FLOW METERING OF VEHICLES USING RTLS TRACKING

• US 20080262885A1
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wherenet Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Sandeep, Phillips, David, Onorati, Nadia
• Granted Patent: US 9,747,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system and method optimizes throughput of tracked assets as work-in-progress (WIP) within a monitored environment such as a manufacturing establishment with off-line processing areas. A plurality of assets such as vehicles have a tag transmitter associated therewith and operative for transmitting a wireless RF signal that includes data relating to the identification of the asset to which the tag transmitter is associated. A real-time location system (RTLS) infrastructure tracks the location of the plurality of assets to various containment, staging, and processing task areas within the monitored environment as WIP. A processor is operative with the RTLS infrastructure for determining an asset input rate into WIP at an origin to the WIP for optimizing asset flow rate as WIP through different containment, staging, and processing areas within the monitored environment.

Claims

1. A system of optimizing throughput of tracked assets as work-in-progress (WIP) within a monitored environment, comprising:

a plurality of assets;

a tag transmitter associated with each asset and operative for transmitting a wireless RF signal that includes data relating to the identification of the asset to which the tag transmitter is associated; and

a real time location system (RTLS) infrastructure for tracking the location of the plurality of assets through various containment, staging and processing task areas within the monitored environment as WIP, and including a processor operative with the RTLS infrastructure for determining an asset input rate into WIP at an origin to the WIP for optimizing asset flow rate as WIP through different containment, staging and processing areas within the monitored environment.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said assets comprise vehicles and said monitored environment comprises various containment, staging and processing task areas through which the vehicles pass.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said RTLS infrastructure comprises a plurality of spaced access points positioned at known locations within the monitored environment that receives wireless RF signals from tag transmitters and a processor for geolocating each asset.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said processor is operative for correlating a signal as a first-to-arrive signal and conducting differentiation of first-to-arrive signals to locate an asset.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said RTLS infrastructure is operative for processing RF signals including signals compatible with ISO 24730 and WiFi.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processor is operative for determining an asset input rate into WIP based upon predictive metering that determines asset availability in staging or processing task areas.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said processor is operative for estimating a time or arrival (ETA) of an asset to each processing task area and determining whether there is availability within a staging area or processing task area.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said processor is operative for estimating a time of departure (ETD) for each asset from a staging area depending on task completion or move completion of assets.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processor is operative for determining an asset input rate into WIP based upon rate metering that identifies the number of assets waiting in staging and containment areas for every processing task areas to determine minimum and maximum thresholds for each staging and containment area and based upon an asset overflow, moving assets into WIP.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein if a number of assets cross thresholds within a staging or containment area, then said processor is operative for determining a delay input for completing a task within a task processing area.

11. A system of optimizing throughput of tracked assets as work-in-progress (wip) within a monitored environment comprising:

a plurality of assets;

a tag transmitter associated with each asset and operative for transmitting a wireless RF signal that includes data relating to the identification of the asset to which the tag transmitter is associated; and

a real time location system (RTLS) infrastructure for tracking the location of the plurality of assets through various containment, staging and processing task areas within the monitored environment as WIP, and including a processor operative with the RTLS infrastructure for determining an asset input rate into WIP at an origin to the WIP for optimizing asset flow rate as WIP through different containment, staging and processing areas within the monitored environment based upon one of least a) predictive metering that determines asset availability in staging or processing task areas and b) rate control metering that identifies the number of assets waiting in staging and containment areas for every processing task areas to determine minimum and maximum thresholds for each staging and containment area and based upon an asset overflow, moving assets into WIP

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said assets comprise vehicles and said monitored environment comprises various containment, staging and processing task areas through which the vehicles pass.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said RTLS infrastructure comprises a plurality of spaced access points positioned at known locations within the monitored environment that receives wireless RF signals from tag transmitters and a processor for geolocating each asset.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said processor is operative for correlating a signal as a first-to-arrive signal and conducting differentiation of first-to-arrive signals to locate an asset.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said RTLS infrastructure is operative for processing RF signals including signals compatible with ISO 24730 and WiFi.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processor is operative for estimating a time or arrival (ETA) of an asset to each processing task area and determining whether there is availability within a staging area or processing task area.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said processor is operative for estimating a time of departure (ETD) for each asset from a staging area depending on task completion or move completion of assets.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein if a number of assets cross thresholds within a staging or containment area, then said processor is operative for determining a delay input for completing a task within a task processing area.

19. A method of optimizing throughput of tracked assets as work-in-progress (WIP) within a monitored environment, comprising:

transmitting a wireless RF signal from a tag transmitter associated with an asset to be tracked within a monitored environment such that the RF signal includes data relating to the identification of an asset;

tracking the location of the plurality of assets through various containment, staging and processing task areas within the monitored environment as WIP using a real time location system (RTLS); and

determining an asset input rate into WIP at an origin to the WIP for optimizing asset flow rate as WIP through different containment, staging and processing areas within the monitored environment.

20. The method according to claim 19, which further comprises tracking the assets as vehicles through various containment, staging and processing task areas within the monitored environment.

21. The method according to claim 19, which further comprises correlating a RF signal as a first-to-arrive signal and conducting differentiation of first-to-arrive signals to locate an asset.

22. The method according to claim 19, which further comprises determining an asset input rate into WIP based upon predictive metering that determines asset availability in staging or processing task areas.

23. The method according to claim 22, which further comprises estimating a time or arrival (ETA) of an asset to each processing task area and determining whether there is availability within a staging area or processing task area and estimating a time of departure (ETD) for each asset from a staging area depending on task completion or move completion of assets.

24. The method according to claim 19, which further comprises determining an asset input rate into WIP based upon rate control metering that identifies the number of assets waiting in staging and containment areas for every processing task areas to determine minimum and maximum thresholds for each staging and containment area and based upon an asset overflow, moving assets into WIP.

25. The method according to claim 24, which further comprises determining a delay input for completing a task within a task processing area if a number of assets cross thresholds within a staging or containment area.