Tagging and tracking system for assets and personnel of a commercial enterprise

• US 20040217864A1
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zachry Construction Corporation (Zachry Construction & Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zachry Construction Corporation (Zachry Construction & Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Milam, Michael F., Moodie, Myron L., Lake, Michael J., Fike, John E. Jr., Canady, Larry D., Nowak, Brent M., Poer, Charles A., Oleson, Kenneth A., Dykes, Sandra G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,123,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

An integrated system for tracking assets (tools and materials) and personnel associated with a work site. Personnel are equipped with tracking devices having at least geolocation capability. Assets are tagged with RFID tags, which are interrogated at portals, by mobile scanners, or by personnel tracking devices having RFID reading capability. The tag readers and tracking devices are all in communication with a common “information backbone” and all data is delivered to, and processed by, a common command and control subsystem.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring assets and personnel associated with a business enterprise, comprising:

a materials tagging subsystem comprising;

RFID tags placed on items of property, mobile scanners for querying the tags and receiving tag data, a materials database for storing tag data, and remote materials programming for collecting tag data, wherein the mobile scanners are in wireless communication with the tag programming;

a tools tagging subsystem having;

RFID tags placed on items of property, portal scanners for querying the tags and receiving tag data at a portal, a tools database for storing tag data, and remote tools programming for collecting tag data, wherein the portal scanners are in communication with the tools programming;

a personnel tracking subsystem having;

geolocation personnel tracking devices carried by personnel, stationary access points for wirelessly communicating with the tracking devices, a personnel database for storing tracking data, and remote personnel programming for collecting tracking data, wherein the stationary access points are in communication with the tracking programming by means of a LAN network; and

a command and control subsystem for integrating the materials programming and database, the tools programming and database, and the personnel programming and database;

wherein the command and control subsystem has at least one monitoring station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the command and control programming communicates with the programming of the other subsystems using IP protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the personnel tracking devices are operable to read RFID tags on tools or materials.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the personnel tracking subsystem is implemented as a wireless ad hoc network.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a maps database, and wherein the command and control subsystem is operable to access the maps database and display locations of materials based on input from the materials tagging subsystem.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein materials are displayed as clickable icons on the map, such that clicking an icon results in a display of additional data about a material.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a maps database, and wherein the command and control subsystem is operable to access the maps database and display locations of tools based on input from the tools tagging subsystem.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein tools are displayed as clickable icons on the map, such that clicking an icon results in a display of additional data about a tool.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the personnel tracking devices are equipped with at least one environmental sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator subsystem having at least one actuator operable in response to communications from the command and control subsystem in response to input from a personnel tracking device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the personnel tracking devices incorporate at least a two way communications device.