Register for counting and tracking items in a bag

• US 9,177,186 B1
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dufl, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dufl, Inc.
• Inventors: Gordon, Michael M., Rinehart, William H., McGowan, Albert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US14/583,006
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection

Abstract

A register for counting and tracking items in a bag comprises a manifest and an RFID reader. The RFID reader is used to query a plurality of RFID tags attached to items contained in the bag. The register creates reports counting and/or identifying changes to items contained in the bag while the bag is routed and/or items in the bag are processed for a customer.

Claims

1. A register for counting and tracking items in a bag for a customer, the register comprising:

a manifest prepared by a first service provider after receiving a plurality of items from the customer and before the plurality of items are placed in storage, the manifest comprising;

a first identification (ID) of a first radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, wherein;

the first ID is correlated to an account of a customer; and

the first RFID tag is attached to a first item of clothing of the plurality of items; and

a second ID of a second radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, wherein;

the second ID is correlated to the account of the customer; and

the second RFID tag is attached to a second item of clothing of the plurality of items;

an RFID reader attached to the bag and configured to;

query the first RFID tag for the first ID; and

query the second RFID tag for the second ID;

a first report, wherein;

the first report is generated after the bag is sent to a first destination;

the bag is sent to the first destination using a second service provider, wherein;

the customer submits a request for the bag to be sent to the first destination after the plurality of items are placed in storage;

the request is submitted after the plurality of items are placed in storage; and

the first report is generated by;

identifying a first record, wherein the first record comprises the first ID and the second ID from the RFID reader querying the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag; and

comparing the first record to the manifest;

a second report, wherein;

the second report is generated after the first report;

the second report is generated by;

identifying a second record, wherein the second record comprises the first ID but not the second ID from the RFID reader querying the first RFID tag but not the second RFID tag; and

comparing the second record to the manifest;

the second report identifies the second item of clothing is missing from the bag based on the second ID missing from the second report; and

the second report is made available to the customer and the first service provider; and

a third report, wherein;

the third report is generated after the second report; and

the third report is generated by;

identifying a third record, wherein the third record comprises the first ID from the RFID reader querying the first RFID tag while the bag is at the first service provider; and

comparing the third record to the manifest.

2. The register for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 1, the register further comprising a modem for transmitting the first record, second record, and/or third record.

3. The register for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 2, wherein the first record, second record, and/or third record are transmitted to a mobile device of the customer.

4. The register for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 1, wherein the second ID is further correlated to a handling instruction of the second item of clothing.

5. The register for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 4, wherein the handling instruction is to clean the second item of clothing.

6. The register for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 1, wherein the first report comprises graphics and/or images of the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing.

7. The register for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the graphics and/or images is provided by the customer.

8. The register for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 1, wherein the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing belong to the customer.

9. A method for counting and tracking items in a bag using a register, the method comprising:

receiving the bag from a customer, the bag comprising a first item of clothing and a second item of clothing;

attaching a first RFID tag to the first item of clothing, the first RFID tag having a first ID that is unique to the first RFID tag;

attaching a second RFID tag to the second item of clothing, the second RFID tag having a second ID that is unique to the second RFID tag;

correlating the first ID with an account of the customer;

correlating the second ID with the account of the customer;

creating, by a first service provider, a manifest for the bag, wherein;

the manifest comprises the first ID;

the manifest comprises the second ID; and

the manifest is correlated to the account of the customer;

placing the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing in storage;

receiving a request from the customer to send the bag to a first destination, wherein receiving the request from the customer to send the bag to the first destination is received after placing the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing in storage;

sending the bag to the first destination, wherein;

the bag is sent to the first destination using a second service provider; and

the bag is sent to the first destination after the manifest is created for the bag;

generating a first record of the bag using an RFID reader attached to the bag, wherein the first record is generated by the RFID reader querying the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag;

generating a first report by comparing the first record to the manifest;

transmitting the first report to a device of the customer;

removing, by a first service provider, the first item from the bag, after the bag is sent to the first destination;

cleaning, by a first service provider, the first item;

returning, by a first service provider, the first item to the bag after cleaning;

generating a second record after returning the first item to the bag after cleaning, wherein the second record is generated by the RFID reader querying the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag while the bag is at the first service provider;

comparing the second record to the manifest to generate a second report; and

transmitting the second report to the device of the customer.

10. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving an instruction from a customer device for processing the first item; and

correlating the instruction from the customer with the first ID.

11. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 10, wherein the instruction from the customer device for processing the first item is to clean the first item.

12. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 9, the method further comprising transmitting the first record using a modem, wherein the modem is coupled with the bag.

13. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 9, wherein the first report comprises graphics and/or images of the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing.

14. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one of the graphics and/or images is provided by the customer.

15. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 9, wherein generating the first record is performed after the bag is sent to the first destination.

16. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 9, further comprising receiving the bag after sending the bag to the first destination, wherein removing the first item from the bag is performed after receiving the bag after sending the bag to the first destination.

17. A method for counting and tracking items in a container using a register, the method comprising:

identifying a bag received from a customer, the bag comprising a first item of clothing and a second item of clothing;

identifying a first RFID tag attached to the first item of clothing, the first RFID tag having a first ID that is unique to the first RFID tag;

identifying a second RFID tag attached to the second item of clothing, the second RFID tag having a second ID that is unique to the second RFID tag;

correlating the first ID with an account of the customer;

correlating the second ID with the account of the customer;

creating, by a first service provider, a manifest for the bag, wherein;

the manifest comprises the first ID;

the manifest comprises the second ID; and

the manifest is correlated to the account of the customer;

placing the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing in storage;

receiving a request from the customer to send the bag to a first destination, wherein receiving the request from the customer to send the bag to the first destination is received after placing the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing in storage;

generating a first record of the bag using an RFID reader attached to the bag, wherein;

the first record is generated by the RFID reader querying the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag;

the first record is generated after the bag is sent to the first destination; and

the bag is sent to the first destination using a second service provider;

the bag is sent to the first destination after the manifest is created for the bag;

generating a first report by comparing the first record to the manifest;

providing instructions, by the first service provider, and after the bag is sent to the first destination, to a cleaner for cleaning the first item of clothing;

generating a second record after the first item is returned to the bag after cleaning, wherein the second record is generated by the RFID reader querying the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag while the bag is with the cleaner;

comparing the second record to the manifest to generate a second report; and

transmitting the second report to a device of the customer.

18. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 17, the method further comprising:

receiving an instruction from a customer device for processing the first item; and

correlating the instruction from the customer with the first ID.

19. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 17, the method further comprising transmitting the first record using a modem, wherein the modem is coupled with the bag.

20. The method for counting and tracking items in the bag as recited in claim 17, wherein the first report comprises graphics and/or images of the first item of clothing and the second item of clothing.