Storage cabinet with multiple RFID readers

• US 9,324,051 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Inventors: Ganel, Onne, Moody, Nat, Moreno, Gerardo, D'Ambrosio, George John
• Primary Examiner(s): Mikels, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/084,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20140138440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/492, 340/10, 340/572
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

An RFID cabinet system is provided for monitoring items having an RFID tag. System includes cabinet having open interior where items are stored and at least one door providing access to items. Static RFID system is provided for reading and identifying data embedded on RFID tag located on at least some of the items placed within cabinet. Static RFID system is configured to monitor substantially all items located within the interior of cabinet when door is closed. Transaction RFID system is provided for reading one of the RFID tags upon removal or return of the associated item from cabinet. Transaction RFID system is operable when door is open. Computer system is configured to sense opening and closing of door. Computer system is configured to receive input that identifies user, and computer system is configured to periodically record data read from RFID tags by static RFID system and transaction RFID system.

Claims

1. A cabinet system for monitoring items having an RFID tag, the system comprising:

a cabinet comprising;

an interior where items are stored; and

at least one door providing direct access to at least some of the items via an opening that is covered by the at least one door when the at least one door is closed;

a static RFID system for reading and identifying data embedded on RFID tags located on at least some of the items placed within the cabinet, wherein the static RFID system is configured to scan substantially all of the items located within the interior of the cabinet when the at least one door is closed;

a transaction RFID system for reading the data on one of the RFID tags upon detecting removal of the associated item from the RFID cabinet, wherein the transaction RFID system is activated by the at least one door being opened and is deactivated by the at least one door being closed, and wherein the transaction RFID system is positioned on the cabinet such that when an item is removed from the interior, the item must pass through the transaction RFID system to permit the item to be detected and scanned while being removed from the interior through the opening without scanning other items in the cabinet; and

a computer system that is configured to detect opening and closing of the at least one door,

wherein the computer system is configured to receive an input that identifies a user, and wherein the computer system is configured to periodically record the data read from the RFID tags by the static RFID system and the transaction RFID system.

2. The cabinet system according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet further comprises a plurality of doors and the interior comprises a plurality of storage areas, and wherein each of the plurality of doors controls access to a corresponding one of the plurality of storage areas.

3. The cabinet system according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of storage areas comprises a different level of access.

4. The cabinet system according to claim 1, wherein the transaction RFID system is configured to read the data on one of the RFID tags for a detection time that is less than about 2 seconds while the static RFID system requires at least about 5 seconds to scan substantially all of the items.

5. The cabinet system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured to store and correlate expiration date information with the items in the cabinet and to provide an indication of an approaching or past expiration date for each of the items.

6. The cabinet system according to claim 1, wherein the input comprises one or more of a biometric identifier, a username, a password, and a signal from a wireless device assigned to the user.

7. The cabinet system according to claim 1, further comprising an external item reader, the external item reader comprising at least one of a RFID scanner and a bar code reader.

22. The cabinet system according to claim 1, wherein the static RFID system is configured to be placed in sleep mode where items are not scanned when the door is open and the transaction RFID system is active.

8. A method of monitoring items having an RFID tag, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of items within an interior of an enclosure defining an access-controlled area, wherein direct access to the interior and at least some of the plurality of items is obtained via one or more doors, and wherein at least some of the items are coupled to an RFID tag having electronically readable identification data;

while the door is closed, using one or more static RFID scanners to read the data on substantially all of the RFID tags located within the access-controlled area to monitor an inventory of substantially all of the items;

storing the inventory in a database;

authenticating a user who is requesting access to the access-controlled area;

receiving an inputted goal for an item to be placed into or removed from the access-controlled area;

while the door is open, scanning an RFID tag of the item using one or more transaction RFID scanners that detect when the user removes the item from or places into the access-controlled area, wherein the one or more transaction RFID scanners are positioned on the enclosure such that as the item is removed from or returned to the interior, the item must pass through a range of the transaction RFID scanner, permitting the item to be scanned without scanning other items in the cabinet; and

recording the removal or placement of the item in the database.

9. The method of monitoring items of claim 8, wherein authenticating a user comprises verifying one or more user inputs selected from biometric identifier, a username, a password, and a signal from a wireless device assigned to the user.

10. The method of monitoring items of claim 8, wherein using one or more static RFID scanners comprises periodically scanning substantially all of the items at a scheduled interval.

11. The method of monitoring items according to claim 8, wherein scanning an RFID tag with the one or more transaction RFID scanners is completed in less than about 2 seconds, while scanning the data on substantially all of the RFID tags using the one or more static RFID scanners is completed in about 5 seconds or more.

12. The method of monitoring items according to claim 8, further comprising storing and correlating expiration date information with the items and providing an indication of approaching or past expiration dates for the items.

13. The method of monitoring items according to claim 8, further comprising activating the one or more transaction RFID scanners when the one or more doors are open and deactivating the one or more transaction RFID scanners when the one or more doors are closed, and further comprising deactivating the one or more static RFID scanners when the one or more doors are open such that the static RFID scanners are in sleep mode and do not scan items while the one or more doors are open.

14. The method of monitoring items according to claim 8, further comprising activating the one or more static RFID scanners when the one or more doors are closed and deactivating the one or more static RFID scanners when the one or more doors are open.

15. The method of monitoring items according to claim 8, further comprising determining whether a second item is needed for the goal and determining whether the user has a new goal for a new item stored within the access-controlled area.

16. The method of monitoring items according to claim 8, further comprising reading information from an item that is externally located relative to the access-controlled area using an external scanner.

23. The method of monitoring items according to claim 8, wherein the inputted goal is for a first patient, wherein after removal or placement of the item an inputted goal is received for a second patient, and wherein an RFID tag of an item for the second patient is scanned using the one or more transaction RFID scanners while the one or more static RFID scanners remain in sleep mode.

17. A method of monitoring items having an RFID tag, the method comprising:

using one or more static RFID scanners to read and identify data embedded on an RFID tag located on at least some items placed within an access-controlled area to monitor an inventory of substantially all of the items when one or more doors controlling access to the access-controlled area are closed, wherein the one or more doors provide direct access to at least some of the items when the one or more doors are open;

storing the inventory in a database;

authenticating a user of an inventory management system;

unlocking the one or more doors to provide the user access to the items;

scanning an RFID tag of the item using one or more transaction RFID scanners as the transaction RFID scanners detect when the user removes the item from the access-controlled area while the one or more static RFID scanners are placed in sleep mode where they do not scan items while the one or more doors are open, wherein the transaction RFID scanners are positioned on the access-controlled area such that when the item is removed from the access-controlled area, the item must pass through a range of the transaction RFID scanners to permit the item to be detected and scanned while being removed from the access-controlled area;

locking the one or more doors to prevent the user from accessing the items; and

recording the removal of the item in the database.

18. A method of monitoring items having an RFID tag according to claim 17, further comprising receiving an inputted goal for an item within an access-controlled area.

19. The method of monitoring items according to claim 17, wherein using one or more static RFID scanners comprises periodically scanning substantially all of the items at a scheduled interval.

20. The method of monitoring items according to claim 17, further comprising activating the one or more transaction RFID scanners when the one or more doors are open and deactivating the one or more transaction RFID scanners when the one or more doors are closed.

21. The method of monitoring items according to claim 17, further comprising activating the one or more static RFID scanners when the one or more doors are closed and deactivating the one or more static RFID scanners when the one or more doors are open.