Asset attachment device

• US 7,672,947 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2001
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James H. Kerr Sr
• Original Assignee: James H. Kerr Sr
• Inventors: Kerr, James H. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo; Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US10/025,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,988 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/203, 707/205, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.Y, 705/2, 705/28, 701/35, 340/5.31, 340/10.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.16, 340/539, 340/870.09, 340/71, 340/573.4, 340/568.7, 364/424.01, 342/357.07, 342/457, 455/414.2, 455/403, 455/456, 726/9, 709/224, 709/203, 709/225, 710/18, 710/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention performs asset management by giving the user asset information on a regular basis. The customer communicates with a central server via means such has telephone and the world wide web. The central server houses the application specific software to enable the user to manage assets. The central server communicates with the asset attachment device via means such as telephone and the world wide web. When a user accesses the system, the system sends back asset information such as the asset ID, location and status.

Claims

1. A tracking device system consisting of:

a physical asset;

a transmitter, attached to the physical asset, for transmitting a first data signal;

a communication means for receiving the first data signal and subsequently transmitting a second data signal via a world wide web connection, the second data signal comprising a location of the transmitter; and

a receiving means for receiving the second data signal and for housing a software program for enabling a user to use the received location to track the physical asset,

wherein the physical asset, the communication means and the receiving means are different devices, in continuous communication and track whether the physical asset is in its proper location, and

the receiving means displays a status symbol corresponding to the location of the physical asset whereby if the status symbol is a first color the physical asset is not detected, if the status symbol is a second color the physical asset is detected but not detected in its proper location, and if the status symbol is a third color the physical asset is detected in its proper location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step comprises outputting a red status symbol if the physical asset is not detected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step comprises outputting a green status symbol if the physical asset is detected in its proper location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step comprises outputting a yellow status symbol if the physical asset is detected, but not detected in its proper location.

5. The tracking device system of claim 1, wherein the communication means comprises a central server.

6. The tracking device system of claim 1, wherein the receiving means comprises a personal computer.

7. The tracking device system of claim 1, wherein the receiving means generates, saves and prints reports based on the second data signal.

8. The tracking device system of claim 1, wherein the first color status symbol is a red status symbol.

9. The tracking device system of claim 1, wherein the third color status symbol is a green status symbol.

10. The tracking device system of claim 1, wherein the second color status symbol is a yellow status symbol.

11. The tracking device system of claim 1, wherein the communication means further comprises a database for storing information about the first data signal.

12. The tracking device system of claim 11, wherein the database is accessed by a user, the user having been granted exclusive access rights to the database and the user only gaining access by using a password or a personal identification number.

13. A method of tracking an asset comprising the steps of:

forming a communications network by forming a world wide web connection between a personal computer and central server;

transmitting a first data signal in real-time, via the communications network, from the personal computer to the central server to inquire the location of a physical asset;

communicating with the physical asset from the central server via the communications network;

tracking the physical asset by transmitting a second data signal over the communications network, said second data signal comprising a location of the physical asset;

interrogating the second data signal to determine whether the physical asset is in its proper location and determine a status signal;

storing the determined status signal in the central server; and

outputting a status symbol representing the stored status signal,

wherein the outputting step comprises outputting a first color status symbol if the physical asset is not detected, outputting a second color status symbol if the physical asset is detected in its proper location, and outputting a third color status symbol if the physical asset is detected, but not detected in its proper location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

manipulating the stored status signal by using the personal computer to generate, save and print reports.

15. A computer system, the system comprising:

a computer network;

at least one server in communication with the computer network;

a storage device for storing information;

at least one website linked to the at least one server through the computer network, wherein the website provides a user interface through which a user can access a tracking program; and

a tracking module, the tracking module comprising of the tracking device system consisting of;

a physical asset;

a transmitter, attached to the physical asset, for transmitting a first data signal;

a communication means for receiving the first data signal and subsequently transmitting a second data signal via a world wide web connection, the second data signal comprising a location of the transmitter; and

a receiving means for receiving the second data signal and for housing a software program for enabling a user to use the received location to track the physical asset,

wherein the physical asset, the communication means and the receiving means are different devices, in continuous communication and track whether the physical asset is in its proper location, and

the receiving means displays a status symbol corresponding to the location of the physical asset where if the status symbol is red the physical asset is not detected, if the status symbol is yellow the physical asset is detected but not detected in its proper location, and if the status symbol is green the physical asset is detected in its proper location.

16. A computer readable storage medium containing a computer readable code for operating a computer to perform a method of tracking an asset, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a communications network by forming a world wide web connection between a personal computer and central server;

transmitting a first data signal in real-time, via the communications network, from the personal computer to the central server to inquire the location of a physical asset;

communicating with the physical asset from the central server via the communications network;

tracking the physical asset by transmitting a second data signal over the communications network, the second data signal comprising a location of the physical asset;

interrogating the second data signal to determine whether the physical asset is in its proper location and determine a status signal;

storing the determined status signal in the central server; and

outputting a status symbol representing the stored status signal,

wherein the outputting step comprises outputting a red status symbol if the physical asset is not detected, the outputting step comprises outputting a green status symbol if the physical asset is detected in its proper location, and the outputting step comprises outputting a yellow status symbol if the physical asset is detected, but not detected in its proper location.

17. A computer program transmitted over a communication medium to a computer system, said computer system comprising memory, a storage device and a processor in communication with said memory and storage device, said computer program causing said processor to perform the acts of:

forming a communications network by forming a world wide web connection between a personal computer and central server;

transmitting a first data signal in real-time, via the communications network, from the personal computer to the central server to inquire the location of a physical asset;

communicating with the physical asset from the central server via the communications network;

tracking the physical asset by transmitting a second data signal over the communications network, the second data signal comprising a location of the physical asset;

interrogating the second data signal to determine whether the physical asset is in its proper location and determine a status signal;

storing the determined status signal in the central server; and

outputting a status symbol representing the stored status signal,

wherein the outputting step comprises outputting a first color status symbol if the physical asset is not detected, outputting a second color status symbol if the physical asset is detected in its proper location, and outputting a third color status symbol if the physical asset is detected, but not detected in its proper location.

18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the communication medium is the internet.