WO2000048139A1

WO2000048139A1 - System and method for tracking apparel using a machine-readable medium

Info

Publication number: WO2000048139A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/003245
Authority: WO
Inventors: John T. Piatek; John H. Granby
Original assignee: Portable Data Technologies, Inc.; Lion Apparel, Inc.
Priority date: 1999-02-09
Filing date: 2000-02-08
Publication date: 2000-08-17
Also published as: AU2986300A

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for tracking apparel having a tag containing machine-readable data. The system of the present invention comprises a data-reading device for reading the machine-readable data contained on tag of the apparel and translating the data into information including at least one of: (1) a list of component elements and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, (2) repair history of the apparel, (3) scheduled maintenance for the apparel, (4) the name of the owner of the apparel, and (5) the name of the person assigned to wear the apparel. The system further includes a display device coupled to the data-reading device for displaying the information read by the data-reading device.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING APPAREL

USING A MACHINE-READABLE MEDIUM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a system and method for tracking apparel. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for managing information regarding the apparel's owner, construction, manufacturer, size, repair history, scheduled maintenance, and/or other information that is used to track, assign, manage, repair, construct, reconstruct, authorize return, and to otherwise be used in an apparel identification process. Certain types of apparel, such as firefighter apparel, are relatively complex and expensive. Accordingly, such apparel is typically subjected to maintenance and repair many more times during its lifetime than inexpensive clothing. Moreover, because firefighter apparel and the like is often owned by an entity other than the person who wears it, the owner may wish to maintain information identifying to whom each piece of apparel is assigned. Firefighter apparel further includes many component parts that may be made by different manufacturers and have many different sizes and/or configurations. For example, firefighter apparel may include a coat, trousers, gloves, and a helmet. If firefighter apparel must be repaired, it may be necessary to determine the manufacturer of a particular component and the size and model name of that component such that it may be replaced. Thus, a need exists for a system that enables such information to be easily maintained, accessed, and updated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to meet the above needs by providing a system and method for readily identifying: the owner; the person assigned to the apparel; the manufacturer; the component parts and their manufacturer, size, and configuration; the repair history; scheduled maintenance; and any other information pertaining to the apparel, the owner, or the person wearing the apparel. It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a system and method whereby any or all of the information noted above is carried on the apparel to which it pertains. An additional aspect of the present invention is to provide a system and method in which the above information may be quickly and readily obtained, processed, assembled, and displayed.

Additionally, it is an aspect of the present invention to facilitate efficient and accurate maintenance and servicing of garments, specifically firefighting garments. More specifically, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a system whereby, when a garment is damaged or needs some other sort of servicing, service personnel can readily obtain information from the garment and have a clear understanding of what components and materials are required to repair the garment and quickly determine the source of any components that need replacing.

To achieve these and other aspects and advantages, a system is provided for tracking apparel having a tag containing machine-readable data. The system of the present invention comprises a data-reading device for reading the machine-readable data contained on the tag of the apparel and translating the data into information including at least one of: (1) a list of component elements and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, (2) repair history of the apparel, (3) scheduled maintenance for the apparel, (4) the name of the owner of the apparel, and (5) the name of the person assigned to wear the apparel. The system further includes a display device coupled to the data-reading device for displaying the information read by the data-reading device- These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a system diagram in block form of a system constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of exemplary apparel constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged pictorial view of the information-bearing tags provided on the apparel of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, 4 A is a template showing an exemplary label specification for machine- readable data as provided in the tag shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an exemplary screen display illustrating the manner in which the data record embedded in the machine-readable data may be displayed on a display device in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As mentioned above and explained in more detail below, the present invention relates to a system and method for tracking apparel and, more generally, for maintaining information pertaining to the specific apparel. The method includes the steps of providing a tag on each piece of apparel that contains machine-readable data representing certain information, reading the machine-readable data, and displaying the information read from the machine-readable data. The information represented by the machine- readable data on the tag of each piece of apparel includes at least one of: (1) a list of component elements and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, (2) repair history of the apparel, (3) scheduled maintenance for the apparel, (4) the name of the owner of the apparel, and (5) the name of the person assigned to wear the apparel. The information may further include the size of the apparel, the date of manufacture of the apparel, the color of the apparel, and a description of the material of which the apparel is made. Further, the information may include a unique serial number associated with the manufacturer; the brand name; the model, lot, and/or style number; and any manufacturing batch number. Additionally, the information may also include rank insignia for uniforms. The machine-readable data printed on the tag of the apparel may take many different forms. For example, the machine-readable data may be contained in a radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) signal transmitted from a transmitter attached to the apparel, or may be stored electronic or magnetic data that may be retrieved using an appropriate reading device. Hence, the tag attached to the apparel may include an RF or IR transmitter, smart card, smart button, or RF identification chip. Preferably, the machine-readable data is presented in the form of two-dimensional symbology, such as PDF417, in which case the apparel tag includes a piece of fabric having the machine- readable data printed on it.

Fig. 1 shows an example of one computer hardware system 20 that may be used, in whole or in part, to implement the various embodiments of the apparel tracking system of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, computer hardware system 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 30; a random access memory (RAM) 31; a read only memory (ROM) 32; a display monitor 33; a display interface 34 connected to display monitor 33; a data storage device 35; a first input/output (I/O) interface 36 connected to data storage device 35; a keyboard 37; a second I/O interface 38 connected to keyboard

37; an information receiving device 39 connected to a third I/O interface 43; a printer 40; a printer interface 41 connected to printer 40; and a system bus 42 for interconnecting CPU 30, RAM 31, ROM 32, display interface 34, first I/O interface 36, second I/O interface 38, and printer interface 41. As described below, information receiver 39 may take any appropriate form for receiving data from the particular form of machine-readable data used for the particular embodiment or for receiving machine- recognizable information that may be processed by a computer. Preferably, data storage device 35 is a computer hard disk drive.

As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the components of computer hardware system 20 may be incorporated into a personal computer or a portable laptop computer, with the possible exception of information receiver 39 and printer 40. However, as will become apparent from the following description of the present invention, certain components of computer hardware system 20 may be eliminated depending upon the manner in which it is used within the confines of the present invention. For example, if computer hardware system 20 were used solely for producing and storing the data carried on the garment, information receiver 39 may be eliminated. On the other hand, if computer hardware system 20 were used solely for receiving data and displaying the received data, keyboard 37 may be eliminated and printer 40 would become optional, unless one wished to print out information displayed on display monitor 33. By eliminating keyboard 37 and/ or printer 40, computer hardware system 20 may be implemented in a very portable, small integral device. Clearly, the particular form taken by computer hardware system 20 will depend upon the manner and environment in which the system is used. Further, computer system 20 may also be configured with a cellular telephone, a global positioning system (GPS) , digital camera, facsimile machine, image scanner, or fax/modem.

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary apparel 100 including tags 120 bearing machine- readable data in accordance with the present invention. Apparel 100, as shown in Fig. 2, is a firefighter's turn coat 110 and trousers 112. It will be appreciated, however, that the apparel or garment, as broadly defined herein, may include any apparel or garment that includes material arranged in a shape to be worn by a person. The following description of the invention is directed, however, to firefighting apparel for purposes of providing one specific example of how the invention may be implemented and the advantages that flow from the implementation of the invention.

An example of tag 120 is shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, tag 120 may include human-readable information, such as the manufacturer's name, cleaning instructions, size, model, model name, and material. Additionally, tag 120 includes machine-readable data identified generally by reference numeral 125. As shown in Fig. 3, the machine-readable data 125 is provided in the form of a two-dimensional symbology, particularly a PDF417 two-dimensional bar code. PDF417 bar codes are preferred due to the large amount of data that may be stored in a relatively small area as well as the ability to build redundancy and error checking into the symbology and thereby provide consistent and accurate results. This error-correction mechanism built into the PDF417 bar code is particularly advantageous when used for HAZMAT or firefighting apparel, which typically must be cleaned using special chemicals and detergents that may otherwise make machine-readable data difficult to read following such cleaning. Further, two-dimensional symbologies, such as the PDF417 two- dimensional bar code, may be printed on fabrics that may thus be readily attached as a tag to a garment. Tags 120 may be sewn directly onto the garment or may be attached using NELCRO® or other fastening means. A preferred tag material for use in connection with firefighting apparel is a waterproof and fireproof material such as TESLIΝ® manufactured by Pittsburgh Paint and Glass and Νomix manufactured by

DuPont.

As noted above, the machine-readable data preferably represents a variety of information, including at least one of: (1) a list of component elements and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, (2) repair/maintenance history of the apparel (i.e. , number and nature of repairs and washings), (3) scheduled maintenance for the apparel, (4) the name of the owner of the apparel, and (5) the name of the person assigned to wear the apparel. By providing information of this type on a tag carried on the garment, the present invention enables useful information to be made readily available to a variety of people and organizations that may handle the garment. For example, by providing a list of component elements of the garment and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, an organization responsible for the maintenance of the garment may quickly determine from the garment itself, the names of the manufacturers of all the component parts of the garment. Thus, the maintenance organization may contact those manufacturers for any replacement parts or otherwise determine which component parts should be used to replace a damaged or worn part of the garment. By providing this information directly on the garment, a database need not be maintained by the organizations responsible for maintaining a garment, and the garment may be sent to any maintenance organization or branch office of a maintenance organization without concern as to whether or not the maintenance organization is aware of the repair history of the component parts of the garment. Also, to the extent that the component parts of the apparel may be separated for different maintenance operations or for any other reason, the provision of a list of component parts and the name of the person to whom the component parts are assigned, allows the various component parts to be regrouped for delivery to the individual who will wear the garment.

By providing the scheduled maintenance for the apparel, the owner of the apparel can quickly ascertain whether the apparel is due for maintenance without having to maintain written records or a central database for such information. By providing the name of the owner of the apparel and/or the name of the person to whom the garment is assigned in machine-readable form directly on a tag of the garment, any maintenance organization or other party that handles the garment may quickly determine the owner of the garment or the name of the person to whom the garment is assigned, if that person is different from the owner. Such information also makes it much easier to track the apparel within an organization handling large quantities of similar apparel.

As noted above, the information contained in the machine-readable data on the garment tag may further include the size of the apparel, the date of manufacture of the apparel, the color of the apparel, a description of the material of which the apparel is made, a unique serial number associated with the manufacturer of the apparel, a brand name, a model number, a lot number, a style number, and a manufacturing batch number. Such information is particularly useful when the apparel requires replacement or special handling.

By providing information such as the number washings, number of repairs, and/or the depreciated cost of the garment in a bar code, a system may be constructed that provides a method for retiring garments based upon certain criteria, such as the number of washings, number of repairs, depreciated cost of the garment versus repair cost, etc. With such a system, an individual may make such a determination for a specific garment by scanning its bar code to obtain its maintenance history, depreciated cost, or other relevant information. By providing the date of manufacture of the garment in a bar code or other machine-readable medium attached to the garment, a system can be constructed for recalling garments that are out in the field. Such recalls could be for various purposes including defects, upgrades, safety, retirement, etc. , all based upon criteria such as the date of the manufacture. Hence, the bar code on a garment may be scanned to identify its date of manufacture, so that an individual may determine whether the garment is subject to a recall, upgrade, or retirement.

The present invention also provides for a system that can perform statistical analysis of the population of particular garments in the field and return for repair/servicing by reading the bar codes identifying the garments as they are serviced or repaired and maintaining historical data upon which statistical analysis may be performed and reported. Such statistical analysis is particularly advantageous, since it may provide for the basis for future design improvements for that particular garment. The present invention also allows a system to monitor the garments' number and type of exposures to hazardous materials. This information may be stored in a bar code and be particularly useful when determining which chemicals or detergents to wash the garment with or whether to retire the garment.

The information contained in the machine-readable data may be provided in the form of a database record or an entire database. Fig. 4, 4A shows a template of an exemplary database record to be represented in a two-dimensional bar code. As shown, the template includes a plurality of fields of designated length. Each field corresponds to a portion of the information that is preferably provided in the two-dimensional bar code. Fig. 5 shows an exemplary screen display as would be depicted on display 33 (Fig. 1) upon reading a two-dimensional bar code including at least the information shown on display 33. Although specific information is identified above and in the template of Fig. 4, 4A and the display screen of Fig. 5, it will be appreciated that other information may alternatively or additionally be included in the machine-readable data and/or displayed upon reading the machine-readable data using information receiving device 39. The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiments only.

Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the Doctrine of

Equivalents.

Claims

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of tracking apparel comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a tag on each piece of apparel containing machine-readable data representing information including at least one of (i) a list of component elements and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, (ii) repair history of the apparel, (iii) scheduled maintenance for the apparel, (iv) the name of the owner of the apparel, and (v) the name of the person assigned to wear the apparel;

(b) reading the machine-readable data; and

(c) displaying the information read in step (b) .

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said machine-readable data on said tag further represents information including at least one of the size of the apparel, the date of manufacture of the apparel, the color of the apparel, a description of the material of which the apparel is made, a unique serial number associated with the manufacturer of the apparel, a brand name, a model number, a lot number, a style number, and a manufacturing batch number.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said machine-readable data is a two- dimensional bar code.

4. A system for tracking apparel having a tag containing machine-readable data, said system comprising: a data-reading device for reading the machine-readable data contained on the tag of the apparel and translating said data into information including at least one of (a) a list of component elements and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, (b) repair history of the apparel, (c) scheduled maintenance for the apparel, (d) the name of the owner of the apparel, and (e) the name of the person assigned to wear the apparel; and a display device coupled to said data-reading device for displaying the information read by said data-reading device.

5. A garment comprising: material arranged in a shape to be worn by a person and including a plurality of component elements made by different manufacturers; and a tag carried on said material containing machine-readable data representing information including a list of component elements and the names of the manufacturers of each component part.

6. The garment as defined in claim 5, wherein said machine-readable data on said tag further represents information including at least one of the repair history of the garment, scheduled maintenance for the garment, the name of the owner of the garment, and the name of the person assigned to wear the garment.

7. The garment as defined in claim 5, wherein said machine-readable data on said tag further represents information including at least one of the size of the garment, the date of manufacture of the garment, the color of the garment, a description of the material of which the garment is made, a unique serial number associated with the manufacturer of the garment, a brand name, a model number, a lot number, a style number, and a manufacturing batch number.

8. The garment as defined in claim 5, wherein said machine-readable data is a two- dimensional bar code.

9. A garment comprising: material arranged in a shape to be worn by a person; and a tag carried on said material containing machine-readable data representing information including at least one of: (a) repair history of the garment, (b) scheduled maintenance for the garment, (c) name of the owner of the garment, and (d) name of the person assigned to wear the garment.

10. The garment as defined in claim 9, wherein said machine-readable data is a two- dimensional bar code.

11. A tag for a garment, said tag comprising machine-readable data representing information including at least one of: (a) a list of component elements of the garment and the names of the manufacturers of each component part, (b) repair history of the garment, (c) scheduled maintenance for the garment, (d) the name of the owner of the garment, and (e) the name of the person assigned to wear the garment.

12. The tag as defined in claim 11 , wherein said machine-readable data on said tag further represents information including at least one of the size of the garment, the date of manufacture of the garment, the color of the garment, a description of the material of which the garment is made, a unique serial number associated with the manufacturer of the garment, a brand name, a model number, a lot number, a style number, and a manufacturing batch number.

13. The tag as defined in claim 11 , wherein said machine-readable data is a two- dimensional bar code.