System Description – Asset & Person Tracking
1. General
The Vizbee platform is a flexible rule based solution for RFID based applications that can adapt to the customer’s needs and evolve with them.
Vizbee is hardware independent and allow mixing and matching any technology (Passive RFID , Active RFID Barcode or another location aware technology such as GPS, Wi-Fi etc.) from any vendor in the framework of a single project in order to best meet the customer requirements and optimize the solution.
2. Vizbee Advantages
Vizbee is the most advanced RFID and RTLS software platform available today on the market. With its intuitive user interface, strong rule engine and open architecture, it enables the customer to
deploy RFID projects in a very short time, and yet not being tied to a certain hardware manufacturer or technology both now and in the future.
Vizbee platform is entirely rule based driven. Allowing adjusting the system to your exact needs without writing any specific code. Average implementation time reduces by 80% while cost remains low.
Vizbee's unique Graphical User Interface is map driven and designed so that a non educated operator can use the system after less than 30 minutes of training. The Graphical User Interface can be
customized for each project in order to best meet the habits and requirements.
New releases of Vizbee Core and Application Packages are released every year. These releases include new functionalities, new hardware options and new optional modules, ensuring that the system remains state of the art over the years.
The Vizbee Core provides services such as communicating with the tags, database management, 3rd party integration, user permission and more, and warrants for a robust performing infrastructure. The Vizbee core is highly scalable. It allows gradual implementation from a small partial project and up to large multi-site installations, thereby avoiding the risk implicitly involved in big-bang
operations.
Vizbee Core is an open system with exhaustive APIs to facilitate its integration within other systems in the organization like ERPs, Access control, Video surveillance, etc. in order to produce the
3. Vizbee Platform
3.1. Components
The Vizbee platform includes everything that is required for the Asset and Person tracking system configuration and handling. No other middleware is required. Together with Vizbee’s handheld application it offers a strong tool for managing fixed and mobile assets.
The system allow working with multiple applications such as Asset & Person tracking, Inventory and logistics, Guard tour, Maintenance and workflow all on the same platform base.
3.2. System parts: 3.2.1. Administrator
The Administrator is used for configuring the site, RFID readers, categories and for defining business rules for the tracked entities.
3.2.2. Web Client
The Client application is used to monitor in real-time the status of all assets, to perform advanced searches and to handle system alerts.
A strong configurable reporting engine enables retrieving aggregated data easily according to the customer’s needs.
3.2.3. Handheld RFID Reader Application
Vizbee’s RFID handheld reader application is used to update the Asset locations and statuses, find specific asset and create new tagged items.
4. Application
4.1. Adding new assets and People to the system
Asset and people can be added to the system in various ways.
4.1.1. Direct Import
Importing your existing information in the legacy system and Vizbee will populate the creation of the entities in the system.
4.1.2. Web Interface
Using a web interface for the creation or edit of Assets, People, Guard etc’. You can assign multiple RFID tags using manual typing or scanning with a fixed reader.
4.1.3. RFID hand held device
Add a new Asset or Person and assign an RFID to it using the hand held reader as part of the same process.
New asset creation using RFID Handheld device
4.2. Display 4.2.1. Map view
Asset and People icons appear in their exact location on the map. Check a category in the category menu and it will appear in each one of the areas on the map. Clicking on them will display its detiala in the item details.
4.2.2. List view
Entities display on the map view - Zoom
The entities can also seen in a format of a list
4.2.3. Item details
Clicking on an Asset or Person displays its details allowing looking for its location, History and performing various actions on that entity.
4.3. Search
4.4. Advance textual search
(1) The web interface allows searching for any entity in the system. The search can be done using free text of a part of the desired entity.
(2) Using extensive filters the query can be refined. Filters can be to one or multiple location, displaying the search results that are currently there, filter by specific entity categories, by keywords, by the status of the desired entity and more.
Search query using filters
(3) Search queries can be saved for future ease of use.
(4) The entities display on the map can be filtered to the search results allowing to easily identifying the desired entity location on the map.
4.4.2. Nearest of category
4.4.3. HH Physical Search
Search feature is also available in the RFID handheld device. Search for a specific entity and check its details and recorded location. The system also audio guides you to the exact location of the items by indicating if it is getting closer or far away for the desired entity.
RFID Handheld device – Physical search 4.4.4. Hand held Inventory Check
Using an RFID handheld device the user can check whether all assets are present in their respective locations.
4.5. Rules & Reactions 4.6. Rule Engine
Vizbee has a powerful rule engine, enabling quick and intuitive definition of business rules.
A rule is a set of condition that once they are met the system performs a set of predefined reactions. Rules are base on location and status information of assets as well as on sensorial data of asset tags (like temperature, motion and more).
A user can define simple rules, based on only one state of an entity, or complex rules, that depend on state of more than one entity.
For each rule, the user can define the required reactions to be taken when the conditions of the rule are met. For example, one can define a rule based on the presence of an asset at a given room. When the system detects the presence of the tag, associated with the asset in the room, it will perform the reactions that were assigned to the rule.
An example of a more complex rule may be detection of a tag motion (in case of art piece, for example) without the presence of a curator. If it moves without the presence of a curator, then the system can generate an alarm in the museum and send SMS message to a security manager.
Rule engine wizard – complex rule
4.7. Reactions
Multiple reactions can be defined for each rule. Once the condition of that rule will be met they will automatically take place. Rule reaction can be set as alerts, taken car by an operator or as simple events – producing a set of automated processes.
4.7.1. Alerts
An alert will usually be displayed on a screen allowing an operator to take care of it. In addition to that a set of automated action can be defined to take place by the system. Such actions are:
Display on a screen, blinking
SMS
Activate an audio siren
Change status
Remove pairing
Show video and interfacing with Video Surveillance system
Send a command to a 3rd party system
4.7.2. Events
Events reactions to rules are very useful initiating automated processes without the need of a human intervention. Useful examples can be closing and opening gates due to proximity of assets / people, activating sirens or other devices and more.
4.8. Macro Actions
Macro actions are processes taken by a user to easily modify a single or multiple assets or people status , location manually, responsible person and more.
This allow to easily change behavior, so different business rules will apply to it.
As an example, we can take an asset that needs to go to repair. Usually, an exit of such asset through the door will generate an alert. Now, the exit is authorized, so manual activity should take place in order to inform the system that the asset is authorized to leave.
4.9. Permissions
Permissions are set to every group of users in the system. This allowing each user to access the exact processes and data he is allowed to and also prevent overflow of non relevant data.
Permissions are applied on entity groups, specific actions, event handling, reports data and more.
4.10. Reports
Vizbee Platform contains a rule engine reports allowing easy creation and review of unlimited reports for any defined period.
The reports can include multiple dimension and track visits, amounts, dwell times, limits, events, specific action and more.
All data can be also filtered to specific locations, categories and more down to the specific item level.
Example of a specific dwell report
5. Other Applications modules that are part of the Vizbee platform
Inventory & Logistics
Workflow
Guard tour Management
Maintenance management
AB&R is a certified Vizbee Partner.
For more information contact an AB&R Specialist.
Call 800-281-3056 or visit
www.abr.com
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