A system and method which allows third-parties to monitor company inventory via the Internet and World Wide Web ("web") and automatically order needed items. The present invention also provides a forum through which resellers and customers may directly interact to resell surplus and used equipment. The present invention may also allow a third party to act as a broker, thereby assuring that both the equipment purchased is actually delivered, and that the seller is properly compensated.
PRIORITY AND COPYRIGHT CLAIMS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/187,389 filed Mar. 7, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This application includes material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
A new method and system is provided for the interfacing with, replenishing and otherwise managing of a consignment inventory. Input data that address the content of the consignment inventory are supplied. Business flow is controlled be setting a periodical target of material released from the consignment inventory, by setting periodically sock limitations of high, low and an adequate supply of materials in the consignment inventory, and by providing an intelligent dispatching mechanism for releasing materials from the consignment inventory. In interface with the vendor keeps the vendor informed of the level of materials on hand. The method and system of the invention is supported and implemented using computed controlled data base storage.
A VoIP communicator utilizes an ultrawide band frequency, sufficient to determine a location of the communicator to within 1 meter, 0.1 meters, or less. The communicator preferably includes a display screen that displays a rich colored asset map. Several novel software functionalities are contemplated, including: (a) reporting the location of the responder as being within one of a plurality of business locations; (b) using scalar vector graphics to display the locations with varying degrees of detail; (c) displaying replay of movements of the assets; (d) displaying utilization profiles of the assets; and (e) coordinating the locations of the at least some of the assets data from a global satellite positioning system (GPS). It is still further contemplated that the inventive system can consolidates output from different types of nominally incompatible equipment.
A computer software facility for generating and implementing a temporal map depicting a relationship between locations in a warehouse or distribution center is described. The facility tracks the movement in the warehouse, including the time it takes for mobile elements to move between a pair of identifiable locations. Based on the tracking, the facility produces movement time records for multiple location pairs in the warehouse. The facility then generates a map of the warehouse. Where information for specific pairs of identifiable locations is not available, the facility may derive movement time information based on actual movement times for related location pairs. The generated map can be used as part of a computer application for tasks such as scheduling the picking of items, evaluating employee performance, organizing the storage of items in the warehouse, and other uses.
A goods tracking method and system for tracking goods loaded on or in a carrier is disclosed. The carrier and/or goods have an RFID tag. A data writing device and a data reading device are used. The writing device is arranged to obtain information on the goods and write corresponding data to the carrier's or goods' RFID tag. The reading device is arranged to read data from the RFID tag of the carrier and/or goods being submitted for fulfilment of an order and to determine acceptance of the goods on or in the carrier in dependence on the data meeting requirements of the order.
Systems, devices, and methods are provided for monitoring and tracking an item in a controlled space. In one embodiment, a portal system that monitors the controlled space includes a radio frequency tag that is attached to inventory and a portal device, which includes a computing device, a receiver and a locking door. The receiver is configured to receive a signal from radio frequency tag, and send the signal to the computing device. The locking door is coupled to the computing device. The computing device is configured to verify whether the user is authorized to be taking inventory in and out of the controlled space through the locking door based on the received signal, and to unlock the locking door based on the received signal. The computing device has a database that includes the total value of the inventory that the user has taken out of the controlled space. The computing device determines whether the user have exceeded a threshold value of inventory based on the total value of inventory that the user has taken out of the controlled space, and provides a notification signal to an administrator based on the total value of inventory.
