Patent ID: 9224125
Filing Date: 2015-12-29
Classification: G06F,G06K,G06Q,H01Q

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling a manufacturing process, comprising: steering a beam corresponding to an antenna having a coverage area to scan a region in which a manufacturing process occurs, the manufacturing process being one of a plurality of manufacturing processes used to produce finished products as specified by each of a plurality of respective manufacturing job orders, wherein each of the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders identifies a manufacturing process having a plurality of manufacturing stages used to produce a respective finished product; resolving a location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within the region that is less than the coverage area of the antenna based on a signal transmitted by the RFID tag; determining whether a manufacturing item corresponding to an identity of the RFID tag used in the manufacturing process is at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with a corresponding manufacturing job order from among the plurality of respective manufacturing job orders; and disabling operation of the manufacturing process when the manufacturing item is not at a location corresponding to the manufacturing stage in the manufacturing process in accordance with the corresponding manufacturing job order.