Equipment management system

1. A method for monitoring items, the method comprising:

sending, for each of a plurality of wireless tag identifiers, a query via an antenna to an associated wireless tag;

verifying that an item corresponding to the wireless tag is present in an area for each of the plurality of wireless tag identifiers when a response is received via the antenna from the wireless tag corresponding to the wireless tag identifiers by storing data associated with the item;

associating each of the items with a different individual;

determining one or more additional items to be checked out to each of the individuals as a function of a profile of the individual; and

changing a status indicator associated with the items to show that the items have been checked out to the individuals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each query is sent via the antenna to the corresponding wireless tag via a wireless link between the antenna and the wireless tag.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving one of the items after it has been checked out to one of the individuals;

determining whether the item corresponding to the wireless tag has been checked out to the one of the individuals; and

checking the item back in by changing a status of the item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a list is accessed from a memory device and further comprising storing data in the list that identifies an event at which the items have been used.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the list that is accessed from a memory device is a prior list that was generated during a prior monitoring operation prior to a start of a predetermined event, wherein data identifying the predetermined event is stored in the memory device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the query sent to the wireless tag contains the wireless tag identifier that corresponds to the wireless tag.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a list contains a status indicator corresponding to each of the at least one wireless tag identifier, the status indicator providing an indication of whether the item associated with the wireless tag that corresponds to the wireless tag identifier has been used in an event.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the items from the individuals after they have been used by the individuals in a single event; and

changing a status indicator associated with the items to show that items have been checked in from the individuals.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a unique identification code is generated that is a value of the wireless tag identifier that corresponds to the wireless tag.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

performing a scan operation to determine a presence of a new wireless tag that does not have a corresponding wireless tag identifier in an inventory list; and

updating the inventory list to include a new wireless tag determined to be present during the scan operation.

11. A monitoring system for monitoring items, each of which has a corresponding wireless tag with a corresponding wireless tag identifier, comprising:

a transceiver system operable to receive and transmit signals within an area; and

a processor configured to:

send a query via the transceiver system to the wireless tags corresponding to wireless tag identifiers;

receive a verification that the items corresponding to the wireless tags are present in the area after a response is received via the antenna from the wireless tag corresponding to the wireless tag identifier;

associate each of the items with an associated individual;

receive a verification that each of the items has been checked out to the associated individual; and

determining one or more additional items to be checked out to each of the associated individuals as a function of a profile.

12. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein each query is sent via the transceiver system to the corresponding wireless tag via a wireless link between the transceiver system and the wireless tag.

13. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein each wireless tag is an active RFID tag.

14. The monitoring system of claim 11 , further comprising a memory device that is operationally coupled to the processor and configured to store a list of the wireless tag identifiers and the associated items.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14 , wherein the list is a prior list that was generated during a prior monitoring operation.

16. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the query sent to the wireless tag is based on the wireless tag identifier that corresponds to the wireless tag.

17. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein a list further contains a first status indicator and a second status indicator corresponding to each of the wireless tag identifiers, the first status indicator providing an indication of whether the wireless tag that corresponds to the wireless tag identifier is associated with an individual and the second status indicator providing an indication of whether the wireless tag that corresponds to the wireless tag identifier has been checked out to the individual.

18. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the query sent to the wireless tag returns a unique identification code that corresponds to the wireless tag.

19. The monitoring system of claim 18 , wherein the unique identification code is a value of the wireless tag identifier that corresponds to the wireless tag.

20. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

perform a scan operation to determine a presence of a new wireless tag that does not have a corresponding wireless tag identifier on a list; and

update the list to include the new wireless tag.