Apparatus for manufacturing management using a wireless device

• US 7,561,848 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Gray, Patrick, Depperschmidt, Mark E., Lee, James E. Jr., Chen, Robert K. T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee; Md S
• Application Number:
  US10/947,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 340/2.22, 340/5.92, 340 722- 723, 340/7.61, 340/311.2, 340/313, 340/314, 340/815.4, 340/815.45, 340/815.65, 340/815.69, 340/514, 340/815.72, 340/994, 340/521, 340/592, 342/450, 342/465, 348/460, 705/9, 705 22- 29, 700/214, 700/215, 700/221, 700/222, 700/236, 235/385, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

A method of inventory management is described. Upon activation of a button on a wireless device, the wireless device having a light source and a transceiver with a unique media address corresponding to a unique product, the device broadcasts a first signal including an order command and the unique media address by the transceiver via a wireless medium. A central controller then receives the first signal, identifies the unique media address included in the first signal, and using a database, identifies the unique product associated with the unique media address.

Claims

1. A method of inventory management, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a wireless device including an order command and a unique address via a wireless medium, the wireless device including an indicator capable of being activated in differing manners in response to different commands;

identifying an inventory product associated with the wireless device based on the unique address;

initiating an order for retrieving the inventory product from a central storage facility;

broadcasting a second signal to the wireless device including an acknowledgment command indicating the order for retrieving the inventory product has been initiated, the wireless device activating the indicator in a second manner in response to the acknowledgment command; and

broadcasting a third signal to the wireless device including a delivery pending command responsive to retrieving the inventory product from the central storage facility, the wireless device activating the indicator in a third response in response to the delivery pending command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting a fourth signal to the wireless device indicating a delivery complete command responsive to delivering the unique product to a location of the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third signal including a cancel command from the wireless device;

canceling retrieval of the unique product responsive to receiving the cancel command; and

broadcasting a fourth signal including a reset command to the wireless device responsive to canceling retrieval of the unique product.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fourth signal including a cancel command from the wireless device; and

ignoring the cancel command responsive to prior retrieval of the inventory product from the central storage facility.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first signal further comprises receiving the first signal via the wireless medium using an 802.11 protocol.

6. An inventory management system, comprising:

a plurality of wireless devices installed in a manufacturing facility each being associated with an inventory component, wherein each of the wireless devices comprises;

a button;

an indicator;

a wireless transceiver; and

a microcontroller adapted to broadcast an order request for the inventory component responsive to an activation of the button, receive notification messages indicating status of an order for the inventory component, and control operation of the indicator in differing manners responsive to the notification messages;

at least one access point adapted to receive the order request and broadcast the notification messages; and

a central controller coupled to the access point and adapted to issue the order for the inventory component and send the notification messages to a wireless device broadcasting the order request, and wherein the wireless device broadcasting the order request is adapted to activate the indicator in a second manner responsive to receiving an acknowledgment command, wherein the central controller is adapted to broadcast a first notification message including an acknowledgment command responsive to receiving the order command and ordering retrieval of the inventory product from a central storage facility, and wherein the central controller is further adapted to broadcast a second notification message including a delivery pending command responsive to retrieving the inventory product from the central storage facility, and the wireless device broadcasting the order request is further adapted to activate the indicator in a third manner responsive to receiving the delivery pending command.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the central controller is further adapted to broadcast a third notification message including a delivery complete command responsive to delivering the inventory product to a location of the wireless device, and the wireless device broadcasting the order request is further adapted to activate the indicator in a fourth manner responsive to receiving the delivery complete command.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless device broadcasting the order request is further adapted to broadcast a second signal including a cancel command responsive to a reactivation of the button, the central controller is further adapted to cancel retrieval of the inventory product responsive to receiving the cancel command and broadcast a second notification message including a reset command responsive to canceling retrieval of the inventory product, and the wireless device broadcasting the cancel command is further adapted to activate the indicator in a third manner responsive to receiving the reset command.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the indicator further comprises a light source, a first manner comprises a first blinking rate, and the second manner further comprises a second blinking rate different than the first blinking rate.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the indicator further comprises an audible indicator, a first manner further comprises a first beeping rate, the second mariner further comprises a second beeping rate different than the first beeping rate.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the access point and the wireless device are further adapted to communicate using an 802.11 protocol.

12. An inventory management system, comprising:

means for receiving a first signal from a wireless device including an order command and a unique address via a wireless medium, the wireless device including an indicator capable of being activated in differing manners in response to different commands;

means for identifying a inventory product associated with the wireless device based on the unique address;

means for initiating an order for retrieving the inventory product from a central storage facility; and

means for broadcasting a second signal to the wireless device including an acknowledgment command indicating the order for retrieving the inventory has been initiated, the wireless device activating the indicator in a second manner in response to the acknowledgment command; and

means for broadcasting a third signal to the wireless device including a delivery pending command responsive to retrieving the inventory product from the central storage facility, the wireless device activating the indicator in a third response in response to the delivery pending command.