Method and apparatus for associating the movement of goods with the identity of an individual moving the goods
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- obtaining identity information regarding an entity which enters a controlled space;
monitoring, using a wireless tracking system communicatively coupled to a computer system, locations and movements of the entity and objects within the controlled space;
automatically associating, using the computer system, the identity information regarding the entity with status information regarding additions, removals, returns, defective status, or movements of the objects to/from/within the controlled space; and
transmitting the status information and the associated identity information to a server communicatively coupled to the computer system and configured to automatically notify a user of the status information, wherein at least one of the objects is automatically returned or picked up as a result of such notification.
12 Assignments
Litigations
2 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A tracking system monitors an entity that enters a controlled space and the addition, removal, or other movement or status changes of objects in the controlled space. A computer system, coupled to the tracking system, automatically associates the addition, removal or other movement or status changes of the objects with the identity of the entity and transmits this information to a server computer system. A user may subsequently access this information through one or more client computers coupled to the server computer system. The server computer system may also automatically notify a user or other computer systems, e.g., through a network interface, wireless interface, or telephone interface, when objects in the controlled space have been moved or the status has been changed and/or whether such movement or status change is authorized or not.
196 Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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obtaining identity information regarding an entity which enters a controlled space;
monitoring, using a wireless tracking system communicatively coupled to a computer system, locations and movements of the entity and objects within the controlled space;
automatically associating, using the computer system, the identity information regarding the entity with status information regarding additions, removals, returns, defective status, or movements of the objects to/from/within the controlled space; and
transmitting the status information and the associated identity information to a server communicatively coupled to the computer system and configured to automatically notify a user of the status information, wherein at least one of the objects is automatically returned or picked up as a result of such notification. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A machine-readable storage medium embodying a sequence of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method for automatically associating an identity of an entity with a movement of one or more objects in a controlled-access location, the method comprising:
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identifying, at a controller associated with the controlled-access location, an entity attempting to enter the controlled-access location;
determining whether the entity is authorized to enter the controlled-access location based upon the entity identification;
unlocking a locking mechanism to allow the entity to have access to the controlled-access location if the entity is authorized, wherein the entity may add, remove, return, move and/or update status of objects to/from/within the controlled-access location; and
monitoring the location, movement, and status change of the entity and the objects within the controlled-access location using a wireless tracking system, wherein the movement of the objects within/to/from the controlled-access location is entered into a computer system by the entity using an input device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer system, comprising:
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a processing unit;
a memory coupled to the processing unit; and
a process executed from the memory causing the processing unit to (i) automatically associate an identity of an entity with movement and/or status changes of objects to/from/within a controlled space, (ii) monitor the location and movement of the entity and objects within the controlled space via a wireless tracking system coupled to the computer system, and (iii) associate the identity of the entity with the movement or status changes of the objects according to information which is entered into the computer system by the entity using an input device coupled to the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A method, comprising:
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obtaining identity information regarding an entity which enters a controlled space;
monitoring, using a wireless tracking system communicatively coupled to a computer system, locations and movements of the entity and objects within the controlled space;
automatically associating, using the computer system, the identity information regarding the entity with status information regarding additions, removals, returns, defective status, or movements of the objects to/from/within the controlled space; and
transmitting the status information and the associated identity information to a server communicatively coupled to the computer system and configured to automatically notify a user of the status information, wherein an access code for the controlled space is automatically generated as a result of such notification. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method, comprising:
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obtaining identity information regarding an entity which enters a controlled space;
monitoring, using a wireless tracking system communicatively coupled to a computer system, locations and movements of the entity and objects within the controlled space; and
automatically associating, using the computer system, the identity information regarding the entity with status information regarding additions, removals, returns, defective status, or movements of the objects to/from/within the controlled space, which status information is entered into the computer system by the entity using an input device. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification