Utilizing an RFID tag in manufacturing for enhanced lifecycle management

• US 8,421,600 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Erickson, Steven C., Knipfer, Ivory Wellman, Komatsu, Jeffrey George, Syme, Fraser Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): OTT, FREDERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/173,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/5.92, 340/10.51, 700213-244, 700/107, 235375-385, 705 28- 29
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/128 the workpiece itself serves as a record carrier, e.g. by its form, by marks or codes on it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31034 Component identifier and location indicator corresponding to component
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31288 Archive collected data into history file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31322 Work still to be done on workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Data associated with supply chain events for a manufactured assembly is automatically stored. In preferred embodiments the supply chain events for the manufactured assembly are stored on an RFID tag attached to the assembly as it travels through the supply chain to insure the data concerning the assembly is readily available and not separated from the assembly. In other embodiments, the supply chain events or characteristic data is stored on the RFID tag in a hierarchical structure beginning with the original state of the assembly and with additional entries for each step in the assembly process. In other embodiments, as the product undergoes rework, conversion to a different assembly, or personalizations, the new state of the assembly is stored in the RFID tag. In other preferred embodiments, other information is also stored on the RFID tag such as country of origin, failure data, cycle times and a quality status indicator.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in manufacturing comprising the steps of:

a first vendor storing data for an initial manufacturing event in an as built history on the RFID tag associated with a manufactured assembly;

a second vendor storing additional data for a second manufacturing event into the as built history on the RFID tag, wherein the data for the initial and second manufacturing events include a part number, a vendor identification and other data for a sub-assembly of the manufactured assembly; and

wherein the step of storing the additional data for the second manufacturing event comprises a micro-controller on the RFID tag processing commands from an RFID reader to append the data of the second manufacturing event to the data for the initial manufacturing event in a dynamically linked list in the as built history that creates a hierarchical history of the manufactured assembly;

wherein the dynamically linked list includes a previous link and a next link to point to a previous record and a next record, respectively;

wherein the step of storing the data for the initial and second manufacturing events in the dynamically linked list comprises storing a different part number and serial number for each sub-assembly installed into the manufactured assembly, and the vendor of the sub-assembly to reflect a changing nature of the assembly as sub-assemblies are added to the assembly; and

wherein the data for the second manufacturing event includes at least one quality status parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein data for the initial and second manufacturing events include a vendor ID, a part number, a serial number, a date and time, and other associated data for each manufacturing event.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one quality status parameter includes a good/no good indication of usability of the assembly.

4. A tangible, computer-readable non-transitory signal bearing medium bearing computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

5. An RFID tag associated with a manufactured assembly comprising:

an antenna;

an RFID chip connected to the antenna to receive a communication signal from an RFID reader;

an as built history stored on the RFID chip that includes data for a plurality of manufacturing events for a plurality of sub-assemblies that comprise the manufactured assembly;

wherein data for a first manufacturing event is stored by a first vendor and data for a second manufacturing event is stored by a second vendor, wherein at least one quality status parameter is stored in the as built history;

a micro-controller to process commands from the RFID reader to append data for the first manufacturing event with data from the second manufacturing event in the as built history in a dynamically linked list wherein the dynamically linked list includes a previous link and a next link to point to a previous record and a next record, respectively; and

wherein data for the plurality of manufacturing events include a vendor ID, a part number, a serial number, and a date and time for each sub-assembly installed into the manufactured assembly to reflect a changing nature of the assembly as sub-assemblies are added to the assembly.

6. The RFID tag of claim 5 wherein the at least one quality status parameter includes a good/no good indication of usability of the assembly.

7. An RFID tag associated with a manufactured assembly comprising:

an antenna;

an RFID chip connected to the antenna to receive a communication signal from an RFID reader;

a micro-controller to manage commands received from the RFID reader;

an as built history stored on the RFID chip that includes data for a plurality of manufacturing events for a plurality of sub-assemblies that comprise the manufactured assembly wherein data for a first manufacturing event is stored by a first vendor and data for a second manufacturing event is stored by a second vendor, wherein at least one quality status parameter is stored in the as built history;

wherein the micro-controller, in response to commands received from the RFID reader, appends data for the first manufacturing event with data from the second manufacturing event in the as built history in a dynamically linked list that creates a hierarchical history of the manufactured assembly wherein the dynamically linked list includes a previous link and a next link to point to a previous record and a next record, respectively; and

wherein the data for the plurality of manufacturing events in the dynamically linked list includes a vendor ID, a part number, a serial number, and a date and time for each sub-assembly installed into the manufactured assembly to reflect a changing nature of the assembly as sub-assemblies are added to the assembly.

8. The RFID tag of claim 7 wherein the at least one quality status parameter includes a good/no good indication of usability of the assembly.