Radio frequency identification system for tracking and managing materials in a manufacturing process

• US 9,224,125 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A-1 Packaging Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A-1 Packaging Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Schoening, Kenneth F., Greaves, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/190,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20140224870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/380, 700/108, 700/115, 340/8.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching

Abstract

A process management system uses a radio frequency identification (RFID) detection system in the form of, for example, a phased array antenna based RFID detection system to track and manage material storage and flow in a manufacturing process or plant. The process management system operates in conjunction with the various machines that implement manufacturing stages or steps of the manufacturing process to assure that the correct materials and processing procedures are used at or on the various production machines of the process to produce a particular product as defined by a job number or job order. The process management system is thereby able to increase the efficiencies of the plant and to increase the quality of the plant production by reducing or eliminating waste, manufacturing errors and shipping errors in the production facility.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a manufacturing process, comprising:

steering a beam corresponding to an antenna having a coverage area to scan a region in which a manufacturing process occurs, the manufacturing process being one of a plurality of manufacturing processes used to produce finished products as specified by each of a plurality of respective manufacturing job orders,

wherein each of the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders identifies a manufacturing process having a plurality of manufacturing stages used to produce a respective finished product;

resolving a location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within the region that is less than the coverage area of the antenna based on a signal transmitted by the RFID tag;

determining whether a manufacturing item corresponding to an identity of the RFID tag used in the manufacturing process is at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with a corresponding manufacturing job order from among the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders; and

disabling operation of the manufacturing process when the manufacturing item is not at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the corresponding manufacturing job order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of resolving comprises:

resolving the location of the RFID tag based on a direction of the beam steered to scan the region and an amount of time needed to receive the signal transmitted by the RFID tag.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scanning the region with a plurality of antennas to resolve the location of the RFID tag based on a triangulation of the signal transmitted by the RFID tag between the plurality of antennas.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling operation of the manufacturing process when the manufacturing item is at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the corresponding manufacturing job order.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a notification when the manufacturing item is not located at one of the plurality of manufacturing stages in accordance with the corresponding manufacturing job order.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the region is from among a plurality of regions, and further comprising:

attaching the RFID tag to the manufacturing item;

scanning the plurality of regions to track movement of the manufacturing item through the plurality of manufacturing stages;

determining whether the manufacturing item is routed through the correct manufacturing stages in accordance with the manufacturing job order based on the tracked movement; and

affecting manufacturing of one of the plurality of manufacturing processes based on whether the manufacturing item is routed through the plurality of manufacturing stages in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the manufacturing item includes at least one of:

a raw material;

an intermediate manufacturing product; and

a partially-assembled manufacturing product.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of manufacturing stages change a manufacturing state of the manufacturing item to create a plurality of respective intermediate manufacturing items;

updating data within the RFID tag to indicate the manufacturing state; and

determining whether the manufacturing state is in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of disabling operation of the manufacturing process comprises:

sending an interrupt signal to a controller that controls the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process to prevent the controller from implementing the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process; and

enabling operation of the manufacturing process

by sending an enable signal to the controller to enable the controller to implement the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process only when the manufacturing item is at the location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of disabling operation of the manufacturing process comprises:

generating a notification when the manufacturing item is not at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

11. A method of tracking inventory, comprising:

scanning, by a command system located within a warehouse, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag coupled to a manufacturing item prior to a portion of the manufacturing item being consumed as part of a manufacturing process, the manufacturing process occurring at a location within the warehouse that is separate from the location of the command system;

determining, by the command system, a first amount of the manufacturing item based on a first data field stored in the RFID tag prior to the start of the manufacturing process;

determining, by the command system, a second amount of the manufacturing item consumed in the manufacturing process once the manufacturing process has completed; and

updating, by the command system, the first data field with a third amount of the manufacturing item based on a difference between the first and second amounts.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

updating, by the command system, an inventory database based on the third amount of the manufacturing item.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the RFID tag includes a second data field indicating a material type of the manufacturing item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the material type is changed by the manufacturing process, and further comprising:

updating, by the command system, the second data field once the manufacturing process has completed.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, by the command system, whether the manufacturing process corresponds to a manufacturing job order based on the second data field.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the manufacturing process is from among a plurality of manufacturing processes conforming to a manufacturing job order, and further comprising:

attaching, as part of the manufacturing process, the RFID tag to the manufacturing item;

scanning, by the command system, the RFID tag as the manufacturing item moves through plurality of manufacturing processes to track movement of the manufacturing item; and

determining, by the command system, whether the manufacturing item is routed in accordance with the manufacturing job order based on the movement of the manufacturing item.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the manufacturing item includes at least one of:

a raw material;

an intermediate manufacturing product; and

a partially-assembled manufacturing product.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) module configured to steer a beam corresponding to an antenna having a coverage area to scan a region in which a manufacturing process occurs to resolve a location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within the region that is less than the coverage area of the antenna based on a signal transmitted by the RFID tag, the manufacturing process being one of a plurality of manufacturing processes used to produce finished products as specified by each of a plurality of respective manufacturing job orders,

wherein each of the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders identifies a manufacturing process having a plurality of manufacturing stages used to produce a respective finished product; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether a manufacturing item corresponding to an identity of the RFID tag used in the manufacturing process is at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with a corresponding manufacturing job order from among the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders; and

disable operation of the manufacturing process when the manufacturing item is not at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the corresponding manufacturing job order.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the RFID module is further configured to resolve the location of the RFID tag based on a direction of the beam steered to scan the region and an amount of time needed to receive the signal transmitted by the RFID tag.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the RFID module is further configured to scan the region with a plurality of antennas to resolve the location of the RFID tag based on a triangulation of the signal transmitted by the RFID tag between the plurality of antennas.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to

enable operation of the manufacturing process when the manufacturing item is at the location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the corresponding manufacturing job order.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the manufacturing item is undergoing a manufacturing process in accordance with the manufacturing job order; and

generate a notification when the manufacturing item is not undergoing the manufacturing process in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the region is from among a plurality of regions;

the RFID module is further configured to scan the plurality of regions to track movement of the manufacturing item throughout the plurality of manufacturing stages; and

the processor is further configured to determine whether the manufacturing item is routed through the correct manufacturing stages in accordance with the plurality of manufacturing processes based on the movement of the manufacturing item and to affect operation of one of the plurality of manufacturing processes based on the movement.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the manufacturing item includes at least one of:

a raw material;

an intermediate manufacturing product; and

a partially-assembled manufacturing product.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the plurality of manufacturing stages change a manufacturing state of the manufacturing item to create a plurality of respective intermediate manufacturing items;

the RFID module is further configured to update data within the RFID tag to indicate the manufacturing state; and

the processor is further configured to determine whether the manufacturing state is in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

disable operation of the manufacturing process by sending an interrupt signal to a controller that controls the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process to prevent the controller from implementing the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process, and

enable operation of the manufacturing process by sending an enable signal to the controller to enable the controller to implement the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process only when the manufacturing item at the location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

disable operation of the manufacturing process by generating a notification when the manufacturing item is not at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the manufacturing job order.

28. A method of controlling a manufacturing process, comprising:

subjecting a manufacturing item to a plurality of manufacturing stages that change a manufacturing state of the manufacturing item to create a plurality of respective intermediate manufacturing items in accordance with a manufacturing job order from among each of a plurality of respective manufacturing job orders,

wherein each of the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders identifies a manufacturing process having a plurality of manufacturing stages used to produce the plurality of respective intermediate manufacturing items;

steering a beam corresponding to an antenna having a coverage area to scan a region in which one of the manufacturing processes occurs;

resolving a location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within the region that is less than the coverage area of the antenna based on a signal transmitted by the RFID tag;

determining whether one of the intermediate manufacturing items corresponds to a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process specified by the manufacturing job order from among the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders based on an identity of the RFID tag; and

disabling operation of at least one manufacturing process from among the plurality of manufacturing processes when the one of the intermediate manufacturing items is not at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process as specified by the corresponding manufacturing job order.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

disabling operation of a manufacturing process that is not in accordance with a manufacturing machine associated with the manufacturing job order based on the identity of the RFID tag.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

generating a notification when the manufacturing item is not located at the location specified by a manufacturing job order.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

updating data within the RFID tag to indicate the manufacturing state of the manufacturing item.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

attaching the RFID tag to the manufacturing item;

scanning a plurality of regions corresponding to each of the respective plurality of manufacturing stages to track movement of the manufacturing item;

determining whether the manufacturing item is routed through the correct manufacturing stages in accordance with the manufacturing job order based on the movement of the manufacturing item;

disabling operation of one of the plurality of manufacturing processes when the movement of the manufacturing item deviates from the movement specified by the manufacturing job order; and

enabling operation of one of the plurality of manufacturing processes when the manufacturing item is routed in accordance with movement specified by manufacturing job order.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the manufacturing item includes at least one of:

a raw material; and

a partially-assembled manufacturing product.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the act of disabling operation of the manufacturing process comprises:

sending an interrupt signal to a controller that controls the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process to prevent the controller from implementing the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process, and

wherein the act of enabling operation of the manufacturing process comprises;

sending an enable signal to the controller to enable the controller to implement the operation of equipment within the manufacturing process only when the one of the intermediate manufacturing items is at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage as specified by the corresponding manufacturing job order.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the act of disabling operation of the manufacturing process comprises:

generating a notification when the manufacturing item is not at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the corresponding manufacturing job order.