GB2396857A - Order-handling system using radio-frequency product tags - Google Patents

Abstract

An order-handling inventory management system for products (11, fig 8), <WC 1><WC 1> including: a database (70) for containing information about the products, including availability and location of the products, and physical aspects of the products including one ore more of length, width, thickness, volume or weight; a radio frequency subsystem <WC 1>(80) adapted to detect radio-frequency-detectable identificators (12) that are attachable to the products stored in one or more storage sites 11, <WC 1>the products forming at least part of an inventory, wherein the radio frequency subsystem includes a portable radio frequency reading device 50 that indicates the location of a product in the storage sit<WC 1>e 11 by detecting the identificator (12) thereof, the portable reading device accumulating information for a plurality of products; and an order-receiving-processing subsystem for receiving orders for products and ascertaining from the database the availability and the location of the products in the one or more storage sites, which uses the radio frequency subsystem to detect the actual products within the storage site or sites by detecting the identificators of the ordered products. Preferably a suitable package size is provided. Preferably the products are computer parts components or software etc.

Description

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Field of Inversion

The invention relates to an orders ing inventory management system, and a meod.of handling orders.

Prior Art

The advent of electronic commerce over the mtemet mibBlly promised a lowcost way of doing business where customers provide sales orders via the mtemet. E-comme:rce promised view levels of profits because traditional factions, such as advertising, camlogues; receding- of orders and payments, could be handled telephonically via the intoned - lIowever, it has been fond that the processing of the sales orders is an area Cat adds costs to the operator due to inefucierlcies of time. For iIlSC&, letdown warehouse storage Sys=ns, lime is m locating the when:abouh; of produce in the wsrvhouse, because of Me need to visually Aspect the products. Moreover, time is to n up m physic handling prod Mom the time of firming the products out of storage through to s?pmg. Time is also wasted due to the urged to nnially enter dim into Me order processing system.

The time wastage problems have teem pardally soldered by the use of barcode readers which are used to scan die products. However, barcodes. reqre a line of sight for t31e readers to wow, whichneans that the product, by t}'e barcode, has to be m full new for rho barcode reader to wore Thus, We use of barcodes does not avoid the need to search for items within a warehouse by hang to physically handle the product and to open sewage boxes to find Me products. Moreover, more time is required conduct stock takes because ofthe need to vishally locate He prod in order to use the barcode reader.

Occasionally, errors in the database may result in the actual products picked fi om He storage site not bemg the items ordered by the customer. Barcodes axe also dependent on printouts for checking ibe status of the inventory, which may result Minoan errors when reading the pnDtouts. Another problem is that, although barcodes are relatively cheap to produce, barcodes canbe photocopied and duplicated easily.

it, '< , - - : '' . . ' . 2! ' ) i, . . ,, ',,,: :- Answer problen: of ó-commerce: is the ObSt qf hiding and Aping. ORen, the high shipping costs negate the lower costs of the actual products offered for sale by internet, Sometimes, orders consisting of a few books are dólivored in boxes that are far larger tea necessary. Aloe extra costs for shipping or postingthe unnecessarily large box add to the overall purchase cost, and decreases ó Croci margins of tl: e business.

AIternatively, when human judgment is used to select the appropriate sized box for an order, inappropriate choice can be made which wasites tune to repack the products into the correct box.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least ameliorate at least one of the póoblerns in the prior art, or to provide an alternative to the prior art.

SumnEry of Invention According to an aspect of the present nven60n, there is provided an order-handling inventory maragement system for products, including a database capable of contang information About the products including avaiabili,r and location of the products; a radio frequency subsystem operatively adapted to detect radio-frequency-detcctablc denffticators that are attaclable to the products stored un one or more storage sites, Me products fomung at least part of inventory, and 2 an order-receiving-processing subsystem for nsceinog orders for products and ascertaining Tom Me database the availability and the location of the products in to one or more storage sites, Welch uses We radio frequency Subsystem to detect the actual products mthin-storage--oresbydetócting the -c-erg plums-- - - ---- ---- rein the order receiving-processing subsystem uses the radio frequency subsystem to detect products contained within a package to be shipped to verify Mat Me contents of Me package correspond to a received order, Preferably, packages for containing Me products are provided Edith a radio-quency readable package identificator that contains irtforrtaldon on die order. Advantageously Me . _. . ... _, . , '. ' , , , . ' , . . radiofrequellcy-rcadable package idstificator includes infonnation on the contents packige.- --- ------ -- --- ----------------- - --- -- -- In preferred embodiments, the order may be verified by comparing information contained in the package ideT,tificator with the identificators attached to the product or products in Me package.

the order-receiving processing subsystn may generate a nailing label and/or a packing list for mailing art order and, ideally, the mailing label and/or a packing list Ladler a packing list is generated only after the contents of the package have been verified and matched with the order.

According to anotller aspect of the present invention, there is provided an order- handling inventory management system for products, including: a database capable of containing infonnation:about the products including availability and location of the products, and physical aspect of the products, including brie or mote of Icagth, width thickness, volume or weight; : radio frequency System operatively adabted to detect radiofrequencydetectsble identificators that are attachable to the products stored in one or more storage sites, tho products forming at least part of an inventory; and an order-reeeiv=-processtog subsystem for receiving orders for products and ascertaining fi:om the database He availability and tile location of the products In Be one or more storage sites, which uses the radio frequency subsystem to detect He actual products within the storage site or sites by detecting the identifi;ators of the ordered products..

- Proferbly; e - - e includes.

volumes and physical dimensions of one or more packages. The ordrreceivinprocssing subsystem may be operatively adapted to select.a mnmun sized package capable of containing the product or products based on He infomadon on He physical aspects of each product or products in the order.

; - * tL. . : : i Ideally, the selection of tle minimum-sized package enables the ordereceiving- p ocessing subsystem tocatculateamnmum delved Lost require-d I---epacge-- Fo the customer.

The order-receiving-processig subsystem is preferably connectable to the Intemet to provide on-line customers with interactive information concernirg the minimum delivery cost.

The order-receivg-processing subsystem may be adapted to electronically receive orders, and ideally receives the orders via the Internet by the user entonng order information into a web-page.

Preferably, die database further includes infonnabon stored on each of e ideatiffcators. : Tle order-handling inventory Tnanagenent system may include one or m0Ie sorting stations and a number of bays, wherein a product is assigned a bay at the or each sorting station together with an appropriately sized pacicage for packing at the assigned bay. : In a preferred embodiment, Me radio frequency subsystem includes a portable radio hequency reading dewee Mat indicates Me location of a product in the stooge site detecting the identificator thereof The portable reading device may accumulate information for a plóati of products, and preferably is able to upload infonnadon *om the database which is operatively connectable to the portable read device via a trausnutt mea=.

Advantageously, when a product is removed from its storage location, the portable reading device is updated to reftoct the product as David been picked. Prefcrabty' Me portable reading device downloads to the database infortnaffon on jibe products that have been picked via a - trzmmmsimnreerr:s; - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The products managed by the order-handling inrentoty management system may be boosts or printed material. Altenatiwly, Me products may be any one or more of computer parts and components, soapers, Yeliiole spare parts, medical products and prescription drugs, video tapes and compact discs. : 5. : Information on expiry dates ofthe products may be storable in the database andlor on in. . . . . . . :, . . . . . :: ..

the identificators to identify and locate products Mat have passed their expiry dates.

In a further aspect of the present inversion there is: provided a method of handling an order for a product from an inventory, including the steps of: using an order-receiving-processing subsystem to receive an order for product; obtaining information concerning availability and locallon of tle product from a database containing information about the product; : providing the information concerning location of the product to a radio frequency subsystem; . . using the radio frequency subsystem to detect a radio-Requency-detectle identificator that is attached to the product stored in one or more storage sites, the product forming part of He inventory; : verifying that a product contained within a package to be shipped corresponds to the received order by using radio frequency subsystem to detect a radio-hequency-detectable identificator Mat is attached lo Tic product contained Trite the package to be shipped.

Preferably, the method farther includes the step oproriding the package to be shipped with a radimEequency-readable package identificator that Cottons infonnadon on the order.

Advantageously, the radio-fiequency-readable paclcige identificator includes information on Me contents of Me package. The verifying step may include comparing information contained in the package identificator with the identificator attached to the product contained within- Me package.

In one embodiment No method farther includes die step of generating a mailing label pm;ldngIlstnor-pacng or-nailing"ider; -It* preforab}e at-tbeain- - -- label and/or a packing list andlor a packing list is generated only after the contents of the package have been Yenficd and matched win Me order.

Lo yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of handling an ordcs for a product Mom an inventory, including Me steps of: uslog an order-receivinprocessing subsystem to receive an order for a product; a.

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t; : obtaining information concernlug availability avid location of the product, and physical - . aspects of e product, including one or more of lend, width, thickness, volume or weight Dom a database containing:nfonnation about the product;...DTD: providing the infonnation concerning location of the product to a radio frequency subsystem; using the radio frequency subsystem to detect a radio-hequency-detectable idcatificator that is attached to the product stored in one or mare storage sites, the product forming part of the. inventory, Pre,fembly, the database includes information on packages for the products including volumes and physical dimensions of one or more packages.

Advantageously, Me method filrtber includes the step of selecting a ninLmum-sized package capable of containing the product The selecting step may include calculating a minimum delivery cost required to deliver the package to the customer. Preferably, on-line customers, connected via the Intemet, me provided with Interactive infonnation conóentirtg the minimum delivery cost.

Drawings In order &at the invention might be more Filly understood, embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example only, win reference to We accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a storage Bite 1 hat uses an cniboent of an orderhanng invóntrmaagement-ston-todie css-fefredutoree warehouse; Figure 2 shows the screen ofthe handheld radio fieqcuoy reader which shows the whorcabouts of a particular book in Me warehouse; (, lo, .' .' , ', ' , ', ' ' ' ' ' Figure 3 is a sample screen of tee uploading and downloading tenninal where the handled radio frequency ("RF") reader uploads and downloads information bcween the database, Figure 4 is a sample screen of computer monitor at the sorting station of Eilgure 1; _... ._..... __. .. .. ...

: , 1 Figure 5 is a sample screen of a computer monitor at the verification stardom of File 1; Figure 6 is an example of a radio fi; equency box tag, Me radio frequency component of the tag being hidden behind the Font panel of We box tag; Fi=,ares 7A to 7D provide an example of a single continuous flow chart which detentes an embodiment of an order-handling inventory management systems The information described in and ascertainable from the flowchart is included in Me disclosure of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and Figure 8 is a block diagram of the embodiment of the order-handling inventory management system of FiDoure 1.

Desmiotion of Embodiments Refiug to the drawings, Figure 1 ills = a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an order-handling inventory Element system used at a storage site or warehouse. The management system may also adapted for a business where the-prods are stored in one or more storage sites A bloc): diagram of the arderhandling inventory Cement system is shown m Figs 8.

The ele of the uventoy management system is described with referee to a book-selling business. The business has a House Off con a He using= of books fanning at least part of the totted mventoóy of He business, bud: the inventory also includes out of stock books that can be ordered. The total by imtentoIy may be m one warehouse, or spread over aDmnher of warehouses m venous park of a comedy.

Before 1,books 11 storedonshelres,pallets orstorae recks tO.ldlhese slielYes 10, the books (not shown Fume 1) may be stored 2. bones Webb: the bool;s bemg hiddeafiomeniv. When a customer submits am order for cs Yearbooks, We at the warehouse is to locate Me bool$ m We Cue sites and to lying Me books taco sorting stations 20 where the books are paid m byes for slppmg.

Preferably, tales of the same book are kept m the same area m tab shelves 10, but m oliler embodiments, books often same tide maybe scaled hroughte warehouse.

The use of radio fluency fig and detection edibles copies of boom to be located easily, regalness of where they are - Elf: Each sorting station 20 has a number of bays 21, 22, 23, ,24, 2S, 26, one bay boulg allocated for each customer order. At this bay, the books ofthe order are assembled md packed each into a box 30.

After the box 30 has been paroled, thebox is Den to a verification station 40 where the box is checked to see that the correct books are tile bow A postage amass label also is affixed to the box.

It will now be described how the use of 'the exemplary inventory nanagement system, using radio Dequency devices, has made this overall process more efficient Identificatos Each book the warehouse is provided with an ificator 12. When fee inventory is spread over a number of warehouses, all Me books are provided with idencators.

be the embodiment,, all copies of a particular book bile each have Blair own nme identification number stored m ff= identhicator. 1 n over words, ten copies of tile same booic rewire the use of ten dirt Ardent. Lion Myers.

In the embodiment, the idendficators are radio encg identification lags 50, as sew in Figure 1. The tags includes a miniaue ante and an EPROM for cor-fining infoiou about the boolean, such as the iderticaúion uurrber, Me book details, and file locadon of Me book im Me warehouses All this is stored in Me 33PROM memory 1 readable by radio few, The tags are passive m Me sense Rat ffley have no power sours The EPROM have Me capacity to be "programmed m the sense that radio ficy waves can be used to Mange the infonnnion coded m the EPROM ofthe À tags;ag6ecacr ares aTnttedm Me radio Lucy subsystem, die tag becomes "energized end emits radio waves that carry Tic intimation stored iD the 13PROM.

Such radio encyid=dficad.on tags 2reprorided on the books SURF boblc tags") and on the shipping bodices used to ship the books to the customs OFF be: c,), - a

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Database lithe inventory management system includes a database 70 capable of containing information about ail the books. The database, which resides on a computer server, need not be located on the same site as the warehouse, but maybe connected by network to the various storage sites around Me country or, mined' in different counties.

Radio Frequency Subsvstem Dine inventory rrgement system also includes a radio Dequency subsystem 80 which is able to detect the idendficators on the venous products in one or more storage sites. the invention is not limited to a particular configuration of such a radio fluency subsystem, since skilled enne_rs can create a number of modicadons which can detect the identificators on each OI the books by means of radio frequency de=don technology.

The radio Dequency subsystem includes a namer of component:: Cat use radio fluency tennology to transfer inform-ion between We database Ed art orL=-ecving proc*sing subsystem. . ' ' ' ' ' The radio frequency s'sysicm includes a handheld RF reader 50, Me RF readers 52 at file sorting swoons 2D, and the RP reader 54 at the verification soon 40.

OrdeRcvin-Probsy The mventolymanagent system includes an ord=acnmgcessmg subs 90 which retrieves orders Ham The orrec=nug-o subsystem uponing an order, check; with Me inventory Rent to check the a.il of Be orbed boolcs nt 1 he mventoy. l:EaYailable, We system Hi ias devils of the cnmer's orb to be uploaded into the handheld reader 801160, where He will be uploaded to the handheld reader SO. The information is to be passed fiom 'due debase to the handheld id reader wD1 include of the whereabouts of the boolts m the warehouse.

For anabonwde warehousing system, which are Hold in large e commerce companies, the inventoIyement system can extend across lhe ditwahouses different sates or countries. The iilventory management system chew lhe aYailabdity aIld location of i boor; In any one of tile warehouses. For instance, warehouses are in Califorpia, Tares and New York, He inyellromanag sy can identifier

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which warehouse has a particular book6de, and also where dle book is to be found in Me warehouse, even down to the shelf location. This is possible because each book has an idendficator that is detectable by the radio fi:eqency subsystem.

The idencator of each book even books of the same e, has a Unique identification number stored in its EP:ROM. This unique identity number is used for chug and tracing the book, and for financM accounting purposes. Men a customer's order is placed, the unique identity number stipulates which book is to be assignee! to fill the customer's order.

Database lbe inventory management system leas an inventory database. SYhen the order- recivg-processing subs receives an order fi om a customer, it checks with the chase whether We particular book is m stock and th_ whereabouts of a copy of Me rely tEtle.

The ordecrong sabsyk is connected to the Base m order to access information in fee database.

In He embodiment, He or-processng subsystem electronically recodes orders from customs, Or instance, by intemet.

Ibe database 70 modes in:fannaon *lot is stored on each ideDtificator tag 1;.

The dam of He tag forms an inal part of the se. As seen in Figme 8, die radio hey subsystem enables fflc Chase and He rocessmg sabsysn to access He infom;on conedin1he idendiir - ;.

The Base is stored in a comfier and madder the following - }) picture catalog ofthe Cat cover of Reboot ii) Dimming of eabo, inch,&" whey dwei=; iii) Part number direly coneppandhg to the Me of He book in) Part nn= do coonding to the use idesrfffication Somers stored on 1 BF id=ca$or tag, I) Pallet locadon or bm location where the book Is stored.

The database copays dataelag to physical aspens ofthe books lparcular, die length, width, lbickness, Alum and/OE weight of each book. lIence, if a particular book is available in more than one Edison, each edition is considered as a separate item On the database inventory' since each edition has different physical aspects, Using the physical information of each book, Ate orderreciYg-processg subsystem calculates Me total volmne and weight of the customer's order. For example, if a customer orders We books, the order-receiing-processing subsystem calculates the tote ten,, width and height of the books of We customer's order (when stacked), and can asc':rta the volume and weight of the to order. Ibis calculation enable the system to match the order with a minimum-sized package Mat is necessary to canton the order. This avoids situation where unnecessarily large packages are used to ship small amounts of product This Uses shipping costs so that profit margins of the business can be increased Ibe database also contains information on physical aspects of a number of pacI:ageslboxes, such as volume, leggy, width and height of the venous boxes. Thus, the order-reeivingrocessug subsystem matches the n pale reared to enclose the omer of books. Thus, Me present embodiment avoids a wasteful pracdae fond m prior art business systems where ordeal for small numbers of books or products are shipped in boxes Cat are larger Fan necessary. i he present embodiment selects a minirn,TTn.

package so that shipping end pod costs can be minimized.

1 n the prior art, ecornmere ma order businesses of have a xl stypic Fox for particular order price: rangiest The use of standard shipping fees can increase He cost such an extent fbat ffrere is no Ion any cosge when buying products Overbite intemet. For ice, m the prior art if one book whip to be orbed, the so shipping fee is open a large percentage ofthe total order Therefore, in fee present embodinad, the abilitrto obtain a shaping costat is the absohe mom necessary will enable Be shipping costs to be deminqd on a case-byas bow taking into accowt fflc physical dimensions "d wow ofthe total order.

When anbodirnent; of the mYeio, are conudz to the int tenet, information of the mimml,Tr delivery cost can be pmdedbo on-line customers m real time. When a customer orders produce a website, the Ames indicates which books are to be order The D:Ventory management Dyson uses the information in the database to ascertain the location arid avaDab of the particular titles orb D^,lmlq of silo physical dimensions and Height of products are obtained from the database. The order

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reC-irinprocossing subsystem calculates Me minimum paclca=,e and shipping costs. This mmurn shipping cost is transmitted on-line to the web page for the customer to view in real time. other words, e-commerce customers need not pay a standard shipping fee, but can be provided With inúormabon concerning the absolute minimun1 shipping cost of the order at the tone of placing their order.

Order Processing An eYarrple will be described of the steps involved with the order handling inventory management system lo this embodiment, the order-handling inventory mnnaement system is able to be accessed by customers either electronically or Ma the intemeL In the case OI the intemet, the customer transmit>; file order for parcilar books by entenng ordering information into a web page.

:: The book order is received by a web sewer or dirty Trough a network sewer by electronic data exchange. Ibe intemet order is transferred to the network server Tough a firewalL When the order is Mel reck ived, a alit check is performed on the cusmer's credit card rusher, either by the orderreceiving-haidling subsystem, or eatery, The ordereceir-subsysm checks the database to see if the ordered books are in stools m the warehouse. Is is achieved by acting to Oh We booms part number a corresponding Pincher in the Chases fifths book is not in stools, a message is sew to tile customer by em ng for consent to party iil1 the order.

AD order number, nmque,to the pal Her order, is geneta The order number is Sky to file customer's name, delivery address and Be ordered its. AI1 this is stored m the database The order camber traces oaks, for Hug and acco=g purposes, aIld hence must be Uq!lo The oprocmSmg ssassigns ono of ebays226 to the order number.

Collz Thetrocts From daze.

Refemug to Figure 1, a collection wok 15 is assigned to collect Me books fromrage. The worsen searches for books for a per Ocular sorting station, and retrieves books for all Me bays In that sorting station To assist We workman with Ask,

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the radio frequency subsystem includes aproduct-locag-apparatus that is adapted to provide the word with informa:don conceding the whereabouts of each Orient boot The product-locag apparatus includes tibe handheld radio frequency scanner 50.

The handheld scanner 50 is able to detect and read the identiilcators 12 on the books 11.

An RF antenna of Me handheld reader 50 conaDy emits radio frequency waves. The idenicator 12 on a book gives a response when it comes within the reading range of We handheld scanner. At any given moment, the antenna of the handheld scanner 50 may be receiving numerous responses, but will only picl: out the response of Me book 11, or lbe identity of the book that it is searching for. Idendficators are read and processed one at a time by the handheld reader 50 (aloe, to the user, this appears to happen simultaneously), although Me identificators are responding to the handheld ready all at the sane tune. The reader 50 does not smmltaneously process all the identities blat it recent.

The collection workman 15 uses Me handheld scanner 50 to '=load" information from the database 70. The iforntion Tom We database is transmitted to the handheld scanner- by radio heguency transmission This happens at the handheld reader station 60 where the seamer 50 is allowed to communicate why file Base 70 Gina a radio fluency 60. A comber of suchals or reader sre {iO are located thrououttbe warehouse, to made It comreueni for Me workman 15 to upload order information into Me handheld scarper 50 from Me decease Ma the nearest sta don 60. The hawser of iformafian betwe the handheld scones and Me decease can occur by cable connection or remote.connecdon such as by infixed cormeons.

Thus, tile handheld scanner rectories pplo iron, obtained horn the dance, edit tells the Woodland of tile whereabouts ofthe bool:(s) for each order. An Isle of die mfo;on on Me handheld seamer's 50 screen is shown m Fume 2. The books identification (JAG ID) is shown, togeerw its wheseaborts m lbe warehouse.

Why this info;on, file worlcer walks directly to the cat shelf to colle: t the boolc When the coIlestorwor reaches apardadar pellet or shelf loo, the workmen passes We reader 50 over and around Me boxes, ems mmedialy ide;fics the items of interest If lbe idencabon combined ill the STROM of Me book tag 12 matches À . . We day the handheld red 50, the leader beeps to indicate that Me papillar book is m Cat box. This awids tile we having to open the box to search for the book It also 1g awids the worker having to Visually ect,the produce for Me expiIy date. lbstead, the handheld reader S enables the worker to go directly to the location of the book box and pick out the item Tom its container.

Upon the fast book berg identified on the shed the info;on in the scanned 50 is automatically modified to indicate that e, first book has now been Diced", as in Figure 2. In ot..h.,.,er..e..n..bo.,,,,e,,ut,s,, this,,,m,, odi,fi,,,,c, at,ion of Me scan,ne,r's i.n,fo, rm,, ati,,on, m,a,y require the woman to key m the modicabon.

I he information in the handheld scanner can include the books of a nmnher of customer orders. I his is more efficient tow baring the collector worker 15 go into the warehouse for each customer order.

- The system autornadcally consolidates orders at hourly mterrals or at any predetemnned interval. The dam -for the consolidated orders is downloaded to the handheld scam or 50. To macimise the use of the scanner's memory, only Ike unique - id, ,entnication numbers of the reared books are downloaded into the handheld reader, so Am, it can 'pick' out the book . i ' Post CollechonUpuatinz Of The Database As the collector worm collects the bool:s Mom the warehouse, he alters the t in the tnreld RF scanner SO ndicate which books have been If. The infonnaon in Mehandheld scamper is As berg Moe use tam Me database information concerning the whereabouts of the boo}cs. Hence, afar all Me books have been coDected, in orb to sync Be infor=;oú', Me waker talces tire handheld scanner 50 and "downloads"' the in[,orm;on mto tile database, so that Me database has a record that these booló have now been removed fiom Me warehouse shelves ' This Chronic avoids a stuabon where tile Chase Ned indicate that a cc::tai book is m stock, when fact Baboon has been removed fiom Me Choosy He downloading ofthe dam to We database occurs m the saline Her as the Formation on books to be collec$edras initially uploaded mom the Chase.

Figure 3 is a sable Scot of the uploading and dowloa&g where Me handheld RF reader uploads arid downloads infounsffonbe the database. The screen shows two Cent modes, one duping uploading and the offer Mug downloading The screen tells the workman the order nueti(s) feat has been downloaded, Me tag ) lb identification number, and lbe sorting station 20 that the books are to be talren to, as well as the number of items downloaded into his reader. The ifomiabon is similar in respect of the downloading. The purpose of the information is to tell the database that the items have been collected from the warehouse and are ready for sorting.

After the information has been synchonised, the information that Me books have In collected camps the sowing station 20 to =date the sorting process Calculation of A:Dorooriate 130x Size Wale the collector worker 15 is collecting the books Tom the warehouse, the system provides the wok:er 27 at the sorting station with iDsctions on what sized box to À use. For a given book order, the orders ivingrocessing subsystem draws mom the database information about the physical size of the ordered book(s). The total rolume of Me orders books is calculated. The ordfr- receinnrocssg subsystem Emeries the dabble for;;mensiont on Me range of available boxes, and assigns Me rrunmT s box Mat is necessary to ship the order.

Each of the box sizes have a code, and Me order-recergrocessmg indicates tile box to be used by displaying Me bows code.

The onler-rec_irocessmg subsystem displays art He Urinal which bay namer Me box is for. (Bach bay is used tove file boolean of a parcutar order Her). The sorting Forcer 2i obey the box sky, and also uses He box big generator 53 to cream a boxy to be attached to Below A tag is createdin He sense Mat He EPROM is programmed win. information Mom Be oeiing- prwessmg subsystem par.icalaIlye orderer, alla tILe printable portion of the tagis primed with pertinent info;om gum The collector wooer then brmgs el1 He collected boors (which are for a number of orders) to the sorting soon 20.

The box tag generator 53 is 1 at the K-g soon 20. Whea the sorting station receives books to be sorted, the lag getr 53 print; a box & The box tag, harmg lhe order nnmberp=ted thereon together. ably idtificator, is to the

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box that has been selected. The system Insects the worker as to which sedbox should be placed at each bay.

At the sorting station, each book is read by art RP reader 52. The RF reader 52 detects the RF book tags12, and ascends from tile order-recivgprocessg subsystem which in bay each took is to be placed As thy worker passes each booLnear the PP reader 52, the order-receiving-processing subsystem, which ts commucabon with the database, displays on the motor 54 the bay nmnber that the worker is to place the book An example of Me display is shown in Figure 4. A picture of the book cover is also displayed on the monitor screen 54, so that the worker can ensure that lbe right book has been selected Hence, the workman 27 places the book bay number Tree 23. The worming passes all the books past the reader 52 and, thus, is directed to allocate each of tile books to the appropriate bays 21-26.

Pac" The Products into tile Boxes.

: While one of the workmen 15 is coIlng the book; Mom the shells, he may be pecans, books that are for a nether of dimmest customer orders, notust one order. AU the books Mom diverge orders may be mined For instance, the workman might collect 1hree copies of a particular title' each copy being for a different customer order.

copy has a dierert identifictibon). The orderecornng-prorqrmg subsystem provides the Invoicer with infoon onfflewhere of ebool At Me same time, file order receivmgprocessg is also performing another task, which is to provide information to Me sorting static 20 about whet books are go to which bay 21-26, as seen in Figure 1.

A RF tag generator 53, which is part of file radio ency subsystem, is used to grate a RF box tag. 1h other words, Me RP Wader 52 at Me son station programs the EPROM Mae box tag, andords file iron of lheboolcs 1hat out comprise file or-. This RF box big is affixedlo Me box, ma act:; as ares of what books Should actually tee m the bow Figure 6 iIl an straddle of aRF box tag which has a radio uengy detectable commoner, as well as a Mimi spruce for displaying fommon Usually. It is m the fonn of an am she labels with printed fonnon on one side, and the RF comEoncrrt on Me underside. The RF tag.is almost palm and is flexible. : J

After the box has been filled with the complete order, the system prompts the sorter 27 that the box is complete and ready to be moved on to Tic venficabon station 40.

Vocation of Order Prior to Shincmc Alher the box has been lolled with thelpropriate books, the box is taken to the ye,,,, No, station. 4Q. There,, another R,F reader $4,fit cream lbe box tag to asc-rta tile order mother. Then, it draws from the database the details of ate books of this order. It thenIeads the book tags mside the boy By rig bodl the book lags as well as the box tall, it can be checked whether the contents tibe box matches the contents of the order.

Thus, by comparing the EPROM information contained in the book tags with the order information in-thi database, it is possole to Yerny that the box contains all the reared boolcs; Figure 5 shows a smple screa1 which appears on the monitor at the verification station 40. On the top of the screen 56, dams of the order number are show On the led hand side of the screen 56, dews are drawn from the box showing the reared order of books (which were obtained Tom the Chase). On: the nght hand side of the screen, detail: are drawn Dom Me book tags 12 inside He bow Thus, a side by side companion can be made to check the red books are m Me box, although the comparison occurs electronically.

After verifying the contents, a pig list bearing the order Anther is primed which As tile items cogitated in. He box This automatically prompts lhe geaeon of a mailing label with postal data drawn RODE He database. The fig Mel is pasted onto the bow The paroling list is placed m the box and sealed In embodimer;, the rece can be read directly from the Chase Ma an RF reader. In Faber embodiments, Me dam m He box tag may be used as file Ace for what should tee in the box. lo such cases, once fflebocis sealed, the data of We cats of the box would be elm stored into the box tag idenor on the Cain Awe box.

Based on the freight and dimensions of Me orders the -weivingprOcessiIlg subsystem calculates die postage or courier charges. Usmg the ir,rgadon of Broome and weight:, the system is able to calculate We charges, depending on whether ealess, nice or courier service is red At the verification station 40, the status of each book the database is updated to He stabus of "delivered'' and the books are removed Tom the inventory management system This assists in lceepg financial account of the warehouse, because storage comes am incurred up und1 the point when 'dle boolc is physically removed Mom the warehouse.

An Fader can b" used,- at any point in the shipping process, cant be used to check1he cont.ents of the box.

The ability to ides products using radio frequency, without the need for a line of sight, is an advantage because it reduces the amount of physical handling of products.

Products can be identified by scanning without having to open the boxes.

The ability to read a particular identificators in multiples at a time reduced the search sane.

The processes of the embodiments can be a ?erless processes, and tile only document that rebids to be printed is Me pacing list that is sent to the customer who Marmot read the RF idestfficators.

The embodiments of the invention ham been descried in As oEbooks, but the systn is applicable to other produce particularly those that are popishly sold over the Hornet, for example computer pans arid components, software, vehicle spare park, medical products and presa:ion drum, video tapes and Oh's, to name a few.

The inforrnor on the Chase need not tee physically resented to one lociion.

For France Cohn parts of the iormion can be Bored He ideicators rower Off on Amass storage of He overall sy In the illused embodimerrts, a collection worker 15 wails around tibe warehouse to collect He boolcs. n alternative embodiment, an A. Storage and Retrieval System (S.RS.) maybe l; - ad to the orderandlg mYertoIy magemeSystm- This means 1bat, tamer than a worker collecting the bool$ 0uLa a pardpaIlet if= parcularpallet is automadcaIlybrought No weary, At example, bymhanical cranes or an spropria automated system Over embodiments ofthe present mYeiidon age able to be adapted to conducUng stoclc takes of the m' story of a warehouse. Ether En collecting iu ore specific books, the handheld scanner anther infolmailon on Al the books m 1 he sqashouse. Tile stock take icondllctedby comparing gamed oImationw 6 dabaseitfonnabo Embodiment:; of the system can be used for quicldy creaking inventory list;.

Missing items in the warehouse can be located readily using embodiments of the invention" Modifications of the Mention can be Used to control inventory levels having regard to the shelf life of produce. The infoon on expire dates can be stored m the mam sewer of the database. When the exam tes draw near, the System can prompt the Emily date data to be uploaded into the handheld RP reader, which enalbles the workers to locate the products that are soon to empire. Out of date items can be readily locater Is is useful for phrrnaccuticals and first aid lots where medicines have a limited ecosy date.

Altematively, in over embodiments, t he Marry date information may reside in the identificator.s themselves. The inventory management system would obtain information Tom He tags that related to when Me products will exams without needing to obtain Me confiners.

- The storage site may be a filament contra for telema3iceliiig, commerce purchases, or where components are assembled as kits of park.

The idencator lags can.be tags but simply emit radio Icy, or can be tags -at transit as well as recede radio frecy.

I he embodiment Zaire been advanced by way of example only, and modifications are possible wry Me scope of the inffon as defined by the appended clsiTr.

Claims (14)

1. CLAIMS: 1. An order-handling inventory management system for products,

   including: a database for containing information about the products, including availability and location of the products, and physical aspects of the products including one or more of length, width, thickness, volume or weight; a radio frequency subsystem adapted to detect radio-frequencydetectable identificators that are attachable to the products stored in one or more storage sites, the products forming at least part of an inventory, wherein the radio frequency subsystem includes a portable radio frequency reading device that indicates the location of a product in the storage site by detecting the identifcator thereof, the portable reading device accumulating information for a plurality of products; and an order-receiving-processing subsystem for receiving orders for products and ascertaining from the database the availability and the location of the products in the one or more storage sites, which uses the radio frequency subsystem to detect the actual products within the storage site or sites by detecting the identifcators of the ordered products.
2. 2. A system according to Claim 1, wherein the database includes information on packages for the products including volumes and physical dimensions of one or more packages.
3. 3. A system according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the order-receivingprocessing subsystem is adapted to receive orders electronically.
4. 4. A system according to Claim 3, wherein the order-receiving-processing subsystem receives the orders via the Internet by the user entering order information onto a web page. 22:
5. 5. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the database further includes any information stored on each of the identificators.
6. 6. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the portable reading device uploads information from the database which is operatively connectable to the portable reading device via a transmitting means.
7. 7. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein one of the products is removed from the storage location, the portable reading device is updated to reflect the product as having been picked.
8. 8. A system according to Claim 7 wherein, when the portable reading device downloads to the database information on the products that have been picked via a transmission means.
9. 9. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the products are books or printed material.
10. 10. A system according to Fly preceding claim, wherein the products are any one or more computer parts and components, software, vehicle spare parts, medical products and prescription drugs, video tapes and compact disks.
11. 11. A method of handling an order for a product from an inventory, including the steps of: using an order-receiving-processing subsystem to receive an order for a product; obtaining information concerning availability and location of the product from a database containing information about the product; providing the information concerning location of the product to a radio frequency subsystem, the radio frequency subsystem including a portable radio frequency reading device that indicates the location of a product in the storage site by detecting the identificator thereof, the portable reading device accumulating information for a plurality of products; using the radio frequency subsystem to detect a radio-frequency- detectable identificator that is attached to the products stored in one or more storage sites, the product forming part of the inventory; and verifying that a product contained within a package to be shipped corresponds to the received order by using the radio frequency subsystem to detect the radio-frequency-detectable identificator that is attached to the product contained within the package to be shipped.
12. 12. A method according to Claim 11, further comprising the step of providing the package to be shipped with a radio-frequency-readable package identificator that contains information on the order.
13. 13. A method according to Claim 12, wherein the radio-frequency-readable package identificator includes information on the contents of the package.
14. 14. A method according to Claim 12 or 13, wherein the verifying step includes comparing information contained in the package identificator with the identificator attached to the product contained within the package.