Contactless Identification Device for Movable Object Inventory Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inventorying movable capital goods, such as refrigeration units, requires significant administrative effort due to frequent location changes, necessitating continuous documentation of their current location.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing an identification device with a contactless machine-readable identification code that can be read by an external device, such as a smartphone, and associated location information transmitted to an inventory database, allowing for wireless communication and automatic tracking of the object's location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual documentation methods are used to track movable capital goods locations, then administrative effort and time consumption increase, but the system remains simple and does not require complex infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual documentation methods with an automated identification system. An identification device attached to the movable object stores identification data that can be automatically read by external reading devices, eliminating the need for manual data entry and significantly reducing the time and effort required for inventory tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification device on the movable object enables self-identification. The object carries its own identification data, which can be automatically retrieved by reading devices without requiring human intervention to manually record location information, thus improving inventory efficiency while minimizing time loss.
2Ease of operation
If contactless machine-readable identification is used, then reading speed and accuracy improve, but the requirement for external reading devices and infrastructure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The identification device is designed to be universally readable by various external reading devices. The identification data can be read contactlessly using different types of readers (optical, RFID, barcode scanners), making the system flexible and adaptable to different reading infrastructures without requiring specialized equipment for each object type.
3Extent of automation
If automatic location tracking is implemented, then administrative effort is reduced, but the system complexity and initial setup requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inventory system is segmented into independent components: an identification device attached to the movable object, external reading devices for data capture, and a central inventory database for storage and management. This segmentation allows the system to be implemented in modular fashion, reducing initial complexity while enabling automatic location tracking through the coordinated operation of separate, manageable components.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 1E
AI summary
In a method for inventorying a movable object, in particular a movable capital good and/or refrigerated display case, which has an identification device that provides an identification code assigned to the object for contactless machine reading by an external reader, the identification code is read contactlessly by the reader, in particular a smartphone. In addition, location information, which identifies the object's location, is assigned to the read identification code, and the read identification code and the assigned location information are transmitted to an inventory database.