TW202134964A - Collective objects management system with receptacle for random deposit of addressable objects - Google Patents

Abstract

A collective objects management system using addressable object tracking devices attached to objects without the need for specially constructed cabinets having mounting pegs or locking apertures. Receptacles are slidably stored in ordinary cabinet cavities. Each receptacle has a first Bluetooth ® antenna mounted on an outside wall surface and a second Bluetooth ® antenna mounted on an inside wall surface. Each antenna communicates with a supervisory MCU via a separate Bluetooth ® unit. An electronic lock and a visible indicator mounted on the receptacle front wall are controlled by the MCU. The MCU communicates with an outside host requesting device via the first antenna, and communicates with any object tracking devices in the receptacle via the second antenna. The object tracking devices have a battery and a battery management components which are powered by a transmitting array located in the receptacle.

Description

Collective object management system with containers for randomly storing addressable objects

The present invention relates to a collective object management system with a container for randomly storing addressable objects.

Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a collective object management system, and more particularly, to an improved collective object management system that uses object identification with a digital address. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improvement of a collective object management system using object identification with a digital address, and the improvement relates to a container for randomly storing addressable objects.

The term "collective object management system" is a term created to indicate a system for generally tracking objects ("objects") in a collection of objects. For example, an auto parts warehouse has a collection of auto parts ("items") in stock at any given time. The types and quantities of such parts change every day because the parts have been sold and new parts have been received. In order to track the number and types of auto parts in inventory, some type of collective auto parts management system must be used. Similarly, in semiconductor manufacturing operations, there are collections of one or more types of integrated circuits ("objects") located somewhere in the facility at any given time, and a collective volume circuit management system must be used to resolve these collections. . In a supermarket, usually a large collection of different types of items in the inventory, such as meat, agricultural products, canned food, etc., have a large number and type that change greatly every day, so a complex item management system is required. In business offices and some homes, file storage cabinets are usually used to store documents for business and personal activities. A typical file storage cabinet has several pull-out drawers. Each drawer contains a relatively large number of file folders ("objects"), and each file folder contains one or more files. In order to make the files contained in various files easy to access and inventory, some type of file management system is necessary.

The jointly assigned US Patent No. 8,471,717 "Collective Objects Management System With Object Identification Using Addressable Decoder Units" announced on June 25, 2013 discloses a system for managing objects distributed in the object location space. The disclosure of the '717 patent is incorporated herein by reference. The '717 system effectively manages the collection of objects by associating the address decoder circuit with each object in the collection, and each address decoder can be accessed by the system user via the host computer. This technology provides object management capabilities for objects distributed in the object location space, which is better than the older manual technology implemented in the past.

The jointly assigned U.S. Patent No. 9,875,460 "Removably Suspended Electronically Addressable Object And System" announced on January 23, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a removable and hangable object holder that can be electronically addressed and A system for managing objects carried thereby, which extends the advantages provided by the above-mentioned electronically addressable collective object management system with reference to the '717 patent to movable suspended objects. The invention of the '460 patent includes an object holder that can be electronically addressed to enable spatially distributed object management at the location of the object. The object holder includes an object holding element for fixing the object to the object holder and a conductive suspension member for movably receiving At least one through-hole housing, the conductive suspension member can embody the object address signal and the power signal provided by the source; the microcontroller carried by the housing, the microcontroller has a service for identifying and fixing to the object The unique object address of the object of the holder; a conductive element located in at least one hole, which is used to electrically couple the microcontroller to the conductive suspension member when the hole is detachably received on the conductive suspension member And an indicator, which is coupled to the microcontroller that is activated whenever the microcontroller receives an address signal representing the address of a unique object. The indicator is a visible indicator, preferably an LED light source. The holder of the object may also include an additional indicator, which is coupled to the microcontroller for activation whenever the microcontroller receives a power signal.

In use, the device according to the '460 invention is removably suspended by a plurality of conductive suspension members capable of expressing the object address signals and power signals provided by the source, the suspension members being fixed to a supporting element, such as a cabinet The backplane. The user only enters the identification of the object sought into the host computer, observes the enabled visible indicator on the object holder related to the object, and manually removes the object holder from the suspension member to locate the object. A single object temporarily stored in the system.

Although the '460 system has greatly improved the management of the removable suspension components temporarily stored in the system, the integrity of the collection of objects can easily allow the unauthorized removal of the object holders from the suspension components. In particular, once access to the storage cabinet is achieved, any object holder can be removed from its hanging member. Therefore, users who have access to the system can remove not only the objects they are looking for, but also all other objects stored in the cabinet. The integrity of this compromised collection of objects is not ideal.

The commonly assigned US Patent No. 10,102,698 announced on October 16, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a solution that solves the inherent shortcomings of the '460 system. Specifically, the '698 system uses a combination of a specially designed lockable cabinet with a plurality of receiving holes formed in the middle partition and a companion holder that conforms to the geometry of the partition hole so that they can be inserted, And remove from the hole. A plurality of electromagnetic locks are located near the separation hole and can be engaged with a locking notch formed in the article holder, so that the article holder cannot be removed once inserted into the separation hole until the solenoid valve is operated to unlock the given article holder Until the device.

It has been found that both the '460 system and the '698 system can effectively provide collective item management in various applications. However, in some applications, general users find that it is necessary to carefully install the object holder on the suspension member or the receiving hole, which is the most inconvenient and troublesome. This is especially true for systems designed for salespeople to use a series of car keys in car dealerships. In addition, both systems require specially constructed storage cabinets, which increases the cost of the system.

The present invention includes improvements to the '460 and '698 systems, which retain the advantages of addressable object holders in the collective item management system, but eliminate the need for specially constructed cabinets of the '460 and '698 types, and provide The random storage of the article holder in a conventional container such as a drawer with a lock, thereby eliminating the need for the user to carefully manipulate the article holder into the suspension member or receiving hole.

In its broadest aspect, the present invention includes a container for removably receiving an addressable object tracking device attached to an object and having a battery and a battery management element, the container including: A structure with a bottom wall, an upright front wall, an upright back wall, and two opposite upright side walls, which form an open shell on the top; The first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the outer surface of one of the walls; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the inner surface of one of the walls; MCU, which is located in the housing; A first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; and The transmitting antenna array is used to provide externally generated power to the battery management element of the object tracking device located in the housing.

The first and second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antennas are preferably fixed to the same wall of the container, wherein the rear wall is the preferably same wall.

The container also preferably includes an electronic lock, which is coupled to the MCU and is controllable, so as to provide a releasable locking function for the container.

The container also preferably includes a light source attached to the front wall of the container, the light source being coupled to the MCU and controllable so as to provide a visible indication of the state of the container.

The container also includes a memory unit coupled to the MCU to store information indicating the contents of the container, the information including identification of any object tracking device located in the housing.

The transmitting antenna array preferably includes a supporting surface and a plurality of substantially planar coils with multiple turns, and the coils are carried by the supporting surface and arranged in an array of at least two columns, wherein the coils in one column are opposite to each other. The coils in the other column are spaced laterally. Each coil has a length dimension; and the coils in a given column are spaced apart from each other by a distance substantially equal to half of the length dimension; and the coils in one column are spaced laterally relative to the coils in the other column The distance of is substantially equal to a quarter of the length dimension.

In the aspect of the system, the present invention includes a system for managing objects distributed in the object location space, the objects being attached to an addressable object tracking device having a battery and a battery management element, the system comprising: A cabinet having at least one cavity for slidably receiving a drawer-shaped container; and One or more containers are slidably received in the at least one cavity to removably accommodate the addressable object tracking device, each container includes: A structure with a bottom wall, an upright front wall, an upright back wall, and two opposite upright side walls, which form an open shell on the top; The first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the outer surface of one of the walls; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the inner surface of one of the walls; MCU, which is located in the housing; A first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; and The transmitting antenna array is used to provide externally generated power to the battery management element of the object tracking device located in the housing.

The first and second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antennas are preferably fixed to the same wall of the container, wherein the rear wall is preferable.

Each container further includes an electronic lock, which is coupled to the MCU and is controllable, so as to provide a releasable locking function for the container in its cavity.

Each container further includes a light source attached to the front wall thereof, the light source being coupled to the MCU and controllable so as to provide a visual indication of the status of the container.

Each container further includes a memory unit coupled to the MCU to store information indicating the contents of the container, the information including the identification of any object tracking device located in the housing.

The transmitting antenna array preferably includes a supporting surface and a plurality of substantially planar coils with multiple turns, and the coils are carried by the supporting surface and arranged in an array of at least two columns, wherein the coils in one column are opposite to each other. The coils in the other column are spaced laterally. Each coil has a length dimension; and the coils in a given column are spaced apart from each other by a distance substantially equal to half of the length dimension; and the coils in one column are spaced laterally relative to the coils in the other column The distance of is substantially equal to a quarter of the length dimension.

The present invention eliminates the need for specially constructed cabinets of the '460 and '698 types, and enables random storage of article holders in traditional containers such as lockable drawers, thereby eliminating the need for users to store the article holders. Carefully manipulate to the needs of the suspension members or receiving holes in the specially constructed cabinet, while retaining the advantages of the addressable object holder in the collective object management system.

In order to fully understand the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The invention is widely used in various electronic addressable objects. The following is a detailed description of an application of the present invention to an article attached to a key that functions as an article holder of the key holder.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an object tracking device in the form of a key holder object holder used with the present invention. As shown in this figure, the addressable key holder object holder generally represented by the element symbol 10 has a housing as shown in the figure, the housing has a through hole 12 for receiving a fixing ring 13, and the key 14 is attached to the述定环。 The fixed ring. Three holes 16-18 are formed on one surface 15 of the housing 10. The holes 16, 17 receive two lighting sources, preferably LEDs, which are installed in the housing 10, and when activated by the internal electronic device shown in FIG. 2, provide the state of charge of the battery installed inside the housing 10 And the independent indication of the working status of the object tracking device. Preferably, the two illumination sources positioned in the holes 16, 17 produce light of different colors, such as green for the source in the hole 16 and flashing red for the source in the hole 17. Other colors can be selected, depending on the designer's preference. The hole 18 receives an audio source driven by an electronic component located inside the object holder 10 in the manner described below.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the main electronic components located in the inside of the housing of the object holder 10. In this figure, the perimeter of the housing is schematically depicted by a rectangular dashed line. As seen in this figure, the conventional Bluetooth ® Bluetooth chip 21 (which includes an antenna) has an output that is coupled to two LEDs and an audio source as described above and is generally designated by the symbol 22. When the chip 21 is addressed through an external requesting device in the manner described below, the chip 21 generates a signal that blinks the LED associated with the hole 17 to provide a visible indication that the object tracking device is the person looking for. In addition, the chip 21 generates a signal to make the audio source emit a sound to provide an audible indication that the object tracking device is the person looking for. The chip 21 includes a memory portion that stores unique identification characters, and the unique identification characters are used to uniquely identify the object tracking device 10 where the chip 21 is located. The chip 21 is preferably a CC2541 type chip available from Texas Instruments (TI) in Dallas, Texas. Also included in the housing of the article holder 10 are a rechargeable battery 24 for supplying power to electronic components, a battery charging chip 25 for managing the amount of charge stored in the battery 24, and a wireless charger chip 26, so The wireless charger chip 26 receives power from an external source described below via the wireless charging antenna 27 and supplies this power to the battery charging chip 25. The battery charging chip 25 is preferably a TP4057 unit available from Lite-On of Milpitas, California. The wireless charger chip 26 is preferably an STWBC type unit available from ST Company in Geneva, Switzerland. The wireless charger antenna 27 is a simple loop antenna.

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a container used in the article tracking device of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the container of Fig. 3. As shown in these figures, the container 30 is a box-like structure, which is preferably a slidable drawer, which has a bottom wall 31 and four upright side walls 32-35. The front wall 32 is provided with a handle 36 and a display 37, which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 8 below. The purpose of the display 37 is to provide a visible indication of the identification of the object tracking device sought, and the object tracking device is located inside the container 30. The wireless charger antenna array generally represented by the symbol 38 is fixed on the upper surface of the bottom wall 31. The wireless charger antenna array generates an electromagnetic field inside the container 30, which is the wireless of the tracking device for each object in the container 30. The charger antenna 27 supplies power. The structure and function of the antenna array 38 will be described more fully below with reference to FIG. 7.

Attached to the outer surface of the rear wall 34 of the container 30 is a first Bluetooth® Bluetooth antenna 41, which is capable of two-way wireless communication with an external host request device 42. The host request device 42 may include any one of several types of Bluetooth ® units configured to provide communication with another device having the same communication capability. Examples of host request devices are laptop computers, tablet computers, and smart phones. Attached to the inner surface of the rear wall 34 is a second Bluetooth® Bluetooth antenna 44 capable of two-way wireless communication with the following electronic devices located in the container 30.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the main electronic components of the container of Figs. 3 and 4. As shown in this figure, the microcontroller 51 (MCU 51 hereinafter) is configured to provide supervisory control over the remaining elements shown in this figure. The MCU 51 preferably includes an LPC1766 type unit available from NXP Semiconductors of Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Coupled to the MCU 51 for two-way communication is the first Bluetooth® Bluetooth unit 52, which provides communication between the Bluetooth® Bluetooth antenna 41 and the MCU 51. Also coupled to the MCU 51 for two-way communication is a second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit 53 which provides communication between the Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna 44 and the MCU 51 and has an object tracking device located in the container 30. Both units 52 and 53 are preferably BLE 133-A-V1 type units available from Silicon Labs of San Jose, California. The MCU 51 is also coupled to the display unit 37 and is configured to provide object tracking device identification information to the display unit 37 when determining the input information signal sensed by the antenna 41 to specify the object tracking device existing in the container 30. The MCU 51 is further coupled for two-way communication with the container memory unit 55, which stores the identification information of all the object tracking devices 10 present in the container 30. The MCU 51 is configured to periodically scan the contents of the container 30 and store the result of a given scan in the memory unit 55. The new scan is compared with the current list of the object tracking device 10 stored in the memory unit 55. If there is a difference indicating that one or more object tracking devices 10 have been added to or removed from the container 30, the list in the memory unit 55 is updated to specify the current content of the container 30. The memory unit 55 is preferably an AT24c02 type unit available from Atmel Corporation of San Jose, California. The MCU 51 is also coupled to an electronic lock 57 that is normally locked, and when it is activated through the MCU 51, it unlocks the container 30 in its housing, such as the cabinet depicted in FIG. 9, so that the container 30 can be opened manually.

FIG. 6 is a schematic conceptual view showing the interaction between several object tracking devices in the container 30. The two Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antennas 41, 44 from the host request device 42 and the input information signal of the external request unit 42 are sensed by the antenna 41 and transmitted to the MCU 51 (not shown). The MCU 51 processes these signals and transmits the processed results to the antenna 44. The antenna 44 broadcasts these results to all the object tracking devices present in the container 30. One of the object tracking devices will recognize the identification in the signal received from the antenna 44 and will generate a response signal that can be sensed by the antenna 44. The response signal is then sent to the MCU 51 for further processing.

FIG. 7 is a plan view taken from above the transmitting antenna array 38 used to supply externally generated power to each battery management element 25-27 of the object tracking device 10. As shown in this figure, the transmitting array 38 includes a plurality of individual multi-turn substantially planar coils 62-1, 62-2,..., 62-n, each coil having a coupled transmitter unit 67 A pair of terminals 64-1, 64-2,..., 64-n; 65-1, 65-2,..., 65-n. The transmitter unit 67 generates a sinusoidal signal on a pair of output terminals 68, 69 coupled to the terminals of each coil. The transmitting antenna array 38 is fixed to the substrate 66, which provides a supporting structure for mounting the transmitting antenna array 38 to the upper surface of the bottom wall 31 in the container 30. The substrate 66 may be made of any suitable material, such as a fiberglass board material used to manufacture printed circuits. The coils 62-1, 62-2,..., 62-n can be formed using standard etching techniques well known in the field of printed circuit board manufacturing. All the coils 62-1, 62-2,..., 62-n have substantially the same length and width and the same number of turns, so that their physical dimensions are the same. After forming the coils 62-1, 62-2, ..., 62-n, the transmitting antenna array 38 can be mounted on the upper surface of the bottom wall 31 of the container 30 by applying a suitable bonding agent to the coil side of the substrate 66 , And stick the coil side to the upper surface of the bottom wall 31. By mounting the transmitting antenna array 38 with the coil side facing down, the back surface of the substrate 66 is the surface that comes into contact with any items deposited in the container 30, thereby eliminating the coils 62-1, 62-2, ..., 62-n. Of wear. The length and width dimensions of the transmitting antenna array 38 are selected to match the size of the inner periphery of the container 30 such that the length of the transmitting antenna array 38 spans the width of the container 30 and the width of the transmitting antenna array 38 spans the depth of the container 30. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the number of coils 62-1, 62-2, ..., 62-n will depend on the size of the individual coils and the length and depth dimensions of the container 30. It is worth noting that the coil 62-1 may have other geometric structures that are different from the rectangular structure with rounded corners depicted in FIG. 7. For example, if necessary, oval and square coils can be used.

Crucial to the correct operation of the embodiment shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7 is the relative spacing of the coils 62-1, 62-2,..., 62-n. Generally, the coils 62-1, 62-2, ..., 62-n must be arranged in an interlaced manner as shown in FIG. 7, so that the wireless charger receiving antenna 27 of the individual object tracking device in the container 30 is always able to receive The position of the wireless charger receiver signal with sufficient strength so that the wireless charger chip 26 can transfer enough power to the battery charging chip 25. In the preferred configuration shown, the lateral spacing between adjacent coils 62-1, 62-2, ..., 62-n in a given column of coils is equal to 1/2 of the length of a single coil, and the phase The offset of the coils in the adjacent column is 1/4 of the length of a single coil. This configuration ensures that the receiver antenna 27 placed on the empty area close to the geometric center of the transmitting coil is always located within the range of the other transmitting coil. Note that the emission array 38 is always energized to provide electromagnetic energy to any object tracking device 10 located in the container 30. For more information about the structure and function of the transmitting antenna array 38, please refer to the commonly assigned US Patent No. 9,884,507 announced on February 6, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the main electronic components including the display unit 37. As shown in FIG. As shown in this figure, these main components include a CPU 81, an OLED driver 82, an OLED display 23 (all mounted on a circuit board 84), and an LED 85 mounted on the front wall 32 of the container 30. The OLED driver 82 is preferably an SSD1305 type driver unit available from Solomon Systech in Hong Kong, and functions to convert the display information command signal from the CPU 81 to the display driver signal for the display 23. The CPU 81 is preferably a PIC16F1823 type unit available from Microchip Technology, Inc of Chandler, Arizona, and has multiple functions. First, the CPU 81 receives container address signals from the MCU 51, and compares these signals with the container addresses stored in the memory portion of the CPU 81. If there is a match between the container address signal and the stored container address, the CPU 81 sends the matching signal to the MCU 51, which then informs the host requesting device 42 that the correct container has been located. In response, the host requests the device 42 to send display information to the MCU 51, which transmits the information to the CPU 81. The CPU 81 then supplies the display information to the OLED driver 82, which applies the correct driving signal to the OLED display 83, so that the information is displayed visibly. In addition, the CPU 81 enables the LED 85 so that the correct drawer can be found and opened visually. For more information about the structure and function of the display unit 37, please refer to the commonly assigned US Patent No. 9,595,241 announced on March 14, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a system configuration of a multi-drawer cabinet 90 and a single request device 42. As shown in this figure, the cabinet 90 has four cavities for slidably receiving the respective drawer containers 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, each having the same structure and the same electronic components as described above. In addition to the drawer handles 36a-36d and the displays 37a-37d, each drawer-type container is also equipped with an LED light source 85a-85d that can be activated through the MCU 51.

In operation, in order to initialize the system, the host requests the device 42 to generate a system scan signal, which is broadcast to all cabinets 90 in the system. Each MCU 51 responds by generating a container identification signal, which is broadcast back to the host requesting device 42. Upon receiving these container identification signals, the host requests the device 42 to store a list of all containers 30 existing in the system. In order to store the object tracking device 10 and the object 14 in the container 30, the host requests the device 42 to generate an unlocking container 30 signal, which identifies the specific container to be unlocked. When the MCU 51 in the container receives the container unlock signal, the MCU 51 unlocks the lock 57, thereby allowing the designated container to be opened. In addition, the MCU 51 activates the light source 85 on the front wall 32 of the container to help the user find the unlocked container 30. After the object tracking device 10 and the object 14 are placed in the container 30, the container is manually moved to the closed position and automatically locked by the lock 57. In the next periodic scanning of the contents of the container 30 through the MCU 51, the MCU 51 stores the identification characters of the newly placed object tracking device 10 in the memory unit 55, and then sends this information to the host requesting device 42. The MCU 51 can also detect the inability to move the opened container 30 to the closed position by using a suitable container position sensor (such as a container position limit switch), and the information can be used for operating area alarms or notifications. The host in the unwanted state requests the device 42. The host requesting device 42 can use this information to remind security personnel to take appropriate action.

The authorized user of the host requesting device 42 manually enters the information related to the given object tracking device 10 and the attached object 14 into the host requesting device 42. For things such as car keys, this information can include the year, make, model, VIN number, and license plate number of the car. For an object 14 such as a hotel room key, this information can simply be the room number. Other types of information can be applied to other types of objects.

In order to retrieve the object 14 from the container 30, the host requesting device 42 broadcasts specific information identified by the object tracking device 10 and the container 30. When the MCU 51 receives this information in the designated container 30, the MCU 51 unlocks the lock 57, illuminates the light source 85, and activates the designated object tracking device 10. When activated, the designated object tracking device 10 activates the LED associated with the hole 17 in the object tracking device 10. Correspondingly, the LED blinks to provide a visible indication that the object tracking device 10 is the object being sought. Then, the user can remove the object tracking device 10 and the attached object 14, and move the container 30 to the closed and locked position. In the next container scan, the MCU 51 will record the removal and store the information in the memory unit 55. In the next communication with the host requesting device 42, this change will be transmitted to the host requesting device 42, and then the host updating device 42 will update the master list of the object tracking device 10. The return of the previously removed object tracking device 10 and the object 14 is substantially the same as the removal procedure.

Although the above description is devoted to the realization of the present invention in the field of key management systems, the present invention has wider applications. Generally, the present invention can be used in any collective item management system that requires a technology to quickly identify a given category or type of items from a collection of items, which is designed to be randomly stored in a container 30 of the type shown and described above. For example, in a retail store operation, the item may be a single machineable item (such as dry batteries, hardware items, etc.) carried by a packaging unit designed to be movably attached to the item tracking device and provide identification Information to the said item. In any application, the object tracking device 10 related to a specific object is tightly coupled with the object itself.

Although the above provides a comprehensive and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will think of various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalent forms. For example, although the present invention has been described with reference to a specific microcontroller device, other comparable devices may be used according to the preference of the system designer. In addition, if necessary, the present invention can be used in an item management system that uses internal or external wireless networks to manage many item cabinets located in different physical locations. Therefore, the above content should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention, and the present invention is limited by the scope of the attached patent application.

10: Object tracking device 12: Through hole 13: fixed ring 14: Key 15: surface 16: hole 17: Hole 18: Hole 21: chip 22: output 23: OLED display 24: Rechargeable battery 25: Battery charging chip 26: wireless charger chip 27: Wireless charger antenna 30: container 31: bottom wall 32: front wall 33: side wall 34: back wall 35: side wall 36: handle 37: display/display unit 38: Transmitting antenna array 41: The first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna 42: Host request device 44: The second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna 51: Microcontroller (MCU) 52: The first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit 53: The second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit 55: container memory unit 57: Electronic lock/lock 62-1~62-n: Coil 64-1~64-n: terminal 65-1~65-n: terminal 66: substrate 67: Transmitter unit 68: output terminal 69: output terminal 81: CPU 82: OLED driver 83: OLED display 84: circuit board 85: LED 30a-30d: drawer type container 36a-36d: drawer handle 37a-37d: display 85a-85d: LED light source 90: Cabinet

[Figure 1] is a perspective view of an object tracking device in the form of a key and a key holder object holder used with the present invention.

[Figure 2] is a schematic block diagram of the main electronic components of each key holder article holder according to the present invention;

[Fig. 3] is a schematic perspective view of the container of the object tracking device of Figs. 1 and 2;

[Fig. 4] is a top view of the container of Fig. 3;

[FIG. 5] is a schematic block diagram of the main electronic components of the container of FIGS. 3 and 4;

[Figure 6] is a schematic conceptual view showing the interaction between several object tracking devices, two Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antennas and an external request unit in the container; and

[FIG. 7] is a plan view taken from above the transmitting antenna array 38 for supplying externally generated power to each battery management element 25-27 of the object tracking device 10;

[FIG. 8] is a block diagram showing the main electronic components including the display unit 37;

[Fig. 9] is a perspective view showing the system configuration of a multi-drawer cabinet and a single request device.

41: The first Bluetooth® Bluetooth antenna

42: Host request device

44: The second Bluetooth® Bluetooth antenna

Claims (19)

A container for removably accommodating an addressable object tracking device attached to an object and having a battery and a battery management element, the container comprising: A structure with a bottom wall, an upright front wall, an upright back wall, and two opposite upright side walls, which form an open shell on the top; The first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the outer surface of one of the walls; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the inner surface of one of the walls; MCU, which is located in the housing; A first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; and The transmitting antenna array is used to provide externally generated power to the battery management element of the object tracking device located in the housing. The container of claim 1, wherein the first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna are fixed to the same wall of the container. The container of claim 2, wherein the same wall is the rear wall of the container. For example, the container of claim 1 further includes an electronic lock, which is coupled to the MCU and can be controlled, so as to provide a releasable locking function for the container. The container of claim 1, further comprising a light source attached to the front wall of the container, the light source being coupled to the MCU and controllable so as to provide a visible indication of the state of the container. For example, the container of claim 1 further includes a memory unit coupled to the MCU to store information indicating the contents of the container. The container of claim 6, wherein the information includes the identification of any object tracking device located in the housing. The container of claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna array includes a supporting surface and a plurality of substantially planar coils with multiple turns, the coils being carried by the supporting surface and arranged in an array of at least two columns, one of which The coils in are spaced laterally relative to the coils in the other column. The container of claim 8, wherein each coil has a length dimension; wherein the distance between the coils in a given column is substantially equal to half of the length dimension; and the coils in one column are relative to the other column The distance between the coils laterally spaced in is substantially equal to a quarter of the length dimension. A system for managing objects distributed in an object location space, the object being attached to an addressable object tracking device having a battery and a battery management element, the system comprising: A cabinet having at least one cavity for slidably receiving a drawer-shaped container; and At least one container slidably received in the at least one cavity to removably accommodate the addressable object tracking device, the container comprising: A structure with a bottom wall, an upright front wall, an upright back wall, and two opposite upright side walls, which form an open shell on the top; The first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the outer surface of one of the walls; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna, which is fixed to the inner surface of one of the walls; MCU, which is located in the housing; A first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the first Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; A second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth unit, which is coupled between the second Bluetooth ® Bluetooth antenna and the MCU to provide two-way communication therebetween; and The transmitting antenna array is used to provide externally generated power to the battery management element of the object tracking device located in the housing. The system of claim 10, wherein the first Bluetooth® Bluetooth antenna and the second Bluetooth® Bluetooth antenna are fixed to the same wall of the container. The system of claim 11, wherein the same wall is the rear wall of the container. The system of claim 10 further includes an electronic lock, which is coupled to the MCU and can be controlled, so as to provide a releasable locking function for the container. The system of claim 10, further comprising a light source attached to the front wall of the container, the light source being coupled to the MCU and controllable, so as to provide a visible indication of the state of the container. The system of claim 10 further includes a memory unit coupled to the MCU to store information indicating the contents of the container. The system of claim 15, wherein the information includes the identification of any object tracking device located in the housing. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitting antenna array includes a supporting surface and a plurality of substantially planar coils with multiple turns, and the coils are carried by the supporting surface and arranged in an array of at least two columns, one of which The coils in are spaced laterally relative to the coils in the other column. The system of claim 17, wherein each coil has a length dimension; wherein the distance between the coils in a given column is substantially equal to half of the length dimension; and the coils in one column are relative to the other column The distance between the coils laterally spaced in is substantially equal to a quarter of the length dimension. The system of claim 10, wherein the cabinet includes a plurality of cavities; and wherein the corresponding plurality of the containers are each slidably received in different cavities of the plurality of cavities.

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