Patent ID: 7649464

Claim:
An asset monitoring and security system, comprising: at least one asset assigned a unique identifier and operable to transmit an identification signal embodying the identifier over a wireless communications link; at least one user identification device assigned a unique identifier and operable to transmit an identification signal embodying the identifier over a wireless communications link; a data store for maintaining a list of the assets, a list of users authorized to use the assets, and privileges associated with the assets for each of the authorized users; and a control unit adapted to receive identification signals from the assets and user identification devices and determines positions of the assets and user identification devices within a defined area based on the identification signals from the assets and user identification devices, wherein the control unit associates a given asset with a given user when a distance between the given asset and the given user is less than a defined threshold and updates the data store with the associate between the given asset and the given user and is further operable to initiate an alarm event when privileges associated with a given authorized user for a given asset are exceeded.