Inventory management system and method of use

• US 9,665,848 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O-Ring Sales & Service, Inc.
• Original Assignee: O-Ring Sales & Service, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Andrew Allen, Hansen, Jonathan Peter, O'Hara, Adam Lewis
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/364,069
• Time in Patent Office: 182 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• 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: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip

Abstract

A system for monitoring inventory items, with each inventory item being associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The system comprises a check-in station for checking in inventory items. The check-in station comprises a first reader antenna for receiving information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked in, and a first indicator for providing an indication of the inventory items being checked in. The system additionally comprises a check-out station for checking out inventory items. The check-out station comprises a second reader antenna for receiving information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked out, and a second indicator for providing an indication of the inventory items being checked out.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring inventory items and for updating information related to the inventory items in an inventory database, with each inventory item being associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, said system comprising:

a check-in station configured to check in inventory items, wherein said check-in station comprises—

a first reader antenna configured to receive information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked in,

a first indicator configured to provide an indication of the inventory items being checked in,

wherein said check-in station comprises a first top section and a first container, with said first top section presenting a first working surface,

wherein said first container is shiftably attached to said first top section for shifting movement between a closed position in which said first container is directly below said first top section such that said check-in station is operable to check in inventory items on said first top section and an open position in which said first container is at least in part spaced from directly below said first top section such that an interior of said first container is accessible,

wherein said first top section is comprised of a material that does not interfere with electromagnetic signals, and wherein said first container is comprised of a material that blocks electromagnetic signals,

wherein said first reader antenna is positioned within said first container, and wherein said first container includes an open top portion positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of said first top section when said first container is in the closed position, such that said check-in station is configured to permit electromagnetic signals generated by said first reader antenna to exit from said first container upward through said first top section to generate a first scanning zone located above said first working surface when said first container is in the closed position, such that upon inventory items passing through said first scanning zone information from the RFID tags of the inventory items being checked in is obtained and provided to the inventory database; and

a check-out station configured to check out inventory items, wherein said check-out station comprises—

a second reader antenna configured to receive information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked out,

a second indicator configured to provide an indication of the inventory items being checked out,

wherein said check-out station comprises a second top section and a second container, with said second top section presenting a second working surface,

wherein said second container is shiftably attached to said second top section for shifting movement between a closed position in which said second container is directly below said second top section such that said check-out station is operable to check out items on said second top section and an open position in which said second container is at least in part spaced from directly below said second top section such that an interior of said second container is accessible,

wherein said second top section is comprised of a material that does not interfere with electromagnetic signals, and wherein said second container is comprised of a material that blocks electromagnetic signals,

wherein said second reader antenna is positioned within said second container, and wherein said second container includes an open top portion positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of said second top section when said second container is in the closed position, such that said check-out station is configured to permit electromagnetic signals generated by said second reader antenna to exit from said second container upward through said second top section to generate a second scanning zone located above said second working surface when said second container is in the closed position, such that upon inventory items passing through said second scanning zone information from the RFID tags of the inventory items being checked out is obtained and provided to the inventory database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said check-in station and said check-out station comprises a table, wherein said first top section and said second top section each comprises a table top, and wherein each table further comprises one or more supporting elements for supporting the table top above the ground.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said table tops are formed from a wood-based material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first container and said second container each comprises a drawer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said drawers are formed from metal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first indicator of said check-in station is configured to provide the indication of the inventory items being checked in when said inventory items are passed through said first scanning zone of said check-in station.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first indicator of said check-in station and said second indicator of said check-out station comprise light-emitting diodes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the inventory items comprise bulk packages each containing a plurality of individual parts, wherein the RFID tag of each inventory item is affixed to the inventory item'"'"'s bulk package, and wherein each RFID tag is configured to store an inventory identification (ID) number, with each inventory ID number being associated with a particular inventory item.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a computing device providing the inventory database, wherein for each inventory ID number, the inventory database stores information related to the particular inventory item to which the inventory ID number is associated, with such information comprising one or more of the following:

type of individual parts within a bulk package of the inventory item, serial number of the individual parts within the bulk package, number of individual parts within the bulk package, and manufacturing date of the individual parts within the bulk package.

10. A method for managing inventory items and for updating information related to the inventory items in an inventory database, with each inventory item being associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) checking in a first inventory item at a check-in station, wherein the check-in station comprises a first reader antenna for receiving information from an RFID tag associated with the first inventory item and a first indicator for providing an indication of the first inventory item being checked in,

wherein said check-in station further comprises a first top section and a first container, with said first top section presenting a first working surface,

wherein said first container is shiftably attached to said first top section for shifting movement between a closed position in which said first container is directly below said first top section such that said check-in station is operable to check in inventory items on said first top section and an open position in which said first container is at least in part spaced from directly below said first top section such that an interior of said first container is accessible,

wherein said first top section is comprised of a material that does not interfere with electromagnetic signals, and wherein said first container is comprised of a material that blocks electromagnetic signals,

wherein said first reader antenna is positioned within said first container, and wherein said first container includes an open top portion positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of said first top section when said first container is in the closed position, such that said check-in station is configured to permit electromagnetic signals generated by said first reader antenna to exit from said first container upward through said first top section to generate a first scanning zone located above said first working surface when said first container is in the closed position,

wherein said checking in of step (a) includes (i) passing the first inventory item through said first scanning zone to obtain information from the RFID tag of the first inventory item, and (ii) providing such information to the inventory database; and

(b) checking out a second inventory item at a checkout-station, wherein the check-out station comprises a second reader antenna for receiving information from an RFID tag associated with the second inventory item and a second indicator for providing an indication of the second inventory item being checked out,

wherein said check-out station further comprises a second top section and a second container, with said second top section presenting a second working surface,

wherein said second container is shiftably attached to said second top section for shifting movement between a closed position in which said second container is directly below said second top section such that said check-out station is operable to check out items on said second top section and an open position in which said second container is at least in part spaced from directly below said second top section such that an interior of said second container is accessible,

wherein said second top section is comprised of a material that does not interfere with electromagnetic signals, and wherein said second container is comprised of a material that blocks electromagnetic signals,

wherein said second reader antenna is positioned within said second container, and wherein said second container includes an open top portion positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of said second top section when said second container is in the closed position, such that said check-out station is configured to permit electromagnetic signals generated by said second reader antenna to exit from said second container upward through said second top section to generate a second scanning zone located above said second working surface when said second container is in the closed position,

wherein said checking out of step (b) includes (i) passing the second inventory item through said second scanning zone to obtain information from the RFID tag of the second inventory item, and (ii) providing such information to the inventory database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

(c) tracking a total number of inventory items of a particular type currently checked in; and

(d) upon the total number of inventory items of the particular type currently checked in falling below a predefined threshold, automatically ordering additional inventory items.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein during said checking in of step (a) the first reader antenna receives the information from the RFID tag of the first inventory item, with such information comprising an inventory identification (ID) number from the RFID tag of the first inventory item, wherein upon receiving the inventory ID number from the RFID tag of the first inventory item, the first indicator provides a visual indication of the first inventory item being checked in.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein during said checking out of step (b) the second reader antenna receives the information from the RFID tag of the second inventory item, with such information comprising an inventory identification (ID) number from the RFID tag of the second inventory item, wherein upon receiving the inventory ID number from the RFID tag of the second inventory item, the second indicator provides a visual indication of the second inventory item being checked out.

14. A system for monitoring inventory items within a facility, with each inventory item being associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, said system comprising:

a computing device configured to provide an inventory database for storing information related to the inventory items,

a check-in station configured to check in inventory items into the facility, wherein said check-in station comprises—

a first reader antenna configured to read information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked in,

a first indicator configured to provide an indication of the inventory items being checked in,

wherein said check-in station comprises a first top section and a first container, with said first top section presenting a first working surface,

wherein said first container is shiftably attached to said first top section for shifting movement between a closed position in which said first container is directly below said first top section such that said check-in station is operable to check in inventory items on said first top section and an open position in which said first container is at least in part spaced from directly below said first top section such that an interior of said first container is accessible,

wherein said first top section is comprised of a material that does not interfere with electromagnetic signals, and wherein said first container is comprised of a material that blocks electromagnetic signals,

wherein said first reader antenna is positioned within said first container, and wherein said first container includes an open top portion positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of said first top section when said first container is in the closed position, such that said check-in station is configured to permit electromagnetic signals generated by said first reader antenna to exit from said first container upward through said first top section to generate a first scanning zone located above said first working surface section when said first container is in the closed position, such that upon inventory items passing through said first scanning zone information from the RFID tags of the inventory items being checked in is obtained and provided to the inventory database; and

a check-out station configured to check out inventory items out of the facility, wherein said check-out station comprises—

a second reader antenna configured to receive information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked out,

a second indicator configured to provide an indication of the inventory items being checked out,

wherein said check-out station comprises a second top section and a second container, with said second top section presenting a second working surface and a second container,

wherein said second container is shiftably attached to said second top section for shifting movement between a closed position in which said second container is directly below said second top section such that said check-out station is operable to check out items on said second top section and an open position in which said second container is at least in part spaced from directly below said second top section such that an interior of said second container is accessible,

wherein said second top section is comprised of a material that does not interfere with electromagnetic signals, and wherein said second container is comprised of a material that blocks electromagnetic signals,

wherein said second reader antenna is positioned within said second container, and wherein said second container includes an open top portion positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of said second top section when said second container is in the closed position, such that said check-out station is configured to permit electromagnetic signals generated by said second reader antenna to exit from said second container upward through said second top section to generate a second scanning zone located above said second working surface when said second container is in the closed position, such that upon inventory items passing through said second scanning zone information from the RFID tags of the inventory items being checked out is obtained and provided to the inventory database,

wherein the information related to the inventory items stored in the database includes a total number of inventory items in stock within the facility, wherein upon a total number of a particular type of inventory item in stock within the facility falling below a minimum threshold, said computing device is configured to automatically generate a reorder for additional inventory items of the particular type.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said check-in station and said check-out station includes an RFID reader for processing information from the RFID tags of the inventory items received by a respective one of said reader antennas and for providing such processed information to the inventory database of said computing device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein each of said check-in station and said check-out station comprises a table, wherein each of said first top section and said second top section comprises a table top, wherein each table further comprises one or more supporting elements for supporting said table top above the ground, and wherein said tables each includes a respective one of said first indicator or said second indicator, with said first indicator and said second indicator comprising light-emitting diodes.