System and case for tracking articles

• US 8,242,914 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LogiTag Systems Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LogiTag Systems Ltd.
• Inventors: Matityaho, Shlomo, Levine, Ely
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US12/295,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/545.6, 340/568.1, 340/5.92, 340/540, 340/693.5, 343/893, 343/894, 343/866, 343/867, 705/22, 705/23, 705/24, 705/28
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides an article tracking and control system that records articles when they are entered into or removed from a case. Each article is tagged with an RFID tag and is identified individually by the system. The system comprises: wireless identification device attached to each article; a case for containing the tagged articles; an antenna mounted close to the cover of the case so that the antenna is able to read the tagged articles entering or being removed from the case, while tagged articles inside the case are not detected by the antenna; processing means for tracking each entry and removal of a tagged article into or out of the case; and means for visualizing reports and/or alerts regarding the status of tagged articles inside the case.

Claims

1. An article tracking and control system comprising:

(i) wireless identification means for attaching to articles to be tracked;

(ii) a case for containing said articles to be tracked wherein said articles are tagged with said identification means;

(iii) an antenna mounted close to the cover of said case so that said antenna is able to read said tagged articles of (ii) entering or being removed from said case, while tagged articles inside the case are not detected by said antenna;

(iv) processing means for tracking each entry and removal of said tagged articles into or out of said case; and

(v) means for visualizing reports and/or alerts regarding the status of said tagged articles inside said case.

2. The article tracking and control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said tagged articles to be tracked is a metallic object.

3. The article tracking and control system of claim 1, further comprising a communications unit means, using at least one of the following technologies:

cellular communication, Short Message Service (SMS), Enhanced Message Service (EMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), e-mail, Instant Message (IM), Internet connection, local area network, wide area network, connecting said case as a peripheral device to a computer system, an RS232 or 484 port, TCP/IP, WiFi, GPRS, CDPD, Bluetooth, or any other wireless network.

4. The article tracking and control system of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving user input regarding reports, alerts or registration of new articles in said case and/or further providing alerts via sound, voice or both.

5. The article tracking and control system of claim 1, wherein said antenna is a loop antenna mounted on the perimeter of said case or a flat, thin strip.

6. The article tracking and control system of claim 5, wherein said thin strip is integrated in said case and/or said antenna conforms to the external layout of said case.

7. The article tracking and control system of claim 1, wherein the presence of each registered article to be tracked is verified upon closure of said case.

8. The article tracking and control system of claim 5, further comprising at least one metal patch located close to said loop antenna, said metal patch confining the magnetic field to the area close to the loop antenna thus preventing the magnetic field to reach into tagged articles already inside said case.

9. The article tracking and control system of claim 1, wherein said tagged articles are tools used by medical staff, repair technicians and engineers or military personnel.

10. The article tracking and control system of claim 1, wherein said reports include articles present in the case at a given time-point, articles absent from the case at a given time-point, or usage frequency of one or more articles in a given time-period.

11. A case for tracking and control articles, said case comprising:

(i) articles tagged with wireless identification means;

(ii) an antenna mounted into the perimeter of said case so that said antenna is able to read said tagged articles of (i) entering or being removed from said case, while tagged articles inside the case are not detected by said antenna;

(iii) processing means for tracking each entry and removal of said tagged articles into or out of said case; and

(iv) means for visualizing reports and/or alerts regarding the status of said tagged articles inside said case.

12. The case of claim 11, wherein at least one of said tagged articles to be tracked is a metallic object.

13. The case of claim 11, further comprising a communications means unit, wherein said communications unit communicates using at least one of the following technologies:

cellular communication, Short Message Service (SMS), Enhanced Message Service (EMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), e-mail, Instant Message (IM), Internet connection, local area network, wide area network, connecting said case as a peripheral device to a computer system, an RS232 or 484 port, TCP/IP, WiFi, GPRS, CDPD, Bluetooth, or any other wireless network.

14. The case of claim 11, further providing alerts via sound, voice or both and/or further comprising means for receiving user input regarding reports, alerts or registration of new articles in said case, wherein said means for receiving user input comprise:

a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen, a voice-recognition system, pre-labeled buttons, dynamic buttons positioned adjacent to the display, a mouse, a joystick, or any other selection device.

15. The case of claim 11, further wherein said antenna is a loop antenna mounted on the perimeter of said case or a flat, thin strip.

16. The case of claim 15, wherein said thin strip is integrated in said case and/or said antenna conforms to the external layout of said case.

17. The case of claim 11, wherein the presence of each registered article to be tracked is verified upon closure of said case.

18. The case of claim 15, further comprising at least one metal patch located close to said loop antenna, said metal patch confining the magnetic field to the area close to the loop antenna thus preventing the magnetic field to reach into articles already inside said case.

19. The case of claim 11, wherein said articles are tools used by medical staff, repair technicians and engineers or military personnel.

20. The case of claim 11, wherein said reports include articles present in the case at a given time-point, articles absent from the case at a given time-point, or usage frequency of one or more articles in a given time-period.