Apparatus and method for determining asset location via local triangulation

• US 20050185046A1
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Forlenza, Randolph Michael, Chen, Yen-Fu, Kalyanaraman, Raghuraman, Kaemmerer, John Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.130
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2457 Lending systems using EAS tags wherein the tags are reusable, e.g. they can be activated and deactivated more than once, e.g. for a library
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS

Abstract

The present invention is a method for locating an asset in a facility. An example of an asset is a vehicle and an example of a facility is a parking facility. When the user enters the facility with the asset, the user receives a base and code from a base/code booth. The code may be stored on a removable card. The user secures the asset by entering the code. While the user is away from the facility, the present invention monitors the base for movement detected by the motion sensor. When the user returns to the facility, a locator panel displays the location of the asset. The present invention determines the location of the asset by triangulation using the locators. The user then returns to the asset, deactivates the motion sensor, returns the base and code to a base/code booth, pays for the storage services, and exits the facility.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining the location of an asset in a facility comprising:

a base;

a code is specific to the base;

a locator panel in communication with a plurality of locators;

wherein the locator panel determines the location of the asset by using the locators to triangulate the position of the base; and

wherein a user can determine the location of the asset using the code and the locator panel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a base/code booth; and

wherein the base/code booth distributes the base and the code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base further comprises:

a motion sensor located in the base; and

wherein the motion sensor notifies a security patrol of a disturbance of the asset.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein recognition of the code by the base activates the motion sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein recognition of the code by the base deactivates the motion sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein user egress from the facility activates the motion sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein user ingress into the facility deactivates the motion sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the code is stored on a card and the card is inserted into the base or the locator panel.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the code is entered into a keypad on the base or locator panel.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the code is stored on a key and the key is entered into a lock on the base or locator panel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base further comprises:

a glass breakage sensor; and

wherein the glass breakage sensor notifies a security patrol of a disturbance of the asset.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the construction material for the facility prevents transmission of signals out of or between floors of the facility;

and wherein each floor of the facility comprises at least three locators.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the locator panel displays the location of the asset upon recognition of the code.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the locator panel prints directions to the location of the asset upon recognition of the code.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the locator panel accepts payment from the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base illuminates a light upon an indication that the user is returning to the asset.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the indication comes from the locator panel.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the indication comes from the code.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the asset is a vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the facility is a parking facility.

21. A program product for determining the location of an asset comprising:

a computer-usable medium;

wherein the computer usable medium comprises instructions for a processor to perform steps comprising;

accepting activation of a motion sensor in a base;

determining if the motion sensor has been disturbed;

responsive to the determination that the motion sensor has been disturbed, notifying a locator of the disturbance;

accepting deactivation of the motion sensor upon recognition of a code; and

wherein the code is specific to the base and the base is specific to the code.

22. The program product of claim 21 wherein recognition of the code by the base activates the motion sensor.

23. The program product of claim 21 wherein recognition of the code by the base deactivates the motion sensor.

24. The program product of claim 21 wherein user egress from the facility activates the motion sensor.

25. The program product of claim 21 wherein user ingress into the facility deactivates the motion sensor.

26. The program product of claim 21 further comprising:

determining if a glass breakage sensor detects the breaking of glass; and

responsive to the determination that the glass breakage sensor detects the breaking of glass, notifying a locator of the breaking of glass at the location of the asset.

27. The program product of claim 21 wherein a plurality of the locators determine location of the base by triangulation.

28. The program product of claim 21 further comprising:

illuminating a light upon an indication that a user is returning to the asset.

29. The program product of claim 28 wherein the indication comes from a locator panel.

30. The program product of claim 28 wherein the indication comes from the code.

31. The program product of claim 21 wherein the asset is a vehicle.

32. The program product of claim 21 wherein the facility is a parking facility.

33. The program product of claim 21 wherein the code is stored on a card and the card is inserted into the base or the locator panel.

34. The program product of claim 21 wherein the code is entered into a keypad on the base or locator panel.

35. The program product of claim 21 wherein the code is stored on a key and the key is entered into a lock on the base or locator panel.

36. A program product for determining the location of an asset comprising:

a computer-usable medium;

wherein the computer usable medium comprises instructions for a processor to perform steps comprising;

accepting notification that a user has exited a facility;

determining whether the asset has been disturbed;

responsive to the determination that the asset has been disturbed, dispatching a security patrol to the asset;

determining whether the user has requested the location of the asset from a locator panel;

responsive to the determination that the user has requested the location of the asset from the locator panel, displaying the location of the asset on a display screen;

responsive to the determination that the user has requested the location of the asset from the locator panel, printing directions from the locator panel to the asset;

wherein the locator panel determines the location of the asset by recognizing a code; and

wherein the code is specific to a base in the asset and the base is specific to the code.

37. The program product of claim 36 further comprising:

determining whether the user has returned to the facility; and

responsive to the determination that the user has not returned to the facility and responsive to the determination that the asset has been disturbed, dispatching a security patrol to the asset.

38. The program product of claim 36 further comprising:

determining the location of the asset by triangulation using at least three locators.

39. The program product of claim 36 wherein a motion sensor indicates that the asset has been disturbed.

40. The program product of claim 36 wherein a glass breakage sensor indicates that the asset has been disturbed.

41. The program product of claim 36 further comprising:

accepting payment from the user.

42. The program product of claim 36 further comprising:

notifying the base that the user is returning to the asset.

43. The program product of claim 42 wherein upon notification that the user is returning to the asset, the base illuminates a light.

44. The program product of claim 36 wherein the asset is a vehicle.

45. The program product of claim 36 wherein the facility is a parking facility.

46. The program product of claim 36 wherein the code is stored on a card and the card is inserted into the base or the locator panel.

47. The program product of claim 36 wherein the code is entered into a keypad on the base or locator panel.

48. The program product of claim 36 wherein the code is stored on a key and the key is entered into a lock on the base or locator panel.

49. An apparatus for determining the location of an asset comprising:

means for accepting notification that a user has exited a facility;

means for determining whether the asset has been disturbed;

responsive to the determination that the asset has been disturbed, means for dispatching a security patrol to the asset;

means for determining whether the user has requested the location of the asset from a locator panel;

responsive to the determination that the user has requested the location of the asset from the locator panel, means for displaying the location of the asset on a display screen;

responsive to the determination that the user has requested the location of the asset from the locator panel, means for printing directions from the locator panel to the asset;

wherein the locator panel determines the location of the asset by recognizing a code;

wherein the code is specific to a base;

a base/code booth;

wherein the base/code booth distributes the base and the code;

means for determining whether the user has returned to the facility;

responsive to the determination that the user has not returned to the facility and responsive to the determination that the asset has been disturbed, means for dispatching a security patrol to the asset;

means for determining the location of the asset by triangulation using at least three locators;

wherein a motion sensor indicates that the asset has been disturbed;

wherein a glass breakage sensor indicates that the asset has been disturbed;

means for accepting payment from the user;

means for notifying the base that the user is returning to the asset;

wherein upon notification that the user is returning to the asset, the base illuminates a light;

wherein the asset is a vehicle; and

wherein the facility is a parking facility.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the code is stored on a card and the card is inserted into the base or the locator panel.

51. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the code is entered into a keypad on the base or locator panel.

52. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the code is stored on a key and the key is entered into a lock on the base or locator panel.