System and method for combined electronic inventory data and access control

Apparatus for combined current inventory data management and access control, comprising:

• a lockable enclosure with a door which can be opened and closed under electronic lock control;
• an electronically actuated lock system for selectively allowing locking and unlocking of said enclosure by respective closing and opening of said door;
• and
• an RFID reading system associated with said lockable enclosure including an RFID antenna within said enclosure for determining the identity of respective enclosure contents having respective frangible RFID tags within said enclosure, which tags produce altered ID characteristics interoperative with said RFID reading system when ruptured;
• wherein said lockable enclosure includes electromagnetic shielding so to block any external electromagnetic fields, so that any RFID readings are limited to RFID tags and their associated contents which are within said enclosure when said door is closed.

Methodology for combined electronic inventory data and access control, comprising:

• providing a closable enclosure with an electronically actuated lock system for selectively allowing locking and unlocking of said enclosure;
• providing a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags associated with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said enclosure, said RFID tags producing altered ID characteristics interoperative with an RFID reading system once at least partially ruptured for access to their respective consumable inventory items;
• associating an RFID reading system with said enclosure;
• and
• determining with said RFID reading system at a selected time unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when closed, so as to identify corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith.

A system for combined electronic inventory data and access control, comprising:

• a closable enclosure;
• a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags associated with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said enclosure comprising controlled drugs for use on a mobile EMS vehicle, and wherein said RFID tags are adapted to at least partially rupture to produce altered ID characteristics for RFID reading whenever the contained drugs are acquired for administration;
• an electronically actuated lock system for selectively allowing locking and unlocking of said enclosure;
• and
• an RFID reading system, associated with said enclosure, and adapted for determining at a selected time unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when closed, so as to identify corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith.

Methodology for providing combined electronic inventory data and access control for controlled drugs for use on a mobile EMS vehicle, comprising:

• providing a closable enclosure having an electronically actuated lock system for selectively allowing locking and unlocking of said enclosure by an authorized user;
• associating an RFID reading system with said enclosure;
• associating a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said enclosure comprising controlled drugs for use on a mobile EMS vehicle, with said RFID tags adapted to at least partially rupture to produce altered ID characteristics for RFID reading whenever the contained drugs are acquired for administration;
• using said RFID reading system to determine at selected times unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when closed, so as to identify corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith;
• and
• storing in a memory tracking data corresponding to the identification data determined by said RFID reading system.

An electronic access control system for inventory data and access control for electronically controlled lock systems, comprising:

• a communications network;
• a plurality of electronic locks, respectively associated with a plurality of securable enclosures, and each of said locks having respective network communications devices for respectively connecting said each electronic lock with said communications network;
• and
• a central server, connected with said plurality of electronic locks over said network, and selectively providing at least one of data updates and management for each of said electronic locks;
• wherein each of said securable enclosures includes:
• a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags associated with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said respective enclosures, with said RFID tags adapted to at least partially rupture to produce altered ID characteristics for RFID reading by an RFID reader once their respective consumable inventory items are accessed;
• and
• a plurality of respective RFID reading systems, associated with each said respective enclosure, and adapted for determining at a selected time unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when secured, so as to identify corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith.

Methodology for an electronic access control system for inventory data and access control for electronically controlled lock systems, comprising:

• providing a communications network;
• providing a plurality of electronic locks, each of said locks having respective network communications devices for respectively connecting said each electronic lock with said communications network;
• respectively associating said plurality of locks with a plurality of securable enclosures;
• providing each of said securable enclosures with a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags associated with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said respective enclosures, with said RFID tags adapted to at least partially rupture to produce altered ID characteristics for RFID reading by an RFID reader once their respective consumable inventory items are accessed;
• providing each of said securable enclosures a plurality of respective RFID reading systems, associated with each said respective enclosure, and adapted for determining at a selected time unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when secured, so as to identify corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith;
• using said RFID reading systems, selectively establishing data at said respective enclosures for identifying corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith;
• providing a central server connected with said plurality of electronic locks over said network;
• and
• selectively providing at least one of data updates and data management for each of said electronic locks, conducted by said central server over said network.

An electronic access control system for inventory data and access control for use with an enclosure of the type having at least an exterior portion and a securable interior portion, comprising:

• a microprocessor based access control circuit;
• a lock configured to be unlocked by said access control circuit;
• a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags associated with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said enclosure, with said RFID tags adapted to at least partially rupture to produce altered ID characteristics for RFID reading by an RFID reader system once their respective consumable inventory items are accessed;
• an RFID reading system associated with said enclosure, and adapted for determining at a selected time unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when secured, so as to identify contents of said enclosure comprising corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith;
• memory for storage of data associated with contents of said enclosure;
• and
• a user interface configured to provide a user access to said access control circuit through input data verified by said microprocessor, wherein said access control circuit is configured to unlock said lock based on input data verified by said microprocessor, and wherein said user interface is further configured to provide a user access to said memory for tracking contents of said enclosure.

An electronic access control system for inventory data and access control for use with a plurality of securable enclosures and a central control server, comprising:

• a plurality of microprocessor based access control circuits;
• a plurality of locks, configured to be respectively and controllably unlocked by said plurality of access control circuits;
• a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags associated with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said respective enclosures, with said RFID tags adapted to at least partially rupture to produce altered ID characteristics for RFID reading by an RFID reader system once their respective consumable inventory items are accessed;
• a plurality of respective RFID reading systems, associated with each said respective enclosure, and adapted for determining at a selected time unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when secured, so as to identify contents of said enclosure comprising corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith;
• and
• a plurality of communication means, respectively associated with each of said access control circuits, for communication via an associated communications network between an associated central control server and each of said access control circuits, whereby access to an associated plurality of securable enclosures may be centrally controlled via electronically based communications from an associated central server.

Methodology for secured inventory management for inventory data and access control through use of an electronic access control system and a securable enclosure of the type having at least an exterior portion and a securable interior portion, comprising:

• associating with a securable enclosure a lock configured to be unlocked by an access control circuit;
• providing a plurality of respective frangible RFID tags associated with respective consumable inventory items to be received in said enclosure, with said RFID tags adapted to at least partially rupture to produce altered ID characteristics for RFID reading by an RFID reader system once their respective consumable inventory items are accessed;
• associating an RFID reading system with said enclosure;
• using said RFID reading system at a selected time for determining unruptured frangible RFID tags received within said enclosure when secured, so as to identify contents of said enclosure comprising corresponding respective consumable inventory items associated therewith;
• providing memory for storage of data associated with contents of the associated securable enclosure as determined at selected times with said RFID reading system;
• and
• receiving and validating credentials from a user, in order to provide access by the user to contents of the associated securable enclosure by configuring the access control circuit to unlock the lock based on validated credentials from such user.