Zone-Based asset tracking and control system

A system for selectively inhibiting movement of an object, the system comprising:

• marker means, physically associated with said object, for transmitting a marker signal;
• sensor means, installed at a doorway, for receiving said marker signal transmitted from said marker means as the object is moved through said doorway and for detecting a direction in which said object is moved through the doorway, said sensor means generating a detection signal indicative of said detected direction of movement;
• and
• control means responsive to said sensor means for determining on the basis of said detection signal whether movement of said object through said doorway in said detected direction is authorized and for inhibiting movement of said object in said detected direction of movement if said control means determines that said movement of said object in said detected direction is not authorized.

A system for determining the respective positions of a plurality of objects within a storage facility that includes a plurality of object storage locations, each of said storage locations being sized and shaped to permit storage of only one of said objects in the respective location, the system comprising:

• a plurality of object markers each physically associated with a respective one of said plurality of objects for movement with the respective object, each said marker transmitting a marker signal that is indicative of the presence of the respective object;
• a plurality of sensor devices each installed at a respective one of the object storage locations in said facility, each said device for receiving a respective marker signal for an object present at the respective storage location;
• and
• data processing means connected to said sensor devices for storing with respect to each storage location an indication signal which indicates whether one of said objects is present at said storage location.