Systems and methods for RFID supply chain management
First Claim
1. A supply chain management system comprising:
- a remote sensor configured to receive;
identification information from a first electronic identification device (EID) associated with an item; and
identification information from a second EID associated with a person;
a database in communication with the remote sensor configured to;
associate the identification information received from the first EID with item information related to the item; and
associate the identification information received from the second EID with a personal profile of the person;
a processing unit in communication with the remote sensor, the processing unit configured to;
process the identification information received by the remote sensor from the first and second EIDs; and
retrieve a portion of the item information related to the item from the database based on the personal profile of the person using the identification information; and
an electronic display unit communicatively coupled to the processing unit, the electronic display unit configured to display at least the portion of the item information related to the item via an electronic display.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to various embodiments, a supply chain management system may provide dynamic information regarding items in manufacturing, storage, inventory, or retail processes by detecting RFID tags embedded on the items. A supply chain management system may also be configured to determine current inventory and regulate what items are stocked and restocked on displays. A split-screen showing detected items and instructions or information pertaining to the items may facilitate accurate and efficient execution of process steps by an employee or user. Supply chain management systems may also provide for re-tagging items with lost or damaged RFID tags and finding items lost from inventory due to lost or damaged RFID tags. Furthermore, a supply chain management system may include RFID tags affixed to point of purchase displays and include information regarding the point of purchase display within a database.
33 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A supply chain management system comprising:
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a remote sensor configured to receive; identification information from a first electronic identification device (EID) associated with an item; and identification information from a second EID associated with a person; a database in communication with the remote sensor configured to; associate the identification information received from the first EID with item information related to the item; and associate the identification information received from the second EID with a personal profile of the person; a processing unit in communication with the remote sensor, the processing unit configured to; process the identification information received by the remote sensor from the first and second EIDs; and retrieve a portion of the item information related to the item from the database based on the personal profile of the person using the identification information; and an electronic display unit communicatively coupled to the processing unit, the electronic display unit configured to display at least the portion of the item information related to the item via an electronic display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for managing a supply chain comprising:
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receiving identification information, by a remote sensor, from a first electronic identification device (EID) associated with an item; receiving identification information from a second EID associated with a person; associating the identification information received from the first EID with item information related to the item within a database in communication with the remote sensor; associating the identification information received from the second EID with a personal profile of the person; processing, via a processing unit, the identification information received from the first and second EIDs; retrieving, via the processing unit, a select portion of the item information from the database based on the personal profile of the person; and displaying, via an electronic display unit, the select portion of the item information related to the item via an electronic display. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for re-associating items in a database to facilitate supply chain management, comprising:
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assigning an original electronic identification device (EID) selected from a finite set of EIDs to each of a plurality of items, wherein each EID is configured to communicate unique identification information to a remote sensor; associating the identification information of each of the original EIDs with item information related to each of the plurality of items within a database, such that each item is associated with item information within the database via a unique EID; receiving an input indicating that one of the plurality of items no longer has an original, affixed, functional EID; receiving, via a remote sensor, identification information from each of the original EIDs affixed to each of the plurality of items that has an original, affixed, functional EID; identifying, via a processing unit, a missing EID, the missing EID identified based on from which of the original EIDs of the finite set of EIDs the remote sensor did not receive identification information; assigning a new EID to the item that no longer has an original, affixed, functional EID; and associating, within the database, the identification information of the new EID with the item information associated with the identification information of the missing EID, so as to preserve the association of the item information with the item via the new EID. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification