Identification system and method

• US 9,157,771 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Scholes, Dallas Steven, Oman, Eric Paul, Bernhardt, Roger David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELBINGER, STEVEN Z
• Application Number:
  US13/668,670
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/39 Scanning a visible indication of the measured value and reproducing this indication at the remote place, e.g. on the screen of a cathode ray tube mechanical adjustment G01D5/264
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A inventory identification method and system disclosed herein that includes a low electromagnetic radiation display device, at least one sensor electrically connected to the low electromagnetic radiation display device, an optical imaging device configured to optically generate an image of a display output of the low electromagnetic radiation display device, the display output configured to graphically represent at least one value received from the at least one sensor. The system further includes an optical processing system configured to receive and process the image from the display output of the low electromagnetic radiation display to determine device data based on the processed image, and a data transmitter configured to transmit the device data to a remote data collection device.

Claims

1. An inventory identification system, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to output a signal including at least one value based on measurements of at least one of an environmental parameter and an inventory-item parameter of an inventory item;

a low electromagnetic radiation display device associated with the inventory item tracked by the inventory identification system, the low electromagnetic radiation display device electrically connected to the at least one sensor and configured to receive the signal of the at least one sensor and graphically represent the signal as a display output, wherein the low electromagnetic radiation display device and the inventory item are configured to be co-located within a restricted electromagnetic radiation environment;

an optical imaging device optically coupled to the low electromagnetic display device and configured to optically generate an image of the display output, the image configured to graphically represent the at least one value;

an optical processing system configured to receive and process the image to determine device data based on the processed image; and

a transmitter configured to receive the sensor data from the optical processing system and transmit the device data to a remote data collection device.

2. The inventory identification system according to claim 1, wherein the low electromagnetic radiation display device further includes:

a low electromagnetic radiation graphical display;

an electrical input/output interface;

a display device camera;

at least one internal sensor; and

a processor configured to generate graphical display data on the low electromagnetic radiation graphical display, the low electromagnetic radiation graphical display data including a representation of the signal received from the at least one sensor via the electrical input/output interface, wherein the at least one sensor is disposed at least one of with one or more of;

positions external and internal to the low electromagnetic radiation display device.

3. The inventory identification system according to claim 2,

wherein the low electromagnetic radiation display device receives via the display device camera a second image of a second graphical display physically presented before the display device camera,

wherein the second image of the second graphical display being processed by the processor to generate a data file associated with a device electrically connected to the low electromagnetic radiation display device, and

wherein the low electromagnetic radiation display device transmits the generated data file via the electrical input/output interface to the device.

4. The inventory identification system according to claim 1, the at least one sensor further comprising at least one of:

a temperature sensor;

a humidity sensor;

an ambient pressure sensor;

a vibration or shock sensor;

a location or position sensor;

or a time, day or date indicator.

5. The inventory identification system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor further being disposed according to at least one of:

within the low electromagnetic radiation display device;

on a container of the inventory item;

on an exterior portion of the inventory item;

or

within an interior portion of the inventory item.

6. The inventory identification system according to claim 1, wherein the display output of the low electromagnetic radiation display device further comprises a graphical representation of a computed value based on the at least one value received from the at least one sensor.

7. The inventory identification system according to claim 1, wherein the optical imaging device further comprises one of:

a camera mounted to an automatic translation system configured to move the camera along a predetermined path to generate a series of images, each image of the series of images containing a display output of one of a plurality of low electromagnetic radiation display devices, wherein the plurality of low electromagnetic radiation display devices comprises the low electromagnetic radiation display device; and

a camera having panning and zooming capabilities.

8. The inventory identification system according to claim 7, wherein each of the series of images generated by the optical imaging device further includes a storage location indicium associated with a physical location of the low electromagnetic radiation display device.

9. The inventory identification system according to claim 1, wherein low electromagnetic radiation display device being configured to receive data from a device circuitry processor and data of the inventory item.

10. The inventory identification system according to claim 1, wherein the low electromagnetic radiation display device being configured to at least one of:

generate a low-level light display or a no-light emission display for the display output;

generate a machine readable 2-D barcode representing the at least one value received from the at least one sensor;

generate graphical representation of at least one value received from the at least one sensor;

generate alpha-numeric representation of at least one value received from the at least one sensor;

graphically represent the signal using an electronic ink display; and

generate the display output in real-time based on the immediate receipt of at least one value from the at least one sensor.

11. An inventory identification system, comprising:

a low electromagnetic radiation display device associated with a device accountable to the inventory and configured to display at least one value received from at least one sensor;

the at least one sensor electrically connected to the low electromagnetic radiation display device to provide the at least one value to the low electromagnetic radiation display device;

an optical imaging device configured to optically generate an image from the at least one value displayed on the low electromagnetic radiation display device, the image configured to graphically represent the at least one value received from the at least one sensor, wherein the optical imaging device further comprises one of;

a camera mounted to an automatic translation system configured to move the camera along a predetermined path to generate a series of images, wherein each image of the series of images containing a display output of one of a plurality of low electromagnetic radiation display devices, wherein the plurality of low electromagnetic radiation display devices comprises the low electromagnetic radiation display device, and

a camera having panning and zooming capabilities;

an optical processing system configured to receive and process the image to determine device data based on the processed image;

a transmitter configured to transmit the device data to a remote data collection device;

an additional low electromagnetic radiation display device configured to receive data associated with the series of images and configured to generate an additional display output of the additional low electromagnetic radiation display device graphically representing the data associated with the series of images, and

an additional optical imaging device configured to generate an additional image of the additional display output.

12. An inventory identification system for a restricted electromagnetic radiation environment, comprising:

a display device electronically connected to an inventory item tracked by the inventory identification system, the display device and the inventory item being co-located within the restricted electromagnetic radiation environment;

a sensor electrically connected to the display device, the sensor being located within the restricted electromagnetic radiation environment and transmitting signals to the display device representing real-time changes in environmental conditions within the restricted electromagnetic radiation environment, the sensor being co-located with the inventory item within the restricted electromagnetic radiation environment;

an electrical connection between the display device and the inventory item tracked by the inventory identification system, the electrical connection receiving data from the inventory item indicating a device status;

an optical imaging device configured to generate an image of a graphical display on the display device, the graphical display being generated by the display device based on the signals transmitted from the sensor and the data received from the electrical connection;

a processor receiving the image of the graphical display and determining device data based reading contents of the graphical display; and

a transmitter outside of the restricted electromagnetic radiation environment configured to transmit the device data to a remote inventory identification accounting device.

13. The inventory identification system for a restricted electromagnetic radiation environment according to claim 12, further comprising:

the optical imaging device further including a low-level electromagnetic radiation emitter and a graphical display device; and

the display device further including an electromagnetic radiation receiver,

wherein the optical imaging device being configured to transmit a low-level electromagnetic radiation signal to the electromagnetic radiation receiver of the display device, and display a graphical programming image on the graphical display device, and

wherein the display device generates a programming image of the graphical programming image on the graphical display device, processes the graphical programming image to generate programming, and transmits the programming to the device inventory item via the electrical connection.

14. The inventory identification system for a restricted electromagnetic radiation environment according to claim 12, wherein the device data includes:

a physical location of the inventory item;

an operational status of the inventory item; and

a service status indicating a remaining time period for a service-life of the inventory item.

15. The inventory identification system for a restricted electromagnetic radiation environment according to claim 14, wherein the operational status of the inventory item and the service status of the inventory item being determined within the inventory item based on:

a time keeping device measuring a lifetime of the inventory item; and

signals received from at least one sensor measuring environmental conditions encountered by the device inventory item over the lifetime of the inventory item.

16. A method for inventory identification of a inventory item in a restricted electromagnetic radiation environment, the method comprising:

providing a low electromagnetic radiation display device configured to generate a display output on a low electromagnetic radiation graphical display;

receiving signals from at least one sensor and signals from the inventory item associated with the low electromagnetic radiation display device;

generating the display output on the low electromagnetic radiation graphical display, wherein the display output is based on the signals from the at least one sensor and data received from the inventory item, wherein the low electromagnetic radiation graphical display and the inventory item are disposed in the restricted electromagnetic radiation environment;

generating an image of the display output at a remote location from the low electromagnetic radiation display device;

processing the image to determine device data representative of the signals from the at least one sensor and the signals from the inventory item; and

transmitting the device data to another remote location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, at the low electromagnetic radiation display device via a display device camera, a second image of a graphical display;

processing at the low electromagnetic radiation display device the second image to generate a data file associated with the inventory item; and

transmitting the generated data file via an electrical input/output interface to the inventory item.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the display output further comprises:

generating a computed value based on the signal from at least one sensor being processed by a processor in the inventory item.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

translating a camera along a predetermined path associated with a plurality of low electromagnetic radiation display devices; and

generating a series of images, wherein each image of the series of images contains a distinct display output of one of a plurality of low electromagnetic radiation display devices, wherein the plurality of low electromagnetic radiation display devices comprises the low electromagnetic radiation display device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, with an additional low electromagnetic radiation display device, data associated with the series of images;

generating, with an additional low electromagnetic radiation display device, an additional display output which graphically represents the data associated with the series of images, and

generating, with an additional optical imaging device, an additional image of the additional display output.