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:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    A. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is related to systems for tracking items inside a predetermined area and more particularly to an item tracking system for controlling the lending and returning of items assigned to predetermined storing locations inside a working area by the workers. 
         [0003]    B. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In certain working places such as aeronautics workshops, it is critical to keep an extremely clean and safe environment, since any object, even small ones, can get lost and end inside an engine for example, which can be disastrous during testing or operation of the engine, destroying the engine and causing a serious problem in the aircraft during flight. 
         [0005]    The above referred problem gets worst in a workshop where many tools and instruments are used by many people for maintenance operations and where said tools can eventually get lost and become a FOD (Foreign Object Damage). 
         [0006]    When a tool gets lost, it is necessary to stop all the operations in the workshop until the tool is found, if it is even found, causing serious problems and delays in the workshop and serious problems to the aircraft operator which lost precious time and money, not mentioning the risk of delivering an aircraft with a potential fatal problem. 
         [0007]    In view of the above, some fraudulent practices may arise when a tool gets lost, such as some worker stoling the tools of another worker to replace his/her lost tool and link the responsibility of the problem to another person, or even buy a replacement tool from internal fraudulent organizations or from an external provider, which involves a great risk since the lost tool may cause a fatal accident. 
         [0008]    In order to solve this problem, there were developed methods and systems comprising the use of ID tags comprising a bar code sticker for each tool and manually tracking each tool frequently. This system requires that when a worker takes a tool from a location the tool be passed in front of a bar code reader for registering the transaction and the same operation should be done for returning the tool to the storage location which is time consuming and it may be possible that a worker forget to register the taking and/or returning operations in the system which may cause very serious control problems since it may generate a false alarm if a tool is not registered as “returned”. 
         [0009]    Furthermore, the bar code sticker may be peeled of from the tools during use, thus turning the sticker rests in potentially dangerous FOD&#39;s. 
         [0010]    In view of the above referred problems, applicant developed a system which makes use RFID technology for automatically monitoring the taking and returning operations of items inside a working area. 
         [0011]    Applicant&#39;s system comprises: a plurality of electronic worker identification tags, each assigned to a respective worker, each having personalized identification information about the worker; a plurality of electronic item identification tags, each permanently integrated to a respective tool, each having information about the item and about its assigned storage area; a plurality of electronic worker identification tags readers for each storage area; a plurality 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; and wherein 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. 
         [0012]    With applicant&#39;s system it is possible to have a tight control over each tool and an immediate control over taking and returning operations. Furthermore, applicant&#39;s system allows to have an almost “on line” status of each tool as well as the using history of each tool. 
         [0013]    Since the system links each operation with a respective worker, it is impossible to lose any tool and returning a different tool, since the system would detect that said tool is related to other employee. A skilled in the art may suggest that the RFID tag may be easily retired from the tool and attached to other tool, but applicant&#39;s system requires that each RFID tag be attached to the tool by means of special substances already available in the market which practically “integrates” the RFID tag in such way that if someone try to detach it from the toll, the RFID is destroyed, thus avoiding fraudulent practices. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide 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. 
         [0015]    It is another main object of the present invention to provide an item tracking system of the above referred nature which allows to have an almost “on line” status of each tool as well as the using history of each tool. 
         [0016]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an item tracking system of the above referred nature, which links each operation with a respective worker, thus maintaining a register of which tools are being used by each worker. 
         [0017]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an item tracking system of the above referred nature which avoids that a worker returns any tool not corresponding to the tool the system registered as originally taken by the worker. 
         [0018]    These and other objects and advantages of the physical inventory auditor system of the present invention will become apparent to those persons having an ordinary skill in the art, from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention which will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    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. 
         [0020]    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: 
         [0021]    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); 
         [0022]    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; 
         [0023]    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; 
         [0024]    a plurality of RFID worker identification tags readers  6  for each toolbox compartment of a respective toolbox; 
         [0025]    a plurality of RFID tool identification tags readers  7 , each assigned to a respective compartment  2  of a respective toolbox  1 ; 
         [0026]    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: 
         [0027]    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.   
               
 
         [0036]    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; 
         [0037]    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 
         [0038]    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 . 
         [0039]    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. 
         [0040]    In addition to the control over the taking and returning transactions for each tool  3 , applicant&#39;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. 
         [0041]    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. 
         [0042]    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. 
         [0043]    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.