Concepts for asset identification

• US 10,157,513 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2018
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Skonberg, Carl M., Pyzocha, Jr., Ernest J., Hill, III, Andrew J., McFarland, Bobby J.
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, CURTIS J
• Application Number:
  US16/016,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20180308304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for identifying assets (e.g., mobile assets and/or personnel assets). A mobile asset is uniquely identified from RFID tags. Additionally, mobile assets and personnel assets are identified from captured image data. After identification, it can be determined whether the asset (e.g., mobile asset and/or personnel asset) is authorized for one or more activities and a corresponding perceivable indication can be generated.

Claims

1. A method for identifying an asset, the method comprising:

receiving, via one or more processors, image data captured of the asset, the image data comprising a first predefined mobile asset identifier that uniquely identifies a vehicle;

triggering, via the one or more processors, a request to be received by a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within a read range, the RFID tag affixed to the vehicle;

receiving, via the one or more processors, a response from the RFID tag, the response comprising a second predefined mobile asset identifier that uniquely identifies the vehicle;

assigning, via the one or more processors, a preassigned fleet a plurality of permissions for a plurality of vehicles to enter or exit one or more areas and cross a border of a customs area;

identifying, via the one or more processors, the asset based at least in part on the first predefined mobile asset identifier from the image data and the second predefined mobile asset identifier from the RFID tag response;

determining, via the one or more processors, that the asset is authorized for one or more activities associated with access to the one or more areas, the determining based at least in part on,

detecting the first predefined mobile asset identifier of the vehicle from the captured image data, and

analyzing the second predefined mobile asset identifier to determine that the vehicle is within the preassigned fleet of the plurality of vehicles, and

after a determination that the asset is authorized for the one or more activities, generating, via the one or more processors, (a) an instruction to one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the asset is authorized for the one or more activities and (b) one or more electronic preclearance documents for a custom clearance of the asset prior to the asset crossing a border of a customs area of the areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more activities comprise at least one of (a) crossing one or more borders, (b) entering or exiting a staging area, or (c) entering or exiting a checkpoint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is captured based on at least one of a periodic basis, a regular basis, and a continuous basis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is captured after the vehicle enters or exits a geofenced area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted after the vehicle enters or exits the geoenfenced area.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising in response to detecting an instance in which the asset exits the defined geofenced area, sending another request to the RFID tag, while the asset is outside the defined geofenced area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the perceivable indicators comprise at least one of (a) illuminating a light, (b) illuminating a beacon, (c) generating a specific sound, (d) providing visual instructions, (e) a locking gate, or (f) a boom barrier gate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset further comprises a personnel asset that is identified based on facial features of an image of a person in the image data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more activities comprise the vehicle entering or exiting the customs area.

10. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive image data captured of an asset, the image data comprising a first predefined mobile asset identifier uniquely identifying a vehicle;

trigger, via one or more processors, a request to be received by a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within a read range, the RFID tag affixed to the vehicle;

after transmitting the request to be received by the RFID tag within the read range, receive, via the one or more processors, a response from the RFID tag, the response comprising a second predefined mobile asset identifier that uniquely identifies the vehicle;

assign, via the one or more processors, a preassigned fleet a plurality of permissions for a plurality of vehicles to enter or exit one or more areas and cross a border of a customs area;

identify the asset based at least in part on the first predefined mobile asset identifier and the second predefined mobile asset identifier;

determine that the asset is authorized for one or more activities, the determining based at least in part on,

detecting the first predefined mobile asset identifier of the vehicle from the captured image data, and

analyzing the second predefined mobile asset identifier to detect that the vehicle is within the preassigned fleet of the plurality; and

after a determination that the asset is authorized for the one or more activities associated with access to the one or more areas, generate (a) an instruction to one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the asset is authorized for the one or more activities and (b) one or more electronic preclearance documents for a custom clearance of the asset prior to the asset crossing the border of the customs area of the areas.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the image data is captured and the request is transmitted based on at least one of a periodic basis, a regular basis, and a continuous basis.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising in response to detecting an instance in which the asset exits the defined geofenced area, sending another request to the RFID tag, while the asset is outside the defined geofenced area.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the image data is captured and the request is transmitted after the vehicle enters or exits a geofenced area.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the perceivable indicators are selected from at least one of (a) illuminating a light, (b) illuminating a beacon, (c) generating a specific sound, (d) providing visual instructions, (e) a locking gate, and (f) a boom barrier gate.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

receive the image data captured of the asset by capturing the image data in an instance in which the vehicle is traveling at a predetermined speed, or the vehicle is traveling below the predetermined speed or the vehicle is stopped.

16. A computer program product for identifying an asset, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive image data captured of the asset, the image data comprising a first predefined mobile asset identifier that uniquely identifies a vehicle;

an executable portion configured to receive a response from a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) affixed to the vehicle, the response comprising a second predefined mobile asset identifier that unique identifiers the vehicle;

an executable portion configured to identify the asset based at least in part on the captured image data and the RFID response;

an executable portion configured to determine that the asset is authorized for one or more activities, based at least in part on.

detecting the first predefined mobile asset identifier of the vehicle, and the second predefined mobile asset identifier of the vehicle; and

an executable portion configured to, after a determination that the asset is authorized for the one or more activities associated with access to one or more areas, generate (a) an instruction to one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the asset is authorized for the one or more activities and (b) one or more electronic preclearance documents for a custom clearance of the asset prior to the asset crossing a border of a customs area of the areas.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the image data is captured and the request is transmitted based on at least one of a periodic basis, a regular basis, and a continuous basis.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein receive the image data captured of the asset comprises capturing the image data in an instance in which the vehicle is traveling at a predetermined speed, or the vehicle is traveling below the predetermined speed or the vehicle is stopped.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the image data is captured and the request is transmitted after the vehicle enters or exits a geofenced area.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the one or more activities comprises the vehicle entering or exiting the customs area.