# US 2021/0241218 A1 · Inventory management system

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- Number: US 2021/0241218 A1
- Document ID: US20210241218A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/235,513
- Filed: 2021-04-20
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-13
- Assignees: Ellsworth Corporation
- Inventors: Jeremy Richardson; Christina Gabrielson; James Hazen; Randy Witt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241218A1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 10/08726: {for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation}
- G06Q 10/08772: {Inventory counting methods}
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

An inventory management system includes one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) readers each configured to detect RFID labels attached to inventory items within a certain radius of the RFID reader. The one or more RFID readers are configured to automatically determine a directional movement of RFID labels and attached inventory items. A first computer server is configured to communicate, via a network connection, with one or more client devices, and also configured to receive data gathered by the one or more RFID readers. The first computer server is configured to maintain a real-time inventory status of the inventory items. The real-time inventory status includes a location of the one or more RFID labels, and further includes a current usage state of the attached inventory items. The first computer server is configured to transmit the real-time inventory status to a display of the client device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An inventory management system comprising:
one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) readers each configured to detect RFID labels attached to inventory items within a certain radius of the RFID reader;
a first computer server configured to communicate, via a network connection, with one or more client devices, and configured to receive data gathered by the one or more RFID readers;
wherein the first computer server is configured to maintain a real-time inventory status of the inventory items, the real-time inventory status including a location of the one or more RFID labels, and further including a current usage state of the attached inventory items; and
wherein the first computer server is configured to transmit the real-time inventory status to a display of the client device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the client device includes a second computer server configured as a slave to the first computer server, the second computer server connected to the one or more RFID readers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the client device includes a handheld RFID scanner.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the client device includes a thick-client-managed RFID scanner.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The inventory management system of claim 4, wherein the thick client is one of a desktop computer, and a laptop computer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more RFID readers is located at a portal or doorway.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The inventory management system of claim 6, wherein the portal is a dual zone portal having RFID readers located on each side of the portal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The inventory management system of claim 6, wherein the portal is a single zone portal having RFID readers located on one side of the portal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The inventory management system of claim 8, wherein the first computer server is programmed to implement a dwell time such that, after a change in the current usage state of the inventory item due to detection of the inventory item's RFID label by a particular RFID reader, the current usage state cannot be changed again, during the dwell time, based on a subsequent detection of the inventory item's RFID label by the particular RFID reader.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the client devices include an application to facilitate the display the real-time inventory status.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The inventory management system of claim 10, wherein the application facilitates the display of a photograph of the inventory item associated with a particular RFID label, along with the location of the RFID label and the current usage state of the inventory item.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The inventory management system of claim 11, wherein the application updates the display of the real-time inventory status in real-time based on data gathered by the RFID reader.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the first computer server is configured to detect an RFID label carried by an individual in order to identify and record a name of the individual transporting the inventory items.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the first computer server is configured to determine the current usage state of inventory items by the directional movement of the RFID labels attached to the inventory items.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein each location includes a unique RFID label such that a physical count of the inventory items in a location can be performed by scanning the RFID label for the location and for each inventory item in that location.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The inventory management system of claim 15, wherein the first computer server is configured to detect, in real time, a discrepancy between the physical count and a projected inventory count.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The inventory management system of claim 15, wherein the first computer server loads, onto a handheld RFID scanner for storage thereon, the projected count for the inventory item at the location for comparison to the physical count determined by the handheld RFID scanner.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the first computer server is remotely-located from the one or more client devices.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the first computer server is configured to maintain a real-time inventory status of the inventory items from one or more remote sites.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the first computer server includes an application which automatically generates replenishment orders for inventory items when an inventory level for the inventory item drops below a threshold level.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, further comprising an RFID label printer configured to print RFID labels for the inventory items.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the first computer server is configured to track a shelf life for each inventory item.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The inventory management system of claim 22, wherein the first computer server is configured to track an expiration date for each inventory item, and to alert a user if the shelf life nears or exceeds the expiration date for an inventory item.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein RFID labels on each inventory item are linked to items listed on the packing slip, and wherein the first computer server is configured to automatically determine whether the RFID labels on each inventory item detected by the one or more RFID readers matches the listing of inventory items on the packing slip.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the first computer server is configured to control one or more remotely-located RFID readers.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The inventory management system of claim 25, wherein the client device is a thin client used at the remote location to access the real-time inventory status, the thin client comprising one of a tablet computer, touch screen device, notebook computer, and a smart phone.