Method, computer program product, and changing station for tracking a process

• US 9,349,031 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephan Hammelbacher
• Original Assignee: Stephan Hammelbacher
• Inventors: Hammelbacher, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US13/639,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36371 Barcode reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

A method for tracking processes and/or services, which concern at least one object, in which a reading device detects data or attributes of a data carrier associated with the object or container thereof, wherein the data describe the object, comprising the following steps:

• • a) identifying the object by detecting the data of the data carrier by means of the reading device and
  • b) detecting a process or a service and/or the data obtained therefrom concerning the object,
    is further developed in that, between steps a) and b), a selection of processes and/or services from a plurality is made depending on the detected data, and the selection is offered to an operating person to be carried out. The invention also relates to a computer program product for setting up a computer system with regard to programming, and a changing station for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method for tracking processes and/or services, which concern at least one object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) from a plurality of objects, in which a reading device (7;

8;

9) detects a data carrier (12) associated with the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and containing data that describe the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and/or properties thereof, said method comprising the following steps;

a) identifying the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) by detecting the data of the data carrier (12) by means of the reading device 17;

8;

9),

b) detecting a process or a service and/or data obtained therefrom concerning the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and/or properties thereof,

wherein, after identification of the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) in step a), in a subsequent step ai) a selection of processes and/or services from a plurality of processes and/or services is made automatically depending on the detected data and is offered in a step aii) to carry out in step b) and performed without need for human intervention.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step a) for identifying the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13), the respective data carrier (12) is moved into a working area (10).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a position of the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) in a working area (10) is detected and, upon a selection of processes and/or services, a plausibility check of the association of the data carrier (12) with the respective object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) is carried out in step d).

4. A computer program product for setting up a computer system (2) with regard to programming, said computer system comprising a computer, comprising an operating terminal, comprising a printer (4) and comprising interfaces to the reading device (7;

8;

9), for carrying out a method according to claim 1 comprising the following steps;

a) identifying the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) by detecting the data of the data carrier (12) by means of the reading device (7;

8;

9),

b) detecting a process or a service and/or data obtained therefrom concerning the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and/or properties thereof,

wherein, after identification of the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) in step a), in a subsequent step ai) a selection of processes and/or services from a plurality of processes and/or services is made depending on the detected data and is offered in a step aii) to carry out in step b).

5. A computer program product according to claim 4, wherein only the data concerning a locality (3;

16) of the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) are detected.

6. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein an operator'"'"'s acoustic voice commands are processed for the input of commands or data.

7. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein processes and/or services are selected by command cards (30) that can be read by the reading device (7;

8;

9).

8. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein processes and/or services are selected by command cards (30) that can be read by the reading device (7;

8;

9).

9. A changing station for carrying out the method according to claim 1 for tracking processes and/or services, which concern the at least one object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13), said changing station comprising

a work surface (10) for carrying out the processes and/or for providing services,

the reading device (7, 8, 9) for detecting data stored on the data carrier (12) of the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13),

a computer system (2) for storing data sets concerning the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and/or properties thereof, and

an input interface for selecting processes to be carried out and/or services to be provided,

wherein the reading device (7;

8;

9) acts over the work surface (10).

10. The changing station according to claim 9, wherein the reading device (7, 8, 9) has a limited range.

11. The changing station according to claim 9, comprising an output interface for outputting, by machine, documentation data sets for documentation of the detected processes and/or services provided.

12. The changing station according to claim 11, wherein the reading device (7;

8;

9) additionally comprises an output interface for wireless transfer of the documentation data set, in particular for the display of the documentation data set on a display device of a container.

13. The changing station according to claim 12, wherein the display device displays the content of the transferred documentation data set after separation from the output interface.

14. The changing station according to claim 13, comprising a battery-driven label with an LCD display or electronic paper as the display device of the container (3).

15. The changing station according to claim 9, comprising an output interface for outputting, by machine, documentation data sets for documentation of the detected processes and/or services provided.

16. The changing station according to claim 15, wherein the reading device (7;

8;

9) additionally comprising an output interface for wireless transfer of the documentation data set, in particular for the display of the documentation data set on a display device of a container.

17. The changing station according to claim 16, wherein the display device displays the content of the transferred documentation data set after separation from the output interface.

18. The changing station according to claim 17, comprising a battery-driven label with an LCD display or electronic paper as the display device of the container (3).

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein, at least one function and/or at least one service from the plurality of processes or services is quality assured by a computer program.

20. A method for tracking processes and/or services, which concern at least one object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) from a plurality of objects, in which a reading device (7;

8;

9) detects a data carrier (12) associated with the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and containing data that describe the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and/or properties thereof, said method comprising the following steps;

a) identifying the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) by detecting the data of the data carrier (12) by means of the reading device 17;

8;

9),

b) detecting a process or a service and/or data obtained therefrom concerning the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) and/or properties thereof,

wherein, after identification of the object (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) in step a), in a subsequent step ai) a selection of processes and/or services from a plurality of processes and/or services is made depending on the detected data and is offered in a step aii) to carry out in step b), and

wherein the plurality of objects (F;

M;

3a;

3b;

3c;

11;

12;

13) comprises a plurality of parallel called objects, wherein at least one of the plurality of parallel called objects engages in an interaction with another one of the plurality of parallel called objects, and wherein the interaction is confirmed by a user in the step b).