Item tracking system

Abstract

An item tracking system which makes use RFID technology for automatically monitoring the taking and returning operations of items from a storage location inside a working area which allows to have an almost “on line” status of each tool as well as the using history of each tool, furthermore, the system “knows” which item has been taken or stored from which storage area by which worker and when.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The item tracking system of the present invention will be described making reference to the accompanying drawings and to a preferred embodiment thereof and to the accompanying drawings.

In a preferred embodiment, the item tracking system of the present invention is used in a workshop having a plurality of toolboxes 1 each having a plurality of compartments 2, each including one or more corresponding tools 3, wherein the item tracking system of the present invention comprising:

a plurality of toolboxes 1, each having automatic locking and unlocking means (not shown) for each compartment 2 controlled by an electronic system (not shown);

a plurality of RFID worker identification tags 4, each assigned to a respective worker, each having personalized identification information recorded such as name, worker ID, working area and privileges;

a plurality of RFID tool identification tags 5, each assigned to a respective tool 3, each having the following information recorded: tool ID, toolbox compartment ID to which it is assigned, toolbox ID to which it is assigned;

a plurality of RFID worker identification tags readers 6 for each toolbox compartment of a respective toolbox;

a plurality of RFID tool identification tags readers 7, each assigned to a respective compartment 2 of a respective toolbox 1;

a control system 7 connected to the electronic control means of each tool box 1, to each RFID worker identification tags readers 6 and to each RFID tool identification tags reader 7 having:

memory means containing information related to:

• • description of each tool, so that each tool ID is related to a respective description information;
  • information of each worker, so that each worker ID is related to respective personnel information;
  • privilege information for each worker, for establishing which compartments of a respective toolbox a worker may have access and took a tool from, so that each worker ID has a plurality of toolbox ID and toolbox compartment ID to which the worker may have access;
  • tools assigned to each compartment of a respective toolbox, in such way that each too ID is related to one compartment ID and respective toolbox ID;
  • historic information about the use of each tool by the workers, so that each tool ID is related to a plurality of tool ID and specific times and dates;
  • transaction information about taking and returning tool operations, comprising:
    • information about tools that have been taken from its respective compartment by a worker on a specific time and date, comprising tools ID related to a worker ID, and to a specific time and date in which the tool was taken and to an “in use” status
    • information about tools that have been taken and returned to its respective compartment by a worker on a specific time and date comprising tools ID related to a worker ID, and to a specific time and date in which the tool was returned and to a “returned” status.

wherein the worker ID reading means 6, reads a worker ID 4 when the ID 4 is in the reading range thereof, sends the information of the worker to the central control system 7 and the control system sends a signal to the electronic control system of the respective toolbox 1 for unlocking one or more compartments 2 based on the worker privilege information;

wherein the tool ID reading means 7 senses when a tool 3 is been taken from its respective compartment and reads the information recorded in the tool ID 5, sends said information and identification information about the involved toolbox 1 to the central control system 7 which register the taking transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which tool 3 has been taken by which worker and from which toolbox 1 and compartment 2 at what time and date; and

wherein the tool ID reading means 7 senses when a tool 3 is been returned to its respective compartment 2 and reads the information recorded in the tool ID 3, sends the information to the central control system 7 which register the storing transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which tool that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to its respective compartment 2.

Each RFID tool identification tag 5 is permanently joined to a respective tool by means of an adherent substance, so that if someone tries to detach the tag, it is destroyed.

In addition to the control over the taking and returning transactions for each tool 3, applicant's system may alert the administrator of the system about many irregular occurrences, such as a worker trying to return a tool 3 which is not registered in the system or which was taken by another person.

Additionally, the system may be programmed to assign a certain period of time to a worker for returning a specific tool 3, so that if a worker fails to return the tool during said period of time, the system may alarm the administrator.

Although in the above referred embodiment, the system was described as been used for a workshop, it may be used for any place in which it is necessary to track items inside a working area, for example in a hospital, where it is necessary to have a control over controlled medications which recipients are not emptied at once.

Finally it must be understood that the item tracking system of the present invention, is not limited exclusively to the embodiments above described and illustrated and that the persons having ordinary skill in the art can, with the teaching provided by the invention, to make modifications to the item tracking system of the present invention, which will clearly be within of the true inventive concept and of the scope of the invention which is claimed in the following claims.

Claims

1. An item tracking system for using in working areas including a plurality of storage areas for storing a plurality of items which are taken and returned by a plurality of workers, said item tracking system comprising: one or more electronic worker identification tags, each assigned to a respective worker, each having personalized identification information about the worker;one or more electronic item identification tags, each permanently integrated to a respective tool in such way it is necessary to destroy the identification tag for removing it from an item, each having information about the item and about its assigned storage area;one or more electronic worker identification tags readers for each storage area;one or more of electronic item identification tags readers for each storage area;a control system connected to each electronic worker identification tags readers and to each electronic item identification tags reader having:memory means containing information related to: transaction information about taking and returning item operations, comprising: information about items that have been taken from its respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date;information about tools that have been taken and returned to its respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date;wherein the electronic worker ID reading means, reads a worker ID when the ID is in the reading range thereof and sends the information of the worker to the central control system;wherein the electronic item ID reading means senses when an item is been taken from its respective storage area by a worker and reads the information recorded in the item ID, sends the information to the central control system which register the taking transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item has been taken from which storage area by which worker and when; andwherein the electronic tool ID reading means senses when an item is been returned to its respective storage area and reads the information recorded in the tool ID, sends the information to the central control system which register the storing transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to its respective storage area and when.

2. An item tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each electronic identification tag comprises an RFID identification tag.

3. An item tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each storage area having one or more storage cells, each cell further including: automatic locking and unlocking means controlled by an electronic systemwherein the central control system is connected to the electronic control means of each storage cell;wherein the memory means of the central control system further including privilege information for each worker, for establishing which storage cell of a respective storage area a worker may have access and took an item from; andwherein the electronic worker ID reading means, reads a worker ID when the ID is in the reading range thereof, sends the information of the worker to the central control system and the control system sends a signal to the electronic control system of the respective storage cell for unlocking one or more storage cells based on the worker privilege information.

4. An item tracking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the memory means of the central control system further including: information about the description of each item;information about each worker;information about which items are assigned to each storage area; andhistoric information about the use of each item by the workers.

5. An item tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each storage area having one or more storage cells, wherein the item identification tags readers are assigned to each cell, each further including: automatic locking and unlocking means controlled by an electronic systemwherein the central control system is connected to the electronic control means of each storage cell;wherein the control system is connected to the item identification tags readers of each cell of each storage area;wherein the memory means of the central control system further including privilege information for each worker, for establishing which storage cell of a respective storage area a worker may have access and took an item from;wherein the electronic worker ID reading means, reads a worker ID when the ID is in the reading range thereof, sends the information of the worker to the central control system and the control system sends a signal to the electronic control system of the respective storage cell for unlocking one or more storage cells based on the worker privilege information;wherein the electronic worker ID reading means, reads a worker ID when the ID is in the reading range thereof and sends the information of the worker to the central control system;wherein the electronic item ID reading means senses when an item is been taken from its respective storage cell of a respective working area by a worker and reads the information recorded in the item ID, sends the information to the central control system which register the taking transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item has been taken from which storage cell of a respective storage area by which worker and when; andwherein the electronic tool ID reading means senses when an item is been returned to its respective storage cell and reads the information recorded in the tool ID, sends the information to the central control system which register the storing transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to its respective storage cell of a respective storage area and when.

6. An item tracking system method comprising the steps of: providing one or more electronic worker identification tags, each assigned to a respective worker, each having personalized identification information about the worker; one or more electronic item identification tags, each permanently integrated to a respective tool, each having information about the item and about its assigned storage area; one or more electronic worker identification tags readers for each storage area; one or more electronic item identification tags readers for each storage area; a control system connected to each electronic worker identification tags readers and to each electronic item identification tags reader having: memory means containing information related to: transaction information about taking and returning item operations, comprising: information about items that have been taken from its respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date; information about tools that have been taken and returned to its respective storage area by a worker on a specific time and date;reading a worker ID by mans of the electronic worker ID reading means, and sending the information of the worker to the central control system for registering;sensing when an item is been taken from its respective storage area by a worker and reading the information recorded in the item ID by means of the item ID reading means, sending the information to the central control system which register the taking transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item has been taken from which storage area by which worker and when; andsensing when an item is been returned to its respective storage area and reading the information recorded in the tool ID by means of the electronic tool ID reading means, sending the information to the central control system which register the storing transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to its respective storage area and when.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, comprising the step of providing electronic identification tag comprising RFID identification tags.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein each storage area having one or more storage cells, the method further comprising: providing each cell with automatic locking and unlocking means controlled by an electronic system and connecting each electronic means of each storage cell to the central control system and further providing the memory means of the central control system with privilege information for each worker, for establishing which storage cell of a respective storage area a worker may have access and took an item from; andreading a worker ID by means of the electronic worker ID reading means, sending the information of the worker to the central control system for unlocking one or more storage cells of a respective storage area based on the worker privilege information.

9. A method as claimed by claim 6 comprising further providing the memory means of the central control system with: information about the description of each item; information about each worker; information about which items are assigned to each storage area; and historic information about the use of each item by the workers.

10. A method as claimed by claim 6 wherein each storage area having one or more storage cells, the method further comprising: assigning each storage cell with an item identification tags reader;providing each cell with automatic locking and unlocking means controlled by an electronic system and connecting each electronic means of each storage cell to the central control system and further providing the memory means of the central control system with privilege information for each worker, for establishing which storage cell of a respective storage area a worker may have access and took an item from; andreading a worker ID by means of the electronic worker ID reading means, sending the information of the worker to the central control system for unlocking one or more storage cells of a respective storage area based on the worker privilege information;reading a worker ID by means of the electronic worker ID reading means, and sending the information of the worker to the central control system for registering;sensing when an item is been taken from its respective storage cell of a respective storage area by a worker and reading the information recorded in the item ID by means of the item ID reading means, sending the information to the central control system which register the taking transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item has been taken from which storage cell of a respective storage area by which worker and when; andsensing when an item is been returned to its respective storage area and reading the information recorded in the tool ID by means of the electronic tool ID reading means, sending the information to the central control system which register the storing transaction in the memory means so that the system “knows” which item that has been previously taken by a worker has been returned to its respective storage cell of a respective storage area and when.