worker identification tags reader of the respective storage area reading the electronic worker identification tags and the electronic item identification tags readers of the respective storage area reading the electronic item identification tags as the worker removes each item from the respective storage area and as the same worker returns each item to the respective storage area, the memory means maintains the information of the same worker removing and subsequently returning each item to the respective storage area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An item tracking system using RFID technology for automatically monitoring the taking and returning operations of items from a storage location inside a working area provides an “on line” status of each tool as well as a usage history of each tool. Furthermore, the system knows which item has been taken or stored from which storage area by which worker and when.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An item tracking system for using in working areas including a plurality of storage areas for storing a plurality of items which are taken and returned by a plurality of workers, said item tracking system comprising:
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one or more electronic worker identification tags, each assigned to a respective worker, each electronic worker identification tags having personalized identification information about the worker; one or more electronic item identification tags, each electronic item identification tags permanently integrated to a respective item in such way removing the electronic item identification tag from the item destroys the electronic item identification tag, each electronic item identification tag having information about the item and about item'"'"'s assigned storage area; one electronic worker identification tags reader for each storage area; one or more of electronic item identification tags readers for each storage area; a control system connected to each electronic worker identification tags reader and to each electronic item identification tags reader, the control system having; memory means containing information related to; transaction information about taking and returning item operations, the transaction information comprising; information about items that have been taken from the items'"'"' respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date; information about further items that have been taken and returned to the further items'"'"' respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date; wherein the electronic worker identification tags reader reads the personalized identification information from the electronic worker identification tag of a first worker when the electronic worker identification tag of the first worker is in the reading range thereof and sends the read worker information to the control system; wherein the electronic item identification tags reader senses when an item is being taken from the item'"'"'s respective storage area by a worker and reads the information recorded in the electronic item identification tags, sends the read item information to the control system to register the taking transaction in the memory means by the system recording in data storage which item has been taken from which storage area by which worker and when; wherein one of the electronic item identification tags readers of the respective storage area senses when an item is been returned to the respective storage area and reads the information recorded in the tool'"'"'s electronic item identification tag, sends the information to the control system which register the storing transaction in the memory means by the system recording in data storage which item that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to the respective storage area and when; and wherein the electronic worker identification tags reader of the respective storage area reading the electronic worker identification tags and the electronic item identification tags readers of the respective storage area reading the electronic item identification tags as the worker removes each item from the respective storage area and as the same worker returns each item to the respective storage area, the memory means maintains the information of the same worker removing and subsequently returning each item to the respective storage area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An item tracking system method comprising the steps of:
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providing one or more electronic worker identification tags, each assigned to a respective worker, each having personalized identification information about the worker;
one or more electronic item identification tags, each permanently integrated to a respective tool, each electronic item identification tag having information about the tool and about the tool'"'"'s assigned storage area;
one or more electronic worker identification tags readers for each storage area;
one or more electronic item identification tag readers for each storage area;
a central control system connected to each electronic worker identification tag readers and to each electronic item identification tag reader having;
memory means containing information related to;
transaction information about taking and returning tool operations, comprising;
information about tools that have been taken from the tool'"'"'s respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date;
information about tools that have been taken and returned to the tool'"'"'s respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date;reading a worker ID by means of the electronic worker identification tag readers, and sending the information of the worker to the central control system for registering; sensing when a tool is being taken from the tool'"'"'s respective storage area by a worker and reading the information recorded in the item identification tag by means of the item identification tag readers, sending the information to the control system which register the taking transaction in the memory means by the system recording in data storage which tool has been taken from which storage area by which worker and when; and sensing when a tool is being returned to the tool'"'"'s respective storage area and reading the information recorded in the item identification tag by means of the item identification tag readers, sending the information to the control system which registers the storing transaction in the memory means by the system recording which tool that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to the tool'"'"'s respective storage area and when. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An tool tracking system,
comprising: -
a toolbox (1); a first compartment (2) within the toolbox; a first tool (5) assigned to the first compartment; a first locking and unlocking means (9) for the first compartment; an electronic first worker identification tag (4) having personalized identification information of a first worker and an electronic second worker tag (4) having personalized identification information of a second worker; a first electronic tool identification tag (5) permanently integrated to the first tool in such a way that removing the tool identification tag from the first tool destroys the removed tool identification tag, the electronic tool identification tag having information about the first tool and first tool'"'"'s assigned compartment and assigned toolbox; an electronic worker identification tag reader (6) that reads the first and second worker identification tags for respectively providing the first and second workers access, as authorized, to the first compartment by, as authorized, the first locking and unlocking means (9) unlocking the first compartment; a first tool identification tag reader (7) assigned to the first compartment for reading the first tool identification tag integrated to the first tool when the first tool is located within the first compartment, the first tool identification tag reader sensing when the first tool is being taken from the first compartment; a control system (8) connected to i) the electronic worker identification tag reader, ii) the first tool identification tags reader, and iii) the first lock and unlocking means, the control system comprising memory means containing transaction information about tool taking and returning operations, the transaction information comprising i) first information of the electronic worker identification tag reader (6) reading the first worker identification tag and providing the first worker access to the first compartment, and ii) second information of, when the first worker has been provided access to the first compartment, the first tool identification tag reader (7) reading the first tool identification tag and sensing that the first tool has been taken from the first compartment, including time and date information of when the first tool was taken from the first compartment by the first worker. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification