Patent ID: 8004401

Claim:
A system to manage movement of at least one asset, the system comprising: at least one tracking element operable to generate a signal representative of a location of the at least one asset; and a controller in communication with the at least one tracking element, the controller including a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including a plurality of program instructions to instruct the processor in execution of the steps of: receiving the signal representative of the location of the at least one asset having a unique identifier, identifying one of a plurality of status indicators for the at least one asset dependent on the signal representative of the location of the of the at least one asset, comparing a change in one of the plurality of status indicators of the at least one asset relative to at least one predetermined rule, and generating a display illustrative of a valid or an invalid change in the one of the status indicator in response to an output of the comparing step, wherein the plurality of status indicators include a USE state, a DIRTY state, a CLEANING state, an INVENTORY state, and a SERVICE state, wherein the USE state represents the at least one asset being utilized by a subject, wherein the DIRTY state represents the at least one asset being stored temporarily before being taken to one of a location of the CLEANING state or the SERVICE state, wherein the CLEANING state represents the at least one asset either waiting to be or in the process of being cleaned, wherein the INVENTORY state represents the at least one asset previously moved from the CLEANING state is now in storage until deployed for use in accordance with the USE state, and wherein the SERVICE state represents the at least one asset requiring repair or to be discarded, and wherein the at least one predetermined rule includes a rule of invalid movement of the at least one asset from the DIRTY state to one of the USE state and the INVENTORY state without passing through the CLEANING state.