Automated tool data generation in automated asset management systems

Abstract

An asset management system automatically generates and updates tool data stored in and used by the system for determining the presence or absence of tools or other inventory objects in the systems. The tool data can be automatically generated when a tool is newly added to the automated asset management system, and can be updated if and when characteristics of the tool and/or automated asset management system change. The automatic generation and updating includes automatically recognizing unique identifiers of tags located on inventory objects, automatically identifying an inventory object to associate with each unique identifier, and automatically populating a database to store each unique identifier in association with stored data for the corresponding inventory object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inventory control device comprising:
 a plurality of storage locations for storing objects;   a processor; and   a sensing device configured to determine presence or absence of the objects in the plurality of storage locations,   wherein the processor is configured to perform a tool training process by:
 performing a tool training scan of the plurality of the storage locations to associate a particular object with an attribute of a particular storage location, 
 determining, based on the tool training scan, whether a tag encoding a unique identifier is present on the particular object, and 
 updating a database storing data relating to the objects to include the unique identifier of the tag determined to be present on the particular object. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the tool training process further includes a first scan of the plurality of the storage locations configured to associate the particular object with an attribute of the particular storage location while the particular object is empty. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the tool training process further includes a second scan of the plurality of the storage locations configured to associate the particular object with an attribute of the particular storage location while the particular object is present. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing device includes an image-based sensing device. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor determines presence of the tag encoding the unique identifier on the particular object by detecting a start code and a stop code in an image captured by the sensing device during the second scan. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor determines presence of the tag encoding the unique identifier on a particular inventory control device by detecting the tag in a portion of an image associated with the particular object. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the tag includes a plurality of adjacent stripes having different colors, and the processor is configured to determine the unique identifier encoded in the tag based on a sequence of colors in adjacent stripes. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor determines presence of a tag encoding a unique identifier on the particular object by performing steps of:
 detecting the tag at a location associated with the particular object in an image captured by the sensing device;   identifying, in the detected tag, colors of adjacent stripes having different colors; and   translating the identified colors into corresponding alphanumeric characters,   wherein the updating of the database includes storing data including the translated alphanumeric characters corresponding to the identified colors of the tag.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the detecting of the tag comprises detecting, in an image captured by the sensing device, a start code and a stop code associated with a tag, and identifying a portion of the image located between locations of the start code and the stop code as the detected tag. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the presence or absence of the particular object in the plurality of storage locations by performing steps of:
 performing a third scan of the storage locations using the sensing device;   determining the presence or absence of the particular object in at least one of the plurality of storage locations based on whether image attributes of an image captured in the third scan are a closest match to the image attributes of images captured in the second or first scans, respectively.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 based on a first image generated by the sensing device during the first scan, identify silhouettes of storage locations in the first image and determine an alignment between the identified silhouettes and expected locations of silhouettes stored in the inventory control device,   wherein the determined alignment is stored in the database storing data relating to the objects configured to be stored in the plurality of storage locations of the inventory control device.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor provides an instruction to a user of the inventory control device to ensure that the particular object is absent from the particular storage location of the inventory control device prior to performing the first scan, and
 the processor provides an instruction to the user of the inventory control device to place the particular object in the particular storage location of the inventory control device prior to performing the second scan.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor determines, based on an image obtained in the first scan, a color characteristic of the determined storage location when no object is present therein, and
 the processor determines, based on an image obtained in the second scan, an image attribute of the determined storage location when the object is present therein.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor provides an instruction to a user of the inventory control device to affix a tag to the particular object prior to performing the second scan. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor updates the database storing data relating to the objects to replace a previously stored identifier associated with the particular object with the unique identifier of the tag determined to be present on the particular object. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor updates the database storing data relating to the objects by creating an entry associated with the data relating to the particular object determined to be present and including the unique identifier of the tag determined to be present on the particular object. 
     
     
         17 . A method for storing, in a database of an inventory control device having a plurality of storage locations for storing objects, a unique identifier encoded on a tag of an object, the method comprising:
 perform a tool training scan of the plurality of the storage locations to associate a particular object with an attribute of a particular storage location;   determine, based on the tool training scan, whether a tag encoding a unique identifier is present on the particular object; and   update a database storing data relating to the objects to include the unique identifier of the tag determined to be present on the particular object,   wherein the attributes stored in the database are configured to determine presence or absence of the objects from the storage locations based on a sensing device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the performing the tool training scan further includes:
 perform a first scan of the plurality of the storage locations to associate a particular object with an attribute of a particular storage location while the particular object is empty; and   perform a second scan of the plurality of the storage locations to associate a particular object with an attribute of the particular storage location while the particular object is present;   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the determining whether a tag encoding a unique identifier is present on the particular object comprises identifying, in an image generated by the sensing device during the second scan, a portion of the image that includes the particular object, and determining whether the tag is present in the identified portion of the image. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the tag includes a plurality of adjacent stripes having different colors, and the method further comprises determining the unique identifier encoded in the tag based on a sequence of colors in adjacent stripes.