Portal system for a controlled space

• US 8,358,198 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stanley Industrial & Automotive, LLC (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
• Inventors: Harper, Lawrence Edward, DeNise, Derry Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US11/969,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 340 52- 586
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5155 Door

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for monitoring and tracking an item in a controlled space. In one embodiment, a portal system that monitors the controlled space includes a radio frequency tag that is attached to inventory and a portal device, which includes a computing device, a receiver and a locking door. The receiver is configured to receive a signal from radio frequency tag, and send the signal to the computing device. The locking door is coupled to the computing device. The computing device is configured to verify whether the user is authorized to be taking inventory in and out of the controlled space through the locking door based on the received signal, and to unlock the locking door based on the received signal. The computing device has a database that includes the total value of the inventory that the user has taken out of the controlled space. The computing device determines whether the user have exceeded a threshold value of inventory based on the total value of inventory that the user has taken out of the controlled space, and provides a notification signal to an administrator based on the total value of inventory.

Claims

1. A portal device associated with a controlled space, the portal device comprising:

a top section having ends;

first and second vertical sections each having a top end that is fixedly coupled to the respective ends of the top section, the coupled sections being designed to be placed at a doorway of the controlled space, the coupled sections being designed to form a portal area that a user enters and exits the doorway of the controlled space, at least one of the first or second vertical sections having a computing device that is configured to track a plurality of inventory items stored in the controlled space, the inventory items being assigned a plurality of inventory values based on a plurality of purchase prices of the inventory items, the computing device further configured to track a total value of the inventory items that the user has taken out of the controlled space based on the corresponding inventory values, the computing device further configured to determine whether the user has exceeded an inventory value threshold based on the total value of the inventory items that the user has taken out of the controlled space, the computing device further configured to provide a notification to an administrator upon determining that the user has exceeded the inventory value threshold; and

a locking door that engages the top, first and second vertical sections, the locking door being configured to prevent the user from entering and exiting the controlled space, the locking door being coupled to the computing device, the computing device being configured to receive inputs from the user at the portal area and unlock the locking door based on the received inputs from the user.

2. The portal device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a bottom section that includes a presence sensing mat at the portal area, the presence sensing mat being configured to detect the user exiting and entering the controlled space, the presence sensing mat being coupled to the computing device and configured to transmit a motion signal indicating whether the user is exiting or entering the controlled space.

3. The portal device as defined in claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic lock that is fixedly coupled to at least one of the first or second vertical sections to lock or unlock the locking door.

4. The portal device as defined in claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a display device that displays a graphical user interface, the computing device being configured to unlock the locking door based on a code inputted by a user through the graphical user interface.

5. The portal device as defined in claim 1, wherein the portal device further comprises a receiver being configured to receive a first signal from a first radio frequency tag and a second signal from a second radio frequency tag, the receiver being configured to send the first and second signals to the computing device, the first radio frequency tag being attached to the user and the second radio frequency tag being attached to one of the inventory items.

6. The portal device as defined in claim 5, wherein the computing device determines whether the user is authorized to enter the controlled space based on the first signal received from the first radio frequency tag.

7. The portal device as defined in claim 6, wherein the computing device is configured to lock and unlock the locking door based on the first signal from the first radio frequency tag, the computing device being configured to link the one of the inventory items to the user and track the one of the inventory items and the user via the first and second signals as the user takes the inventory in and out of the controlled space through the locking door.

8. The portal device as defined in claim 7, wherein the computing device comprises a user database that facilitates the computing device to determine whether the user is authorized to enter the controlled space based on the first signal.

9. The portal device as defined in claim 1, further comprising an unlock button that automatically unlocks the locking door, wherein the unlock button is located inside the controlled space.

10. A portal system for use in connection with a controlled space, the portal system comprising:

a plurality of inventory items;

a controlled space that is designed to store the inventory items, the controlled space having a doorway; and

a portal device comprising;

a top section having ends;

first and second vertical sections each having a top end that is fixedly coupled to the respective ends of the top section, the coupled sections being designed to be placed at the doorway of the controlled space, the coupled sections being designed to form a portal area that a user enters and exits the doorway of the controlled space, at least one of the first or second vertical sections having a computing device that is configured to track the inventory items stored in the controlled space, the inventory items being assigned a plurality of inventory values based on a plurality of purchase prices of the inventory items, the computing device further configured to track a total value of the inventory items that the user has taken out of the controlled space based on the corresponding inventory values, the computing device further configured to determine whether the user has exceeded an inventory value threshold based on the total value of the inventory items that the user has taken out of the controlled space, the computing device further configured to provide a notification to an administrator upon determining that the user has exceeded the inventory value threshold; and

a locking door that engages the top, first and second vertical sections, the locking door being configured to prevent the user from entering and exiting the controlled space, the locking door being coupled to the computing device, the computing device being configured to receive inputs from the user at the portal area and unlock the locking door based on the received inputs from the user.

11. The portal system as defined in claim 10, further comprising a presence sensing mat that is placed in the portal area and monitors the user exiting and entering the controlled space, the presence sensing mat being coupled to the computing device and configured to transmit a motion signal indicating whether the user is exiting or entering the controlled space.

12. The portal system as defined in claim 10, wherein the portal device further comprises an electromagnetic lock that is fixedly coupled to at least one of the first or second vertical sections to lock or unlock the locking door.

13. The portal system as defined in claim 10, wherein the computing device includes a display device that displays a graphical user interface, the computing device being configured to determine whether the user is authorized to enter the controlled space based on a code inputted by the user through the graphical user interface.

14. The portal system as defined in claim 10, wherein the portal device comprises:

a receiver being configured to receive a signal from a first radio frequency tag, and send the signal to the computing device; and

an inventory manager linking the first radio frequency tag to one of the inventory items.

15. The portal system as defined in claim 14, wherein the computing device determines whether the user is authorized to enter the controlled space based on the first signal from the first radio frequency tag.

16. The portal system as defined in claim 15, further comprising a second radio frequency tag that is attached to a user, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a signal from the second radio frequency tag and send the signal to the computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to lock and unlock the locking door based on the signal from the second radio frequency tag, the computing device being configured to link the one of the inventory items to the user and track the user and the one of the inventory items via the signals as the user takes the one of the inventory items in and out of the controlled space through the locking door.

17. The portal system as defined in claim 16, wherein the computing device comprises a user database that facilitates the computing device to determine whether the user is authorized to enter the controlled space based on the first signal.

18. The portal system as defined in claim 10, wherein the portal device further comprises an unlock button that automatically unlocks the locking door, wherein the unlock button is located inside the controlled space.

19. A portal device associated with a controlled space, the portal device comprising:

a top section having ends;

first and second vertical sections each having a top end that is fixedly coupled to the respective ends of the top section, the coupled sections being designed to be placed at a doorway of the controlled space, the coupled sections being designed to form a portal area that a user enters and exits the doorway of the controlled space, at least one of the first or second vertical sections having a computing device that is configured to track a plurality of inventory items stored in the controlled space, the inventory items being assigned a plurality of inventory values based on a plurality of purchase prices of the inventory items, the computing device further configured to track a total value of the inventory items that the user has taken out of the controlled space based on the corresponding inventory values, the computing device further configured to determine whether the user has exceeded an inventory value threshold based on the total value of the inventory items that the user has taken out of the controlled space, the computing device further configured to provide a notification to an administrator upon determining that the user has exceeded the inventory value threshold, the computing device having a display device that displays a graphical user interface, the computing device being configured to determine whether the user is authorized to enter the controlled space based on a code inputted by the user through the graphical user interface at the portal area;

a bottom section that includes a presence sensing mat, the presence sensing mat being placed at the portal area and configured to detect the user exiting and entering the controlled space, the presence sensing mat being coupled to the computing device and configured to transmit a motion signal indicating whether the user is exiting or entering the controlled space; and

a locking door that engages the top, first and second vertical sections, the locking door being designed to prevent the user from entering and exiting the controlled space, the locking door being coupled to the computing device, the computing device being configured to receive inputs from the user and unlock the locking door based on the received inputs from the user, the computing device being configured to unlock the locking door based on the code inputted by a user through a graphical user interface at the portal area.

20. The portal device as defined in claim 19, further comprising an electromagnetic lock that is fixedly coupled to at least one of the first and second vertical sections to lock or unlock the locking door.

21. The portal device as defined in claim 19, further comprising an unlock button that automatically unlocks the locking door, wherein the unlock button is located inside the controlled space.