Patent ID: 8125340

Claim:
A method for providing real-time visibility on a construction project, said method comprising steps of: attaching a low frequency, ultra low power, two-way transceiver radio tag to each item of construction material to be used in the construction project, said radio tag comprising: a tag antenna operable at a low radio frequency not exceeding 450 kilohertz, a transceiver operatively connected to said antenna, said transceiver being operable to transmit and receive data signals at said low radio frequency, a data storage device configured to store data comprising identification data for identifying said radio tag, said data storage device being configured to write data before and after the radio tag is attached to an item of construction material, a data processor operable to process data received from said transceiver and said data storage device and to send data to cause said transceiver to emit an identification signal based upon said identification data stored in said data storage device, and an energy source for activating said transceiver and said data processor; storing, in the data storage device of the radio tag, specification data relating to said construction material on which the tag is affixed; networking the radio tags; and reading the specification data from the transceiver of the radio tag.