Method and system for logistics quality of service measurements using GPS

• US 20050102103A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Graulich, Markus, Upshall, Phil
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

The present invention relates to supply chain management. More specifically, it relates to supply chain monitoring and to a method and device for monitoring the quality of service of logistic services, wherein goods are shipped along a travel route from a source location to a destination location, and wherein times are logged at one or more locations during the travel. The method includes the steps of a) shipping a shipping device, i.e. a package, letter, parcel, etc., having an electronic device, which includes a GPS-indoor receiver device, a storage, a power supply, an I/O interface, in which the control logic is arranged for processing received GPS data and for logging during the shipping device travel time, and respective current datasets having at least the current time of day and the current geographic location information derived from GPS signals received en route, b) reading out the log data via the I/O interface, and c) evaluating the log data according to predetermined rules reflecting the quality of service of the actual shipping device travel.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the quality of service of logistic services, wherein goods are shipped along a travel route from a source location to a destination location, and wherein times are logged at one or more locations during the travel, comprising the steps of:

a) shipping a shipping device comprising an electronic device, said electronic device comprising;

aa) a GPS-indoor receiver device connected to a control logic,

bb) a storage connected to said control logic,

cc) a power supply,

dd) an I/O interface;

ee) wherein said control logic is arranged for logging during the shipping device traveling time, datasets comprising at least the current Time of Day and the current geographic location information derived from GPS signals received en route into said storage;

b) reading out the log data via said I/O interface; and

c) evaluating the log data according to predetermined rules reflecting the quality of service of the actual shipping device shipping.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein source location and destination location of the travel route are stored.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein instead of full time information only delta information relative to a predetermined preceding time is logged.

11. A computer program for execution in a data processing system comprising computer program code portions for performing respective steps of the method according to claim 1,

when said computer program code portions are executed on a computer.

12. A computer program product stored on a computer usable medium comprising computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1,

when said computer program product is executed on a computer.

4. An electronic GPS data logger device (LLD) comprising:

a) a GPS-indoor receiver unit connected to a control logic;

b) a storage facility connected to said control logic;

c) a power supply; and

d) an I/O interface.

5. The electronic GPS data logger device (LLD) according to claim 4, further comprising a system clock for generating a time-stamp for a log dataset.

6. A LLD host device comprising an I/O interface to an LLD logger device and a control logic for performing the steps of:

reading out the log data of said LLD traveling device; and

re-initializing said LLD device.

7. The LLD host device according to claim 6, further having a functional program component arranged for adjusting the time rate, according to which log data is stored.

8. The LLD host device according to claim 6, further having an interface to a network for communication with a remote evaluation server.

9. A server system connectable into an electronic network for performing a message exchange with a LLD-host device, comprising a functional program component arranged for:

evaluating log data according to predetermined rules; and

reflecting the quality of logged shipping services.

10. The server system according to claim 9, further comprising a functional component for

a) receiving log data from a plurality of LLD host devices;

and

b) sending control parameters for the configuration of LLD operation.