Patent ID: 10330412

Abstract:
A tracking system for durable assets such as personal weapons is provided. The tracking system includes a durable asset tag including an RFID transponder physically mounted within an externally exposed cavity of the durable asset, and an identification card with a machine-readable third unique identifier associated with a person. Different embodiments are disclosed for the durable asset tag, with one embodiment including a helical antenna connected to the RFID transponder for facilitating communication with an RFID reader. The system also includes first and second databases, each storing information associated with the durable asset, and an AIM interface terminal for receiving the first unique identifier from the durable asset tag and the third unique identifier from the identification card, and which communicates with the databases for checking-in or checking-out the durable asset to the person having the identification card. The durable asset tag may be original to the durable asset or retrofitted thereto after manufacture. Methods are also provided for associating unique identifiers with a durable asset, tagging the durable asset, checking-in and checking-out the durable asset.