Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A system for replacing equipment, comprising:a first memory module associated with a first equipment, the first memory module configured to store one or more first characteristics of the first equipment;a second memory module associated with a second equipment, the second memory module configured to store one or more second characteristics of the second equipment;a portable reader configured to read the first and second memory modules and to compare the read one or more second characteristics with the read one or more first characteristics to determine if the second equipment is a suitable replacement for the first equipment; anda measuring device configured to measure at least one of the one or more first characteristics and the one or more second characteristics, wherein the portable reader is associated with the measuring device, and is further configured to store the measured one or more first characteristics on the first memory module, and to store the measured one or more second characteristics on the second memory module. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first equipment is a first section of pipe, and the second equipment is a second section of pipe. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first characteristics include a first material classification of the first equipment, and the one or more second characteristics include a second material classification of the second equipment. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the portable reader is configured to determine whether the second material classification matches the first material classification. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first memory module is attached to the first equipment. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second memory module is attached to the second equipment. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the second memory module is attached to a container that at least partially contains the second equipment. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable reader is further configured to erase at least one of (a) existing first characteristics before storing the measured one or more first characteristics on the first memory module, and (b) existing second characteristics before storing the measured one or more second characteristics on the second memory module. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the measured one or more first characteristics include a first material classification for the first equipment, and the measured one or more second characteristics include a second material classification for the second equipment. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the measuring device is configured to perform an x-ray fluorescence to measure percentage compositions of one or more elements of the first equipment and the second equipment. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the measuring device is further configured to determine the first and second material classifications based, at least in part, on the measured percentage compositions of one or more elements. 12. A method of replacing equipment, comprising:storing one or more first characteristics of a first equipment on a first memory module associated with the first equipment;transmitting the one or more first characteristics to a portable reader configured to read the first memory module;measuring one or more second characteristics of a second equipment using a measuring device associated with the portable reader; andcomparing, with the portable reader, the measured one or more second characteristics with the read one or more first characteristics to determine if one of the first and second equipment is a suitable replacement for the other equipment, where the one or more first characteristics include a first material classification and the one or more second characteristics include a second material classification, wherein comparing the measured one or more second characteristics with the read one or more first characteristics includes determining whether the second material classification matches the first material classification. 13. A method of replacing equipment, comprising:storing one or more first characteristics of a first equipment on a first memory module associated with the first equipment;transmitting the one or more first characteristics to a portable reader configured to read the first memory module;measuring one or more second characteristics of a second equipment using a measuring device associated with the portable reader; andcomparing, with the portable reader, the measured one or more second characteristics with the read one or more first characteristics to determine if one of the first and second equipment is a suitable replacement for the other equipment, wherein measuring one or more second characteristics of a second equipment includes:measuring percentage compositions of one or more elements of the second equipment; andclassifying material of the second equipment based, at least in part, on the measured percentage compositions of the one or more elements. 14. A method of replacing equipment, comprising:storing one or more first characteristics of a first equipment on a first memory module associated with the first equipment;storing one or more second characteristics of a second equipment on a second memory module associated with the second equipment;transmitting the one or more first characteristics to a portable reader;transmitting the one or more second characteristics to the portable reader, the portable reader being configured to read the first and second memory modules; andcomparing, with the portable reader, the read one or more second characteristics with the read one or more first characteristics to determine if the second equipment is a suitable replacement for the first equipment, where the one or more first characteristics include a first material classification and the one or more second characteristics include a second material classification, wherein comparing the read one or more second characteristics with the read one or more first characteristics includes determining whether the second material classification matches the first material classification.