Tracking of built components by using ID tags

• US 9,875,458 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Iyer, Prakash
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilder, A Hunter
• Application Number:
  US14/583,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20160189089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,123 Days
• Field of Search: 707E17096, 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/381 using identifiers, e.g. barcodes, RFIDs for URLs G06F16/9554
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction

Abstract

An apparatus for tracking a plurality of built components is provided. The apparatus comprises a reading gate configured to identify at least one fabricated building component arrived at the point of entry of the building site by reading an ID tag of each fabricated building component arrived at the point of entry of the building site and by associating the ID tag with a number imprinted on each fabricated building component. The reading gate is configured to record the timing of arrival of the identified fabricated building component at the point of entry of the building site.

Claims

1. A method of tracking built components of a building comprising:

(A) selecting a building component from a structural Building Information Model to be fabricated;

selecting a number from a range of numbers;

associating the number selected from the range of numbers with the building component selected from the structural Building Information Model; and

sending the number and a fabrication recipe to a fabrication facility to initiate a fabrication process;

(B) fabricating the building component based on the structural Building Information Model of the building by using the fabrication recipe associated with the building component;

imprinting the number on the building component;

attaching an ID tag to the building component, wherein the number imprinted on the building component and the ID tag attached to the building component are paired by pairing data; and

time stamping a timing of completion of fabrication of the building component;

(C) identifying arrival of the building component at a building site of the building by reading the ID tag attached to the building component and by using the pairing data configured to identify arrival of the building component by using the ID tag attached to the building component;

(C1) identifying arrival of the building component at the building site by using a reading gate;

the reading gate configured to read the ID tag attached to the building component;

the reading gate being set up at an entry point of the building site; and

the reading gate configured to record a timing of arrival of the building component at the building site;

(D) populating a local Building Management Tracking Database comprising tracking data for the building component;

the tracking data configured to identify arrival of the building component at the building site; and

(E) scheduling erection of the building based on recording the timing of arrival of the building component at the reading gate using the tracking data of the building component.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(G) populating a local Building Management Erection Database of said building;

said local Building Management Erection Database comprising a set of erection data;

each said set of erection data comprising an erection event;

said erection event including at least one fabricated building component being utilized in an erection process of said building and including a timing of said erection event.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(H) building a local Building Management Final Database of said building;

said local Building Management Final Database comprising a completely populated local Building Management Erection Database;

wherein said Building Management Erection Database is completely populated upon completion of erection of said building at the building site.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

(I) performing maintenance of said building by identifying a faulty building component that needs replacement or repair by reading an ID tag associated with the faulty building component and by consulting said local Building Management Final Database of said building.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (A) further comprises:

(A1) creating a fabrication recipe for the building component of said structural Building Information Model of the building by using a computer program;

said computer program is configured to allocate a range of numbers for said structural Building Information Model of said building.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (B) further comprises:

(B1) selecting said ID tag from the group consisting of;

a read-only RFID;

a read/write RFID tag; and

a field programmable RFID tag.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (B) further comprises:

(B2) selecting said ID tag from the group consisting of;

an ID radio tag;

an infrared ID tag; and

an ultrasound ID tag.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step (C1) further comprises:

(C1,

     1) selecting said reading gate set up at said entry point of said building site from the group consisting of;

a Passive Reader Active Tag (PRAT) system;

an Active Reader Passive Tag (ARPT) system; and

an Active Reader Active Tag (ARAT) system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (D) further comprises:

(D1) visually updating in the structural Building Information Model of the building a change in status of the building component arrived at the building site by using the local Building Management Tracking Database.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said step (G) further comprises:

(G1) visually updating in the structural Building Information Model of the building a change in status of the building component being used in the erection of the building by using the local Building Management Erection Database.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said step (G) further comprises:

(G2) providing access to the local Building Management Erection Database to authorized parties.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein said step (H) further comprises:

(H1) visually updating in the structural Building Information Model of the building a change in status of the building component upon completion of the erection of the building component by using said local Building Management Final Database.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein said step (H) further comprises:

(H2) transmitting said local Building Management Final Database of said building to a cloud database.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein said step (I) further comprises:

(I1) updating said local Building Management Final Database of said building by updating pairing data for at least one replaced building component of the building.

15. A system of tracking built components of a building comprising:

a reading gate;

a local Building Management Tracking Database; and

a processor under control of a non-transitory computer-readable medium and/or remote processing devices performing a method comprising;

selecting a building component from a structural Building Information Model to be fabricated;

selecting a number from a range of numbers;

associating the number selected from the range of numbers with the building component selected from the structural Building Information Model; and

sending the number and a fabrication recipe to a fabrication facility to initiate a fabrication process;

fabricating the building component based on the structural Building Information Model of the building by using the fabrication recipe associated with the building component;

imprinting the number on the building component;

attaching an ID tag to the building component, wherein the number imprinted on the building component and the ID tag attached to the building component are paired by pairing data; and

time stamping a timing of completion of fabrication of the building component;

identifying arrival of the building component at a building site of the building by reading the ID tag attached to the building component and by using the pairing data configured to identify arrival of the building component by using the ID tag attached to the building component;

identifying arrival of the building component at the building site by using the reading gate;

the reading gate configured to read the ID tag attached to the building component;

the reading gate being set up at an entry point of the building site; and

the reading gate configured to record a timing of arrival of the building component at the building site;

populating the local Building Management Tracking Database comprising tracking data for the building component;

the tracking data configured to identify arrival of the building component at the building site; and

scheduling erection of the building based on recording the timing of arrival of the building component at the reading gate using the tracking data of the building component.