Machine readable information carrier

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I claim: 1.
A method of controlling a manufacturing process, comprising dividing the process into a plurality of selected information controlled steps; placing each selected step under control of an information carrying card equipped with an erasable programmable memory; recording in the memory information in machine readable form about the execution of each step; executing each step in accordance with the information stored in the memory; and exchanging machine readable information between the memory and a central processing unit.
2.
The method of claim 1, further comprising using a reading and writing device to exchange machine readable information between the memory and the central processing unit.
3.
The method of claim 1, comprising changing the recorded information for a predetermined step in dependence upon a preceding step.
4.
The method of claim 3, wherein the recorded information for the predetermined step in changed by erasing at least a portion of the recorded information.
5.
The method of claim 3, wherein the recorded information for the predetermined step is changed by replacing at least a portion of the recorded information with new information.
6.
The method of claim 3, wherein the recorded information for the predetermined step is changed bit-by-bit.
7.
The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is non-volatile.
8.
The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is an EEPROM.
9.
The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is erasable both entirely and in part.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is related to machine readable information carriers, and, in particular, to a manufacturing and inventory control card for carrying one or more microelectronic memory devices having a non-volatile, erasable, and programmable memory capability.
Management information systems are widely used for monitoring business operations, especially order entry, manufacturing and inventory control.
Such systems include a central computer that is programmed to monitor an order for a product from the initial receipt of the order, through manufacture of the ordered item, until the order is completed by delivery to the customer